How to list on airbnb

How to list on airbnb

With more than 10 million nights booked worldwide, Airbnb is the world leader in travel rentals.

In order to list your place on Airbnb, you need to have a personal account.

Should Airbnb “locate” your City from your IP address (i.e. Athens), it will display the average weekly earnings of other Airbnb hosts in the same area. That’s a good motivation to proceed with listing your place! You may change your “default” City, if needed (i.e. if your place is not where your’re currently browsing from). Average weekly earnings displayed will change accordingly; also once you select the type of place: a) Entire place, b) Private room or c) Shared room.

STEP 1: Start with the basics

Here are the questions that you should be prepared to fill out.

Is this listing a home, hotel or something else?

Depending on your answer, the options for the rest of the questions will be automatically adjusted.

Related FAQ #1: What do the different room types mean?

Airbnb listings are categorized into 3 room types:

1) Shared rooms: Guests share the entire space with the host or others and don’t have a private room to themselves.

2) Private rooms: Guests share some common areas with the host (i.e. kitchen, living room, bathroom) but they have their own private room for sleeping.

3) Entire homes/apartments: Guests rent the entire unit and don’t have to share the space with the host or with anyone else.

It‘s your responsibility to accurately describe your listing, so make sure you choose the appropriate room type.

Related FAQ #2: How do I list multiple rooms?

If you want to list multiple rooms in your place, you can create a separate listing for each space you have available. Each room will have its own calendar and listing page that should accurately reflect the number of beds and amenities, as well as what space will be shared with others.

Safety amenities are very important for most guests and, in fact, in some areas they are required by law so be prepared to answer/have the following:

Note: Having a fire extinguisher and/or a smoke detector not only increases the safety of your place but also makes it stand out on Airbnb search results.

Also important: What spaces can guests use?

STEP 2: Set the scene – Photos, short description, title

Photos: According to Airbnb, many hosts have at least 8 photos (recommended: approx. 20). You can start with just one photo and come back later to add more. Including photos of all the spaces a guest can use (i.e. living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, aditional rooms) helps guests imagine staying at your place.

It is also really important to choose the right profile photo (more on that on our next article on building the perfect vacation rental listing).

Here are a few tips from Airbnb for taking your own photos:

Title: Listing name in 50 characters or less. Make it stick out!

Summary: Describe the décor, light, what’s nearby, etc.

The space: Provide more information about what makes your space unique.

Guest access: Let guests know parts of the space they will be able to access.

Guest interaction: Inform guests if you will be available to offer help during their stay

Other things to note: Mention other details that guests should know that may be relevant to their stay

The neighborhood: Other than adding photos (see “Photos” above), let guests learn more about your neighborhood

My place is great for: Families (with kids), Big groups, Furry friends (pets).

For many guests this is be the first thing they look at! So make sure you check the boxes, if applicable! Note: In “Step 3” (see below) you will be asked again for “house rules” regarding infants/children and pets.

STEP 3: Get ready for guests (set up your house rules, pricing and figure out your hosting calendar)

The final step before your listing goes live includes questions/settings regarding house rules, booking options, calendar, and prices.

Set house rules for your guests (answer with Yes/No)

Successful hosting starts with your calendar. As Airbnb states, guests will book available dates instantly. Only get booked when you can host by keeping your calendar and availability settings up-to-date.

Cancelling disrupts guests’ plans. If you cancel because your calendar is inaccurate, you’ll be charged a penalty fee and the dates won’t be available for anyone else to book.

Update your calendar (block / unblock dates)

Airbnb allows you to set a fixed price or based on demand.

Price adapts to demand: You tell Smart Pricing to automatically adjust your price to match demand, but only within a price range that you set.

Price is fixed: Set a base price. Airbnb gives you tips that you can accept or ignore.

Discounts: You may also offer weekly or monthly discounts (optional)

If you have a base price, you can use weekend pricing to change your nightly price for every Friday night and Saturday night. Weekend pricing does not work if you have Smart Pricing turned on. In that case, Smart Pricing prices will override any price you add in Weekend pricing.

Set weekend pricing

To change your nightly price for Fridays and Saturdays:

There are a few things to know about weekend pricing:

Any custom weekly and monthly prices you set after turning on weekend pricing will not be overriden. However, if you turn on weekend pricing after setting custom prices, weekend pricing will replace all Friday and Saturday nightly prices on your calendar.

