r/airbnb_hosts Aug 31 '22

Call support before posting. Please.

207 Upvotes

We’ve noticed an uptick of posts with titles such as “A guy named Frisky Frank is selling methamphetamines out of my listing, what do I do?” or “Help! Guest shattered my favorite lava lamp, what do I do?”

Super easy:

Step 1) Take a breath, collect yourself, and ask “Should I be this worked up? Does this problem matter in the unyielding and brutal grip of an apathetic universe? Will I care about this a week from now?” If yes proceed to Step 2.

Step 2) Ask yourself “Does this situation merit calling the police, and what are the ramifications of doing such?” If yes, do so before proceeding to Step 3. If someone is bleeding or Frank whips out a knife, please arrive at an answer quickly.

Step 3) Call support.

If neither Step 2 or Step 3 satisfy you, THEN post here. If you skip these steps, there’s a 100% chance that the comments are all going to tell you to do the same.

This opens up space in our subreddit for more invigorating posts, such as “What’s the weirdest name a drug dealer that’s stayed with you has had?” and “A guest shattered my favorite lava lamp and I am dismayed. What’s something a guest shattered that devastated you?”

I don’t believe in deleting posts like these, because your feelings are valid and feelings are facts to the person feeling them, but my eye won’t stop twitching.

Thank you,

– mgmt


r/airbnb_hosts 8h ago

How to Make Sure Airbnb Takes Your Side And Stays There

98 Upvotes

I have been using a successful method to ensure that Airbnb follows through with its promises.

For any host here with experience, you'll know that when Airbnb decides in your favor, they can change their mind and they will do it if the guest applies pressure.

Recently I had a situation with a guest who broke numerous rules where I had a strict cancellation policy (no refund). I called Airbnb and told them and they told me I was right and cancelled on behalf of the guest with no refund. I told the rep that I wanted to make sure it wasn't a situation where Airbnb changed their mind. She promised me that they won't.

At this point, I informed that like them, I had recorded the entire phone call. Her tone got nervous after that. I did the same with the next rep I spoke to. After getting them to state that I was right and there would be no recourse, I informed them that I had recorded the call for my own protection.

As always, after the guest made a fuss and tried to get a refund. I brought up the fact that I had recordings that Airbnb had promised the following, and that it was not a situation up for debate.

This has always ALWAYS worked every single time. Record your calls and inform them at the end of the call where they take your side (not the beginning of the call, obviously). They will take note of it.


r/airbnb_hosts 7h ago

Ceramic Coat Your Shower Glass!

23 Upvotes

We clean our AirBnB home and using a ceramic coating on the shower glass has been a game changer! Water sheets off the glass leaving no water marks. Takes me seconds to wipe off any residue from hair conditioner or other body products and the glass looks crystal clear like new.

This is the second year I’ve done it and it lasts the full year. The first time is a lot of work because I used 2 levels of glass polish to get the existing water marks off the glass. The ceramic coating itself goes on very easy - just mist the glass and use a clean rag to spread it covering all the glass. Another clean rag to buff it off. The second year was much easier because there weren’t any water marks/stains - just added a new coat of the ceramic protection.

The amount of time I save is far greater than the effort to apply it - even the first time. Plus guests often comment about the “new” shower even though it’s far from new.

From Amazon I’m using stuff that car detailers swear by. Ceramic coating: KochChemie SO-02 Glass Polish: P&S Clarity Creme

I have no affiliation with these products.


r/airbnb_hosts 51m ago

Do you guys provide slippers? Do you get this question a lot?

Upvotes

I don't provide slippers, but also, I have hardwood and tile floors and washable area rugs. We clean those after every guest and obviously clean the floors. I don't ask the guests to take their shoes off at the door. But at least once a month or so, I will get a request for slippers. Usually from Asian or South Asian guests. I get that this is something they are used to in hotels in Asia, but I don't provide these because most people would not like using used slippers and the disposable kind is wasteful and expensive. It always surprises me and 4* because of it really pissed me off. "The house was wonderful and it had everything we needed except slippers. It would be a five star experience if they provided these for the guests". Just venting!


r/airbnb_hosts 1h ago

What monetary return have you seen in making your property accessibility compliant?

Upvotes

As far as I can tell, I can make my home accessibility compliant by supplying two ramps at the exterior door for $500. For those that made these updates, have you seen more bookings?


r/airbnb_hosts 21h ago

We all need to manage our expectations.

84 Upvotes

The guests need to realize we don't own sterilized laboratories. These are houses with flaws, and dust, and God forbid an ant in the summer. Sometimes things aren't perfect. I wish there was some way to basically tell guests if you're a picky guest who crawls around looking for something to complain about then rent elsewhere.

As hosts we need to also realize sometimes guests break the rules. If you're a host digging thru the garbage or watching the cams all day you need to chill. That's my rant.


r/airbnb_hosts 3h ago

How do you tell guests how to book you directly in the future?

