Three day minimum?

I’m new to this so far I’m doing pretty well however I’ve noticed half of my bookings are today that’s the minimum I feel like I’m running myself ragged do you think I would lose a lot of business if If I changed it to a 3 day minimum has anyone here have the same problem and changed it and if so how did it effect business?

I meant to say half of my bookings are 2 day minimums

I obviously prefer longer stays, but I still keep it at one day minimum just to maximize revenue by keeping gaps in the schedule available.

When you say “running myself ragged” …what do you mean exactly? What’s your set up like? Are you cleaning/stocking the home yourself? Have you thought of ways to further automate your set up like outsourcing to a cleaning company or using a management service?

It may cut into your profit margin a bit, but the time saved may be worth it.

When you put it like that, I’d say many of us are in both. They’re not mutually exclusive.

I see a feeling of “running ragged” as a bigger problem that can’t be solved simply by increasing the minimum stay. What if the OP still feels like that even after three days? Increase the minimum stay even more, causing even more unfillable gaps in the calendar, and further decline in revenue?

It’s a scaling issue, and one that can be solved with automation.

I am curious about the OP’s thoughts on this though. Perhaps there’s some reason why this wasn’t considered already?

There’s zero profit if I hire someone. I’m also very picky and roll all towels n sheets I don’t want 1 strand f hair n the room. Most maids aren’t that picky I notice bad reviews on people who pd cleaners n they didn’t do a thorough job

Can you elaborate on what is stressing you out about the switch-out?

Do you have multiple sets of sheets and towels so you aren’t waiting on the laundry in between guests? What are your check-in/out times? Maybe give yourself more time in between by setting earlier check-outs and later check-ins. What is your rental space like - just a bedroom or a whole house? Mine is just a spare room but I have it down where I can switch the bedding, do a quick vacuum and dusting, clean the bathroom and tidy the kitchen within about an hour if I’m in a real hurry.

And personally, since I share my home, I PREFER short stays. That way if (or WHEN) a guest has a terrible personality I’m not stuck with them for more than a few days.

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Whatever you choose to do, do not allow yourself to be run ragged.

One option is to add a cleaning fee. You are compensated for the turn-around work, but those staying several days don’t pay a lot additional each night.

I agree with the other poster - I’ve loved all of my guests but have not been sorry to see them go - I like a lot of turn around. However, this is not a source of needed income - just extra to pay for my kids ballet/karate/gymastics classes. I block out dates between bookings to give us some breathing room.

Also, some of my favorite guests have been one-nighters - the political refugees from Russia, the 4 young guys from Sweden… wouldn’t want to have missed those opportunities.

Also, you’ll get into a groove, get the hang of it, find how to make it simpler, more efficient, I think it will get easier as time goes by. But do pace yourself, don’t be afraid to turn down bookings.

Take care, keep thinking, and try to enjoy the adventure!

Nancy

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Is the sarcasm really necessary? It was a valid point. One that may not apply here, but still worth mentioning.

Ah, I see. Have you experimented with raising the cleaning fee to see how that affects bookings?

I thinki will add a cleaning fee to discourage short bookings

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i suddenly am feeling like a slob for not “pressing” my sheets! people really iron sheets?! Geez! could this possibly be a perfectionism problem? i agree with the philosophy of raise your prices until you’re not working as hard but maybe let go of some of the time consuming “touches” that nobody really notices.

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I added a cleaning fee. Yes I have a room full of clean sheets n bedspreads,it takes time I’m hoping I can pick up speed as time goes on. My sister is bringing over her unpaid personal slave, the Roomba. There is also his relative called Scoobie that mops floors. Maybe the robot will help.Frankly I don’t care if I lose biz, I have almost too much and cleaning 4 hrs s too much,if they don’t want to pay the cleaning fee they can go elsewhere. Which I don’t think they will they get a suite detached from the house w a huge private garden.100%of my inquiries turn into bookings unless I decline them which I do if I get a weird vibe off their email. I also have a job too so I’m scrambling to do both.

I don’t press the whole sheet just the pillowcases and the edge of the top sheet that sticks out.i worked at the 4 seasons for 10 yrs so I’m trying to give them a 5 star hotel experience for the price of a motel 6.

diamond - I think it’s cool you press the pillow cases. I’d love to come stay at your place! My place is more ‘early american dorm room’…just stuff I had, and my rates reflect that. I got into this on a whim and don’t want to invest in stuff until I figure out the taxes, insurance, etc.

Good luck and do let us know how it goes, what you learned - I’m sure you’ll find tips that will help the rest of us be successful!!

Nancy

Charge a cleaning fee. It won’t scare away bookings. It’s expected. Mine is $85 and I like the turnover. I make more on the shorty bookings than on the longish ones and I have less impact. Backup sets of linens and towels are a must for the small space rentals. Maybe not so practical for the bigger places.

wow I thought I was charging a lot with a $40 cleaning fee…

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I’m finding one thing out… after I clean the room; I meet and greet them…go through a 2 minute walk through so they dont have any questions, then I go into my bedroom and COLLAPSE in my bed;I’m exhausted and my back kills me!

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Yes, I got into this because I had a friend who was doing it.She rents her place(makes a lot more than her landlord) and actually makes a good chunk of change with 2 rooms; $40,000 a yr. I only have one room; but its a little suite detached on 2 acres. I remodeled it for airbnb and it took me almost a year to finish it; there were so many problems to work out; I put the room when it was finished on a dry run for 3 months for friends and family and they pointed out all the little problems they encountered so I fixed everything and finally got it listed at the end of May. Now I need to pay those credit cards off I used to fix it up.

Hope your friend is transparent with the landlord because subleasing is not usually allowed in most leases…

Cleaning is work and should be compensated. It takes me about three to four hours to clean my place with laundry too. Then I do a full weedwhack of my front and back yards so my guests don’t have to look at a weed pit while enjoying a Hawaii sunset.

As for your windfall… I’m sure you know this… but it’s taxable…make sure to put some away for taxes and/or keep receipts because AirBnB sends a 1099 of your earnings to the IRS at the end of the year.

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Oh yes I’m declaring everything but I probably won’t pay taxes for a couple of years I have so many deductions it’s unbelievable and remember I can also depreciate a part of my house .and now I can deduct a big portion of that giant water bill ,resealing the new driveway, trimming the palm trees,The electric bill the trash bill the cable bill the Netflix bill, the Internet also my car and my gas when I’m running around on errands buying everything not to mention the thousands of dollars I’ve spent on sheets blankets furniture towels etc. I can also deduct a portion of the septic tank pumping fee which is huge , property taxes ., extermination fees landscaper fees . I thought about deducting my dogs since they are a security feature but I’m not sure that’s going to fly by my CPA . I am going to ask him about deducting birdseed I go through tons of it to attract birds to the property as the sounds of birds adds to the ambience of the property .

don’t get me wrong. i’m not criticizing. i think that’s awesome. i, however, also have superhost status and get the “little extras” comments constantly, too. and i neither have 800 count sheets nor do i iron sheets. just a thought. of course it’s all about what the host is comfortable with. but ironing sheets seems like a big time and energy suck.

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