When I started in the hospitality industry, guests who needed to charge their electric cars didn’t exist – electric cars were many years in the future. Gradually though, the USA followed Europe and we saw hybrid cars, then full electric vehicles became...
One of the huge (I know that sounds silly) debates regarding Airbnb hosts is that most charge a cleaning fee. Crazy, eh?”Hotels don’t charge a cleaning fee” say grumpy guests. “My cleaning fee doesn’t even cover the cost of my...
If you’re a host specialising in short-term rentals, because of today’s media it’s likely that you are affected by confirmation bias. We all are to some extent. Those who write for the media just love to publish articles on the web about how very...
Quite a few STR hosts, those who advertise on online sites such as Airbnb or VRBO, are dismayed to find that their guests simply don’t follow the rules. Many hosts have a quite extensive list of rules and regulations and some of these can be quite...
Of course, it isn’t. You know it isn’t. So why do so many hosts complain and/or comment on their guests’ personalities and little foibles?One of the most frequent is that ‘guests are so entitled these days’. Er, well, for me the fact that...
Short-term rental hosts often complain that they have had to throw away a sheet, pillowcase, towel or other items because of ‘stains’. This can really cut into your bottom line very severely. The sheets and so on that I am using now were bought in 2015...
Most people are just fine. Yes, there are a few weirdoes in the world and a few strange folks but if you operate a short-term rental you’ve no doubt found that most people are are perfectly fine human beings. This is why, more than likely, when I’ve heard...
If you’re old like me, you might remember those huge paper maps that folded into a neat pocket size but could be the very devil to refold. Or even a map book. Or an A-Z. That was the way in the olden days that we found the places were were looking for. Or often,...
Go to any STR forum or questions-and-answers setup, and you’ll find that a common question is regarding co-hosts. When an owner has a property they want to rent out as a short term rental, but for whatever reason they can’t take care of it themselves, they...
There’s just a chance that you might not know who Max Verstappen is so I’ll explain in a minute. but this young lad – he’s 22 years old at the time of writing – was signed up by a Formula One Team when he was just sixteen. Yes, driving...
If you run a short-term rental business then the chances are that it creates a certain amount of stress. Or it may be that you’re thinking of starting listing on Airbnb or a similar site and you’re wondering how you can minimise the stress of running your...
I just changed the title I’d planned for this article. The title I started out with didn’t say ‘Share Your Passion & Promote Your Rental’. It was ‘Easy Networking Ideas To Promote Your Rental’. The latter would have probably...
It might be a temporary thing, or even permanent, but a lot of short term rental hosts who have been advertising on Airbnb or a similar service are rethinking their business models. Recently, several states, counties and cities have banned short term rentals so that...
Hosts, I know that you want to make your rentals as cosy as possible. And I realise that you want to make your guests feel right at home. But that doesn’t always mean that you’re making life easy for yourself.An important maxim to remember when...
You’re probably like me and don’t really approve of the way that we are ‘nannied’ about germs these days. But when the world is in a situation like the one we have at the moment with the coronavirus, then hygiene has become incredibly important...
At the time I’m writing this, the end of April 2020, there are plenty of stories going around that we might be told by our governments that social distancing – currently because of COVID19 – needs to continue for many months to come.It may be that...
At the time I’m writing this, there are many property owners who think that maybe the days of short term rentals are over. It might be history by the time you read this but right now the coronavirus is at its height and the general opinion seems to be that there...
The image above tells us something very clearly, doesn’t it? It’s easy to think that if we dressed in blue bodysuits, black braided wigs, black apron-thingies and painted our faces with blue triangles that we’d stand out from the crowd, right? But as...
Of course, it’s still too early to tell. But the signals are all there that people who provide short term rental accommodation are going to have a pretty hard time in the next few months … or more. Hosts are already bleating about how their...
You’ve heard that saying I’m sure – that there are no bad dogs, just bad owners? And I’m sure that it’s mostly true. Note the ‘mostly’. I imagine that there are some dogs that have weird brain malfunctions that make them a...
