GETTING STARTED: HOSTING WITH THE AIRBNB WEB APPLICATION
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Table of Contents Before Hosting .............................................................................................................................................. 3 What Is Airbnb? ......................................................................................................................................... 3 What is hosting? ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Who can be a host? ................................................................................................................................... 4 Signing up as a host ................................................................................................................................... 4 Creating Listings ............................................................................................................................................ 4 What information do I need to provide? .................................................................................................. 4 Creating a listing ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Adding information about property and guests ....................................................................................... 5 Adding information about location ........................................................................................................... 6 What Are Essential Amenities? ................................................................................................................. 6 Adding Information About Amenities ................................................................................................... 6 Adding photos of your listing .................................................................................................................... 7 Adding a description and title ................................................................................................................... 7 What are Airbnb’s guest requirements? ................................................................................................... 7 Reviewing booking settings .................................................................................................................. 7 The importance of an up-to-date calendar ............................................................................................... 7 Keeping your calendar up to date ......................................................................................................... 8 How does pricing work on Airbnb? ........................................................................................................... 8 Turning smart pricing on or off ............................................................................................................. 8 Welcoming Guests ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Communicating with guests ...................................................................................................................... 9 Viewing and replying to messages ........................................................................................................ 9 Viewing information about a guest ...................................................................................................... 9 Hosting safely ............................................................................................................................................ 9
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Getting Started to Host with The Airbnb Web Application Hosting on Airbnb is flexible, and you can list according to your own schedule and preferences. This Getting Started Guide will help you become a host, create a listing, and welcome your first guests on Airbnb using the web application.
Before Hosting Before becoming a host, there are a few things you should consider and do. This section guides you through the decision to become a host and what to do before creating a listing.
What Is Airbnb? Airbnb was founded in 2008 to connect hosts and travellers around the world. Airbnb helps make hosting and travelling simple and pleasant. To ensure safety, we verify personal and listing profiles, provide and maintain a protected messaging system, and manage a reliable platform for payments. It is completely free to sign up as an individual host and list your place on Airbnb. There is no listing fee, and you would only pay a fee to Airbnb after you have received payment from a reservation. The following graphic shows our fees compared with other similar tourism-arrangement services.
Figure 1 Airbnb's fees compared with other services
What is hosting? A host on Airbnb is the person who owns a listing for a reservation. When you host a stay, you receive all notification related to the reservation. You usually own or live on the property listed and are expected to upkeep the property and communicate with the guests to create a great vacation experience. You can list a wide variety of places on Airbnb, like entire houses, a private room in a bed-and-breakfast hostel, and unique places like a hut. As a host, you can greet guests in person when they arrive, or give them the information they need (i.e. lockbox combo) to check themselves in.
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Who can be a host? Almost everyone can be a host. It is free to sign up and list stays on Airbnb. As a host, you are expected to meet these basic requirements: • • • •
Be responsive. Only accept reservation requests when your place is available. Avoid cancelling on guests. Maintain an overall high rating.
Before deciding to become an Airbnb host, you must understand the rules and regulations in your city or neighbourhood. Some places do not allow you to host paying guests for short periods. In some places, you must register and get permissions to list your property and welcome guests. Failing to comply with the law works might subject you to penalties like fines. Note: Review your local laws before registering as a host to list on Airbnb.
Signing up as a host You need to have an Airbnb account to start hosting. When you create an Airbnb account, you agree to comply with our terms and policies. To sign up as a host 1. On the Airbnb website (airbnb.com), select Sign up. 2. Select from these four options: • continue with email • continue with Facebook account • continue with Google account • continue with Apple ID 3. Follow the workflow.
Creating Listings When you are ready to be a host on Airbnb, creating a listing is easy on our website. This section provides you with the information you would need to list your place on Airbnb.
What information do I need to provide? There are eight categories of information you must provide about your listing before welcoming guests. These categories are: • • • • • • • •
property and guests location amenities photos description and titles booking settings calendar and availability pricing
Tip: Be honest when filling in information to ensure a great experience for both you and your guests. 4
Creating a listing This section guides you through the listing process. Some sections would prompt you to enter personal information and details about your place. You can enter all the information at once; or fill in some fields, leave, and come back at another time. Airbnb automatically saves your work progress and allows you to pick up from what you left it. To get started with creating a listing 1. From the main interface, select Host your home to switch to the hosting interface.
Figure 2 The hosting interface
2. Select Create new listing. 3. Select Create a new listing > Next. 4. Specify the home type of your listing, the city it is located, and the number of guests it can accommodate 5. Select Continue to enter the Property and guests interface.
Adding information about property and guests Adding information about your property allows guests to imagine how it would be like to stay there. To add information about your property and guests 1. In the Property and guests interface, select what best describes your place rom the first dropdown menu. 2. From the second drop-down menu, select the option best describe the property type. The options vary depending on the first option. New questions display after you select a property type. 3. Select from these options to specify the amount of space your guests would have in your listing. 4. Select to specify whether your place is set up as a dedicated guest space. 5. Select to specify whether you are listing on Airbnb as an individual or as a part of a company. 6. Specify the number of guests your place can accommodate. 7. From the drop-down menu, select the number of bedroom(s) your guests can use. 8. Specify the number of bed(s) your guests can use. 9. Specify the number of bathroom(s) in your place.
