Travel Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-14-2022

For many, the notion of traveling and exploring is a craving that can’t be ignored. And for vanlifers, there is no better way to see the world than to travel self-contained in a camper van that affords them the freedom to pick up and go whenever the mood strikes. Here are pointers on how to make sure your van life road trip is a success, how to level your van once you are parked for the night, and how to keep your van neat and tidy while you're on the road.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 08-15-2022

There’s never been a better time to go remote! Living a life you’ve always dreamt of is well within reach when you become a digital nomad. If you’ve been thinking about trading your traditional job for a life of freedom and location independence, check out this cheat sheet with tips to help you get started.

Article / Updated 03-17-2022

Determining a baseline pricing is finding the optimal amount you charge for your Airbnb listing under typical market conditions with average demand. Any adjustments you make to your pricing start from this baseline level. To establish the baseline pricing, you analyze comparable listings on Airbnb to create a pricing strategy that works for you. The following sections help you start pricing your listing so it’s competitive wherever you live. Study your competition: Gather comparable market data The best way to establish your baseline pricing is by looking at what your competition is charging in your market. You can think of your market as the tightest geographic radius that allows you to gather data for at least a dozen comparable and competitive listings. For example, in an ultrahigh-density urban market, this could be just a one block or even a minute walking radius. In the sparse country side, it could mean more than 10 miles or a 30-minute drive radius. In a typical suburban neighborhood, a safe starting point is three blocks or a 15-minute walking radius. You’ll need to adjust as needed for your specific area. Your competition includes the most similar Airbnb listings in your market — those similar in size (beds, bedrooms, bathrooms), amenities, and overall positioning in terms of pricing and target audience. For example, if your Airbnb listing is a one-bedroom unit targeting the budget-friendly traveler who doesn’t mind being a bit farther out from the main attractions, then your competition is similar, economy-focused one-bedroom Airbnb listings. However, if your Airbnb listing is a two-bedroom luxury condominium in a downtown luxury high-rise residence, your competition includes other two-bedroom luxury Airbnb listings. When studying the competition, gather at least a six (preferable a dozen or more) similar Airbnb listings and record the following information: Weekday rates: For each comparable Airbnb listing and hotel listing, collect the average weekday rates (Sundays to Thursdays) for four weeks, eight weeks, and 12 weeks into the future. Take the average of those five days for each of the three weeks for each comparable listing. Weekend rates: For each comparable Airbnb listing and hotel listing, collect the average weekend rates (Fridays and Saturdays only) for four weeks, eight weeks, and 12 weeks into the future. Take the average of those two days for each of the three weeks for each comparable listing. If you’re unable to find enough (at least six) comparable Airbnb listings in your market for your baseline pricing analysis, you can substitute with comparable hotel listings. For most Airbnb hosts, comparing to economy and midrange hotel offerings make the most sense. Identify the nearest two- and three-star hotels to your property and compare your studio or one-bedroom listing to their lowest priced offering. For larger properties of two- or three-bedrooms, compare to the lowest priced hotel suites. However, you may need to adjust your findings down by 15 to 30 percent because average hotel listings are often priced higher than their Airbnb counterparts in the same market. When you’re done collecting this information, you’ll have six data points for each of the listings you’ve identified for your comparison — three weekday averages and three weekend averages — resulting from 21 daily prices for each of the comps. Taking the average again of the average weekday and weekend rates for these similar listings gives you a good baseline pricing for your Airbnb listing in your market. The following figure shows an example with 12 comparable Airbnb listings and their corresponding data points for their weekday and weekend pricing. Tracking additional information for the comparable listings can help you understand the pricing dynamic in your market even better. Tracking additional information such as the listing URLs, property type, number of bedrooms, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms can assist you to fine-tune your baseline pricing analysis. Choose a baseline pricing strategy After you gather your data and have a baseline weekday and weekend pricing rate that you feel comfortable with, you need to figure out how to use that information. Here are three primary pricing strategies you can consider adopting to price your listing: Match market offering and charge less. If you intend to match the amenities and overall offering of your competition, you can gain an edge by charging slightly less than your competition. By offering the same amenities at a discount, you’ll be able to secure more bookings. Beat market offering and charge the same. If you intend to clearly beat the offering of your competition, you can gain an edge by charging the same overall pricing as your competition. By offering better amenities at the same price, you’ll also be able to secure more bookings. Make unique offering and charge premium. If your Airbnb listing offers something unique that guests value and the competition in your market can’t match, then you may be able to charge a premium. By offering something