Author: Igor
My name is Igor, and renting out an apartment through Airbnb has been my way to earn extra money for a year now. Yes, it can be stressful, but loyal and interesting.
I'll tell you how I started using the service - and how to start you; what is worth knowing and observing, and how chak-chak can save you from bad reviews.
From the editor. Igor is a friend of mine and the author of this cool Airbnb material for hosts. But I supplemented several sections with my own comments, tk. I often book something on Airbnb as a guest.
What is Airbnb?
I will explain in my own words.
Airbnb is an online service uniting touristslooking for housing:
- cheaper than a hotel for fabulous money,
- more comfortable and equipped than a hotel with a mini-refrigerator,
- more authentic and atmospheric than a faceless room in the Hilton,
and ordinary people anywhere in the worldwho own this very housing and are not averse to making money on it.
That is, I, Igor with an apartment in Kazan, create an ad on Airbnb, and in a few clicks a traveler from Brazil will book my two-room apartment. Or a Muscovite who stopped by the city on the weekend.
And I, Igor from Kazan, fly to the USA and use Airbnb to find a room in a townhouse with a local New Yorker.
Well, to understand the scale, here are some facts: almost 3,000,000 owners are registered on the service! And every month 14 thousand more join. Plus, airline reservations are accepted as confirmation of accommodation for a visa (Schengen, for example).
In short, Airbnb is a global rent-to-rent that is not impeded by country borders. 10 times safer than renting an apartment for rent on some Avito. But it is also several times more responsible.
How did I decide to host?
How did it come to my mind to become an Airbnb host?
* owner - the one who rents the apartment; a guest is the one who, hmm, is visiting :)
In 2018, Kazan hosted the FIFA World Cup and, of course, a large number of tourists from different countries. A couple of months before this event, a friend told me that his Airbnb acquaintances had put up a price tag for June-July at 20,000 rubles per day, and there are ALREADY no free dates.
And then my eyes lit up with dollars like Scrooge McDuck's - it's time to make money! My two-room apartment is located 20 minutes walk from the stadium. There is no better place to stop before a match. That evening, I figured out where to move out for a while, registered on the site, took pictures and sent a request for moderation. The next day my ad was posted.
The cost per night was set at 15,000 rubles, a maximum of 4 guests. A Russian person would not have paid that much, but foreigners would. So the first few armor came from the Emiratis, French and Mexicans. I earned 85,000 rubles from them in less than a week.
After the championship, I put an announcement on a stop. But from time to time I renew on big holidays - New Year's or May, when I can vacate the house. The price was lowered to 4000 rubles per night, now compatriots are also moving in
From the editor. For many, renting out an apartment is like a business. Of the 20+ Airbnb hosts I have stayed with, only once I met a granny from San Francisco, giving up her bedroom to tourists, simply because she is bored of living alone.
How do I rent an apartment through Airbnb?
In the spring we visited the homeland of Airbnb in San Francisco 🙂
And of course stayed at the house
Housing for rent through the service is carried out according to elementary and super-understandable instructions. Documents require your passport and photographs of the apartment.
To do this, follow the invitation link to Airbnb >> and start working with the mouse and keyboard. Then there are two options:
- You have already created a profile on Airbnb as a guest and therefore click red button "Login",
- You are a complete beginner and click "Register"... There is already a choice through Facebook, Google mail or any other mail. First name, last name, password - you're done, your account has been created.
Here I have to mention the pluses of Airbnb, which bribed me (and they will clarify something).
+ Registration and placement of an ad (advertisement) are free.
+ Moderation is fast. It took me a day.
+ Have you noticed the above phrases "granny giving up her bedroom", "rent when I want"?
Airbnb is, first of all, ABOUT YOU and YOUR RULES.
You can rent the whole apartment; you can have a bedroom and share a hall / kitchen / bathroom with a guest; you can also have a couch next to your bed.
A boat converted into a dwelling, an air mattress - if the conditions are human and clearly fulfill the function of living space, the application will be approved. And there will be guests.
You choose the dates open for booking yourself. Any days three to six months ahead or exclusively on Saturdays and Sundays. Or maybe once a year for 2 weeks, when the vacation falls?
You are free to set the rules: for example, do not make noise after 21:00, do not wear shoes. Introduce a deposit in case of damage to property.