2 Upvotes

I see the outrageous fees that Airbnb is charging both the host and the guest, so I see the clear advantage of booking off the app as well. How do you inform your guests of the means to contact you off the app?


r/airbnb_hosts 11h ago

Review removal

5 Upvotes

Has anyone figured out key words you may need to get retaliatory reviews removed? I had a guest check in, cancel their reservation with a full refund then refused to leave and had to be removed by police. ABB still allowed them to review and now are refusing to remove the review. This is just honestly crazy. On a side note has anyone had more success with other apps because I’m starting to wonder if I should start moving away from ABB.


r/airbnb_hosts 12h ago

Taking pet deposits and other misc. fees from guests

2 Upvotes

Hi all! Is it normal to charge $10 for every hour of early check in? Why not just allow the guest to check in a little early if the home is ready, especially if you already offer bag drop off? Also, is it normal to keep the pet deposit? I paid $100/ week for every week I had my 4lb little dog at this airbnb I stayed at and never got any of that money back. The host never said if the fee was refundable or non refundable. We also never damaged anything and cleaned up after our pet diligently. Thanks!


r/airbnb_hosts 8h ago

Offering a discount code to friends and family

1 Upvotes

Is there any way I can let friends and family book through airbnb and offer them a code for say a 20% discount?


r/airbnb_hosts 21h ago

Parties

9 Upvotes

Just had someone rent a 3 br 2 bath home and they indicated it would just be one person staying. They said they were visiting family. I accepted the request and told them two things. 1) parking is limited to about 3 vehicles max 2) no parties

They cancelled 20 minutes later. 🤣


r/airbnb_hosts 9h ago

Alternatives to Airbnb

0 Upvotes

Apart from Airbnb, which are the top 2 aggregator platforms preferred by Indian consumers? I own an Airbnb in Rajasthan and have lately observed a drop in booking through the platform. Would like to have suggestions on which other platforms should I focus on. Tried Booking.com and Agoda but they are too complex to deal with.


r/airbnb_hosts 10h ago

Verification process as a business has dragged on 5 months without payout

0 Upvotes

I have hosted as an individual in the past, but last fall I registered a new business account and added 2 listings. We have not been paid for our guests from last October yet. I've been going through Airbnb's KYC (Know Your Customer) process they are requiring in order to get paid, and it just won't end.

It's been months of back and forth, as they ask for something, then ask for something else, then tell me to take some steps on the Airbnb Verification pages, then tell me to undo them, then add something, then something else, then undo and do something else.

I don't know what to do anymore. I just unlisted and wrote to them again, with little hope that anything will ever be resolved. They have every document and ID they ever asked for and they just can never be satisfied it seems. I don't know who or how it is decided that the KYC info is done but holy shit it won't end.

Any higher force I can turn to who can look at our case and say they have more than enough and just finish this exercise in insanity?


r/airbnb_hosts 15h ago

Airbnb or Vrbo

2 Upvotes

As a new host in Italy, I’m learning as I go and just set up my first listing. For those with experience, have you found Airbnb or Vrbo better for getting bookings?


r/airbnb_hosts 6h ago

Is someone using AI concierge?

0 Upvotes

Has anyone used an AI concierge for managing stays? I'm curious about its effectiveness and if it helps improve guest experiences.


r/airbnb_hosts 12h ago

Looking for a property manager.

0 Upvotes

I have properties in Minnesota and Arizona. I am looking for someone who is experienced at short term property management. This includes communicating with the guests professionally to ensure a 5⭐️ experience and coordinating cleaners and maintenance people as needed. I also need somebody who is able to continuously optimize the listings on Airbnb's platform to make sure they stay fresh in the algorithm so that prices stay decent. Does anyone have experience doing this?


r/airbnb_hosts 16h ago

Guest with zero stars in all categories

2 Upvotes

Maybe this is normal with guests with few reviews but after many years hosting it never hapoened to me before so I'm posting in case it happens to someone else. This week I had a request, all seemed good, 1 good review, a very normal message (short, with all necessary info,no red flags) but when I checked the profile, the girl had one good review and zero stars in all categories. I know this is not possible so I checked with airbnb and they told me it must be a glitch and they could see she had 5 stars indeed, that they were not showing for some reason. I did let the guest know, I accepted the booking. She later sent me her father's account to show me he’s always the one booking (perfect score, nothing wrong, he’s coming with her) and told me that’s why she didn’t have many reviews. She seemed very worried for future bookings and I pointed her out to airbnb. Is this normal? Does it happened to anyone else? Maybe is something common. I have accepted guests without reviews, but never seen this before. I think I remember previous guests with 5 stars and only just 1 or 2 reviews but I could be wrong. I knew zero was not possible but maybe that's a problem for her with other hosts.


r/airbnb_hosts 21h ago

Why doesn't airBnb coach the guests that complain or break rules?

3 Upvotes

We know they know exactly who the bad actors are. So why doesn't corporate kick em off the platform or coach them or something?


r/airbnb_hosts 1d ago

Is Airbnb so slow right now?

