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New to short term rental? Read this comparison between house sharing platforms and check why Airbnb is your top choice.

Travelling and lodging has become a favourite hobby for many. Seeking experiences and creating memories by traveling is touted as a favourable option over materialistic pursuits. We live in a time where flights are the closest thing to time travel. It makes moving from one corner of the planet to other easier and faster.

When it comes to lodging, choices are many but the wise choice is only one.
Renting an Apartment from Airbnb outshines various competing brand because of the value offered by Airbnb.
There are websites like tripping.com, flipkey, homeaway, VRBO, housetrip etc. The choice is tremendous and may be hard to choose one at first.
Airbnb started 9 years ago and currently valued at $31billion, it is one of hottest success story in the lodging and rental space, as well as in the startup sector.

As a matter of fact, you and I as guests or rental owner stand to gain a lot from Airbnb. When you are new to short term rental, and you rent an apartment Airbnb, you have the opportunity to discover and browse through multiple listing. Once you decide on a property, and you are new to short term rental you can secure the booking through Airbnb integrated payment system. You get confirmation from the website at the snap of your finger!

Thanks to its system and spread, Airbnb redefine the concept of rent itself for an entire generation of millennials.

Whereas Homestay and VRBO are online classified, where rental owners pay a fees to put their ads on the website. Also, the act of booking and payment of the property takes outside the platform. Not only does it take it more time to confirm a reservation, but also at the cost a mediator who facilitate the transaction.

This simply means more security as Airbnb facilitates the transaction between the guest and the rental property owners.

Rent an apartment Booking.com or Rent an apartment Airbnb?

Booking.com is a one-stop shop that offers a blanket travel services from flight ticket to hotel reservation and even car rental. It is a portal which closely resembles the offerings by Travelocity.com or Expedia.

On the other hand, Airbnb offers a unique, personalized stay in a city which is creatively pushed by its tagline – “Book unique homes and experience a city like a local.” Instead of offering a cut and dried check-in services like that of a hotel, Airbnb believes in localized high-quality shacking experience.

What about Homestay vs Airbnb?

Homestay is an online community that connects travellers with families or individuals who wish to open their homes to travellers. Although Homestay and Airbnb possess lot of similarities, the single distinct feature between the two, being that homestay focuses solely on shared property whereas Airbnb lets a guest check in a private space.

Booking fee on Airbnb is only 3%, while it 15% on Homestay, which is paid by the hosts. With homestay you’ll always have a family or an individual sharing the space. Airbnb provides a choice to the guest which makes it all the more superior.

Airbnb cares more than you think ($1 million pay-out insurance)

While user-friendliness, integrated payment system and a comprehensive review system should in itself make us want to stick to Airbnb, a $1 million guarantee in insurance is simply an offer that you cannot refuse. Airbnb cushions you against any insurance claim made against the guest for up to $1 million, which could potentially erase years of revenue in a single swipe.

In cases of personal injury caused by the rental property to a guest, the claim made by them could be in thousands of dollars. Although, there are mediation services like dispute settlement and mutual peace amends, the end result could be upsetting, therefore the host guarantee becomes a life-saver. In cases of delinquencies from the guest, Airbnb ask the guest to pay for the damages instead.

In order to claim the damages as host, you need to provide receipts of articles and items that were damaged or stolen.
Additionally, you need to provide police complaint report that states that damage done was substantial in nature (upwards $300).
Photographs of the damage being claimed along with ownership certificates and other documents that can expedite the claim process.
The purpose of this is to avoid frivolous claims made and always facilitate reimbursements in genuine cases.

This insurance get you covered also for damages created by your co-host.

The longer you associate, the better Airbnb reciprocate!

One of most distinguishing attribute of Airbnb is that it leaves no stone unturned for the satisfaction of the guest or the host. Rent an apartment Airbnb style always trump renting from any other site. In one of its creative marketing campaign, Airbnb revamped the listing interface making each of them appear as a distinct movie poster.

So for instance if you’re renting from a family with three sisters, the listing had a poster of three sisters posing for a pin-up. Similarly, Airbnb offers free photography service to host in order for them to get each listing the uniqueness and personalization it deserves. None of the competing website make for such compelling proposition.