If not, why not? I think that we are so lucky today to have our phones to help us run our STR businesses and I thought I’d write this just in case you wanted any tips about how your phone can help you run your business efficiently and well. Yes, we used to...
We all know that basics of sustainable travel – we know to avoid cruise ships, to choose our travel methods wisely, to avoid places that are being damaged by over-tourism and so on.Using a service such as Airbnb is probably a good idea because you can be sure...
The reason I ask is because it’s just been announced by the hotel trade that fewer hotels are adding chests of drawers to their guest rooms. (If you’re reading this in America, you may refer to them as ‘dressers’ for reasons best known to...
Have you? Maybe you’ve got an idea for a fabulous app that would make a host’s life easier. Maybe you think that a service supplying consumables to hosts for their guests is a great idea. Or perhaps your ideas range from property management to providing...
We’ve all heard a million times that first impressions count. And they do, it’s true. But if you’re running a hospitality business, especially in the field of short term rentals, then it’s important to remember that last impressions count a lot...
If you’re a short term rental hosts I’m sure that you’ve realised by now that there are many reasons why you might get a completely undeserved bad review from time to time, Even if ‘bad’ is pushing it a bit, a review that doesn’t...
I absolutely, completely and utterly hate the fact that I have got to the age when I could preface a sentence with ‘in my day’ so I’m not going to. But nevertheless, I’m getting increasingly impatient with Airbnb hosts who get grumpy because...
Don’t expect an answer from me because I simply don’t know. And I’m not going to say ‘perfect stranger’ because strangers are usually less than perfect. But imagine this…You have a prized possession. Let’s say it’s a...
Of course you don’t. It’s almost certain that you don’t allow vaping either. I don’t and I’m pretty sure that the hosts who do can be counted on the fingers of one hand. It would be pretty crazy to allow smoking – you’d never...
So many Airbnb hosts aren’t business people. They are renting out rooms in their homes, or their second homes, for various reasons. But few have solid backgrounds in business skills. Their hospitality skills, on the other hand, are often outstanding.This...
If you run a short term rental, then it’s going to happen one day. Your phone will ping and a message will tell you that guests you had scheduled in your calendar won’t be arriving after all.No big deal – it happens to everyone. But how do you...
If you’re an STR host have you ever found yourself wondering “why do guests always…?”Whatever that ‘always’ thing is will vary from host to host. With some hosts, they find that guests are always arriving well after check-in time...
There is a popular fallacy going around the internet regarding your listing’s placement in the Airbnb search. Many hosts are certain that in order for their listings to be shown in the first few search results, it’s essential that the host goes to their...
It’s a common complaint from Airbnb hosts – “I can’t find my listing if I search Airbnb in my area!”But this doesn’t mean that potential guests aren’t finding your listing. As we’ve mentioned before, there are many...
It’s happened so many times … I’m checking out previous reviews that hosts have written for Airbnb guests and see the phrase ‘More suited to a hotel”. It makes me want to scream, Truly. What on earth does that mean?True, when you stay in...
Just a quick post, this one.But did you know that Airbnb and Delta Airlines have a reciprocal system whereby you can earn air miles on your Airbnb stay? Neither did I until recently which is why I’m letting you know about this.Apparently, this has been in effect...
And I know that seems like a silly question but increasingly, people who run STR accommodation have come to the conclusion – erroneously – that every guest misdemeanor can be solved by creating a ‘house rule’ about it.You know the sort of...
Quite a few people who have been renting out rooms in their home through Airbnb have become a little disillusioned with it. Why? Well, not because there’s anything wrong with the short term rental business – I absolutely love it – but it is hard...
If you’re running an STR business I can understand why you want to know what time your guests are going to arrive. I really do. It helps you to plan your day efficiently.The problem is that we’d all like to plan our days efficiently but we’re dealing...
If you have a short-term property for rental – and advertise it on Airbnb or a similar site – the chances are that you’ve had a request from someone who wants to use your property for a photoshoot or even as a film location. Should you agree to host...
When you’re an STR host, you might see your rental business as some sort of side gig. It might be that it’s not your ‘real’ job. You have other things to do. You have a life. However, as far as your guests are concerned, unless you’re...