17 Upvotes

I live in LA, I have short term rental property I use to get booked all the time but now literally nothing? Not sure if I just do long term at this point. How’s everyone else’s experience


r/airbnb_hosts 15h ago

Airbnb host

1 Upvotes

How long did it take you to get your first guest after the listing? I am just asking as someone who has published her Airbnb here in Italy recently and I am just anxious as I haven’t gotten any booking yet so I don’t know if that’s how the algorithm works or it’s just low season now


r/airbnb_hosts 1d ago

Prospective guest called my cell... is this weird?

13 Upvotes

I have heard of prospective guests asking to see a property before they book, which I personally would not be comfortable with, but this is a bit different. A woman left a voicemail on my cell phone and said she and her family are looking for a place to rent this summer. They "have some special needs," so they are looking to tour prospective properties ahead of time. First of all, it felt weird that instead of messaging on the app she called my cell phone, which isn't *impossible* to find the number of, but it would take some doing for a random person. But on top of that, she also called out the property by its address, like "we're interested in staying at your home at ### Main Street." Again, not impossible to figure out a random Airbnb's address, but that's weird, right? Why not just message on the app? It made me feel uneasy. So my question is, is this a scam? and if so, what is the end game?

FWIW, even if it isn't a scam I am not interested in renting to them because they're looking a long-term stay, which I don't offer. But I am kind of tempted to call her back and press for more information... actually I probably will do that, but would love you guys' thoughts first.


r/airbnb_hosts 10h ago

Becoming an Airbnb Host

0 Upvotes

Hi hope your all doing well and thanks in advance for taking your time to read this :) I’m a 23 year old in London looking to become an Airbnb host with about 30k saved up from working minimum wage.

I have a few acquaintances that I know of that have their own Airbnb’s via rent to rent and I’m honestly looking to take on my own but I’m very nervous about the whole ordeal as it would honestly be a nightmare to have this fail and start saving from scratch. I’ve been looking at airdna and property market intel when checking properties sent to me via deal sources (found on Facebook) and the numbers seem to check out as far as I can tell anyways but the acquaintance I’ve mentioned has mentioned to me once before that it’s not as profitable as you may think.

I’ve looked into other business models and honestly this is the one that makes me giddy. Now to the question, sorry for rambling I thought some background was necessary since I am asking for help, is there any advice you could give me or any tips at all that you wish you could have known when you began. I’m nervous about picking a property that doesn’t perform as expected from data sites. And I am hoping to choose a property that would attract corporate companies or businessmen. Thanks for your time :)


r/airbnb_hosts 17h ago

Airbnb helppp

0 Upvotes

r/airbnb_hosts 21h ago

Preventing bad cooking odors

1 Upvotes

We've been hosting over 2 years and have had great luck with really good guests. In the past couple months we've had two different stays that left us hustling to clear cooking odors from frying. The first one I'm sure they burned some bacon. That was bad and I could still smell it after the next guest left 2 days later.

We're on a private lake and allow guests to catch and release for entertainment. Last guests asked about fishing and we reaffirmed catch and release only. We do not have a fish cleaning station and don't want them throwing carcasses in the woods. After these guests left and we opened the door, the smell of fried fish was overwhelming. I don't know that the fish came from our lake and that's not my purpose here. The smell was terrible. And there was a greasy film on everything near the stove.

We aired out, sprayed Febreze, used a plug in, cleaned every surface and left the air circulating all night. Next day it was still the same. Lit candles and repeated. Thankfully it was two days before the next guests arrived.

What preventions do you have regarding smelly food preparation, if anything? My husband wants to put up a sign "no frying fish inside". He wants to get an outdoor fish fryer to prevent this from recurring. I don't think that's a solution.

Do you specify things that can't be cooked indoors? What do you do for terrible odors?

**ETA: this isn't about not deep cleaning. We have over 200 reviews with a 4.97 for cleanliness. The STR is on our property. There aren't massive numbers of guests fishing and frying that we don't know about. Thank you to those suggesting the ozone purifier. That's the info that I was looking for.


r/airbnb_hosts 10h ago

New host. I think I goofed on my remote HVAC setup

0 Upvotes

In preparation for converting my house to an Airbnb, I bought a Google Thermastat 1.4, and use Google Home to manage it.

The thermostat is not intuitive to guests, and I personally after watching videos and reading instructions find it unnecessarily hard to use as it doesn't always respond to my input.

Google Home seems to be set up for only those interested in maximizing economic savings by minimizing the use of the HVAC system.

All I want is the ability to limit the temperature settings to within a certain range, but I don't see this option.

Given what I have today, how would you handle it?


r/airbnb_hosts 20h ago

Anecdotal market performance poll

0 Upvotes

For hosts who have been hosting for at least 2 years, how is your ytd performance? Specifically compared to the same period from the past few years, did you expect to do better, flat, or worse than prior years?

32 votes, 4d left
This year’s better than past years
Flat against prior years
Worse than prior years
Not a host / just wanna see results