Even though the service has been stopped in some countries where Airbnb was enough present there are still many areas where you can access the service.

Superhosts on Airbnb are those who are providing exemplary services for a long time. It is badge of honour and as a host, it one of the biggest honour you can aspire for. It takes years of dedicated flawless customer service for one to become a superhost. Airbnb understands your long-term association and loyalty to the brand. It offers priority customer support to super-host.

This means if you face a problem you’re provided a faster service than a newer host because you’ve made serious contribution to the growth of Airbnb. Moreover, there is a separate filter for listings with super-host which translates into more bookings. Superhost who maintain their reputation for another year is awarded with $100 travel coupon.
There are other exclusive events that is open to superhosts. I highly doubt if there is any other vacation renting community that offers unparalleled services, or this type of rewarding programs to others like that of Airbnb.

For a starter, Airbnb is your trusted partner.

If you read about what separates Airbnb from competitors, it is highly likely that Airbnb is your first bet for renting out a room or your apartment. For a first time listing, Airbnb offers a great start because the platform offers a secured gateway for payment and booking. You don’t have any to pay any registration fees which makes for zero start-up cost. Another feature to take into consideration about Airbnb, is that it is purely meritocratic. You cannot advertise your property on the platform therefore there is no risk of not being found because of your competitor.

The site runs multiple campaign throughout the year highlighting top listing in a city which keeps the spirit of lodging alive.

Whose better to advice you on this domain than a host himself? So grab your back-pack and experience the destination city like a local through Airbnb.

Turn your average listing into an epic success story through Customer care

By the time, you complete reading this guide, you will understand exactly how and why customer care for home sharing will make you a super host. A guest check-ins your vacation rental for the first time because you have promised him a convenient stay. It is an opportunity rather than an end.
An opportunity to provide unparalleled customer care for home sharing to your guests to have them coming back again, and again and again. It builds a bridge or a highway between you and the guest that translates into repeat business or a referral system.

As a result, the effort that goes into increasing the visibility of your rental property on Airbnb is no longer required. This is one of the prime reason why certain listings massively outdo their counterparts in business, reviews and onsite popularity.
I will show you step-by-step method to fire up your rental business and retain the momentum through a proven system.

Secure a guaranteed 5* rating- First impression directly affects rating!

The process of building an unbreakable client relationship starts right at the moment you receive a query on your Airbnb listing.
You may receive queries that may seem nefarious or obvious or plainly stupid. However, your response to each message must be soft, informative and valuable. You must never forget the cardinal rule of hospitality i.e customer is the king.

Also to make the client fully informed about the ins and outs of the rental property, you can do this by preparing a FAQ page. You should update questions that you receive on a multiple basis and supplement it with every new question. This will save you tons of time when answering that person.
Keeping the guest informed is necessary, it is best to state the type and number of room’s available in for the guest. Help guest identify geographic location of your property along with amenities and value-added services like Local Park, restaurants, airport etc.

You should always advice the potential guest of the legal narrative of your home country. Although the guest normally researches about the law relating to short-term renting, it is best to let them know that the services you offer are legal in your home country. If you pay all the taxes as you should, and do everything according to the law let them know about it. They may be nicer when it comes to the review.

In order to establish trust and prove your authenticity through your profile, it is advisable that you include your personal information, your personal photograph and a brief description about who the guest may meet at the rental property.
Guests feel comfortable and assured because of that personal touch and love to talk to humans rather than to a non-personal hotel. Airbnb establishes its brand recognition as a platform where guests can belong anywhere, in the sense that guests should feel at home everywhere they go.
As the guest sits on the other side of the world, a visual description of their vacation shack along with a face that shall host them builds credibility, which is a pre-requisite to extraordinary customer care for home sharing businesses.

Sharing as much information as possible when talking to your potential guest is the key.
Keeping a healthy communication channel removes the barrier of every form such as cultural, ethical or otherwise. This helps in setting a clear expectation of the property, which directly affects the temperament of the guest while rating. You can speed up your discussion by switching to faster platforms like Messenger or WhatsApp, which are most used usually.

How can you turn $50 investment into $1000 of automated income?

On the day of check-in, surprise your guest with a bottle of wine or an apple pie or a self-cooked cuisine to add a layer of personal touch.