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Adding information about location Adding location information about your listing help guests find your property. Note: Guests would only get the exact address after confirming their reservation for safety reasons. To add location information 1. In the Location interface, add the address of your listing. Do one of the following: • To add the address of your current location, select Use current location. • Manually enter the address of the listing. 2. Select Next. A map with a pin display.
Figure 3 A map with a pin showing the location of your listing
3. Check if the pin is in the right location and adjust as needed. 4. When the pin location is accurate, select Yes, that’s right.
What Are Essential Amenities? Essential amenities are the common items guests expect for a comfortable stay. These are: • toilet paper • hygienic products • one towel per guest • one pillow per guest • linens for each bed • •Caution: Providing inaccurate information on amenities may lead to penalties like removal from Airbnb.
Adding Information About Amenities The amenities listed here are common items guests expect. You can edit or add more after publishing. 1. In the Amenities interface, select the check boxes for the amenities you offer at your listing. 2. Select Next. 3. Select the check boxes to specify the spaces your guests can use. Include the common areas, but not the spaces that are not on your property. 6
Adding photos of your listing Adding photos of your place would attract more guests and allow them to picture staying at your listing. You must upload at least one photo to publish your listing. You can edit or add photos after publishing. Tip: Add photos of all the rooms your guests can use. Clean your place before taking the photos. •
In the Photos interface, select Upload to upload photos from your computer or drag-and-drop photos onto the dashed area.
Adding a description and title Add a short description with the best features of your place. Mention any special amenities and information about the neighbourhood. 1. In the Description and title interface, type a description about your place in the text box. 2. Select Next. 3. In the textbox, input a title for your listing.
What are Airbnb’s guest requirements? Airbnb has requirements that all guests must meet. Guests must provide certain information to book. This information helps you, as a host, know what to expect and how to contact the guest. All Airbnb guests must provide: • email address • a verified phone number • payment information Before booking, each guest must: • agree to your house rules • message you about their trip • tell you how many guests are coming • confirm their check-in time 2 days before their arrival
Reviewing booking settings 1. In the Booking setting interface, review the default guest requirements. 2. Optional: Select Add additional requirements. Additional guest requirements display. a. Under Add additional requirements, select the check box(es) to add as guest requirements. 3. Under Set house rules for your guests, add house rules that your guests must agree to before booking. 4. Select Next. 5. Review the booking settings and edit if needed.
The importance of an up-to-date calendar You need an accurate and up-to-date calendar to be a successful host. Guests will book your listings according to your calendar, and many book available days instantly. To ensure that guests only book when you can host, keep your calendar and availability settings up to date. Airbnb is all about hospitality and ensuring an enjoyable travelling experience. Having an inaccurate calendar might disrupt guests’ plans, and you will be charged a penalty fee. If you cancel a reservation, those dates will be blocked to prevent anyone else from booking. 7
Keeping your calendar up to date 1. In the Calendar and availability interface, specify whether you have rented out your place before. 2. Select how often you want to welcome guests. 3. Select how much notice you need before a guest arrives. 4. From the drop-down menu, select your ideal check-in and check-out times for guests. 5. Select how far in advance guests can book. 6. Specify the minimum and maximum number of nights your guests can stay. 7. Select dates to block or un-block them on the calendar.
Figure 4 Availability calendar
Tip: Block the days you are not available to host to avoid cancelling on guests.
How does pricing work on Airbnb? You are in complete control over how much you charge for your listings. Our Smart Pricing tool helps match your prices with demand to generate great prices for every reservation. When you turn Smart Pricing on, your prices will automatically be adjusted based on demand for listing like yours. Smart Pricing is controlled by the pricing settings you choose (i.e. maximum and minimum charge per night) and you can always edit your settings.
Turning smart pricing on or off 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
In the hosting interface, select listing. Select a listing. Select Pricing. Next to Nightly price, select Edit. Next to Smart pricing, select the toggle button to turn smart pricing on or off. Select Save.
Tip: Start by setting a lower price to attract more guests as a new host.
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Welcoming Guests Congratulation on creating your first listing and becoming a host! You are now ready to welcome your first guests. This section will guide you to create a great experience for you and your guests.
Communicating with guests The key to a great Airbnb experience is good communication. Reply quickly and thoughtfully so your guests feel respected and valued. Be honest and provide your guests with every detail they would need before, during, and after their stay. Only guests can initiate conversations. Guests can message you to make an inquiry or request to book.
Viewing and replying to messages 1. 2. 3. 4.
In the hosting interface, select Inbox. Select Hosting. Select a message to reply to. Enter your message and select Send.
Viewing information about a guest 1. In the hosting interface, select Inbox. 2. Select Hosting. 3. Select the profile picture of a guest to view their information.
Hosting safely Becoming an Airbnb host comes with various responsibilities. To ensure your guests’ and your safety, make sure you: • • • •
Interact with guests smartly. Specify limitations and restrictions in your house rules. Get insurance. Install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.
We strongly recommend you not to contact your guests outside of Airbnb. Do not give out personal information like your address (if it differs from your listing), personal phone number, and email address. Caution: For emergencies or personal safety concerns, please contact your local police or emergency services immediately.
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