Local Laws and Taxes

Once you complete the 3 steps, your listing is ready to go live. Finally, please note that you can “snooze” or deactivate your listing at any time.

Finally, something to consider: Would you like help hosting your place?

If you need support hosting your space, you can add a family member, trusted friend or neighbor to help with the logistics.

To add a co-host:

Go to Your Listing > Manage Listing and select Co-hosts

You can either Invite a Friend (someone you know) or Find a Co-host from the Airbnb community. Local co-hosts can help with your listing by using their own account.

Congratulations! You now have a listing on Airbnb!

How to List a Boutique Hotel on Airbnb

Over the past few years, Airbnb has significantly grown and evolved to offer travelers a number of accommodation options such as Hotels, B&B’s, Serviced Apartments and Hostels, etc. Considering also the growing customer needs and demands, it is safe to say that guests prefer to explore and experience properties that offer local culture and events, hospitality, personal touches, trendy interior/exterior designs, and a property that tells a story. This is probably why Boutique Hotels have become increasingly popular as of late.

By listing your boutique hotel on Airbnb, it opens doors to a new market segment creating a win-win for all parties involved. Now before taking a step further, here are some topics that will be discussed in this article:

3 Tips To Get You Started

Here are some outline tips that will help you get started:

Know the Guidelines

Airbnb has strict guidelines on properties allowed to appear on their listing. Here are some of the qualities required:

Keep in mind, Airbnb triumphs on distinctive guests’ experiences by meeting the standards for hotels and unique spaces along with basic requirements for hosts. In achieving guests’ expectations, things for consideration are:

If this sounds like your boutique hotel, then listing on Airbnb is a great fit for you!

Create a List

Ready to list your boutique hotel? If so, creating a listing is easy though do take the time thoroughly, making sure you don’t miss any details during the listing process. Just so you know, the listing may take up to 72 hours to appear after publishing your listing.

List Multiple Rooms

Airbnb’s unique feature is the ability to create separate listings for each space available. By doing so, each room will be given its own calendar and listing page reflecting the number of beds, amenities, and shared common spaces. Along with that, you are enabled to offer prospective guests discounts for multiple bookings using the platform feature ‘special offers’.

Advantages to Listing a Hotel On Airbnb

Airbnb listings offer flexibility with the potential to increase booking revenues. Below are some of the key advantages:

1. Direct Communication

After a confirmed booking, Airbnb hosts allow you to communicate directly with the guests’ valuable opportunities. Having that direct communication enables you to inquire about the guest’s preferences and needs before arrival, helping to improve their overall stay or experience. Additionally, this also allows you to collect guests’ pre-stay data on room upgrades, personalized tours, and additional services that can be recommended. This strategy is proven highly advantageous.

2. Lower Commission Cost

Unlike Online Travel Agency (OTAs), Airbnb gives a lower commission, with a service fee between 3-5% depending on the cancelation policy that the host chooses. Apart from that, the host can additionally charge guests a separate cleaning fee from their daily rate. During the search, this allows for the daily rate to be competitive and attractive.

However, take note that Airbnb charges guests with a service fee ranging from 5-15% depending on:

Bear in mind that in certain areas, Airbnb charges VAT that may also bring the guest service fee to more than 15% of the subtotal. Though fees are not known to the guest till he/she makes a reservation, included in the total price charged.

3. Reach New Audiences

Listing a Boutique Hotel on Airbnb allows you to reach a new demographic that didn’t think of considering booking, thus with that in mind, persuades travelers who prefer peer-to-peer accommodation to reconsider their point of view.

4. Cancellation Policies

When creating a listing, Airbnb created different levels of cancellation policies that a host prefers. Below are:

Keep in mind, Airbnb service fee is non-refundable. This helps guests to limit their booking on multiple rooms and last-minute cancellations.

Reasons For Listing A Boutique Hotel On Airbnb

Airbnb is committed to working with hospitality businesses, offering guests the best experience, with its partnership with Hostway; the leading all-in-one vacation rental management software. Airbnb offers an opportunity for boutique hotels and B&B’s to have real-time connections, sending room rates between their Property Management System (PMS) and Airbnb via the Hostaway channel manager.