From the editor. The strangest master's rule in my experience was the prohibition to open one door in the corridor, without explanation. This was punishable by a $ 50 fine O_o
+ Who needs your studio off-center? Believe me, if it's Moscow or St. Petersburg, the tenants will show up. It is a little more difficult in the regions, Kazan or Nizhny Novgorod, but on holidays and summer weekends, high demand is ensured.
From the editor. By the way, about 800 thousand bookings are made on Airbnb per day. And the owners are only 3 million. In Russia, the service is also popular, and even in Irkutsk there are more than 300 hosts building a business on the daily rent of apartments on Airbnb 🙂
How much does it cost to rent an apartment?
How does Airbnb make money? The company takes 3% of the price you set per night.
"And how much should I take?" Everything is quite simple here, but there are some subtleties.
Airbnb lets you set whatever price you want. At least 5000 rubles per night in a one-room apartment in Lyubertsy. But it depends on whether your proposal will be chosen. Therefore there is function "smart prices"when Airbnb advises the cost based on certain criteria.
My experience.
I myself, using an airplane card, where the prices of other apartments are indicated, estimated the average cost for my location and set it up. Hit well
But I have housing in a new house with interior and details. It can be seen that a person lives here, and not a "hut for earning dough." Accordingly, the price can be slightly overestimated. It also weeds out not quite adequate people. Well, those who expect chic-shine-beauty for 500 rubles a day.
Other nuances.
I like that on Airbnb flexible price calendar... That is, you can specify 1500 rubles from Monday to Friday, and 2000 rubles on Saturday-Sunday or holidays.
Plus, for more attractiveness, you can enter discount for booking longer than a week (7-10%) or a month (up to 30% here).
AND additional chargesapart from the main cost. For example, common cleaning fee - whether you call the cleaning or do it yourself. I saw that they expose from 500 to 1000 rubles, or they don't charge at all, like me. Or additional fee guest: the base amount is set for 2 guests (many travel in this composition), but if the apartment accommodates four, then for each "over the norm" you can throw in n-th hundred rubles - usually 200-300 rubles.
From the editor. You can either overstate or understate the price. We stayed in San Diego for $ 45 / night, with an average price tag in the city of $ 85. I don’t know why the hostess was engaged in such charity. She may be a former couchsurfer looking to rent out her home on Airbnb 🙂
Requirements for the lessor
Airbnb does not make strict requirements to the owner - “you get through, but you don’t”. With the exception of proof of identity with a document and photo and normal conditions in the advertised housing.
There is, rather, an unspoken list. Not everyone will fall under the points, if only because:
- The owner must be adequate.And also to know what hospitality is and how cleanliness smells and looks. And no attitudes in the spirit of "I do not hand over to students / single men / young couples."
- Airbnb came from the west. This means that there is no discrimination and harassment - his main motto. Seriously, the host can NOT refuse a reservation because the guest is foreign / black / Chinese / gay.
- More precisely, maybe. But if applications are rejected often and without fundamental reasons, the account will be looked at from the top. And, possibly, they will block it.
- An even bigger sin is the cancellation of the reservation by the host. That is, when everything is confirmed, and the tourists are anxiously waiting for the trip, and you tell them in a week - "oh, sorry, I didn't want to rent something." You will normally be fined that way, see the section below for details.
- It is allowed to put a filter on guests “of the same sex with me” only if you rent a room or place. It won't work with an apartment.
- Airbnb does not work in Crimea, Syria, North Korea, and Iran.
Well, there are a few “you shoulds” in the opinion of newbies, which in fact are not:
1) You do not have to equip your home in a way that is convenient for guests. Repainting the walls beige, buying a dishwasher, removing the winter coat out of sight. After all, this is your territory, and you share it with outsiders (but everything is within reason!).
2) You are not required to meet guests in person. There are a bunch of options from a combination lock to "keys from the neighbors". But it's always nice 🙂
From the editor. We did not see the hostess in Paris. According to the instructions, I took the keys from the coffee shop opposite - from a specific barista by a code word.
How to communicate with guests?
Friendly and timely. The main rule is to always be in touch. It is very important.
After confirming the reservation, your phone number will be available to the tenant. You can continue to communicate through Airbnb messages, you can go to WhatsApp / Telegram.
Tips for hosts from my practice:
- Make it clear immediately if you will meet at check-in.
- If there are three guests, and you provide a large bed and a folding bed, ask if any of them are comfortable sleeping together (ohh, if you only knew how inattentively they read the ads ...).
