Yes, I have been corrected numerous times!
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I wish I knew how easy it was. I might of done it sooner.
Oh and not to bother with discounts.
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Yes, totally true. Iām much cheaper than around and last guests created so much hell even before checking in. They were so so demanding trying to check in many hours later, then checking out much later when it was clear It was not possible. Then they canceled and threatened me with lawsuits and insulted me. It was hell how they bullied me.
Only 2?
My biggest challenge in a beginning was to tell people and insist on my rules. Now, looking back, I donāt even know why, itās so easy when you get used to it.
To not set minimum stay to 1 night. This I will never do again. I donāt want my house to be turned into motel. Too much work. Weekends blocked leaving weekdays empty.
To not supply Lots of everything: toilet papers, towels, extra sheets, food. Guests will use everything. I only supply now what I think is reasonable and quantity I use myself. The rest they can buy.
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Great advice! If you have more than 2 helpful lessons, letās hear it.
Love this thread! Weāre about to start hosting too (out of town, entire home) and Iāve learned so much just from these responses. Thanks OP!
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Love your name by the way, too funnyā¦
I donāt know if I added my two things.
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Decline discount seekers. If they donāt respect the price you are asking, there is a good chance they will not respect your home.
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Add specifics to house rules. I wish I had known things such as
āOnly your approved party allowed on property.
āNo loud parties at any hour
āno candles, incense or anything with a flameā¦ -
Outline your expectations clearly. Describe the kind of guest you want to host. For example, āI am only interested in hosting a quiet couple or single, as this is a very quiet area. Self-sufficient guests who appreciate being off the beaten track a bit. Sorry, young children are not a good fit. Max two.ā
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Give clear idea of cons if any. But pair it with a pro. For example. I am NOT near starbux or shopping but I am near a secluded uncrowded beach.
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I wish Iād known about airhostsforum.com if it even existed then, LOL.
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I wish Iād started in 2013 when I first learned of it instead of a year later in 2014. I love hosting, I find it to be easy and worthwhile, sometimes even interesting or rewarding.
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I wish I had understood that the boost I received when first listing meant that I had to have my phone with me at all times, and since I hate writing on the phone, have my computer nearby.
I wish that I had written a few outlines for responses before the AirBNB ding began to happen. Of course, during those first few busy weeks, I changed what I wrote to potential guests dramatically, but starting from scratch when I was getting an inquiry every hour was a bit stressful.
So, have some outlines written, especially one which describes how they can get to your house if you have public transport nearby], distances from major sites and how you can get to them, how many beds, do you provide towels, and who knows what else.
And, expect to be glued to your monitor for at least a few weeks, assuming you are in a location that is desirable.
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This has been great so far! Thanks for all these very insightful and helpful responses - I havenāt seen these ideas on the typical blogs and courses out there.
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Youāve stumbled onto the best forum in the interwebz, hence my #1 answer.
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And they win the prize for the best user name! 
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@Abraham_Linkedin Just so you can evaluate if below said applies to youā¦ Iām renting my 1BD place only on Airbnb and have IB turned ON. Also, I understand youāre only starting to host, right?
Before I started on Airbnb (it will be 1 year soon) I learned that most stress that seasoned hosts have (aside from broken things and messy guests) is connected to meeting guests at odd hours, waiting for them long hours, cleaning and washing. As I was talking to quite a few local hosts (I simply contacted them one by one and invited them for a coffee), I learned that many experienced hosts (some with multiple two or even three listings) find themselves exhausted after a couple of years. Theyāve been doing everything by themselves, the cleaning, laundry, accepting guests, messaging,ā¦ you name it.
So, hereās my advice : If you can, start thinking NOW how will you remove yourself from the āhosting hamster-wheelā.
Hereās what I found incredibly useful for me.
- Provide the Self-checkin / Self-checkout option. It comes handy so many times (people coming in at odd hours, coming later than communicated beforehand, you being out of town or simply having vacation).
- Get someone to clean your place (vet them beforehand, but thatās another story). In my case, young(er) retirees with plenty of time proved to be perfect for the job.
- Get someone to do the laundry for you. Ideally, thatās the same person who does the cleaning. Delegate them to replenish and buy the supplies (toilet paper, coffee pods,ā¦).
- Create an awesome guidebook (downloadable PDF AND hard copy thatās left in the apartment). My guidebook is 55 pages long. Little text, lots of pictures + plenty of useful links throughout the guide (guests donāt read much). My guests seem to love it so much so they mention this each and every time in their reviews. It took me around 10-12 hours work to create it, but it was totally worth it.
- If youāre going to provide self-checkin, invest a couple of hours to create an easy to follow downloadable PDF with screenshots how to get the keys (and/or park the car). Create a video too. These days, this is very easy as we all have smartphones.
- For the self-checkin people, create a warm welcome video. Guests need to see your face, hear your voice. Talk to them as youād be right there and do a virtual tour of the apartment and amenities as well as the map of the city. Smile;)
That really goes a long way, especially when youāre not around. - Have person who does the cleaning report any unusual things (things broken, things missing,ā¦) right when she enters the place. In my case, that is extremely rare.
