Since Airbnb started, many people have decided to rent their homes short-term through it, instead of staying with the traditional long-term lease with tenants. It’s a flexible and lucrative option for any homeowner to make money on the side. It’s a smart move, given that American homeowners make, on average, $924 per month.
If you’re considering getting on board the golden Airbnb train, you must know how to list your house as an Airbnb.
Listing your house on Airbnb requires more than writing a fancy description of your home’s unique features. Several roads you can go down can make you a successful host. However, whatever path you take, whether it’s a side hustle or you make it your full-time business, a step-by-step process is required.
The first thing you need to do is go to airbnb.com and select ‘Airbnb your home’, located in the top right-hand corner of the homepage. To do this, you’ll need to create an Airbnb account. From there, you’ll need to fill in several pages profiling your home.
Below are the basic details Airbnb requires you to input as part of your listing.
Home type: You will be prompted to provide specific details about the type of home you’re listing. This includes the type of house, whether it’s a unique space, number of rooms, measurements, features, and more.
Your home may be perfect for you, but it needs to be perfect for your guests too. Getting guest-ready is a vital step to hosting on Airbnb.
We recommend that you thoroughly clean and appropriately furnish the space. Areas must be clean and hazard-free. Also, consider your current furniture. Is anything old or worn? For example, perhaps the bed frame has aged and is unsecured or broken. If so, you should replace it before accepting your first guests.
No time to clean, don’t have a cleaner or need someone to fix or replace furniture? As experts in short-term rental property management, we have an expansive network of professional cleaners, maintenance and repair services. We’ll be happy to arrange all of this and more for you.
They say a picture speaks a thousand words. And when it comes to receiving your guests, high-quality photos are an enticing incentive and an Airbnb listing requirement.
Here are some of our expert tips on what you should photograph and how to take professional photographs for your Airbnb listing:
Finding the right crew of photographers who are professionals and have experience in photoshooting properties can be an extremely time-consuming process. Leave it to the experts. With our listing setup & optimization service, we can take over the photography of your property, guaranteeing top-tier results.
You don’t have to be a marketer to persuade guests to click the “Reserve” button. Some fundamental best practices will make your description attract guests like bees to honey.
Firstly, consider the aspects of your home you think your future guests will appreciate most. Then, consider the people who will most likely be using your home. Knowing your target audience is crucial to writing a clear and distinctive description.
Your description should give guests realistic expectations. Otherwise, they may be disappointed and leave negative reviews. Therefore, ensure the description is short and sweet, summarising your property. The description itself should be easy to skim, relevant, and specific.
Writing the right description that will lead people to make a booking is no easy task. Keybee can take this heavy task from you, and write the perfect description for your property.
Airbnb will require you to detail your home’s check-in procedure so guests know what to expect. As professionals who help homeowners become successful hosts on Airbnb, we know that first impressions do count.
Your guests need clear directions on how best to find your home. They also need to know whether they’ll receive the keys from you, someone in your place, or a lockbox.
Once they book, ensure you provide up-to-date contact information in case of emergencies. Include specific instructions on the best routes to their property from the nearest airport, train station, bus, or metro stop. Crystal-clear instructions set the right expectations. Guests very much appreciate it.
No matter how clear your directions are, your guests might not be able to follow them. There isn’t something wrong with your directions, it could just be other factors like fatigue from the trip, or language barriers. At Keybee, we guarantee a seamless check-in experience, based on our years of expertise and knowledge.
Airbnb asks that you provide your guests with essential amenities. Providing your guests with quality amenities and necessities and keeping them stocked are major parts of listing your house as an Airbnb that facilitates an excellent guest experience.
The basics, like clean bedding and towels, are necessities. And almost every guest will expect WiFi included. We recommend not skimping on these things because they say a lot about you as the host and will make or break the guest experience.
Installing high-quality amenities and necessities makes you more likely to give your guests a positive experience. A great guest experience through listing and optimization is key to receiving those highly sought-after 5-star reviews. Gaining positive reviews is vital to becoming a successful Airbnb host. By earning positive reviews, your Airbnb listing will rank higher, garnering more views, increasing your stay rate, and banking you more profit.
Airbnb is a platform dedicated to smooth, effective, and pleasurable hosting for all guests. This dedication is a significant component of how it remains the number one short-term rental platform.
To ensure the seamless functioning of Airbnb and cover the expenses associated with services like 24/7 customer support, a service fee is applied upon confirming a booking. Two fee structures exist: the split-fee and the Host-only fee.
This is all paid for by hosts through Airbnb’s fees.
Split-fee:
Host-only fee:
VAT charges: Depending on the jurisdiction's laws, VAT may apply to the above fees. The service fee is VAT inclusive where applicable.
While almost anyone can make a neat profit by listing their home on Airbnb, it’s worth doing your homework before getting involved.
Many factors come into play when it comes to being a successful host and making money from your listing. Before listing your home, it’s best to understand Airbnb’s rules and procedures. Additionally, evaluating your home and researching how well it’ll do in the marketplace is sound practice.
Some of the most important factors and considerations you need to make before listing are:
Airbnb has strict regulations that require homeowners to offer safe accommodation. Basic health and safety rules are part of this. Annual gas safety checks, carbon monoxide alarms, fire alarms and more are all part of this. You must have all of this in check before listing your house on Airbnb.
Your location will be crucial to the success of your Airbnb, not only in terms of guest preferences but also in meeting local regulations. This requires you to do your due diligence and know exactly what the rules are in your locality. For example, if you’re looking to host in New York City, new regulations mean you can only host for a set number of days.
Once you’re up to speed on all of the above, you can head on to the next step: Listing.
Listing your house on Airbnb does require specific steps. However, following the necessary step-by-step process makes the process ultra-smooth.
Hosting on Airbnb will continue to be a popular and lucrative business venture for many. Whether you’re looking to make money on the side or go all-in, we’re here to help.
At Keybee, we help property owners like yourself maximize their rental income. We’re a professional short-term rental property management company that covers the full spectrum of management services. As official partners with Airbnb, we’ll get you up and running with optimized listings and earnings from your properties in no time.
Creating a listing that stands out from the competition
In-house developed channel manager that prevents double bookings when hosting on multiple platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, Booking.com)