- Get ready for the question "where can you go?" I explain in words, someone writes a welcome briefing.
- Leave some goodies. I have this chak-chak. Guests love this, and if any shortcomings come to light, they will be more indulgent towards them.
- Repeat to yourself that there is something good in every person. Careless and rude guests who blame you for their mistakes do happen, but most are polite and adequate. Some leave behind perfect order and cleanliness.
From the editor. I confirm that my personal rule with Airbnb is to wash the dishes, throw towels and bed linen into the washing machine (or put them in a heap), and take out the trash when checking out.
Reviews of tourists on Airbnb
Why is it stressful to rent out on Airbnb? It is always necessary to maintain the declared level. Otherwise - hello, negative reviews and falling "popularity".
Each guest has the right to leave a rating and response in your ad after staying. And they are one of the determining factors for the next tenants.
Review cannot be deleted or edit, even if it is contrived and deceitful. But service is for objectivity, so the owner can answer it and explain what is wrong, or apologize to smooth out the negative impression. And really fix the cant in the future. There are also host reviews of the guest on Airbnb. One can vent resentment in his / her profile.
I honestly received a negative comment. It is not clean enough. In working with others - once I forgot to leave toilet paper - the aforementioned chak-chak helped :)
What if there are no reviews? How to look for the first clients for rent? Wait. Airbnb has its own display algorithm, and if your apartment is not booked in any way, he will advise what to fix.
From the editor. As a guest I say, reviews and stars are paramount. If I see 4 marks out of 5 for cleanliness and such comments myself, I will pass by. But at the same time, I will give a chance to a newbie without any feedback, if everything suits the pictures.
Create a rental listing on Airbnb
How to rent out an apartment? Let's get down to action.
Go to Airbnb. And ... we do exactly what the site indicates. There are no particular nuances, but Airbnb offers quite a few points to fill out, including:
- Choosing the type of housing - an apartment or a house, entirely or a place in a room.
- Capacity and all points of the dwelling - from the number of beds and bathrooms to the address and listing of amenities, such as Wi-Fi, shampoo, iron.
- Your story about your space - describe in detail what it is, what is available. DECLARE IN CAPITAL LETTERS if you are renting a room or place, not an entire apartment. Mention how much it is to the center, what is the area, etc.
- Photos - pay close attention to beautiful and informative interior photos.
- Name for your ad - originality is encouraged.
- Your photo and phone number confirmation - if not done before.
Next, select the requirements for guests - for example, identity verification or hiding ads from newbies on the site; define the rules - do not smoke / do not make noise; set up a calendar - when, for how long, whether you need a break between reservations to get ready; and set the price per night.
In general, everything is consistent and clear. Let me list what worried me in the process:
✓ Registration and listing is free on Airbnb - it doesn't cost a dime for hosts to sign in.
✓ At the exact address - calmly, it will be visible only to those who have booked accommodation. Everyone else is shown a circle on the map, roughly indicating the area.
✓ By photographs - you can upload your own, or you can order the paid option of prof. photographer from Airbnb. I did everything myself.
✓ After creation, the advertisement is published in the general feed after ≈6 hours.
✓ The announcement can be in any language. Most likely, you will write in Russian. Which, however, will not save you from applications from foreigners (for them there is a magic button "translate"). If you are frightened by foreign people, read the section "Requirements for the landlord".
✓ And vice versa, if you consider your main "audience" and tourists from other countries, and your own, duplicate the ad in both English and Russian.
✓ You are not required to deal with the registration of foreign citizens.
How is booking and payment carried out?
Answers to imaginable and unthinkable host questions can be found in the Help Center (support) on the Airbnb website. There is also a thematic Forum for hosts - it is still in English, but there is a lot of useful and instructive things (about what guests are like).
Here I will go over the highlights.
Reservations.
How is the booking made? Provided you have given:
1) Upon request. Ivan liked your apartment → Ivan sends you a booking request → You receive a notification → Send 24 hours to reply → You are looking at Ivan's profile, information about yourself, photo reviews, you like everything → You are once again convinced that the requested dates are free → You approve Ivan and send him “hello” → Money is frozen on Ivan's card, and both of you are looking forward to settling in (he is for new emotions, and you are for payment :).
Alternative outcome. →… information about yourself-photo-reviews, you DO NOT like something (bad rating, for example) / OR you understand that the dates are not available (forgot to fix the calendar) → You reject Ivan, explaining why. I advise you not to get carried away with declining applications, once or twice it will not affect ad impressions, but more often and more - yes.