Hence, Hostaway should be your vacation rental software of choice; especially for offering boutique hotel features on Airbnb such as:

Besides that, the other reasons for listing a boutique hotel on Airbnb are:

Not to mention, the innovative technology solution makes it easy to reach millions of guests while providing unforgettable experiences.

How to Create an Outstanding Airbnb Listing [A Full Guide]

Creating an Airbnb listing is the first essential step for every vacation rental host. Although some hosts utilize their own direct booking sites, the role of OTAs is crucial for maintaining a constant influx of bookings.

Vacation rental sites such as Airbnb, Booking.com alike have earned the trust of countless travelers and continue to be some of the most popular platforms when it comes to renting a vacation home. In fact, more than 90% of bookings take place on the top OTAs nowadays.

If you are eager to create your first listing on Airbnb or optimize your current listings for more bookings, explore our guidelines below.

1. Set Up Your Airbnb Listing

To set up a listing for your property, go to Airbnb.com and click the “Create New Listing” button in the upper right corner. You will then see a form asking you to provide the following information about your rental:

2. Take Great Pictures of Your Rental

Photos are the first thing that guests pay attention to when searching for a property to stay in. This is why investing in fabulous pictures is key to boosting the number of your bookings.

Your property photos should showcase the distinct style and the character of your property. Adding small touches can highlight the coziness and elegance of your short-term rental, and create the desired vibe. For example, a couple of decorative pillows and a throw blanket will cozy up your living room and add a splash of color and pattern.

To refresh the interior of a dining room, lay the table and put a vase of flowers. In a nutshell, your Airbnb listing photos should demonstrate what kind of experience your guests can expect if they book with you.

Needless to say, property photos should be of high quality and one consistent style. Chances are, you will opt for professional photography services to make sure your photos will stand out. But if you have an eye for photography, you can take beautiful pictures yourself just using your smartphone.

Remember to add a photo of each room to your Airbnb listing, including the photos of your most exclusive amenities.

3. Highlight Your Selling Points But Be Honest About Downsides

While creating an Airbnb listing, every host should be a bit of a marketer. Your strategy should start with identifying your target guest. Then you need to define unique selling points that might attract this guest to book with you.

For example, people who work from home will search for a comfortable workplace and stable Wi-Fi. Staycationers traveling by car will search for accommodation with a free parking spot. Families will limit their search to kid-friendly accommodation options. Once you have decided on your target guest, highlight your key selling points in your rental photos, description, and title.

Although it might be tempting to focus only on the advantages of your property to stand out among other local Airbnb hosts, you should remain transparent about its downsides.

Is your Airbnb property located in a busy tourist area? Or is it a part of an older building? Make sure to add these characteristics to your listing description.

For example, a busy area can be seen as a benefit for some guests who enjoy lively streets and nightlife. And vintage fans will enjoy staying at an older property.

4. List Your House Rules

The next step in creating your Airbnb listing is to set house rules for your guests. Select the rules that apply to your property from the list suggested by Airbnb.

The platform recognizes the possibility that each host might have their own property rules. Make sure to add extra rules that your guests will need to abide by.

If there are some characteristics of your home that guests should know about, you can make them clear by selecting the ones that apply to your rental from the following list:

5. Set Availability and Pricing

Before you start accepting your first guests, you should decide how often you’d like to rent out your property, how much notice you will require before your guests arrive, and also set your minimum and maximum stay requirements.

1. Set up your minimum and maximum stay requirements

The Airbnb minimum night stay requirement determines the minimum number of nights guests can stay at your property. While allowing one-night stays could mean more bookings for your Airbnb listing, it may attract unreliable guests. Rentals with a one-night stay requirement are at risk of turning into a party house.

On top of that, one-night stays bring more hassle and more work for a host. You should keep your property in tip-top condition all the time. However, it turns into a challenge with a high guest turnover.

Therefore, most hosts opt for a 3-night setting. It helps maintain a good occupancy rate and gets bookings from trustworthy guests.

When it comes to setting the maximum stay requirement, it is imperative to check the local regulations first. In some areas, Airbnb stays that are longer than 28 days may be prohibited, while in other cities special legal regulations will apply. A long-term guest might be viewed as a tenant by law, and landlord/tenant regulations will then be applied.

