How do I provide a great experience for Airbnb guests?
Airbnb is one of the biggest vacation rental websites in the world and receives a huge number of visits and bookings from guests every day. Guests expect a high standard from Airbnb hosts.
If you plan on listing your property on Airbnb through Your.Rentals, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
From 20th November 2020, Airbnb requires all hosts to comply with their new safety practices. By continuing to list your property on Airbnb via Your.Rentals, you agree to follow these new protocols. You can read more about this here, or visit Airbnb's help centre for more information.
Remember, Airbnb is only available for Instant Booking listings.
Airbnb doesn't accept Request Booking listings via Your.Rentals. If you want to list your property on Airbnb, you need to enable Instant Booking. You can switch to Instant Booking by visiting your Channel Manager page.
How to get more bookings on Airbnb
Once your listing is live on Airbnb, there are a few things you can do to help rank higher in search results and receive more bookings.
Photos
Property photos are displayed prominently on Airbnb, so it's important that your listing photos are meaningful and of high quality. You should aim for at least 20 pictures, with a minimum of one picture of each room in the property. Add labels to your pictures to help guests understand what they're looking at!
Content
When it comes to your listing content, Airbnb want two things above all else: detail and accuracy. That means that you should provide as much information as possible when you create your listing, for example when you write your description or select your amenities and facilities. However, you also need to ensure this information is accurate - don't make claims you can't back up or you risk receiving negative reviews from guests.
Guest communication
One of the biggest factors which determines whether a guest leaves a positive or negative review is the quality of the communication they receive from the property manager. Make sure you communicate with your guest in a quick and effective manner. Resolve any problems as quickly as you can, keep them informed of any potential changes to their booking and make sure they have all the information they need to have a successful stay.
How does Airbnb assess my listing quality?
Just like Your.Rentals, Airbnb assesses the quality of all of its listings based on things like the listing content, guest reviews and previous booking behaviour.
Here are the main categories for which you are rated by the guests on Airbnb, and that can lead to low ratings:
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Cleanliness : Did guests feel that the space was clean and tidy?
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Accuracy : How accurately did the listing page represent the space? For example, guests should be able to find up-to-date info and photos in the listing description.
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Communication. How well did you communicate before and during the stay? Guests often care that their host responds quickly, reliably, and frequently to their messages and questions.
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Amenities. How did guests feel about the amenities that were available during their stay? Guests often care that all the amenities listed are available, working, and in good condition.
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Value. Did the guest feel that the listing provided good value for the price?
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Check-in. How smoothly did check-in go?
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Location. How did guests feel about the neighbourhood? This may mean that there's an accurate description for proximity and access to transportation, shopping centres, city centres, etc., and a description that includes special considerations, like noise, and family safety.
What happens if I have a low quality score?
If your quality score is low, your listing may be temporarily or permanently suspended from Airbnb or other channels. If you cancel bookings or receive negative reviews from guests your listings may be suspended without warning.
The main reasons for low quality score or listing suspension include:
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Cancelling bookings
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Negative guest reviews
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Inaccurate or misleading listing content
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Poor guest communication
What happens if I get suspended from Airbnb?
If your listing gets suspended, we'll reach out to you to discuss the issue. Depending on the reason behind the suspension, you may find that only one listing is affected, or it may be the case that your entire account becomes suspended.
To get your listing reinstated, you will need to discuss the next steps with your Account Manager or our support team. You may be required to provide evidence to Airbnb that the problem has been resolved, for example that you have fixed an issue with the property, or that you have new processes in place to ensure you don't need to cancel bookings.
We'll always do our best to help you get your listings back online. Please be aware however that the final decision on this rests with the channel involved.