2) Instant confirmation. Ivan likes your apartment → Ivan sends a booking request → It is immediately automatically confirmed. Everything.
In fact, this is a great option if you plan to make a business out of an apartment, and the dates are open for any month without restrictions. This option does not suit me, I rent only on holidays. Plus, I still need to look at the guest's profile history first.
From the editor. When they are rejected, it's sad 🙁 Although this happened only once in 23 applications.The owner answered honestly - someone asked for more nights, which turned out to be more profitable for him.
Payment. Or Airbnb Payment.
- ALL PAYMENTS PASS ONLY THROUGH AIRBNB.
- How much does Airbnb charge hosts? 3% of the total.
- The guest can pay by credit card and paypal. Money is frozen on them when the reservation is confirmed.
- A bank account and paypal are available to the host. Payment is more convenient for Russia to a regular bank card (it is linked to an account).
- It is more profitable to receive payments in rubles and to the ruble account. The payment currency matches the currency in your ad.
- Payments to hosts are transferred 24 hours after check-in... And the term of crediting depends on the method of payment. If it's a weekend, then the money will come when the holidays are over.
From the editor. In an apartment in Tel Aviv, a hefty piece of plaster fell off the ceiling. The host decided to compensate for the damage with money. But not personally, but through Airbnb, the owners have access to such a return function.
Cancellations.
You can cancel your reservation after confirmation. With a fine. Death / illness / etc. are eligible for free exclusions.
- $ 50 if canceled 7 days or more prior to arrival.
- $ 100 if less than 7 days.
But Airbnb can take pity if you have successfully hosted guests 10 times in a row. The penalty is deducted from the payment for the following tenants.
Cancellation of the reservation entails and automatic recall in your ad: "This owner canceled ... in so many days."
Whatever the reason, dates will remain closed for other guests. Three or more cancellations? Remove this scoundrel!
Different rules for instant defenders. They do not study the guest before, which means that the conditions are weaker. Three cancellations per year are allowed without penalty.
What else can you make money on?
We ourselves did not organize the impressions,
but tried them several times while traveling
- On the organization of the Airbnb experience - to arrange something like excursions and activities for tourists. In short, entertain them.
- By listing your property on Booking. By the way, I tried, but the moderation process took several months! And he charges a commission as much as 15%. Airbnb offers better hosting options.
But if you need to fill out the calendar to the maximum, register on both Airbnb and Booking (5 bookings are available by the link of the latter without a 15% commission).
Apartment security
Pah-pah-pah, I have no incident. Although I was afraid that something would be stolen. For the first time, he took everything from the house. But then it became easier to relate and hide only the most valuable. Nobody took out the TV 🙂 I also worried about breakdowns. Maybe I'm lucky, but the people were very adequate and friendly.
How does Airbnb protect the owner?
1) Review system - you can examine the guest's account inside and out.
2) You can filter for residents with ID only or with good reviews.
3) Guests must agree to your policy before submitting a request. And in case of violation, you cancel your reservation without penalty.
4) No invalid or empty bank cards - starting from the day of booking, Airbnb himself keeps the guest's money in the hold and transfers them to the owner after check-in.
5) You can set a bail if you do not need risks. It is not frozen on the guest's card and is not given in cash. But it will be charged if you contact the Problem Resolution Center with a valid claim. I know people who conclude a contract with tenants.
6) And even if you did not enter the deposit, but something was broken / spoiled, you have 2 weeks left to write to that Center. Debriefing will begin, the court of all Airbnb - and they will issue a decision whether to fine the negligent guest or it is easier for the service itself to compensate for the damage.
7) By the way, in nature there is, as it were, apartment insurance from Airbnb. But someone told me that it doesn't work in Russia. Therefore, I did not go into details.
My advice to future owners - pros and cons
So, I will summarize. Based on my own airing practice in 8 accepted bookings and shoveled forums:
- Cute first photo - the main thing in the ad is important. It sets the visual tone and whispers in the guest's ear "click!" or "let's move on."
- Check-in instructions keep it as simple as possible if you don't meet in person. Here's how for children - with an explanation and pictures of the door, entrance, etc.
- Observe the frequency and speed of responses. Answer everyone and accept / reject requests within 24 hours. Download the Airbnb application to your phone.
- Do not forget for the period between confirmation and check-in of the guest - keep in touch... And in the process of living too.