2. Change availability settings

The next step in your Airbnb listing creation is to set availability in your booking calendar.

You can block and unblock separate days and even entire months. Keeping your calendar up-to-date is vital for receiving bookings and avoiding double-bookings. If you handle multiple properties on various vacation rental sites, managing the availability of your rentals might become a real headache.

Luckily, vacation rental software like iGMS can come to your rescue by enabling you to sync all your bookings from multiple platforms and manage them in real-time from a single interface.

3. Set up your pricing

Although Airbnb will recommend that you use Smart Pricing, it’s better to do your research before you price your rental. Compare similar properties in your area and use an Airbnb host calculator to identify the best price for your Airbnb listing.

To make the most out of your property, you should change your pricing in accordance with factors such as seasonality, events in your area, or price fluctuations on the market. This will help you optimize your strategy for maximum revenue.

To attract initial bookings, add a discount for your first guests. Airbnb will put your listing higher in the search results, ensuring a smooth start for you at the platform.

To encourage longer stays and reduce guest turnover, you can set weekly and monthly discounts. Your weekly discount will apply to reservations for 7-27 nights. Your monthly discount will come into action for reservations for 28 nights or longer.

If you have multiple Airbnb listings, you can make use of rule-sets to manage availability and pricing. When it comes to pricing, you can add the following rules to your rule-set:

By introducing discounts to your strategy, you can boost your occupancy. As guests usually search for the best value for money, a discounted option will generate more interest.

Get savvier with pricing by reading our Airbnb pricing master class summary:

6. Make the Final Adjustments to Your Airbnb Listing

Once you have published your listing, you can adjust additional settings.

Cancellation policy

You will be able to choose from the following policies : Flexible, Moderate, or Strict. To optimize their properties for more bookings, hosts and vacation rental homeowners avoid a Strict cancellation policy as it can put guests off. When you are starting your hosting journey, sticking to a Flexible cancellation policy is crucial for receiving initial bookings. This policy is the most attractive to travelers as it offers the most lenient refund options for guests.

Airbnb also recommends choosing a Flexible cancellation policy to get more reservations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests’ travel plans might change unexpectedly if new restrictions are introduced in their country or city. Offering an option to cancel for free will have a positive impact on your occupancy rate and help to sustain revenue.

Additional fees

In order not to go into the red and make sure their revenue can cover expenses, hosts can add extra charges to their Airbnb listing. To do so, go to your listing and click Pricing at the top of the page.

Although Airbnb Host Guarantee protects your property, it comes in handy only in “rare instances of damage.” A security deposit comes into play in case of minor damage that occurred during your guests’ stay at your property (e.g., broken wine glasses, or a huge stain on your expensive carpet). Make sure that the amount of your security deposit doesn’t exceed 20% of the total cost of the booking. Otherwise, it can deter potential guests from booking with you.

Instant Book

Instant Book is a setting that allows guests to book with you without your prior approval. By default, this setting is turned on so guests can book your new listing instantly. To turn off this setting, go to the Booking Settings for your listing and select All guests must send reservation requests.

7. Refine Your Airbnb Account

After you have completed all the steps above, it is time to polish your personal Airbnb profile. The use of data is governed by the Airbnb Privacy Policy so you can rest assured that your personal information is protected.

It is essential to fill in all the sections of your Airbnb bio and add a professional photo of yourself. Select one where your face is fully visible and you look positive and approachable (your Linkedin photo would be the best option).

To help guests learn about you as a host, take some time to compose a comprehensive description of yourself. Describe your exceptional style of hosting and include a few personal details (countries you’ve been to, your hobbies, and why you decided to become a host, etc.)

The rule of thumb is to provide all of them as this will help your profile look more reliable and authentic. By completing your profile and providing the necessary verifications, you can alleviate guest fears about booking with a stranger.

Is It Free to List on Airbnb?

Creating an Airbnb listing is entirely free but, as a host, you will be charged a service fee per booking.

Currently, there are two fee structures on Airbnb: a split fee or a host-only fee. A split fee is a fee where both a host and a guest pay a service fee. A host service fee ranges between 3% and 5% depending on the country and cancelation policy. A guest will be charged a 14.2% service fee of the booking subtotal.

