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Hello AirBnB Peeps!
I have been a long time user of AirBnB and have noticed that, on occasion, hosts appear to be unaware of issues like disconnected dryer vent lines, dripping sinks, stinking dishwashers etc.
I am considering creating a service that checks on the property once per month (or custom frequency). The service would send back a report with photos for around $40-$50. On-demand too should the host need it. Possibly perform tasks like replacing furnace filter etc.
Thoughts?
Ben
Nope.
Think again young man if you wish to be a tech billionaire.
JF
Retired airline pilot but thank you for the insightful comment.
Yet to retire professional cynic.
Youâre welcome,
JF
This is an international forum, I live in the tropics.
Might be better to approach your local hosts.
Soooo many people want to offer us âservicesâ.
Ben, some hosts are hospitality industry specialists. Some are homeowners who have owned their properties for and years. Therefore most of us use trusted tradespeople that we have been dealing with for many years should issues arrive.
However, there are no hosts at this forum who donât maintain their properties correctly and certainly no hosts here who have problems such as âstinking dishwashersâ. I suspect that most hosts here resent the implication that we need assistance with such matters.
Yes, there are hosts who offer places that are low-standard but you wonât find them at this forum. I hope you have better luck with other places online
While I do appreciate the feedback Jackie, I am somewhat surprised that you are projecting your opinion upon everyone on this forum and twisting my intent to suggest that I am implicating anyone. I simply stated that because of my occasional experiences, I am wishing to learn if a solution is of value. If not, so be it.
Also, there might just be someone within your ranks that is otherwise fastidious but could use a set of eyes and ears because of other obligations.
As another poster mentioned, your lot get hounded regularly by services - I get it. They were polite though and I appreciated the response.
As a long term superhost and finance professional, I would be happy to review your business plan for a fee.
Fair enough, Ben. You asked for thoughts and I told you what I think. I thought that youâd prefer honest opinions rather than flannel.
Iâve been âchattingâ with many of the the people on this forum for many years so I do tend to think that I know them a little better than someone who has just joined.
Look at almost any topic and youâll find that we are all different with different opinions. What I wrote was simply my opinion.
Now, your reply indicates to me (indicates, please note) that you didnât like what I wrote but Iâm sure that you can understand that the reference to hosts having:
⌠is offensive to me and (probably) other hosts here too.
So, I wish you well with your venture.
Thank you. Not quite there. Simply seeing if there is a need. Will check back.
@benji
Thinking about your business idea.
I host remotely without a co-host but have trusted a handyman to check on guest reported maintenance issues and I check the unit about every 6 weeks including prime season
I have found delightful (sarcasm) issues not reported like a broken leg on a chair (chair pieced together & pinned between table & wall so not immediately noticeable), cable box not working/needed replacement, dryer belt squeaking, mildew on wall behind clothes washer (very slow leak in pipe behind wall), noisy disposal because no one looked and cleared out the small sea shell banging around.
These are all things a casual walk-through wouldnât catch.
The way I could see your service working is to bundle it with co-hosting services like making sure the unit is exit cleaned properly & doing an inspection. You may combine it with a cleaning & linen service.
You need an area with an abundance of short term rentals with remote owner operators.
In my area, more remote owners are moving away from rental agencies and leaping into the owner managed pool and finding out it isnât easy.
For just the inspection service based upon perceived benefit, I wouldnât pay $50, maybe $20.
Best wishes on figuring it out
Thank you kindly for the feedback and personal experience. Very helpful and appreciated.
Ben
Unfortunately, what youâre describing is too similar to a lot of scams, such as HVAC check-ups for $40 that are actually trying to hard-sell customers on overpriced or unnecessary services.
Maybe try for a more customized approach, such as an annual inspection of specific items with a quote for the needed maintenance on those items. Things I can see hosts might want are: dryer vents cleaned, furnace ducts cleaned, clean and/or descale dishwasher, drain and/or descale water heater, clean out sink stoppers and P-traps, clean/replace faucet aerators, clean rain-gutters, clean chimney, etc. Basically, cover the stuff that property managers will wait until thereâs an emergency to worry about. The best thing about it is that it doesnât apply only to Airbnb hosts, it applies to every home, so the business opportunity is much bigger.
Excellent feedback and similar to my thoughts about a more comprehensive service.
Thank you,
Ben
@benji I think itâs a workable idea and might be attractive to remote hosts, especially those who are newly hosting and donât have all their systems in place or even realize they need a boots on the ground co-host and reliable service technicians.
However, for a simple inspection, with photos sent if there are issues, $40-$50 a pop seems expensive.
On this forum, most hosts are quite experienced (although of course newbies appear as well) and are hands-on. I can fix pretty much anything in my home myself and donât let maintenance issues go unnoticed or undealt with.
Hey Muddy-
Thank you for your thoughts. They make a great deal of sense.
Ben
Not to me. I would not make the trip, spend a half hour or more going through a very specific list of items, checking for burnt out light bulbs, for less than $50 . But I am not looking for work!
I think it would be worth it for a remote host, peace of mind has value and labor is not cheap where I live.
RR
RR
Of course it depends a lot on how far someone has to travel. And how big the house is, and how many things there are to check. If there were 3 big homes to inspect in a day, that were spread out in 3 far flung areas of town, $50 each wouldnât amount to much for a dayâs work after gas money. But if you could do 3 small places in the same area in a few hours, it would be lucrative.
Seems like a hard thing to price.
It also depends on the market in a location and what else someone is trained to do. In my town I could make $125 a day as a substitute teacher. Iâd rather drive all day and look at dryer lint and mold under the sink. LOL.
I think it could be a pretty okay job, too. Iâd like to get paid to organize peopleâs drawers and closets⌠I find it fun, stress free and calming. I could happily sort nails and screws into sizes all day. Iâd much rather do that than make peopleâs cushions amd curtains all day, which is what financially sustains me.