The Most Common Airbnb Host Mistakes

Airbnb host mistakes are a part of the host experience. Being an Airbnb host is not an easy task. You have a lot of responsibilities and at every stage, you have to ensure customer satisfaction. While fulfilling your duties as an Airbnb host you can commit some mistakes as well. In the short run, some mistakes can be ignored and after fixing them you can move on. But in short term rental business mistakes have long term effects.

You are fortunate that you are not the first Airbnb host. You have the opportunity to learn from others’ experiences and study common mistakes even before you commit them. Imagine If you knew about all your life’s mistakes beforehand? It will be easier to live peacefully right? In the same way, this blog will help you to manage your property effectively. Read learn and don’t commit the same mistakes as others.

Airbnb host mistakes can become the hurdle in your path of becoming the super host. Airbnb has a set criterion for selecting the super hosts. Even a single mistake can take you off the list of super hosts. So, it’s better to prepare yourself in advance and attempt to commit minimum mistakes.

Common Airbnb Host Mistakes

1. Unprofessional Listing

Your listing is the first step to start your Airbnb business. You list your property and then wait for the bookings. But have you completed your listing professionally? The guests will book your property only if your listing persuades them to. If your property description is not attractive enough then the guests will switch to another option.

Most important tips for Airbnb listing optimization you can read here.

The Airbnb property description should be creatively framed and should include all the amenities, house rules, and pricing details. From photographs to the calendar, everything should be up to date on your listings. Through the listing, you convey the truth about your property effectively. Take time in completing your listing and then wait for bookings for a kick start. No issues if you have already listed the property, you can always change the details. You can use Hosty’s management software to access all your listings on a single platform and then edit them.

2. Unattractive Photos

Airbnb photos are part of your listings. Some hosts don’t consider the photos important and post unattractive photos. You only think. Will you book a property that appears unattractive to you? You have to think like a guest and then post photos that enhance the qualities of your property. You can even get a professional photographer to click aesthetic photos. It will be a beneficial investment because photographs can influence the decision of your potential guests. A set of appealing photographs can prove to be a competitive edge for your business. It is a most common Airbnb host mistakes.

3. Not Utilizing The Filters

What will you prefer a one-night Saturday booking or a 3-day weekend booking? Now you can tell your preferences to Airbnb as well and set filters on people who can book your property. 1-night stays can ruin your long bookings and thus you can use the filter to set 3-day bookings as the minimum criterion. Alike this you can set various filters and avoid inefficient bookings. For increasing profit, you will have to book only the best one.

4. Lack Of Pricing Strategy

Like every business has a financial plan your short term business should have a pricing strategy. Listing your property on Airbnb demands investments. Cleaning fee, maintenance charges, amenities, Airbnb fees, etc. In order to gain profit, your pricing strategy should cover everything and still be reasonable for the guests. You have to set a pricing strategy that will help you grow and stand out from the crowd. Do not stick to the same price throughout the year. As the seasons change demand for locations change and thus your pricing should also change. Adjust your pricing according to the demand and competition in the location. Do not take pricing strategy lightly otherwise after all the hard work, you might be left at loss.

5. Not Understanding The Importance Of Reviews

Airbnb takes reviews very seriously and not understanding its importance is a significant Airbnb host mistake. Not have a review is equally bad as a negative review. Positive reviews are your only option to raise your ranking on Airbnb search results and increase your visibility. In order to reach that stage, you will have to request your guests to review your services. If you forgot to remind them then you can miss the chance of becoming a super host as well. There is numerous way to prompt your guest to review. You can review the guest first so that he feels obliged to review you. You can call them after check out to say a final goodbye and request a review. You can even send a printed form of review for a personalized experience.

6. Ignoring The Competition

You are not the only Airbnb host in your area. There are more than 7 million listings on Airbnb and at least 3-4 listings from your area. You cannot afford to ignore your competition and frame your strategies without considering them. If you want to earn the status of the super host and grow your business then you will have to win over your competition. Research your competition in detail. Find out their pricing strategy, amenities they provide, and the guest hist relationships. Adopt their strengths and take advantage of their weaknesses.

7. Coldness Towards The Guests (Lack Of Hospitality)

If the guests were looking for an interactive and nonpersonal experience then they would have booked a hotel room. They have booked your property because they are expecting a personalized warm experience. You will be their host and they will have certain expectations from you. The guests are coming to stay on your property and thus you have to interact with them to ensure consumer satisfaction. Do not try to be distant with your guests and not interact at all. Even if you are in an unavoidable situation so to use automation features to reply to your guests. Do not ignore your guests otherwise you might get bad reviews. You can maintain effective communication by using the central inbox of Hosty. All the messages are on one platform and you can check the details of booking while chatting to the guest. It will allow you to save templates and send triggered and personalized messages without recurring efforts.

8. Managing Everything Alone

This is a mistake that most of the hosts perceive as beneficial. They feel by doing everything themselves they are saving money and thus earning more. In reality, if you burden yourself with everything then how will you deliver quality results? If a guest check-in at midnight you can not be wake just to send a welcome text. If you have listed on two platforms it will be difficult to update the calendar every day. This could lead to bad reviews and double bookings. There are several examples where a little help will ensure better results. Look at it as an investment. You can use Hosty management software. The automation features will help you save time and send triggered messages without disturbing your sleep. The integrated interface will help you to manage all your listings and accounts effectively from a single dashboard. The multi-calendar will update the calendars for you and prevent double bookings. A little help can save you a lot of time and effort which you can invest in more productive activities.

Airbnb hist mistakes are common but you can prevent them now. Keep all the points in mind and manage your short-term rental keeping in mind the requirements of your guests. Whatever you do is to please them. Along with being alert, prevent Airbnb host mistakes with the help of Hosty software as well.