Airbnb Host Tips | 7 Incredibly Clever Ways to Save Time

Ever feel like hosting is taking over your life? Read on to learn a few tricks to spend less time in the laundry room and more time enjoying that extra income! Being an Airbnb host is a great way to connect with travelers to your property and earn serious income. That being said it can also become very time-consuming as an Airbnb host if you are doing everything yourself.

Airbnb Host Tips #1 Always Use Self Check-In 

Are you waiting for Guests to arrive…and waiting and waiting. Are you an Airbnb host who greets your guests personally and gives them a tour of the property every time? If so, you are probably finding yourself waiting around for guests with delayed flights or those who stop on the road for dinner. For the first year of hosting, I did exactly this. I was a newbie and I thought welcoming guests at the door would somehow ensure a 5-star review. Most guests were on time but I would need to cancel plans depending on a guest’s ETA. After several guests who did not communicate arrival times or gave a vague ‘later afternoon’, I wanted to try something different: Self-check-In. To replace your personal tour, as sweet as it is, you simply need to buy a Smart Lock, one that you can change the code for each guest, like this lock by August.   Instead of personally handing over the keys, Guests can enter with a code and now you don’t have to greet late-night guests anymore! Yay, you are freer! Then, create a clear step-by-step check-in guide via the Airbnb App that you can set up with pictures. You simply attach it to the message you send your guests a couple of days before they arrive.

Airbnb Host Tips #2 Create a Self Check-in Guide with Pictures

To create the Airbnb Check-in guide through the App:

1. Click on Listings on the bottom menu bar of the app.

2. Scroll Down to ‘Guest Resouces’ and click on Check-In Instructions.

3. Create and Edit you Check-In Instructions with photos and captions.

Airbnb Host Tips #3 Leave Enough Time for Turnovers

A sure recipe for hosting burnout is = A Tight Check-In Window + Not Enough Sheets. I started out with an 11 am check-out and a 2 pm check-In and a couple of sets of sheets. This worked fine for the first while, but once we got busy we were changing the rental back-to-back for weeks at a time. This created a lot of stress to clean the suite and then wash all the sheets, and towels then iron and remake the beds within a short 3-hour window. Live and learn as a host! Make your life easier and set your check-out at 11 am and check-in window at 3 or 4pm+  If guests need a later check-out or earlier check they can simply request and you can try to accommodate them when it’s possible. When you can offer a later check-out, do so in your check-out message and surprise your guests. Any window less than 4 hours and you’re going to be limited to what you can plan over the weekend.

Airbnb Host Tips #4 Have Enough Sheets and Towels

You want to have enough sheets and towels to not feel stressed. For Sheet sets, have 3 per bed on hand. You want one on the bed, one in the wash, and one (or two) handy and ready to go. If laundry gets backed up a day or so it won’t matter. The day your rushing to change and wash the sheets on time is the day a guest with a new spray tan checks out and stains everything (yes this happened to us!) No Stress Shopping list: 3-4 sets of Turkish white sheets 8 extra plush towels 6 hand towels, 20 facecloths Leave an extra set for guests, and keep the rest in a locked drawer or cabinet (otherwise, it’s a free for all towel usage)

Airbnb Host Tips #5 Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

I hear many hosts getting worked up in Facebook groups about a broken wine glass or a stained towel. This is part of hosting and should not be a pain point. Facecloths and towels will get the most stains, and that’s to be expected. Foundation makeup and mascara will tinge at some point, so really, don’t sweat the small stuff. You can use this sign to remind guests to take a little more care with your white towels. Stain Removing Tip: Always use spray and wash on these stains before washing them, then inspect every towel coming out of the dryer for the slightest stain. Keep any stained towels in a basket until you have a big enough load to add a cup of bleach and let it all soak for an hour. Amazon facecloths are only 50. each and great quality. You can use the impossibly stained ones as cleaning cloths afterward without feeling too bad.

Airbnb Host Tips #6 Use Saved Message Templates

Are you spending Too much time communicating with guests back and forth? There are only 4 key messages that you will need to send at the right time for every new booking:

1. Booking Confirmation = A friendly welcome message.
2. 48 hours before arrival= Parking and Check-in Instructions.
3. During Stay = Touch base message ‘hope you are enjoying your stay, let me know if you need anything’ etc.
4. The morning of Check-out= Check-out time-reminder and thank you for staying with us message.

Messages should always be polite and welcoming. There is a certain formula for the ‘perfect message’ and no need to write it out every time. Please use the saved responses tool in the app and save yourself hours of wasted time composing the same messages on the spot. Just change the guest’s name and you can efficiently fire these messages off at the right times. Here are the exact messages that I use! 

Airbnb Host Tips #6 Have a Guest Welcome Book

If Guests message with the same questions which should be obvious.If you’re still getting messages like “What is the Wifi code” or “What time is Check-out” then your going to be wasting extra time communicating and guests will feel like they are wasting time on their vacation. Solution: Have a clear and Concise Welcome book in your Rental. This should cover everything possible that a guest could ponder and message you about. Use an easy-to-edit template and make it look professional.

Airbnb Host Tips #7 Have Clear Signage for a Branded Look

The more you know about Airbnb, the more you will be able to use this knowledge to help you rank your listing higher in searches and become a Superhost. There’s so much more to know. There is definitely a learning curve to Airbnb and it will cost you money and time to try to learn everything on your own. I am the creator of the Mega Airbnb Bundle, an essential Tool Kit for Airbnb Hosts! The tips in this article are just a taste of all the hosting skills you will learn! It’s available on Etsy Click here and make your hosting life easier! P.S. The Mega Bundle comes with Freebies like a modern and 100% customizable guest welcome book that will save you hours of time!