Increasing numbers of Australians are seeing the potential for financial return from their spare bedroom, their investment property, or their time away from home. In the spirit of peer-to-peer markets, the booming success of home-sharing network Airbnb has inspired hundreds of thousands of aspiring hosts from all walks of life to list their property online, generating thousands in extra income (often effortlessly, with the help of Airbnb property management agencies such as HomeHost.) If the prospect of generating extra income during your time away has captured your interest, you may be wondering whether or not your home is suitable for Airbnb: That’s why we’ve collated some of the most important points to consider before listing your home.
1. Have you checked the by-laws of your building?
The rise of peer-to-peer platforms such as Airbnb has certainly been a hot topic in the media in recent times, as confusion about short term holiday rental regulation finds Airbnb hosts in hot water. Though it can be a confusing process, checking the by-laws of your building (and following these by-laws, of course) is essential, and absolutely must be done prior to hosting any guests.
2. Have you made adequate room for your guests?
Consider the perspective of your guest — someone travelling for a number of days or weeks will likely need a closet where they can hang their clothing, a chest of drawers for their personal items, and space in the fridge for their food and drinks. If your home is cluttered with your personal possessions, consider storing them away for the comfort of your guests, especially in the lead up to listing your home. This will also allow you to ensure that the photographs that accompany your listing will be as flattering as possible.
3. Are your amenities up-to-scratch?
For guests who are travelling from overseas to stay at your Airbnb, amenities such as wi-fi can often be crucial — the Internet is used to keep in touch with family, plan day trips and more. In order to ensure that your home is suitable for Airbnb, be sure to check amenities prior to agreeing to host any guests. Pay particular attention to the amenities that are likely to impact the quality of their stay (such as wi-fi) as well as those that are essential to their safety (such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.)
4. Is your home clean and inviting?
It is entirely too easy to overlook messes in our own homes: they build up over time, so we become accustomed to them. Unfortunately, a guest arriving in a new environment is likely to be much less forgiving of dirt and grime. Before listing your home on Airbnb it is ideal to have your home thoroughly cleaned by a professional cleaning team, as well as organising for your home to be serviced between guests. Professional cleaning services, such as those provided by HomeHost, will maximise your cleanliness rating and keep guests coming back.
5. Are you up to the challenge of Airbnb hosting?
To be a successful host requires much more than just a fantastic space to list — your hospitality is pivotal to the process of Airbnb home-sharing. You may not be a suitable Airbnb host if you’re inflexible, strapped for time or uninterested in the prospect of meeting new people on a regular basis. Fortunately, Airbnb property management agencies such as HomeHost can assist you in bridging any gaps in the service that you are able to provide by answering guest queries around the clock, restocking essentials, handling key exchanges and more.
We manage your Airbnb so you can manage other things. To learn more about our services, contact the HomeHost team at hello@homehost.com.au or call 1300 17 17 18.