Cleanliness is the key to success. Concise and informative.
From the editor. I am not against housing or a room with basic "filling" - a window, a bed and a mini-wardrobe. But the order must be impeccable! Fresh linen without hair, towels, no dust. For cleanliness alone, I'm ready to give an excellent review.
- If you provide use of the kitchen, leave salt, pepper and sunflower oil. To some, this will seem a huge plus.
From the editor. How do I. I love it when there are such household trifles. You can stir up dinner too.
- Try to declared services were of high quality. Is breakfast included? In an apartment for 5000+ rubles, cheap cereals look strange (but bagels and curd cheese are great). TV with Netflix? Well, then the Internet shouldn't be dumb-free.
- Be sure to indicate if you need to climb stairs, is there an elevator.
- In the apartment there have been changes? Let future guests know in the announcement and notify those who are about to enter.
From the editor. In Barcelona, I booked a room with a panoramic view of the Sagrada Familia. Upon arrival, I admired the blackout curtains - the workers were updating the facade of the house.
- All people are different. Do not be disappointed in the Airbnb community if for 10 good tenants there is 1 of the kind "oh, sorry, I lost the keys, but here's a negative review for not helping me find them at 3 am."
Apartment rental taxes
This point Airbnb proposes to find out independently, I quote, "in the local administration." Politely hints that you can register as a self-employed or individual entrepreneur 🙂
Most Russian Airbnb Schnicks do not pay taxes. The bank does not transfer information to the tax office until an official request arrives. But he may be interested, especially if there is a lot, in currency and constantly. In short, at your own peril and risk - there is no universal answer.
Is it possible to rent on Airbnb if the apartment is on a mortgage? Remove the "on Airbnb" part and read it again. Of course yes. The service does not even ask the owner whether you are or not - sublease is the only way to prosper 🙂
Superhost and Airbnb Plus - how to get it?
Superhost. Or in Russian - a superhost.
For a specific period, Airbnb gives you grades. They are not shown to users, but based on them, you can get the Superhost status. The criteria are as follows:
- 10 or more accepted tenants,
- Reviews,
- The response rate is not less than 90%,
- No cancellations
- And the overall rating is not less than 4.8.
From the editor. What does it do? For me, as a guest, the level of trust instantly rises. And this dude knows his stuff! If the price-area suits, I book right there.
Airbnb Plus.
This is the section where all the most beautiful-designer-hipster-quality housing comes together. For it, of course, they pay more, and tourists who are wealthier choose it.
To get into the AirbnbPlas caste, you need to bring the rented space to the ideal: maintain a single style, add a coffee maker, always with a supply of capsules / grain, and other "little things". Oh, and pay $ 149 🙂
What kind of master should NOT be?
Section from the editor.
Whether you're running a daily business on Airbnb or renting a room out of philanthropy, this is a clear example of WHAT HOST IS NOT NECESSARY (and what happens to bad hosts).
The situation that happened to me in Moscow.
There was a need to rent an apartment in the capital. They wanted not the usual, but from the category of "luxury".
Found an option on Mayakovskaya, 8,000 rubles per day. The reviews are good, the hostess is lovely.
We settled in, throwing our things in the corridor, and rushed off on business. In the evening we get to know the apartment better:
- There is a thick layer of fat on the stove,
- Bath - covered with mold and mildew,
- The floors are covered in hair and clumps of dust
- For breakfast - Marina cookies for 20 rubles, Red Price milk and tea leaves from Pyaterochka,
- Bed linen is not washed, but sprinkled with perfume, like it will pass for the smell of powder ... I slept in my clothes.
Surprisingly, this is not the most tough! It came when at 9 pm the hostess wrote, "Give me 300 rubles for each" (we booked for three). And then, “Fee for guests, everyone pays that way. Just throw off the money, no talking. "
We are well aware that there can be no surcharges on hand and on the card on Airbnb. At 12 at night she called and scribbled messages, "I know that you are at home, the concierge saw you."
In the morning I phoned the Support Service, where they assured me that the guest did not owe anything. They asked me to throw off the correspondence in order to sort it out with others "everyone pays like that". As a result, the owner's account was blocked.
Conclusion.
Airbnb is popularized purely through recommendations - it is a truly global (and globalizing) service.
But there is also a function on Airbnb - to invite the host. If you have read up to this point, then you are thinking hard 🙂 So, here is my invitation to you >> - let's build the community together!