I remember for instance I have met a super host at Airbnb Open 2015 that used to personalize the gift every time a different guest was coming.

A gesture that may seem trivial will separate you from the bulk of host out there. As they check in, you can give them a tour of the property and also demonstrate how certain electronic appliances work. This will build rapport, break the ice between the two and pacify the guest into convenience.

What to do when you’re away? A warm welcome does not necessarily mean you have to be physically present.

To provide an extraordinary customer care for home sharing business, you can record a welcome video and share it with your guest. A professionally recorded video that gives a tour of the house can be used for several guest check-ins. It also gives a wow effect since it is still pretty original. Additionally, you can book a wine or a chocolate cake at the expected check-in time while you’re away. Chocolate always gives a warm feeling and our mind associates with tenderness and care.

Thanks Christmas’ advertising!

To ensure that you’re on the same page as the client during their stay, specifically ask them about their stay after the first night. It will help you gauge the temperament of the guest because a night of peaceful and comfortable sleep usually translate into a warm-receptive morning. Just make sure it is unique and personalized. It is better that you ask them to sit together for a local specialty breakfast and keep the conversation light-hearted.
Pro tip: In this casual conversation please try to avoid conversation relating to politics or religion.

If you follow most if not all these tips mentioned you’ll jump in excitement as you witness your guest turn into frequent and repeat visitor to your apartment. If the guest like you very much they will recommend you not only in the platform but through their network.

A stitch in time saves nine – How to flip disappointment into happiness?

A little kindness always goes a long way in hospitality. Hence, when you’re in doubt or confused, it is best to stick to the basics and remain professional.
Simple words such as Thank you and I’m Sorry can get you out from sticky situations that can negatively impact your reviews and long-term client relationship.

Provide a clean, safe and comfortable environment for your guest. You must at all times be completely aware of the health of the property and ensure that everything remains in stellar condition. If the microwave is broken, it must be told to the guest in advance that it doesn’t cause a disappointment during the stay.

Remember: manage expectations is the real key of the game!

One of most defining quality of a super host is that they always walk an extra-mile. They keep the tea box, salt, pepper, condiments and other essentials refilled. Although it is barely consumed, it adds a brownie point to your overall reputation.

To full-proof your bit of an extraordinary service, you must proactively assume mishaps and possess instant solution. For a guest could accidentally lose the keys to the house, your thoughtfulness can quickly switch the situation in your favour. The security of the guest’s key is beyond your control however, your superhost power did not let the guest have a bad day.

Similarly, when a guest is about to check-out, you should ask them if and when would they like to visit next. Give them tips on how to reach their next destination, so their travel in your place will be smooth from the beginning to the end.

If they liked the stay, remember to ask them to share a 5* rating with a raving testimonial. If you’ve given due thought from the start of the conversation, you’re most likely to be given the ratings even before check-out.

Pro tip: always give the rating first to motivate the guest to do the same.
If you’re a superhost, you may gift a memoir or a souvenir along with a coupon code that’ll keep them invested in revisiting your vacation rental. A letter thanking them to choose to stay with you along with a call to action to induce them to add your rental listing to their favourite list will directly affect your visibility on Airbnb.

Now that you’re equipped, put on your cape, become the superhost

Summarised tips on guaranteeing ratings through extraordinary customer service:

Respond quickly to Airbnb listing queries.
Set expectations from the start.
Personalise the experience by putting pictures, photographs to convey a human touch.
Communicate off Airbnb to drop boundaries and talk like a friend.
Surprise the guest with a bottle of wine, cheesecake or box of chocolate at their first day of check-in along with a FAQ page.
Give a house tour and explain the working of appliances. (Record a video of the same if you’re unable to attend to the guests personally)
Enquire about their stay after the first night.
Provide a clean, safe and convenient environment for the guest to stay.

That’s it. It may seem overwhelming at first, which it is, however, your future self will thank you immeasurably for this.
You’ll be referred and recommended so many times because of your personalized offering that your business will surge to untapped limits.
This is what separates average Airbnb host from the legends, whose listings get tonnes of hidden bookings sprawling from references rather website bookings.
Did we forget something? Do you have any other tips you would like to share with us?

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