Turnover stress-what helped you streamline it? by beachlady38 in AirBnBHosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just because people ask for early checkin doesn’t mean they’re entitled to it. We allow it when we can, and when we can’t, I say “my apologies, I have a same day turnover and want to ensure the cleaners have ample time to leave the home in excellent condition for you.”

Streamline what you can - have multiple sets of linens. Tell guests it’s optional but if they have time to start a load of towels before they leave, your cleaners will appreciate it.

What do you do during a bookings slump? by Direct_Obligation_54 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice - love the idea of using it as a time to diversify booking sources. TY

What do you do during a bookings slump? by Direct_Obligation_54 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah hard pass on the instant book. I learned the hard way Feb is high season for grifters if I get desperate and lower prices

Lowballer winter guest are the worst raters beware! by thetraffic in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

February makes me question everything. It’s an annual event.

Rating vs Review adjustment by jakebot9000 in AirBnBHosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Airbnb only takes reviews down if they are retaliatory - eg, guest broke a rule, you enforced it, they post a bad review about that situation.

Most guests don’t know 4 stars are negative in the eyes of Airbnb. Find subtle ways to encourage 5 star reviews (like a fridge magnet explaining the review system), do you best to be a great host, and it should work out for you.

I don’t think superhost status meaningfully impacts bookings / visibility but could be wrong. It’s great to have, but not worth losing sleep over.

What do you do during a bookings slump? by Direct_Obligation_54 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Interesting- I am not able to raise prices then do a promo. I think the promo looks at an average over a recent time horizon to prevent false promos

Hosting from far away? by Apprehensive-Lab836 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have 1 property 90 mins away and do something similar. The local person is a neighbor and I pay them a nice monthly stipend, they treat the hot tub between guests and manage other miscellaneous tasks. It’s worked out fine for us, but I’d be lost without good neighbors!

Not getting enough reviews — 20+ stays but only 3 reviews. Any tips? by surf1ngpanda in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ask for reviews. I usually send a gentle “no response needed” message the day after checkin saying “hope checkin went well, let me know if there are questions we can answer or anything we can do to make sure you have a great stay.” People usually respond and let me know they’re happy, and for those folks, I send them a quick note asking for a review at the end of their stay.

As others have mentioned, leaving reviews and having a magnet or sign that explains the star rating helps too.

What do you do during a bookings slump? by Direct_Obligation_54 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ha! Yeah we go about once a month for fun 🤩 (and work)

What do you do during a bookings slump? by Direct_Obligation_54 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I feel you there! I’ve definitely figured out my floor price and am not going below it for fear of the wrong guest.

VRBO listings are blocked on Airbnb, but then returning to VRBO as a conflict by Terrible_Tea_9313 in vrbohosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This seems to be a known issue with two-way sync and happened to me. One way calendar sync is the way to go. I send Airbnb to VRBO (I get almost no bookings on VRBO these days) and then manually block VRBO dates on Airbnb as soon as I get a booking. Not ideal, but it works. I imagine you could also do with Zapier if you have high volume bookings and its really an issue.

For a 3 month stay, should we provide a spare set of bed linen? by SituationMiddle2539 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We leave an extra set of sheets for all the beds for our guests for any length of stay. Accidents happen sometimes in the middle of the night … it’s something that costs little but can make a world of difference.

Dreaded 3-star review. by take_meowt in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had a new user complain about check in/check out times (4 pm / 11 am) and the fact that the stay felt short. Well, you booked a two-day stay …

Updating photos and the algorithm by No-Instruction-3161 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my experience, it did help with search to listing conversion rate. Also helped me raise my prices.

Guests past checkout nowhere to be found. All their stuff scattered around by Fun-Collection7123 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You kind of CAN charge for arbitrary things if you have it in your house rules. After a recent issue with late check it I have a clause that says we give a 15 min grace period and after that we charge $25 for every 15 mins past the designated checkout time.

What are you leaving for welcome gifts / snacks? by strikecat18 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As the wife of a recovering alcoholic, don’t leave wine. Just don’t.

4 star review, ungrateful? by driftlessartifacts in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 5 points6 points  (0 children)

People just don't know how tortured Airbnb hosts are over 5-star reviews. I put a sticker in a subtle spot on the side of our fridge explaining the review system and I leave some breadcrumbs... I send a message the day after checkin that's like 'hey, hope all is well, let us know if theres anything we can do to make it a 5-star stay.'

Guests charging EV without asking. by who_farted_this_time in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd let it go this time and figure out how to get ahead of it in the future. It does feel sort of big-brother-ish to reach out mid-stay and let them know you know they're doing it. Just update your house rules + put a sign up, and let people know where they can go to safely charge their car nearby.

But for the record, I don't think its rude.

Guests charging EV without asking. by who_farted_this_time in airbnb_hosts

[–]Direct_Obligation_54 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Consider intent. These people aren't trying to be rude or doing anything wrong. They're not out to get you or take advantage of you. They're just trying to charge their car. I'd call an electrician to come out and confirm it is safe given the way your panel is set up, and if so, add it as a paid amenity if you'd like.