Another fee model is applicable to hosts in the Asia Pacific region (except Japan), Europe, the Middle East, and Africa who register with the platform starting June 4, 2019. They should pay a 14% host-only fee by default.

In Greece and Croatia, the host-only fee model is mandatory starting from September 1, 2020.

How Do I Get My Listing Higher on Airbnb?

1. Keep an Eye on Your Response Rate and Response Time

The response time, on the other hand, shows how long it takes you to respond. To maintain a high position in search results for your Airbnb listing, you should keep your response rate higher than 90%. With regard to the response time, you should be as prompt as possible.

A simple lifehack is to convert your standard messages into templates. This way, you will be able to improve your response time and reply to a greater number of messages. You can also start using software to help you with messaging. For example, vacation rental software such as iGMS will help set up templates and send automated replies at preset dates and times.

2. Get More Five-Star Reviews

Your positive reviews are a signal to Airbnb that you are a great host who provides an excellent guest experience. To reward such hosts, Airbnb will move their listings to the top of the search results. Also, five-star reviews are necessary for obtaining a Superhost status.

3. Use Instant Book

If you turn on Instant Book for your Airbnb listing, you can get a higher position in the search results. The platform strives to remove any obstacles that may deter guests from making a booking.

As Instant Book enables guests to book without a host’s approval, guests can just choose their dates and then discuss check-in arrangements with a host. This functionality simplifies the booking process for guests and helps hosts to land more bookings.

4. Promote Your Listing on Social Media

As Airbnb listing views are of great importance for improving your ranking, you should do your best to market your rental adequately. If your listing gets views, Airbnb considers it to be popular among travelers and gives it even more of a boost.

Promoting your rental on social media can help you draw more eyes to your listing. Visual platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest would be your best choice. Both social media networks are image-based and are the best places to share pictures of your vacation rental. Using these platforms, you can showcase your rental’s interior design and create engaging posts about your area and things to do. This way, you will be able to reach thousands of users and drive views to your Airbnb listing.

5. Automate Your Vacation Rental Management

To improve multiple aspects of your Airbnb listing and streamline daily operations, more and more hosts opt for automation. Vacation rental software such as iGMS can enhance your Airbnb listing management by automating your hosting tasks that will result in an improved ranking on Airbnb. Using iGMS, you will gain access to the following features:

You can create Airbnb listings and listings on other OTAs directly via iGMS. On top of that, you will be able to manage all the activities associated with short-term rental management within a single iGMS dashboard.

Conclusion

As competition in the vacation rental industry is intense, dedicating some time to create an outstanding Airbnb listing will help you be ahead of the game. A complete listing with nice-looking photos and comprehensive information of you as a host is key to attracting more bookings.

Enhancing your ranking on the platform is another aspect to work on continuously. Be sure to explore various optimization techniques and review your listing over time if you make adjustments to your property. Go the extra mile to provide an excellent guest experience and elevate your property management by using automation. This will allow for an increased occupancy rate and, hence, for the best ROI.

How to create a listing on Airbnb

Updated on August 20, 2021

In this guide, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to create a listing on Airbnb!

Airbnb is the world leader in travel rentals, with more than 10 million nights booked worldwide.

In order to create a listing on Airbnb, you need to have a personal account.

Visit Airbnb’s sign-up page and click on “Get started”. If you already have an account, log in using your Google, Facebook, or e-mail account. If you don’t have an Airbnb account, click on the “Sign up” link at the bottom of the (pop-up) sign-up window and fill out the form.

Go to Airbnb’s sign-up page, fill out your property’s address and basic descriptions.

Make your listing on Airbnb stand out by giving more amenities. Click on “let us know…” You can add this later as well (on step 3). Then click on “start your listing”.

Create your account, If you don’t have one yet.

Should Airbnb “locate” your City from your IP address (i.e. Athens), it will display the average weekly earnings of other Airbnb hosts in the same area. That’s a good motivation to proceed with listing your place! You may change your “default” City if needed (i.e. if your place is not where you’re currently browsing from). Average weekly earnings displayed will change accordingly; also once you select the type of place: a) Entire place, b) Private room, or c) Shared room.

STEP 1: Start with the basics

Here are the questions that you should be prepared to fill out.

