House Hacking through AirBnB: 10 Steps on being a Great Host

In 2014 I took the plunge of becoming an AirBnB host. Originally I was a Couch Surfing host, I loved meeting new people and would live vicariously through them when I hosted guests when I wasn’t traveling. When I heard about AirBnB, I was a bit sad to let go of Couch Surfing, because I love their mission and everyone I met, but it was time for a new challenge (and some extra money).

Being an AirBnB host required more finesse than Couch Surfing because people are paying money to stay in alternative accommodations over a stuffy hotel. Over the years I have learned a great deal about being in the hospitality business, met great people, made some extra cash flow and improved my property.

A bit of background of my accommodations. I have a 3 bed, 2 bath house and I rent out a large room with a private bathroom on the first floor of my house for AirBnB. This year alone, I have made approximately $3800 at 69 total nights with 39 reservations. In July I will reach Super Host status. Sometimes I am home when guests are at my house, and sometimes guests let themselves in using my lock box and guest instructions I leave for them. I have never had an issue with any of my guest in terms of them stealing or damaging items, or disrespecting my home and the house rules. I have found that most people just want a comfortable and enjoyable place to stay at a fair price.

If you are interested in making extra money and meeting great people follow these steps to being a great AirBnB host.

1.  If you decide to become an AirBnB host, put your “hospitality hat” on. People are trusting in you (paying you money) to stay in accommodations that are treated professionally. Your AirBnB reputation relies solely on reviews from guests, so make sure you provide accommodations worth bragging about. Think about the things you would want if you were a guest: a place to put your suitcase (buy a luggage rack), great lighting (end tables on both sides of the beds with lamps), extra linens like a comfy blanket, hooks on the back of doors to hang items (especially if there is no closet in the room), mid to higher priced linens and towels (trust me, I have had guests ask me where I buy my sheets, and thanked me for wonderfully fluffy towels and higher grade toilet paper - these things really make a difference!). I also provide a TV with DVD player (and will soon add a Firestick), water decanters on both night stands, an assortment of cold and hot breakfast items, blackout curtains for the windows, a fan for white noise, a jar of ear plugs for light sleepers, and a bowl of hotel sized toiletry items for guests who may have forgotten something.

2.  Know Your Customer. Piggybacking off of number 1 on the list, understanding your customer profile will help you provide targeted amenities that provide even a greater experience for your guests. For instance, I stayed in an AirBnB at Penn State’s main campus in State College, and when I walked into the house, they had a fridge filled with all sorts of craft beer for guests, they also had an espresso maker in the room and a bottle of wine. I would have never thought to put those things in my accommodation, as I generally get medical students who need a quiet place to stay before the interview at the medical college (blackout curtains, fan and ear plugs), runners (same amenities as students, plus bananas, water decanters and breakfast bars) and family reunion/wedding goers (same amenities and students and runners plus Advil). When you first start out you may not know the type of guests you will get, but eventually you will see a pattern that will help you fine tune your amenities.

3. Stalk your competition. Have a whole house to rent? Search for whole houses in your area on AirBnB. Same with private room and shared rooms, look for similar listings to yours to get the best idea of price and amenities for your listing. There is a balance between not doing enough and doing too much for the price points in your specific area. Look at the listings that have lots of  great reviews and see what they are providing and, at minimum, try to provide equivalent amenities if you are trying to meet the same price point. AirBnB also helps with pricing by giving price suggestions if you are having a difficult time finding similar accommodations to yours.

4.  Use a cleaning service. I used to do all the turnovers of the room between guests, but knowing that my time is better spent elsewhere, I pay a woman to clean before each guest (which is usually 1-2 times a week). I came up with a cleaning checklist for the AirBnB bedroom and bathroom, as well as common areas that guests will encounter. I rotate some of the cleaning tasks weekly, to ensure that those items people neglect (i.e. inside of microwave, crumb catcher in toaster, dust baseboards and ceiling fan blades) are cleaned at least monthly. Having a cleaning service has also allowed me to accept more bookings. When I cleaned myself, sometimes I didn’t have the time to do the turn over, or would be out of town, so I had to decline bookings. Now, I rarely decline and I make a lot more money, even with paying the cleaning services.