unique and valuable, you’ll be able to charge more than your competition. Depending on which strategy you find most fitting for your Airbnb listing, your baseline pricing will be lower than, about the same, or greater than the baseline pricing you found from the comparable listings. However, settling on your baseline pricing doesn’t mean you just set your pricing to these levels for the entire availability of your listing. At various times you want to purposely price lower or higher than your baseline pricing. We explore each of moments in the following discussions. Ramping Up to Baseline Pricing The first such scenario where you price differently from your baseline pricing is during your ramping-up period, typically the first two to four months after an Airbnb listing first goes live on the platform. During these first months on the platform, your objective is to build momentum for your listing as quickly as possible, not to maximize the profits of any individual bookings. To do so, get as many bookings and as many 5-star guest reviews as fast as possible. When a listing is fresh on the platform, it has no bookings and no reviews. All things equal, potential guests almost always book with listings that have more reviews than similar listings with no reviews. During your ramping-up period, follow this pricing schedule to build momentum for your listing: Start at 20 percent lower than your baseline pricing. Doing so underprices your listing relative to your competition right out of the gate. Wait for one week and check to see if your listing is mostly booked two weeks out. If mostly booked for the next two weeks, then stay the course until your listing is mostly booked four weeks out — aim for 80 percent plus occupancy. If not booked out, drop pricing by another 10 percent every week until you’re booked four weeks out. If more than four weeks are booked within the first week, then raise prices by 10 percent every week until you’re fully booked for the next four weeks or until reaching baseline pricing. After you reach the baseline pricing, sign up for third-party dynamic pricing software to monitor and adjust pricing going forward automatically. Be sure to note in your listing profile title and description that your listing is “NEW.” Doing so can help potential guests get comfortable with your lack of reviews and help them understand why your listing is priced so favorably versus competition — that it’s due to your newness and not some defect. Adjusting for seasonality When setting your pricing, sometimes you need to adjust for seasonality. Seasonality means the overall Airbnb demand — the occupancy and average nightly rates for Airbnb listings in the market — may be much higher or lower than their typical rates when travel is correspondingly much higher or lower than average. For example, Airbnb cabins by a popular ski resort may be booked almost every evening, even at much higher than average nightly rates during the high demand skiing season. However, these same cabins may have a hard time booking nights even at significantly discounted rates during low season when the snow has melted and far fewer guests want to spend their hot summer on these dry barren ski slopes. For some Airbnb markets with well-defined seasonal attractions, you can easily know whether there is seasonality in the market. But for many markets without obvious seasonal factors for travel demand, you can verify seasonality by obtaining the relevant market data for the prior 12 months (a full calendar year). The seasonality of your Airbnb market falls into one of these four categories: Flat seasonality: If the demand is the same all year around, then there is flat seasonality. In these rare markets, you can expect the occupancy and average nightly rates to stay about the same throughout the year. Often, flat seasonality is associated with low overall Airbnb travel demand for the market. High season only: If the demand spikes high for a part of the year but stays flat the rest of the year, then the seasonality is said to have a high season. In these markets, you can expect the occupancy and average nightly rates to spike higher only during the high season but stay relatively flat the rest of the time. Low season only: If the demand drops lower for a part of the year but stays flat the rest of the year, then the seasonality is said to have a low season. In these markets, you can expect the occupancy and average nightly rates to fall noticeably lower only during the low season but stay relatively flat the rest of the time. High low seasons: If the demand drops lower for a part of the year and spikes higher for a different part of the year compared to a middle level the rest of the year, then the seasonality has both a high and low season. In these markets, you can expect occupancy and average night rates both to drop during low season and spike during high season. The following figure shows what each of these four seasonality scenarios may look like if you plotted the average occupancy rates in these markets by month where 100 represents the annualized average occupancy rate. When you obtain the market data for a full calendar year for your market, you can notice that the average occupancy or nightly rates in your market will look like one of these scenarios. Fig. A shows a flat seasonality market, Fig. B a high season only seasonality market, Fig. C a low season only seasonality market, and Fig. D a high and low seasonality market. For all examples, the average occupancy rate during normal season is at 70 percent.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

Becoming an Airbnb host can sometimes feel overwhelming with too much to do and too little time to do everything. But you don’t need to do everything all at once or at all to succeed. Often, in the mist of the mad dash to launch their listings and take on guests, new Airbnb hosts forget to take care of the basics. Focus on getting the basics right and you’ll be well on your way to Airbnb hosting success.

