Hosting your spaces to travellers is a great way to lay down a path to financial independence. No matter what kind of property you have, a small village house on the bank of a calm river, a comfy apartment in the heart of prestigious downtown, or even a Bedouin tent on the edge of an arid desert, you can always rent it out and earn decent money.

Any vacation rental business starts with making people know about your offering. The best way to do so is by registering on popular, heavily-visited booking marketplaces like Airbnb. In this article, we will lay out what it takes to list your property on Airbnb and become an amazing host.

Getting started with Airbnb

Signing up for Airbnb is a straightforward process. You can create an account for free as the platform charges a certain commission only when you get a confirmed booking. The website will even provide you with a nifty calculator to let you know how much you can potentially earn from your spaces.

To craft a reliable profile, you need to be very detailed and exact as guests do not trust hosts with scant information. The Airbnb website will prompt you what to include in your profile to inspire trust in prospects.

The most trustworthy profiles are those that are verified and have a clear photo of the host. To look credible in the eyes of potential clients, consider confirming your identity and unloading a quality image of yourself.

Set up your listing

Airbnb is interested in your successful registration and will guide you throughout the process. In particular, the platform will suggest an optimal rate per night for your listing, based on such criteria as the number of rooms, location, seasonality, competition, and your host status (beginner, experienced, etc.).

Surely, you can install your own price that you deem is adequate. You can alternate your rates at any time or define specific quotes for particular dates, weekends, or months. Airbnb will provide you with a smart calendar to manage the availability of your short-stay rental, so you can block out certain dates when your property is not rented out.

Describe your listing

A good description can do wonders to your listing, causing curious globe-trotters to flock to your rooms. In this instance, you need to be creative, detailed, and persuasive to catch people’s attention and propel them to placing a reservation. Indeed, it is time to boast of what you have! A cute little balcony with astonishing views over the sea? Mention it. A high-tech kitchen with all the bells and whistles? Great. A cool bathroom that feels like a spa? People would love to take a relaxing bath in it.

Do not forget about nearby attractions and amusements. Tell people how and where they can entertain themselves in your neighbourhood and what great experiences they can relish in your place. Make sure all your wonderful words are backed up by not less wonderful photographs.

Be accurate and honest

Your listing description must not contain any false or inaccurate information; otherwise, your reputation will be tarnished with negative reviews and one-star ratings. Frustrated expectations of the guests can destroy your Airbnb business. Tell about the charming qualities of your vacation rental property, but do not lie. If you say in your description that your condo is a posh, loft-style place, but in reality, it is just a poor-conditioned den requiring urgent repairs, disappointed guests will, surely, mention this in their review. And you know guests’ reviews have a strong impact on getting bookings.

Lure your tenants

People want to feel cherished and cared for. Give it to them. You can add some perks to your offering so prospects will think your listing brings more value than your competitor’s one. Bonus perks can include free tea/coffee/sweets/snacks, perfumery and toilet suppliers, access to a gym/swimming pool, small souvenirs and mementoes. While extras are not essential (though highly recommended), make sure your rental provides tenants with basic comforts, including Wi-Fi, kitchen utensils and appliances, towels and bed linen.

How to become a great Airbnb host?

A vivid description and top-quality pictures are not enough to enjoy a high booking rate. There are lots of factors that determine your visibility in Airbnb search results. To make your listing hit the top position in the search inquiry, you must:

  • Keep a high response rate.
  • Earn a stellar rating without negative reviews.
  • Never cancel reservations.
  • Leave reviews of your guests.
  • Offer discounts for longer bookings.
  • Maintain your calendar updated.
  • Enable instant bookings.
In fact, Airbnb takes into account 100+ factors when deciding on the position of your listing in the search results. Most of these factors are kept confidential, causing a host to play some sort of guesswork when improving their Airbnb ranking.

If you want your rental to become one of the best listings on the platform, you may opt for professional Airbnb management software like https://www.hostyapp.com/airbnb-listing-management/. Dedicated vacation rental management software comes with powerful features that can automate most of your every day Airbnb procedures; thus, dramatically improving your business performance and helping you get more deals.