Top 3 Mistakes Airbnb Hosts Make & How to Avoid Them

Becoming a host on Airbnb can be fulfilling and at the same time, a bit overwhelming. From organizing finances and writing captivating listing descriptions; to managing housekeeping and marketing your short-term rental—there’s certainly a lot to do!

But, how can you be sure you’re doing what matters most in your vacation rental business? 

The first step you want to take as a new Airbnb host is to learn from those who came before you. Airbnb has been around for over a decade. During that time, many hosts have come and gone. The ones that remain are valuable sources of information.

They say that mistakes are our biggest teachers. We tend to learn more from our failures than from our success. Below you’ll find three of the most common mistakes made by new hosts and what to do instead:

Low Quality Photos

Excellent photography is a crucial aspect of any vacation rental business. Consistently landing quality guests requires accurate depictions of your vacation homes. There’s no better way to communicate this than through high-resolution photos that are strategically taken. 

Posting clear and descriptive photos is especially important if you’re just starting out as a host and have little report on booking platforms. Few or no reviews don’t transmit confidence to potential guests, but you can make up for this by posting charming photos that highlight your property’s best features. 

iPhone photos - before

Professional Listing photos - after

Photos taken in poor lighting or at bad angles won’t capture guests’ attention, at least not in the right way. You should also be cautious of what it is you take pictures of. Make sure there aren’t any strange or extra personal items in the frame before pressing the capture button. 

What to do instead:

Its recommended hosts either take high resolution photos on smart devices or hire a professional photographer, preferably someone who specializes in real estate photography. Getting the right lighting is also key. Some rooms will do better with natural lighting, whereas others will need the lights turned on.

You should also keep in mind that not all of your property’s features are obvious from the inside. If one of the best aspects of your short-term rental is its location, show the surrounding area through activity and neighborhood photos. Nearby tourist locations, amusement parks, famous walkways, and beachfront views are all valid examples of activity and neighborhood photos. 

Misleading Listings

On that same token, don’t overdo it! Post pictures that bring out the best of the property, not ones that deceive. Making your vacation rental sound better than what it actually is is never a good idea. Although you may secure a guest once, you won’t secure them a second time. 

Instead, you’re likely to earn yourself a bad review which would be a terrible start to your journey as a host on Airbnb. When writing your listing, try your best to be descriptive, but don’t exaggerate the truth of what your space has to offer. 

What to do instead:

Describe in clear and concise language what your property looks like, where it is located, and what activities are and are NOT allowed. Many new vacation rental hosts tend to shy away from the last part, because they worry house rules will drive prospective guests away, but it’s an important aspect of a listing description. 

Including important rules in your Airbnb listing ensures you attract the right kind of guests to your rental, which is mutually beneficial for both parties. Guests find a place they’re comfortable staying in and hosts find a guest willing to respect their space.

You also want to give a general overview of what your property has to offer. Let guests know how many rooms you have, what size your beds are, and any amenities or facilities offered by your rental. If you’re stuck on what to include in your description, take a look at our blog on how to write a captivating listing description.

Ignoring SEO

In Airbnb’s 2022 Summer Release, the booking platform revealed that guests can now search for properties via categories. This major development is informed by machine learning, making keywords important to include in your listing descriptions to ensure visibility on the platform. At this stage in the game, hosts can’t afford to ignore SEO.

What to do instead:

The first thing hosts need to do is decide which Airbnb categories they want to appear in. Then, they need to regularly mention these keywords in their listing description and captions. 

For example, if you’ve decided you want to appear in the vineyards or beach resort categories, you want to include captions such as, “Enjoy a relaxing day at our beach resort property,”  or “have a glass of wine at one of our neighboring vineyards.”

Contract a Full-Service Vacation Rental Management Company to Bypass Rookie Mistakes

Launching a short-term rental business is an exciting venture. However, skipping the initial mishaps commonly encountered by first-timers is difficult. It’s only natural you’ll make a few mistakes along the way. 

If you’d like to bypass the uncomfortable stages of figuring the business out, contact us today to learn more about our full-service vacation rental management services. 

MBX Homes is a boutique rental management company, offering personalized services that are guaranteed to set your property apart from the competition. Call us today to get started!