If you are a new AirBnB host, it is your desire to be a perfect host to get good reviews from your guests. This helps in attracting more guests to your property as tourists read these reviews carefully to decide in favour of a property in an area. If your accommodation unit is a city like Birmingham or Oxford where there is lots of competition among landlords, it pays to avoid these costly mistakes commonly committed by new hosts.
Don’t use poor quality photos
Photos are the backbone of your AirBnB. Never make the mistake of posting ordinary photos clicked with your smartphone. Hire services of a professional real estate photographer to get mesmerizing photos of your property to attract more and more guests. A professional photographer will cost you some money, but his photos will make you earn much more than you spend on their services.
Do not give a description not matching with your property
Some landlords write a description that raises false expectations of guests. These expectations are shattered when guests stay in your property as they find reality is totally different. This can damage the reputation of your property on AirBnB. False expectations are the worst thing to happen to any landlord, as guests often write bad reviews after leaving your property. Write only what describes your property in an eloquent manner rather than eulogising it without any basis.
Do not be too friendly or too impersonal with guests
Guests come to enjoy nice and comfortable accommodation in your unit. Do not try to be too friendly with them as they find it as an intrusion in their privacy. On the other hand, they also do not like their host to be totally impersonal as they take it as an insult to their dignity.
Remember that guests have come to have a nice and comfortable short stay in your property. They have not come here to meet an old friend. Also, behaving rudely or not acknowledging their presence can also easily upset the ego of your guests.
Fixed pricing can be harmful
There are many landlords who believe that having a fixed price for their property is a good policy as it creates trust. However, this can be a mistake as you can lose out on price conscious tourists. Also, many landlords lower prices depending upon the season of the year to attract more guests. If you remain adamant and do not give any discounts, you can easily lose out on lucrative business on AirBnB.
Like holiday destinations, tourists also expect to save their money on accommodation when visiting any city across the country, especially when it is not the tourist season.
Do not be late in your responses
Tourists expect quick replies to their queries as they do not have the time and the patience when booking AirBnB properties.
Give responses quickly and clearly. It has been seen that poor and unclear responses create confusion in the minds of guests and they are likely to leave behind bad reviews about a property. Tourists have multiple choices in front of them on AirBnB when booking accommodation for themselves.
They are in a hurry to confirm their booking at a place so they can look at other aspects of their journey and tour. It is in your own interest to be always available to queries made by your potential guests. Answer their questions and make them feel reassured about being a responsive host.
Do not assume anything
Your guests can have diverse cultural backgrounds. They may not have a very good understanding of English. Do not make the mistake of assuming they have understood all your house rules clearly.
Make sure that you have explained everything clearly so that there is no misunderstanding on their part. It is easy to feel offended by the gestures and behaviour of some of your guests.
Remember that you are not only a host but also a businessman earning profits from your property. You have to learn to adjust to the awkward and unruly behaviour of some of your guests. Otherwise, you will easily pick up a quarrel with one of your guests. This will bring a bad name to your AirBnB property in the long run.
Do not be late in attending to requests made by guests
If you are doing roaring business as a landlord on AirBnB, a large part in your success is played by the quality of service you are providing to your guests. Many owners become complacent after they start to get bookings form tourists and pay poor attention to the requests made by their guests.
If you are late or not listening to the requests and complaints, it will go against your interest on AirBnB. Getting bad reviews from just a few guests can cause irreparable damage to your reputation on AirBnB.
Get in touch
To talk about this, or any other of our amazing properties, or if you’re interested in increasing your rental yield for any of your own properites, please get in touch today on 0333 301 0787 to see what Pass The Property can do for you.