Depending on your answer, the options for the rest of the questions will be automatically adjusted.

Related FAQ #1: What do the different room types mean?

Airbnb listings are categorized into 3 room types:

It’s your responsibility to accurately describe your listing, so make sure you choose the appropriate room type.

Related FAQ #2: How do I list multiple rooms?

If you want to list multiple rooms in your place, you can create a separate listing for each space you have available. Each room will have its own calendar and listing page that should accurately reflect the number of beds and amenities, as well as what space will be shared with others.

STEP 2: Set the location

Fill out the address and pin the exact location.

STEP 3: Amenities

Showcase your property’s amenities.

Safety amenities are very important for most guests and, in fact, in some areas, they are required by law so be prepared to answer/have the following:

Note: Having a fire extinguisher and/or a smoke detector not only increases the safety of your place but also makes it stand out on Airbnb search results.

Also important: What spaces can guests use?

STEP 4: Set the scene – Photos, short description, title

Photos: According to Airbnb, many hosts have at least 8 photos (recommended: approx. 20). You can start with just one photo and come back later to add more. Including photos of all the spaces a guest can use (i.e. living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, additional rooms) helps guests imagine staying at your place.

It is also really important to choose the right profile photo (more on that in our next article on building the perfect vacation rental listing).

⭐Here are a few tips from Airbnb for taking your own photos⭐

Set the description and title

Title: Listing name in 50 characters or less. Make it stick out!
Summary: Describe the décor, light, what’s nearby, etc.
The space: Provide more information about what makes your space unique.
Guest access: Let guests know parts of the space they will be able to access.
Guest interaction: Inform guests if you will be available to offer help during their stay
Other things to note: Mention other details that guests should know that may be relevant to their stay
The neighborhood: Other than adding photos (see “Photos” above), let guests learn more about your neighborhood
My place is great for: Families (with kids), Big groups, Furry friends (pets).

For many guests, this is the first thing they look at! So make sure you check the boxes, if applicable! Note: In “Step 5” (see below) you will be asked again for “house rules” regarding infants/children and pets.

STEP 5: Get ready for guests (set up your booking settings, house rules, pricing and figure out your hosting calendar)

The final step before your listing on Airbnb goes live includes questions/settings regarding house rules, booking options, calendars, and prices.

What are your guest requirements? Should you wish to require a government-issued ID (some hosts need it for tax purposes in some countries) and recommended by other hosts, check the corresponding boxes.

Set house rules for your guests (answer with Yes/No)

Calendar settings

Successful hosting starts with your calendar (and syncing it with Hosthub, of course!). As Airbnb states, guests will book available dates instantly. Only get booked when you can host by keeping your calendar and availability settings up-to-date.

Cancelling disrupts guests’ plans. If you cancel because your calendar is inaccurate, you’ll be charged a penalty fee and the dates won’t be available for anyone else to book (starting to appreciate Hosthub more, aren’t you?)

Update your calendar (block / unblock dates)

Pricing / Discounts

Airbnb allows you to set a fixed price or based on demand.

Price adapts to demand: You tell Smart Pricing to automatically adjust your price to match demand, but only within a price range that you set.

Price is fixed: Set a base price. Airbnb gives you tips that you can accept or ignore.

Discounts: You may also offer discounts on first guests and weekly or monthly discounts (optional).

Set weekend pricing

To change your nightly price for Fridays and Saturdays:

There are a few things to know about weekend pricing:

Custom pricing

Any custom weekly and monthly prices you set after turning on weekend pricing will not be overridden. However, if you turn on weekend pricing after setting custom prices, weekend pricing will replace all Friday and Saturday nightly prices on your calendar.

Review Local Laws and Taxes

Check and agree with the community health standards, it is important to know these things to protect yourself, your guests, and the community.

Finally, something to consider: Would you like help hosting your place?

If you need support hosting your space, you can add a family member, trusted friend, or neighbor to help with the logistics.

To add a co-host:

Go to Your Listing > Manage Listing and select Co-hosts

You can either Invite a Friend (someone you know) or Find a Co-host from the Airbnb community. Local co-hosts can help with your listing by using their own account.

Congratulations! You now have created a listing on Airbnb! All you need now is to keep your calendars synchronized across all your channels. The easiest way to do this is to use Hosthub’s Channel Manager and you’ll be synchronizing in no time!