- Prepare templates for messages so you donāt need to start from scratch each and every time. I have templates for around 20 different messages and they serve me extremely well. I just personalize them.
- Lastly, before starting to rent, do yourself a favor and stay in your own place for a night or two. Experience it. Pretend you are your guest. You will find a lot of things that need to be improved (or in most cases - better explained) and so you will
avoid not-so-good reviews from picky people. My listing is registered for up to 4 people. So before starting to rent, we moved to our place for one day and slept over. You wonāt believe how many comments my wife had. Take a pen and note down;)
Bottom line: Focus on making your listing as attractive as possible, meeting your guests (whenever you can), and communication - before and after arrival. All the rest, delegate. Sure, you will have to pay someone to clean your place and wash the linen and towels, but then again you need to ask yourself: which business are you in? Cleaning or hosting? Whatās the price tag of your free time and peace of mind?
Now, pay attention. I do meet my guests, whenever I can. I believe this is what makes hosting different from hotels. That said, I donāt let my hosting side-business interfere with my life too much. Itās only a side income after all. If I have to take my kids to the doctor, Iāll do it. If I want to take my wife to the beach over the weekend, Iāll do it. If Iām out of town for whatever the reason or I simply have to concentrate on my work, ā¦ well, Iāll let my guests checkin on their own.
P.S. This is not āone-size-fits-allā approach. I believe each and every host has itās unique situation. Above mentioned works well if your place is in a metropolitan area the location is attractive. Still, I do believe itās worth thinking long term-how will you prevent from getting exhausted after being a host for some time. Itās worth spending time making sure that youāll be able to manage your place without too much stress - even when things get in a way and life happens (which it will).
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Awesome advice. Thanks for taking the time to share. And I love the video ideaā¦do you email it to them when they book or as theyāre about to check in or both?
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@Abraham_Linkedin to the self-checkin people I send the link to the downloadable PDF AND a video (I use the Airbnb messaging portal). I do so approx a week (sometimes even more if I know they will be on vacation before coming to my place) before their arrival so they can have a look and familiarize themselves with the self checkin. I always ask them to confirm that they have understood the instructions. If they donāt respond, 2 days before their arrival I send them another polite message along the lines ājust checking if youāve had a chance to download the instructions for the self checkin. Itās kind of important;ā ā¦ asking them to confirm that they understand how to find the keys and park their car. This way Iām pretty sure that everything is going to be fine. And, it is. I never had any problems whatsoever with the self checkin people. I also tell them to send me a quick message once they have settled into the apartment. Thatās all. All of this can be done just with your phone.
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This is true!! My son slept in my suite over the slow summer and told me about a few odd noises from the kitchen upstairs that were making a racket below. Never would have thought! Yet he said he couldnāt hear the dishwasher or TV, two things I thought would be noisy.
Hi Abraham, I am also a fairly new host and I have a separate house in the west of Ireland. I think the experience of hosting a separate house and hosting in your own home has some differences but that said I agree with all the advice posted by other hosts. Here are some of the lessons I have learnt:
When you get an enquiry ask again how many guests will be coming as based on my experience not all guests read your listing requirements or indeed rules, in detail.
Remind guests of the check out time as this is often an issue and if they donāt leave on time, it puts added pressure on you when you are trying to get the house ready for the next guests.
Put time and effort into your house manual and rules and print off a hard copy, put it in a pretty folder and leave in the house. Be clear about all the places they can visit and provide phone numbers but put the onus on them to check venues are open as some businesses are seasonal.
Remind guests to check that their mobile phones will work in the country they are visiting, my very first experience as a host was when an american couple showed up (a bit dazed) and said their phones did not work and they were meant to be meeting friends and did not know where they were and could not contact them! I was left running around the area and phoning neighbours to try and track their friends down. Nice people but bizarre experience!
Be available to greet guests and give them a warm welcome. I leave some basics in the house like tea and coffee, toilet paper, soap, washing up liquid and stuff for the dishwasher and if (and only if) I am making scones or cakes I will make extra for them.
An obvious one but make sure the house is spotless and all the linen fresh and inviting.
Be flexible and prepared for the unexpected especially if your guests donāt speak english and you donāt speak their language, get a translation app!
Ignore Airb&bs price points, look at your area and decide for yourself what you think your place is worth.
I ensure guests book for a minimum of 3 nights as I donāt want to spend all my time changing beds etc, 3 nights work very well for me.
Finally enjoy it, you will meet some lovely people and this year, (my first proper year) I have had all lovely guests.
Very best of luck.
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@anon20475376 ā perfect! Everyone needs to read this. I would add ā buy three sets of all linens 
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Thanks Sandy. I agree with you about the linens, I buy the very best I can afford in the January sales. Nothing like really good quality sheets even if they are a nightmare to iron!
There are more than 2 things I wish I knewā:slight_smile:
It is learning process,with every new guest I find out something new,actually some of them helped me a lot with their suggestions.
Just today,my guest asked me if I have a spatula,she needs it to flip the eggs.
One more item added to my to do list.
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