Article / Updated 12-23-2021

Driving in a foreign country can be disconcerting. Addressing common driving concerns (like driver’s licenses and road signs) when planning your trip to a Spanish-speaking country is invaluable. That way, you won’t be caught off guard by the differences in driving customs between where you’re from and where you’re going. Make sure you have a valid driver’s license Some countries, including Mexico, accept a valid driver’s license from your home country. Other countries may require you to have an International Driver’s License. You can get one from the American and Canadian automobile drivers’ associations, whether or not you are a member. The association itself can tell you which countries require an International Driver’s License. Know the Spanish signs of the road Most road signs in Latin America are based on symbols rather than words. This system makes them very easy to understand, no matter what language you speak. In fact, most driving signs have become quite universal; they’re much the same everywhere: A do not enter sign is a circle in a red field, crossed by a diagonal line. A stop sign is always an octagonal red field with white borders. Inside is a word such as pare (pah-reh) or alto (ahl-toh), instead of the English word stop. On the highway, left turns and right turns are indicated with signs that have a diamond shape with an arrow bent in the direction of the turn. A turn sign with a diagonal across it means no turn. Ask at the car rental office whether you should expect any road signs that you don’t understand. Whether at the airport or on the street, these two questions can come in handy when you need to find transportation: ¿Dónde arriendan autos? (dohn-deh ah-rreeehn-dahn ahoo-tohs) (Where do they rent cars?) ¿Hay oficina de renta de autos? (ahy oh-fee-see-nah deh rehn-tah deh ahoo-tohs) (Is there a car rental office?)

Article / Updated 12-23-2021

After you've gotten through the first year at your home university, you probably feel like you finally know all the buildings on campus, can find your way around town, know which professors to avoid, which dining hall is busiest at lunch, and of course, have made plenty of friends. So why leave this cozy little environment you've created for yourself just to go back to being the new kid on the block? Because your experience abroad is definitely worth the few trials and tribulations of starting over! Think of study abroad as just an extension of your studies at your home university. Your time away should be an integrated part of your four-year undergraduate academic plan. When you go abroad, you will likely take courses that, in some way, build on or add to the courses you are taking at your home university. Study abroad is also a great time to begin independent research projects. Increasing numbers of students conduct research abroad and then work with faculty members when they return to convert their projects into senior theses. Ready, set, grow! Studying abroad definitely challenges you on a personal level. Whether you consciously realize it or not, you develop a greater self-confidence, independence, and self-reliance. By the time you return home, you may feel like a super hero: You can do anything! Studying abroad may be the first time you are truly away from home — all your familiar surroundings here in the U.S., as well as friends and family. While this isn't always easy, most students agree that the benefits of giving up your familiar environment for a short period of time far outweigh the reasons to stay at home. Believe it or not, if you immerse yourself in a new culture, experiment with new ways of thinking, or try a different way of living, you naturally experience some sort of personal growth. After you master your new culture and the abroad academic life, you will return home much wiser and probably slightly impressed with yourself for having had a successful time abroad. Changing your perspective If you go abroad with an open mind, then you're certain to return to the U.S. a more enlightened person. One of the major benefits of studying abroad is its ability to broaden your world understanding and perspective on just about anything. You gain a different view of international affairs, from politics to economics to social issues. You also return with a deeper understanding and respect for your host country, knowing how another culture approaches daily life and unusual challenges. You may also return with a new appreciation for the U.S. Living in another culture can help you understand your own on a deeper level. You may return grateful for the way of life in the U.S., its political system, or its foreign or domestic policies. Through your interactions with your abroad professors, your new peer group, and other foreign or U.S. students on your program, you can find out what others think about the U.S. (and this is usually both positive and negative). While abroad, a new academic interest or perspective on your major may emerge. Studying at an abroad university allows you to study subjects that aren't available at your home university. You also study familiar subjects but from a different cultural perspective. For example, if you study international relations in France, it will be from a European perspective. Alternatively, studying the U.S. and American history from a different country's point of view can be fun. And, of course, all your classroom learning is enhanced by living in your abroad location and interacting with host families, housemates, roommates, or friends who are native to your abroad country. Jump-starting your career Studying abroad typically gives your resume a nice boost and improves your post-graduate employment prospects, particularly if you're considering a career in business, international affairs, or government service. Nowadays, employers actively seek college graduates who have spent time studying abroad because they want employees with an international knowledge base as well as foreign language skills. The same international skills that make you more marketable for employment are also valued by graduate schools. These skills include cross-cultural communication skills, analytical skills, teamwork, flexibility, an understanding of cultural contexts, the ability to adapt to new circumstances and deal with differences, a developed view of the world outside the U.S., independence, and self-confidence. Experiencing a different education system Institutions of higher education outside the U.S. function differently than what you're accustomed to. Even if your program is directed by a U.S.-based school, your experience can still differ because U.S.-based programs often employ local professors. In the U.S., most students pay to go to college. It's kind of a pay-for-service model in which students pay for the education and in return expect their professors to conduct lectures, foster class discussion, hold office hours, and so on. This isn't usually the case in other parts of the world. If students don't pay for school or if the government (maybe through taxes) subsidizes tuition, then students don't feel as entitled. The tables are turned. Students have the privilege of going to school and therefore, it is up to them to take responsibility for their own learning. Abroad universities are much less focused on grades. They care more about learning to increase understanding and knowledge. Therefore, you can expect much more of a lecture format to your classes and not much (if any) class discussion or participation. You can also expect to have less one-on-one interaction with your professors. (Professors at your abroad university may not even be required to hold weekly office hours.) However, the flexibility of curriculums abroad often gives students at abroad universities more freedom to explore their own interests within a course than would be allowed or even feasible in the U.S. The difference in set ups between your home university and your host university doesn't mean you should assume that academics are easier abroad. All of these differences don't mean that the education you receive while you're abroad is better or worse than the education you get at your home university — it's just bound to be different. If you don't like your abroad classroom or learning style, chalk it up to a learning experience. Accept the challenge to learn in a different way, in a different cultural setting. Before you take the plunge, think about your own personal reasons for wanting to go abroad because when you return from studying abroad, you'll assess whether you achieved your goals or hopes for studying abroad. Whatever your reasons for studying abroad, make sure that they are not only attainable, but also positive. For example, learning a second language, studying about another culture, diversifying your studies, preparing for graduate school, or traveling to meet new people are all good reasons to study abroad.