If despite our guide above, you still want a professional to take care of your new listing, we can help you there too. Hosthub offers a service that can copy your content from any vacation rental channel to any other, for a very reasonable fee. Visit our Revenue Booster page to find out more.

Janice Dendinou

Janice was born with wanderlust so travel is a must. She is a hemophobic doctor wannabe, currently loving Hosthub.

How To List Your House or Apartment on Airbnb

Table of Contents

Explore

Our website is supported by our users. We sometimes earn affiliate links when you click through the affiliate links on our website

In just a few short years, Airbnb has upended the hotel and short-term rental market.

By combining the sharing economy with tech-enabled solutions, Airbnb makes it possible for people to travel all around the world and stay in comfortable housing for less than the cost of a hotel.

It also gives homeowners the chance to make some extra cash by renting out their property or properties.

To use Airbnb as a traveler is simple.

All you need to do is download the app or visit the website, make an account and begin searching for places to stay.

And nowadays, you can also use the platform to book tours and activities in the city where you will be staying, which will help you get more out of your trip.

But for property owners, the process is a bit more involved.

You need to not only list your apartment but also present it in a way that’s attractive for travelers.

To help you with this, here’s a full walkthrough of how to list your apartment on Airbnb.

Step 1: Make an Account

If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to start this process by making an Airbnb account.

If you’re trying to make money on Airbnb, you need to be competitive.

And that means making your profile as complete as possible.

The point of this is to build trust with potential renters.

Here are the elements of a complete Airbnb hosting profile:

Step 2: Set Up Your Listing

Once you’ve made an account, it’s now time to create your Airbnb listing and get it ready for the open market.

Here are the basics:

Room type:

Are you renting out a private room?

The entire property?

If you’re not entirely sure which type of room you have, don’t worry.

Airbnb will provide you with definitions so that you can determine exactly what you have.

Number of guests:

How many people are you comfortable having stay in your rental?

Spend some time thinking about this because, of course, allowing more guests means more money, but it might mean more headaches, especially if you are going to be at the property at the same time as guests.

Location:

Tel Airbnb where your property is so that they can put it on the map and also help you determine a competitive rate.

If you think a pin on the map doesn’t do justice to your property’s location, you’ll have a chance, later on, to add more detail and let people know what’s up.

Step 3: Write The Overview

After you’ve filled out all the details of your listing, it’s time to get into the sales-y part of the process, and this starts with writing the overview.

Think of this as the elevator pitch for your property.

Along with the photos and location, this is what people will see first, so use this as a chance to sell what’s good about your property, and also to sell yourself as a good host.

Don’t go overboard with fluffy adjectives and exaggerations, but let people know why your place is a great spot to stay.

Include info about the property, but also the location.

Is it near public transportation?

Can you walk to the downtown area?

Is it quiet at night?

What is there to do in your neighborhood?

All of this information will be relevant to guests, so make sure to include it in the description of your property.

Step 4: List Amenities

At this point, you’re almost done listing your apartment on Airbnb, and one of the last things you need to do is detail the amenities of your place.

This process is simple.

Airbnb gives you a (large) list of things to choose from, and all you need to do is go through it and check off what your place has.

Your choices range from the number of bedrooms to the availability of home security, as well as things such as smoking and pet policies.

At this step in the process, you will only be able to choose from the list of amenities provided to you by Airbnb.

But after you’ve finished, you can go back and edit this as you wish, meaning you can add in things you think are relevant but that aren’t on the list.

Make sure you include everything, as you never know what people like.

And never exaggerate, as failing to deliver on what you promised is a great way to get a bad review from a guest.

Step 5: Upload Photos

Anyone who has spent time buying or selling property knows just how important the photos are to a listing.

In fact, they can often be the difference between someone choosing one place over the other.

And things are no different with Airbnb.

As a result, it’s important you upload quality photos that will really showcase your property.

Here are tips to help you take great photos for your property:

Step 6: Setting Your Availability

After detailing your property, the next thing you need to do is set its availability.

As a host, you will need to choose from a few different options:

One time:

This means that you are only going to rent your property for one specific period of time.

