Investor · NE atlanta · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 0 votes
Has anyone had any experience with AirBnb rentals? particularly unique listings? what are some things you wish you knew before you started doing Air Bnb?
Investor · Flowery Branch, GA · Member since 2019 · 413 posts · 412 votes
5y
@Nancy Bachety To be honest I’ve just implemented it, so no repeat guests yet. It captures their email when they log into my WiFi and from their I can run email campaigns in the future. Especially for the slower months. Also have a QR code for the website in my welcome book. My direct book pricing is the same for now, but I should probably go back and add 3-5% which would still be lower than Airbnb and VRBO fees.
Investor · Flowery Branch, GA · Member since 2019 · 413 posts · 412 votes
5y
I wish I would of had an email capture tool like StayFi earlier so I could capture guests emails and direct them to a direct booking site in years to come. Airbnb is great but having your own book on business is better.
Rental Property Investor · North Fork, NY · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 631 votes
5y
@Joshua Strickland Do you actually get repeat guests as a result of this? Is your direct book pricing the same or a few dollars more, less all the other fees, of course.
Real Estate Agent · Denver, CO · Member since 2019 · 161 posts · 176 votes
5y
@Jason Ricardo salgado I wish I had known that guests could pay using prepaid Visa cards. This only happened a couple times to me, but when I went to collect damages, there was nothing to collect from so I had to go straight to Airbnb to get paid. Airbnb would only cover 60% of damages. Hopefully they have put a stop to this so someone update me if this is no longer allowed. Also, the autobook feature is something to be cautious of. Even though you get more bookings, I had a couple bad guests through this feature. I had it set so they must have a good review to book…and they did, but we’re still horrible. I’ve also had guests book under their parents accounts, which is a bummer when you realize it later after the place is trashed. These are the negatives I experienced, and I wish I would of known about them before hand. All and all, I had a great experience with Airbnb and met a ton of interesting people!
Investor · Flowery Branch, GA · Member since 2019 · 413 posts · 412 votes
5y
@Nancy Bachety To be honest I’ve just implemented it, so no repeat guests yet. It captures their email when they log into my WiFi and from their I can run email campaigns in the future. Especially for the slower months. Also have a QR code for the website in my welcome book. My direct book pricing is the same for now, but I should probably go back and add 3-5% which would still be lower than Airbnb and VRBO fees.
Investor · The worst town to live in, KS · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
5y
Nobody uses a dining room, make it a sleeping area. Sofa's are a waste of money and floor space. Get recliners instead. Mount your HDTV high up on a wall away from foot traffic.
But I rent to refinery contractors. Big burly guys that smell like diesel fuel, drive jacked up 4x4s, chew tobacco for breakfast and have neck tats. Wait, that sounds like me. Except for the tats.
Walnut Creek, CA · Member since 2020 · 285 posts · 318 votes
5y
@Account Closed Make nice with the neighbors. It's no surprise that neighbors hate Airbnb and you'd be amazed the lengths they'll go to so you lose your permit. Turn neighbors into your friends before they become your enemies.
Investor · Metro East of St. Louis (Illinois) · Member since 2016 · 255 posts · 211 votes
5y
@Jimmy Woodard I have never had a neighbor problem, but I know its only a matter of time! I went to great lengths to meet my neighbors, be friendly, and establish rapport on my first 2 STRs. I have offered to let their visiting family stay free and even mowed my neighbors grass as a favor a couple times.
@Account Closed I wish I knew that automated messaging exists and improves reviews and guest experience. There are lots of platforms out there. I use SmartBnB now and ensures that I never forget a welcome message, checkout instructions, and even local tips about restaurants and activities mid-stay.
Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2020 · 6 posts · 7 votes
5y
Hi Jason,
A good hospitality tip would be to ask them for info about why they are coming so that you can give them some custom tips on how to make the stay the best and leave them a nice welcome gift or note. If someone is staying at my lakehouse because they want to teach their kid to fish, ill leave them a kids fishing pole, some bait/tackle and a guidebook.
Also, I use a software called Hostfully that helps automate processes and put together digital guidebooks.