If you’re offering rental accommodation to the public, then it’s likely that you’ll have to write about it. It might be that you list your property on Airbnb or a similar site, in which case you’ll have to write about your place for your...
If you’re an Airbnb host and for some reason, you don’t want to accept guests for a particular period of time, Airbnb offers you several options. There are many reasons why you might want to opt out of hosting for a while – personal issues, building...
Have you noticed that as a society we’ve become more and more liable to compete for … well, nothing? Human beings are competitive – we wouldn’t have got as far as the twenty-first century if we weren’t – but today our competitive...
I admit that I really don’t understand what comes over some people when they become Airbnb hosts. Is it the prospect of earning a ton of money or what? Why is it that they suddenly become blinkered to human nature? Why do they suddenly forget what the world is...
I know it’s tricky. As an Airbnb (or other site) STR host then you know that you have to be firm with your guests – but you also need to be sure that you don’t annoy them. If you’re using Airbnb or another site that encourages guests to leave...
You’d think it was sometimes. A power struggle, that is. A relationship between host and guest is supposed to be symbiotic. If it’s little early in the morning for you to understand such words, here’s the definition. A symbiotic relationship is: a...
At the time of writing, despite hosts muttering about the problem for years, Airbnb asks its guests to rate the location of the accommodation they stayed in. Hosts have, possibly understandably, been up in arms about this issue forever. Well, almost ever. Let’s...
Writing your listing blurb for Airbnb or other accommodation platforms can be tricky. After all, you’re in the hospitality industry, you’re not a copywriter. The good news is that online, it’s much better to underpromise and overdeliver, rather than...
The insurance people, Geiko, have recently launched a video entitled The Best Airbnbs Have These Things in Common. So I thought that I’d enumerate them and see how our own listings (here in fabulous Fort Lauderdale) compare. We have two – both are in a...
Host or guest, enter the Airbnb numbers into your phone now. You’ll find them by using the button below. HOW TO CONTACT AIRBNB Airbnb has grown enormously – worldwide – since the service started in 2008. To be honest, I suspect that even the founders...
Yes, if you host on Airbnb, the company is going to send you ‘price tips’. And so many hosts are insulted by these… ‘My nightly rate is $150 per night and Airbnb tells me to reduce it to one-third of that – how dare they?’ Well...
When you’re booking accommodation, do you want to stay with a host or a landlord? If you offer accommodation to others at your property, do you consider yourself a landlord or a host? What’s the difference? Let’s see what the dictionary has to say....
Some hosts have guests staying with them in their own homes – and allow the guests to use the family kitchen. Some hosts rent apartments, suites or entire homes that, naturally, also feature kitchens. In both cases, it can be helpful to the host to...
Bodily fluids. Yep, if you’re an Airbnb or short-term rental host, boldly fluids are something that you’re only too familiar with. So here’s an article on that very subject. Not something we all particularly want to discuss but a large part of our...
Oh my goodness. What a lot of palaver there is online from Airbnb (and other platforms) hosts who ‘fear’ getting a bad review. You’d think that these were medieval days and a bad review means that you’re going to be hanged, drawn and quartered....
I have just realised – belatedly, I know – that there are some Airbnb hosts who actually pay attention to the somewhat ludicrous ‘price suggestions’ that Airbnb email to them or show them in the sidebar when they are adjusting their calendar....
From time to time, you’ll find them on the internet – those horror stories about Airbnb guests. Or sometimes about Airbnb hosts. Well, do you know how many people stayed in Airbnb accommodation last night? Or how many will tonight? Or tomorrow night?...
Thinking about using Airbnb or a similar short-term rental service? Well here’s how to really piss off your host. If you’re looking for bad reviews and a definite thumbs down (meaning you’ll have a hard time renting from that service again) then just...
You’ve allowed for just about everything your guests will need when they’re staying at your Airbnb or rental. There’s the first aid kit, you supply toiletries, a fire extinguisher is on hand, there are board games for rainy days, towels to take to...
