Hi, I just got my apartment furnished and listed on Airbnb since Nov 2022. Have only been committed Airbnb since. Had decent bookings till May. This is the off season so not worried that there are no bookings till end aug but wanted to know if you all list at various other travel websites as well or not? Also are the policies easy or difficult to list elsewhere? Does Airbnb reprimand for listing elsewhere in search or mailers etc?
Many Hosts here are on other websites like VRBO and others.
I think VRBO policies are easier, and they offer ‘damage protection’ that a Host can require a guest to buy (e.g., ~ $79 for $3,000 of protection).
Expect a sound scolding!
No, just kidding. No reprimand, but to the extent that your listing is unavailable for any reason (e.g., personal use, repairs, gap days between bookings, vacation, bookings on other sites) your listing is less appealing and will likely be lower in search results.
Many people here believe that it’s risky to place your listing(s) only with one ‘channel’ like Airbnb. Such Hosts would say to find an additional channel suited to your listing. [If you told us more about your listing, location, target market, objectives, others here might advise you on that second channel.]
Long term, I’d think your strategy – if repeat guests are a possibility for your listing – would be to build a clientele of repeat guests so that you are not entirely reliable on one or even two channels like Airbnb.
You might want to look at these posts/threads: here, here, and here for starters.
Good luck!
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I only use Airbnb because I get booked easily during the season but I do know other hosts that use VRBO in addition to Airbnb.
We are on Booking.com and Vrbo as well as Airbnb.
Our preference was always Airbnb but at the beginning of the year they messed with something, changed some things and we were not getting many, if any views or bookings from them. We actually just had a week with nobody in our vacation rental unit. That never happens.
BDC moved into the top booking site, especially for one of our listings. We changed our other listing to get rid of the “Genius” program which gives guests big discounts and ever since then, we haven’t received a BDC reservation for that listing. We can’t put ourselves back on the Genius program for 6 months. So, live and learn.
Anyway, we’re on Maui and we’re booked solid (since 2016) all year long…usually.