It’s a good choice if you’re going to be home most of the time but want to rent out the property when you go away on vacation or for business.

You can rent it out as many times as you want, but to do so you’ll need to log into the platform and set the dates for which the property is available.

Sometimes:

If you would like to rent your apartment multiple times throughout the year, and you know which dates your property is available, this is a good choice.

However, only list the dates you know are free.

If someone books your place and your plans change, then you may end up being responsible, or you may end up receiving a bad rating, which can hurt your chances of renting the place out again.

All the time:

If you’re renting out a second property, or if you don’t mind guests coming to stay with you at any time, then you can choose this option and your property will appear in searches year round.

You can change this, of course, but you’ll have to honor any reservations made while your property was listed as available.

One thing to point out is that you’ll need to choose between instant bookings and requests.

Instant bookings are made when a guest pays, whereas requests require people to reach out to you first.

It’s then up to you to accept those you think will be the best fit.

Instant bookings involve a bit more risk because you will know less about the people coming to stay with you.

However, guests tend to prefer this because they don’t have to wait to hear back from you to confirm their reservation.

Step 7: Deciding Your Price

One of the last, and most important, steps of creating an Airbnb listing is to set your price.

Airbnb provides recommended rates for your property type and location, but these are just suggestions.

You can charge whatever price you’d like, but the recommended rate is a good starting point.

Spend some time review what other people in your area are charging for similar properties.

This will give you a good benchmark to use when creating your listing.

For new Airbnb hosts, it’s sometimes a good idea to list your property for a little less than what similar places are going for to attract guests and build up your profile and get some positive reviews.

In addition to the base rate, there are several other fees to consider.

For example, you can charge a cleaning fee or an additional guest fee, and you can also offer weekly and monthly rates, as well as nightly, to help make your property more attractive to those considering renting it.

Remember: you can always change this later, so the best move is probably to stick to the site’s suggestions and then adjust after you’ve had a chance to test out your property on the market.

Airbnb is a good way to use your apartment to make some money, but you’re probably wondering what the fees are.

It is important to understand the fees when setting your pricing so you can adjust accordingly.

For those who have booked as a guest, you know that Airbnb charges a fee to those making a reservation that can range from 0-20 percent, but they also charge another fee to hosts, although a much smaller one.

The amount of the fee depends a little on where you are hosting.

For example, in Italy, where there are very strict cancellation policies, fees are higher.

But in the U.S., Airbnb will charge you a 3 percent fee.

This fee is calculated based on the subtotal of the reservation, which includes the nightly, weekly, or monthly rate, cleaning fees, and additional guest fees.

They do not charge commission on service fee they charge to guests.

And this commission is taken from you right when the guest pays, so you don’t need to worry about keeping track of how much you owe Airbnb.

Step 8: Confirm Details and Choose Location

You’re almost there.

Before finishing, Airbnb will show you your completed listing so that you can review everything and confirm that everything is correct.

During this step, we suggest you check out other listings in your area to make sure you didn’t forget anything.

There is nothing wrong with “borrowing brilliance” from other successful listings.

When you’re done, click confirm, and your apartment will start appearing in search results for the dates you’ve indicated.

Once people starting requesting or booking your place, make sure to reach out to them to ask them their arrival time, and also if they have any questions.

Airbnb guests can ask questions through the system, and it also tracks your response rate.

So be sure to respond in a timely and professional manner.

If you notice that you constantly get the same questions, that’s a sign that your listing is missing important information.

Furthermore, after you start hosting people, make sure to log in and leave a review for the guest.

This will usually encourage your guests to do the same, which is a great way to build up your profile and attract more people to the property.

If you live in a busy city, or in an area that gets a lot of tourists, then Airbnb is a great source of rental income for your spare bedroom or vacation home.

The process is pretty straightforward, but the details are what will make or break your listing.

To recap, here are the important steps to putting your house on Airbnb:

So what are you waiting for?

Get out there, sign up for Airbnb, and list your house today!

Brett Helling is the founder of Gigworker.com. He has been a rideshare driver since early 2012, having completed hundreds of trips for companies including Uber, Lyft, and Postmates.

Since that time, he has expanded his knowledge into the Gigworker site, as well as writing the book Gigworker: Independent Work and the State of the Gig Economy Paperback, now available on Amazon.