Have we lost the habit of conversation? It really wouldn’t surprise me if we have. After all, today we are more accustomed to our conversations and interactions with others being by text, email, Snapchat, What’s App, Instagram… And for the older...
Meeting and greeting your guests is an important matter and one that should be carefully considered. However, it’s equally important for you, or your co-host, to be on hand when your guests leave your rental. Some hosts would say that it’s more important....
When you’re travelling, especially if you’re sticking to a budget, there can be the temptation to sneak an extra person or two into the accommodation you’re renting. Maybe you’ve rented a place on Airbnb or a similar site and the host charges...
The fact is that Airbnb doesn’t want their hosts to cancel bookings. Your guests don’t want you to cancel bookings either. Understandably. If you cancel, then your guest’s trip is in jeopardy. Airbnb – and similar services – need...
Question to hosts: It’s Friday and your guests have just checked out of your rental. The next guests aren’t arriving until check in time on Sunday. When do you get the space ready for the guest? Do you do it on Friday afternoon and get the job out of the...
If you consider the internet to be a good research tools giving accurate results then it might surprise you to know that research has shown that in the hotel industry, twenty to thirty minutes is considered to be an acceptable time to prepare a guest room (plus...
When you rent out property for vacation or short-term rentals, it’s important to create a log book / house book for your property. This applies even if you rent out only the spare bedroom in your home. As time goes by, your home logbook will prove to be invaluable. If...
Yes, I know that today smoking a cigarette, pipe or cigar can be classed as the eighth deadly sin. I am also aware that the last cigarette I smoked, after what seemed to be a lifetime of the habit, was in June 2017. So I’m an ex-smoker. But I’m not one of...
You’re wrong. There is a purpose to this article. Other than, that is, an excuse to post a photograph of a rather hunky chap. That’s a pretty good reason in itself of course, but the real reason behind this article is to encourage local repair people,...
Since the last century, I have been explaining to clients that there is more nonsense written on the internet about search engines than any other subject. And in recent years, this has extended to the search facility on the Airbnb website. There is so much...
Several times a week – no, many times a week – new Airbnb hosts post on forums with some variation of the following message: ‘Help! I tried to search for my listing on Airbnb and it’s just not showing up! What should I do?’ Actually,...
There does seem to be quite a lot of confusion online from short-term rental guests who don’t understand what the so-called cleaning fee is all about. Note that not all hosts charge this as a separate fee but wherever you stay – hotel, guesthouse B &...
Most people in the world are friendly, law-abiding folk. who just want to get on with their lives. And yet if you were to read comments on, for instance, a forum for short-term-rental hosts, you might get the idea that as soon as a normal, average person turns into a...
We have so many accommodation decisions to make when we travel, haven’t we? Hotel or bed & breakfast? Hostel, maybe? A rented apartment or studio? A rental house? Perhaps a room in someone’s home? And the chances are that we’ll have different...
It’s something that short-term-rental hosts and owners complain about all the time. ‘Guests don’t read’. Actually, guests do read. They read all the time. But they read what they want to read. They just don’t read your long and boring...
Most Airbnb hosts realise the advantages of greeting their guests in person and giving them a house tour. But what some don’t realise is that it’s equally important to be around when your guests check out. To be honest, if I was given a choice –...
Wandering about on the internet today, I found this on Wikipedia: Of course, anyone can edit any page they like. But this page had not been edited for three weeks. So in those three weeks, anyone checking out that page on Airbnb has been warned about Royal, the host....
Particularly important to travellers and to hosts of properties such as those listed on Airbnb, are the recent statistics that show what seriously turns people off bathrooms. My own huge turn off is seeing a pubic hair of dubious provenance on the toilet seat. But...
Regular readers (all two of you) know that I love Airbnb. I enjoy hosting, which I’ve been doing for ages, and I enjoy using Airbnb when I travel. I’ve met a lot of terrific people, online and ‘in real life’ thanks to Airbnb and I’m all...
I was brought up by parents who themselves were brought up in the Second World War in the UK. This means rationing, make-do-and-mend, growing your own food and recycling just about everything. Frugal. And therefore I am too. But the cheapest isn’t always the...
