Airbnb Pandemic Impacts?

[Emily Howlett]

Hi everyone! For all of my airbnb'ers in DC (specifically thinking of DC proper and MD/VA immediately surrounding DC), what has the impact of the pandemic been on your bookings/revenue? And do you anticipate the impact changing anytime soon? I ask because I've been thinking of finding a house that could be used as an airbnb (either primarily or secondarily) and am curious how the pandemic has affected business.

[Chris Mills]

I've noticed things picking back up already, actually. I think if your processes are tight, obviously including your cleaning and sanitation, it makes people feel more comfortable staying in your property. The market is smaller at the moment, so STR owners are competing for a smaller number of prospective customers.

I would also say that if you're making changes to your systems and processes, make them permanent SOP changes, not "until COVID is over" changes. Safety and sanitation are going to be front of mind for travelers for a long time going forward, so having that as your business model and reputation will help your business in the long run.