July 18, 2017

9 Top Tips for Airbnb Management

July 18, 2017

9 Top Tips for Airbnb Management

Many people start renting out a room or an unused vacation property to make a little extra money. In fact, the founders of Airbnb did the exact same thing originally, which eventually led to the multi-billion dollar homesharing business. If dabbling in Airbnb management has caught your fancy and you plan to maximize your bookings as well as pick up additional rentals, you'll want to get organized to be sure you maximize your time and investment as a property manager. Here are some tips to increase the chances of your success.


Understand The Entire Process

As many people know, the best managers are the ones who have gotten their hands dirty and have an accurate understanding of all aspects of a business. Even the most mundane tasks can have a critical role in whether a business succeeds or fails.

As a property manager, invest several months completing every aspect of renting out an Airbnb property from answering the initial e-mails from prospective renters to managing check-in and check-out to cleaning the home.

In doing so, you will accomplish several important tasks. First, you'll understand the entire process and appreciate the time and effort of each stage. Second, you'll be able to see inefficiencies and areas of improvement more easily. And, third, you'll be able to parse out which tasks you enjoy doing and which ones you'd rather not perform long-term.

As with any business, time is money, so you'll want to make some decisions on how you want to spend your time and what tasks you'd like to automate or outsource.


Take Advantage of Automation

Technology is developing so quickly that automation is something that should be regularly revisited. Airbnb is rapidly developing new tools to help property managers eliminate or streamline as much of the mundane tasks as possible, so be sure to stay on top of new tools. Then be sure to take advantage of them to save yourself time and money.

For instance, check-in and check-out procedures used to require many more interactions between a property manager and potential guests. Now, Airbnb has provided automated tools to allow guests to register and pay for your property online.

Be sure to invest some time in creating a frequently asked questions section in your listing and include detailed instructions about how to access your property including key codes and door locations. And, stay on top of developments inside and outside of Airbnb to take advantage of time-saving devices.

Synchronize calendars and to-do tasks between the Airbnb calendar, Google and your smartphone. Although the advantages may not be clear if you are a one-person-show, this step will be an immense time-saver once you start building a support network and team.

For instance, if you decide to hire someone to help manage questions and issues during the guests' stay, that person will need real-time access to check-in and check-out information. If you employ a cleaning service, an up-to-the-moment calendar will allow that service to provide timely, efficient cleaning assistance. A clean property is so important that finding a company that will provide excellent and odd-hour services is key.


Streamline Inventory Management

If you're managing multiple properties, keeping track of items like soap, shampoo, laundry detergent and toilet paper can be daunting. Doing a poor job with this detail can result in frustrated guests and poor reviews. 

At the beginning of managing a property, keep careful records of how quickly supplies are depleted and consider how often you want to restock. Give yourself plenty of cushion so that the likelihood of items being completely depleted is nil.

Then, invest some time in searching out vendors who will sell you supplies in bulk. This may be a simple online search or could include talking with local stores who might be willing to sell you a bulk amount from their large inventory at a lower price.

Besides disposable items, don't forget about frequently used items that will need to be replaced regularly. For instance, a high-traffic rental will require replacement sheets and towels every several months to a year.
 

Create a House Guide

Just like hotels provide little cards and folders that outline television channel information and phone numbers to local restaurants that deliver, you'll want to create a house guide for your guests.

By answering as many of their questions as possible, you will save yourself from a multitude of phone calls asking the same questions over and over again. In addition, by providing extra information, you will create an image of a host who truly cares and has anticipated the needs of guests. As a result, you will improve your ratings, helping you to market your rental property to future tenants.

Some items you may want to include in your guide are how to work the television, DVD player or any other appliances, what the WiFi password is, how to control the temperature, where to place trash and recycled materials, and where to find extra blankets. Extra information may include the names, addresses, phone numbers and hours to local restaurants or popular entertainment spots or flyers from special events happening during the upcoming week.

Solicit feedback from each guest, and regularly add new questions and suggestions to your house guide.
 

Outsource Aspects of the Business

After a short period of time, it should become clear to you which tasks you enjoy and which ones you abhor. Perhaps you are introverted and really don't like talking with all the potential guests. You can easily outsource that portion of the business to a property management company or a host. Perhaps you hate cleaning. Many cleaning organizations have popped up to expertly manage that portion of the business for you.

Remember that Airbnb management should be a pleasant experience and outsourcing the tasks you don't enjoy will allow you to free up time for the aspects of the business that you do enjoy.

We are a California-based vacation rental management company specializing in handling every aspect of your vacation rental - from optimizing your listing to interacting with your guests and overseeing turnover cleanings after guests depart, reviews, damages, maintenance. If you want to learn more about our services CONTACT US HERE

Tagged: airbnb management