I’ve always liked products that make my life easier, especially if they don’t break the bank. Which I why I’m telling you today about the Keysmart key holder. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But you’ll be surprised just how much difference...
If you have an Airbnb or similar rental, who is cleaning it for you and preparing it for guests? If you’re not able to do it yourself, how do you choose a cleaning service? It might be more important than you think. Sheila Perera FIH is the manager of the...
For some years now landlords, Airbnb hosts, hotel designers and the like have been warned that glass shower doors in rental apartments or rooms can cause trouble both minor and major. The chances are that you’ll recall that this began with a well documented...
The initial concept of peer-to-peer accommodation services such as Airbnb was simple – have a spare room? Then rent it to travellers. Win-win. However, we all know that today, many of us are preparing rooms or full apartments specifically for rental. No longer...
The subtitle of this article could be ‘The Squeamish Person’s Guide to Cleaning the Toilet’. Good hosts are pretty fanatical about cleanliness but if you asked hosts which are the worst jobs they have to do when cleaning their rentals, cleaning the...
If you hosts guests via Airbnb or a similar service then it might be that you avoid have a second set of guests arrive just hours after your last guests have left. After all, Airbnb suggests that checkout time is 10 am and check in time 3 pm. Some hosts baulk at the...
I’ve mentioned this subject before but it’s true that if you run a vacation rental, one of your biggest headaches can be cleaning the place before your guests arrive. This is particularly the case if you use a site such as Airbnb – as guests get to...
If you have a rental apartment or house that you list on Airbnb or a similar service, then no doubt at some times you will have considered the possibility of using a keyless entry system to allow your guests to check themselves in. But is this really a good idea?...
If you operate a short term rental, using Airbnb or a similar service, then it’s important to realise that greeting your guests and the house tour can be one of the most important aspects of your business. They say that you don’t get a second chance to...
When they are considering renting out a room, suite or apartment on Airbnb, Homeaway et al, one of the first questions new hosts ask is ‘how much should I charge for my accommodation?’ The standard answer – which I disagree with – is to look at...
Eddie and Clarrie Grundy are considering renting out rooms in their house using an online service such as Airbnb. Eddie has had to persuade Clarrie to do this as she will be the one who has to make the beds, clean and cook the breakfast. Clarrie has also been...
In February 2017, Airbnb released the video you see below. It was shown during the Superbowl and the text reads: “We believe no matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you...
If you’re a new host on Airbnb, it’s a good idea to make the most of the ‘new host boost’ that you’ll get when you first add your listing to the site. WHAT IS THE AIRBNB NEW HOST BOOST? Airbnb wants to encourage you to keep hosting with...
If you rent out a room or apartment on Airbnb or a similar service, I imagine that one of your biggest headaches is cleaning. I recently purchased the answer to my cleaning problems. Its the Dyson V6 cord-free vacuum. I never imagined that I’d get excited about...
It’s a wonderful feeling. You’ve prepared your apartment or room in your home and made it ready for Airbnb guests. You’ve taken some lovely photographs of the place and uploaded them to your listing page. You’ve spent ages writing about your...
Throughout the world beds are just beds aren’t they? Yes, unless you are travelling to a remote island where you’ll be sleeping in a hammock, you can expect to find ‘regular’ beds everywhere. There are confusions, of course. What is described...
Are you considering renting out your spare room or other accommodation? Are you thinking about using Airbnb to advertise your rental? If so, then you’ve probably seen the videos that the company produces in order to show hosts what fun they can have entertaining...
Do you have a rental property? If so the chances are that you advertise it by using Homeaway, Airbnb or one of the similar sites that list short term rentals. You might also have your own website. But how can you go above and beyond to promote the accommodation you...
You’ve probably heard about people who do this. With all the various home rental service that exist today – such as Airbnb – it’s easy to find people who want to stay in your home when you’re travelling. And many people find that...
If you’re just starting out as an Airbnb host or if you’re an experienced host looking for the best products for your bathroom, then we’d like to introduce you to our favourite bathroom goods. Your bathroom is an important part of your guests’...
