Many people are listing their investment properties on Airbnb. It’s more flexible, streamlined and best of all — it cuts out the cost of paying someone else to manage your property for you. Here’s what you need to know if you want to list your apartment on Airbnb.
Set up the apartment
First things first, you need to furnish your apartment with all the domestic conveniences. You need a comfortable couch, dining room table — everything a workable home needs to function. Make sure you equip the kitchen with all the basics. You don’t have to go overboard, but the more you supply your Airbnb with, the happier your guests will be and this can only improve your ratings. Many Airbnb guests would obviously prefer you include WiFi, a desk to work from, washing machine and/or dryer, and television (streaming services such as Google Chrome Cast are an added bonus).
What kind of guests do you want to attract?
Do you have an apartment in the middle of the city and expect to rent to fly-in fly-out business workers? Or is your investment property slightly further away from the city and likely to attract tourists on holiday? When you know your target market, you’ll know what add-ons to furnish your apartment with.
Create the perfect listing
Don’t get caught up in overly descriptive and flowery language. Keep your listing simple and accurate, and you will attract guests. Include any key amenities such as WiFi, cooking facilities, and whether your property is pet-friendly or if it’s a non-smoking apartment. Take photos of your apartment looking clean and inviting and utilise good lighting. Lastly, list your property under a simple name such as ‘inner-city apartment close to amenities’ or ‘apartment getaway by the sea’ so it’s easy to search, and watch those bookings come rolling in.
Befriend tradespeople
You can’t do it all yourself, even if you are handy around the home, and Airbnb guests will expect prompt service if the toilet gets blocked or anything goes wrong in the home. Make sure you’re on friendly terms with a team of reliable tradespeople who you can call to fix any potential issues at the drop of a hat.
Optimise
As with any investment you want a strong monetary return. If you’re only managing your one listing, you may find it easy to do it manually. But during peak holiday seasons, you may get 8-10 bookings in a month. You’ll need to become more efficient and find ways to optimise the time you spend communicating with guests. If you find guests are frequently asking the same questions, save all the answers as templates you can easily copy and paste, and add them to your listing under a ‘FAQ’ heading.
Automate
We live in a fast-paced world and people expect almost instant replies, and as a host, you’ll be expected to respond to queries in a timely way. This is why a good messenger bot, like Airbnb’s own smartbnb, can help streamline your communication and ensure your response rate is high. Guests will be happier, and your inbox will be quieter.