READY, SET, HOST!
Do you have an opportunity at your place to be able to welcome guests and let them stay at yours? This furnished space could be a shared room, private room or the entire space. If the answer is YES, then this post is to get you ready to be able to List Your Space on AirBnb and earn some rental income!
I opened my door to AirBnb’ers in 2016 for less than two months and during that time I had seven bookings and earned just under $1,000AUD!
This was renting out a spare bedroom in my apartment which is only 3km (1.8miles) from the CBD in Brisbane. Whether it helps you out with your mortgage repayments, or can help you save money towards travelling- seize the opportunity! Read on to find out how to become an Airbnb Host.
get started
JOIN AIRBNB
It is so, so easy to get your listing up and running!
If you are already a member of Airbnb ( if you have been a guest in the past) all you will need to do is click on this link to start the process to List Your Space.
Haven’t joined Airbnb yet?
Why not click here to sign up and straight away have $50AUD credit towards your first booking? That’s free money (credit). Once you have joined Airbnb go and click List Your Space to begin the process.
STEPS
- Details on your place – how many bedrooms, bathrooms and other amenities. (Note: the space needs to be fully furnished, just like a hotel)
- Set the scene – add photos, descriptions of the area surrounding the property, access to transport, free WIFI provided, laundry facilities included etc
- Set the filters – you can block off dates as necessary, set the prices to whatever you want and change them whenever you likeOther things to note, you can;
- set minimum and maximum nights that guests can book
- select instant booking (where anyone can book without having to be confirmed by you – this means you cannot check their reviews)
- add a cleaning fee to the amount you charge
- charge extra if more than one person (I wouldn’t recommend when you are beginning, as you want to get people in and earn income)
- select paypal or bank account detail preferences for payment when guests check in (paypal is quickest to hit the account)
preparation for guests
You want to make sure that when your guests check in everything runs smoothly, remember you are being reviewed. Ensure you communicate with your guest about the exchange of keys, the location and time of the exchange. Some properties have keys that are inside a security box, left with friends or neighbours who will meet you at the address or entry may be via a keypad. It’s not as complex as this might sound. I was usually home for guests to gain entry into my apartment, otherwise I had a friend/neighbour who handed the keys over.
If you are renting out a shared or private room it can be a good idea (if you don’t have it already) to put locks on the bedroom door and make sure you make extra copies.
This provides extra comfort of security for guests..to make sure they aren’t worried of anyone going into their space while they are staying. Think – they may have their passports, cash and cards in their room.
welcome/getting started guide i’ve put together
- It is great to have information and everything they will need
My space – bathroom at easy reach. When they walk into the property or room, why not have an array of information for tours, rental car companies, festivals on while they are in town, places they could need (restaurants, gyms (you never know), pharmacies, hospitals, shopping malls etc). Best tip here is go to the information centre in your town and pick up some pamphlets.
- You may want to leave instructions for guests if you will be away a lot or they have your entire place. Instructions could be left for television, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and lights (make sure you leave the WIFI password!!!).
- Have the towels, bath floor mats, face washer etc ready in their rooms.
- You may want to supply some food items in the kitchen – oils, salt, pepper, sauces, tea bags, coffee – the basics to help people. There are hosts who go higher and provide bread, milk, cereal for a breakfast option for guests.
- Do not have personal items throughout the home or room as this can deter a person from feeling welcome, even though there is a strong “home” presence – might be a good idea to put some family photos, graduate certificates and jackets/shoes away.
- Make sure you interact with your guests whether you are in the property or not. Make sure they are settled in, don’t have any questions or need any further information
show me the money!
So, we have covered how to sign up (links above), the steps on setting up your listing and tips before the guests arrive and during their stay. Now – let’s talk about money!
When you first receive a booking it will come up with the amount charged to the guest. You will also see that there is an Airbnb fee which will be taken out (this is how they make their money). The Airbnb fee will change depending on how much you are charging and how long the guest is there for. You will see how much you will receive if the booking goes ahead.
Money will not hit your account (paypal, bank account) until the guest checks in, it’s usually the following day that Airbnb release the payment to you.
Check-out
When it is time for your guest/s to check out, make sure that it is organised. This may be leaving the keys in a secure location or handed back to you, your friend/neighbour etc. This same day, you will both receive a notification from Airbnb to leave reviews on how your stay went. If both parties write a review, both will be published respectively on each other’s profiles. If only one party writes a review it will not end up on the other’s profile.
THAT’S IT!
You have all the info on what you need to do to set yourself up as an Airbnb host. So what are you waiting for? Get to it and start earning rent income!
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are attached. Rental income is taxable assessable income. Ensure that you speak to a tax specialist to get advice on reporting this income and claiming deductions.
If you have not used Airbnb before as a guest. Read The Turning Point of Accommodation to find out more.