5.  Take a lot of great pictures. Have you ever looked at real estate listings and wondered how some Realtors stay in business with the horrible shots they take? Don’t be that type of professional (or unprofessional). Tidy up as if your guest was coming that day, take over all pictures of the accommodations and highlight shots of some of the amenities (for instance, I have a close of picture of my filled toiletry jar and breakfast bar). Make sure the pictures are bright and in focus. You can download free software programs to brighten up any pictures that seem a bit dark, such as Picasa. Don’t forget to take a picture of the exterior of your accommodations so guests know exactly what they are looking for when arriving at your place. Two pictures is too little, and 26 pictures is probably over kill (unless you are renting a rather large whole house). Going back to step 3, see how many pictures people in your area generally have up of listings you find attractive, and go with a similar amount.

6.  Write a great description. Take time to write a detailed description of your place. Don’t embellish, but do highlight all the great things about your accommodations as well as things to do around your location. Is the bed firm or soft? Is the house in a new subdivision or on a mature city street? Will the guests be able to control the heat or a/c from their room or is it centrally controlled? Do you have pets? List any amenities you provide as well so people get a real feel of what they will encounter.

7.  Provide a guidebook. AirBnB has a section for hosts to put in points of interest within the online system, as well as be able to print out the list once it is entered. I, however, am not a fan of the format that prints out, so I created my own list of restaurants, grocery stores, landmarks, parks and events in the area that I leave in the room for my guests to use if they need suggestions on finding something to do. I also pick up an events booklet that my city puts together that has all the events all over the city in calendar order with a description of the event.

8.  Interact with your guests. One of my favorite parts of being a host is being able to interact with guests. Sometimes guests are only at my place for sleep, sometimes they are in town for interviews and sometimes they are here for some type of celebration. Take cues from your guests if they say they are tired and give minimal interaction. On the flip side, if your guests are waiting around for a reception to start, offer them a cocktail and enjoy some conversation. I have shared meals, dessert, wine, beer and bourbons with guests. On one occasion I met guests for a drink at a local brewery and on another hung out and watched movies and ate popcorn like it was sleep over.

9.  Give up some of your comforts and conveniences. This may not be applicable to some people, but sometimes you can afford your guests even more amenities by sacrificing them for the time they are staying with you. I have a driveway that only fits one car, so when I have a guest staying with me, I park on the street and allow them use of the driveway. If I get a bit frustrated having to park on the street a little ways away from my house, I am fine with that, knowing my guests can come and go without frustration of parking.

10.  Be open, respectful and inclusive. About a year ago, I had a woman inquire about my listing and in her message to me she stated,”I always let hosts know I'm queer, and that I want to stay in LGBTQ friendly environments. Please decline my request if your home is not LGBTQ friendly. No judgement on my end, I just don't want to stay where I'm not welcome.” The fact that she had to write this made me a bit sad. I assured her that my guests found me open, warm and inviting and when she arrived we had a wonderful time getting to know each other over a bottle of wine. A little while after that AirBnB sent an email out to its hosts and guests because of some discrimination that was happening with guests being declined due to race, gender, sexual orientation to name a few. The AirBnB website says it best, “By connecting people from different backgrounds, Airbnb fosters greater understanding and appreciation for the common characteristics shared by all human beings and undermines prejudice rooted in misconception, misinformation, or misunderstanding.” Take hosting as an opportunity to appreciate others by expanding the knowledge of the world outside of what you know through the interactions with your guests.

If you have been on the fence about becoming a host, or even being a guest, take the chance and try it out. You never know what great experiences, wonderful people and extra cash flow you could be missing out on. I would love to hear some things that other hosts or guests have recommendations for making the experience for guests even better.