How you can Make Money Renting out a Room, Your Whole Place or by Providing Experiences!

Airbnb used to just be about renting out your room or home but now you can provide experiences and services to make money on the side too.

If you want to use Airbnb, our tips are below for both hosts and guests.

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How to Get Started With Airbnb

Before you get started, you need to check a few things.

Check your insurance to see if you are covered if you rent your property on Airbnb and if you are renting your home, check your lease to ensure it is ok to do.

You need to make sure you are covered if anything happens (there have been some horror stories) and also not doing anything that could breach your lease.

Some buildings don’t allow Airbnb and some councils don’t allow short term rentals anymore either.

If it is all good to do where you are, you can sign up for free and get started.

Take Amazing Photos

Depending on where you’re based you might be able to get a photographer for cheap through Airbnb to do photos of your place. If not, you need to take great photos.

Think about what you’d want to see when looking to book.

Make the home or room look light, airy, welcoming and guest-ready instead of having it look like a dark, spare bedroom full of junk.

Write an Accurate Description

Follow the steps to do your listing and make sure everything you put in is accurate. Be super clear about what is on offer and what’s off-limits.

Set rules for the home, instructions for how to get the key, solid check-in and check-out times, pick your price (base it on how much rooms are going for in your area or do it a little less to get your rating up when starting out), then list it!

What Do We Recommend?

There are a few key things aside from great photos and an accurate listing everyone should include to make sure it’s a smooth transaction for all involved.

1. Remember People Expect Hotels

Yes, this is your home, but people generally have high expectations.

Keep it as clean as a hotel, offer nice linen, have a guidebook for the area, be great with communication and listen to all feedback.

If you plan to host children, ensure it is a child safe home and that you have options such as a portacot, high chair etc available if guests need.

2. Go The Extra Mile

As a minimum, people expect linen, towels, toiletries etc.

Offer a welcome basket for bookings longer than 3 days or make sure your place has tea, coffee, long life milk, butter in the fridge, that sort of thing so people can make themselves a cuppa as soon as they arrive.

Alternatively, make it clear if the kitchen is not available for use.

3. Have Clear Rules and Consequences

Have a set check-in and check-out time. With your rules, make it clear if they do not check out on time, a fee is payable for each hour they are late or something similar. This is agreed to when they book.

Make the check-out instructions clear such as removing rubbish, washing dishes etc.

Have your settings include a security deposit e.g. $500 so if the worst happens and you need to act on this rule, there is a security deposit Airbnb will draw on.

4. Have Airbnb Only Stuff

Separate towels, specific linen, a box with coffee etc, mini toiletries and so on can be kept together and used just for Airbnb.

This way it is in great condition and you can whip it out when your place gets booked.

5. Cleaning Fee

A $150 cleaning fee is included in bookings but you can add extra if you want. It is off putting to most guest now though.

By having one with your booking you can either keep the fee or pay a cleaner.

For people with back to back bookings, paying a cleaner is easier.

There is a lot of backlash now regarding cleaning fees and expectations from some hosts around what you have to do when you check out.

Be reasonable with your fees and what you want guests to do upon checking out.

6. Really Sell the Uniqueness of Your Place

What makes your home better than others or sets it apart?

Are there great attractions nearby, do you have animals, is it all-inclusive, are you in a hot location etc. Work it out and be descriptive.

Use words in your listing which will make your guest feel like they are already there.

Be amazing with it, but also be honest.

7. Add The Guidebook Info

Add in what you are close to, places for people to see and things to do to give them an idea of how far away your home is from everything they want to do.

Feedback for us is that the guidebook really helped.

8. Written Instructions

Include instructions for how to use everything such as the dishwasher, Netflix, AC etc. This little page of tips has helped all guests and reduces messaging asking how to do things.

No one wants to ruin something or spend ages trying to work out how to use something. Make things as easy as possible for yourself and your guests.

9. Use The App

Download the app so you can communicate easily, edit your booking if needed and do everything on the go.

This is essential since people expect immediate responses and Airbnb has rules around how long you have to tend to any issues.

10. Check The Settings

If you want to be a superhost, you need instant booking turned on (this also increases the chances of bookings).

However, we prefer not having instant booking on so we can check guests and see if they are ok.

Go over all the settings and make sure you are comfortable with everything before making your place live.

You Don’t Need to be on all the Time!

Decide when you want your place to be available then block the rest of the calendar.

You don’t need to have it available 24/7.

Do Experiences Instead

If you don’t want to rent out your home, you can offer experiences such as taking photos for a set period of time at iconic locations, running a ghost tour or offering a cooking class.

Things like this are popular, provided you have a point of difference to make it enticing. This option isn’t available in all cities yet.

Have you used AirBnB? What do you think?

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