Article / Updated 12-23-2021

Germany has 13 wine regions — 11 regions in the west and 2 regions in the eastern part of the country. German wines are mostly white. They’re fruity in style, low in alcohol, rarely oaked, and often off-dry or sweet. Their labels carry grape names, which is an anomaly in Europe. Germany is the northernmost major wine-producing country in Europe — its climate is cool. Except in warmer pockets of Germany, red grapes don’t ripen adequately, which is the reason most German wines are white. The climate is also erratic from year to year, meaning that vintages do matter for fine German wines. Germany’s finest vineyards are situated along rivers such as the Rhine and the Mosel, and on steep, sunny slopes, to temper the extremes of the weather and help the grapes ripen. Riesling and other grape varieties In Germany’s cool climate, the noble Riesling grape finds true happiness. Riesling represents little more than 20 percent of Germany’s vineyard plantings. Another major, but less distinguished, German variety is Müller-Thurgau, a crossing between the Riesling and Silvaner (or possibly Chasselas) grapes. Its wines are softer than Riesling’s with less character and little potential for greatness. After Müller-Thurgau and Riesling, the most-planted grapes in Germany are Silvaner, Kerner, Scheurebe, and Ruländer (Pinot Gris). Among Germany’s red grapes, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is the most widely planted, mainly in the warmer parts of the country. Germany’s wine regions The most famous of Germany's 13 wine regions is the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, named for the Mosel River and two of its tributaries, along which the region’s vineyards lie; and the Rheingau region, along the Rhine River. The Rhine River lends its name to three other German wine regions, Rheinhessen, the Pfalz (formerly called the Rheinpfalz), and the tiny Mittelrhein region. Following are descriptions of notable wine regions in Germany: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: The Mosel-Saar-Ruwer vineyard rise steeply on the slopes of the twisting and turning Mosel River. The wines of the region are among the lightest in Germany (usually containing less than 10 percent alcohol); they’re generally delicate, fresh, and charming. Riesling dominates the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer with 57 percent of the plantings. Rheingau: The Rheingau is among Germany’s smaller wine regions. It, too, has some dramatically steep vineyards bordering a river, but here the river is Germany’s greatest wine river, the Rhine. The Riesling grape occupies more than 80 percent of the Rheingau’s vineyards, many of which are south-facing slopes that give the Riesling grapes an extra edge of ripeness. Rheinhessen: Rheinhessen is Germany’s largest wine region, producing huge quantities of simple wines for everyday enjoyment. Liebfraumilch originated here, and it’s still one of the most important wines of the region, commercially speaking. The Rheinhessen’s highest quality wines come from the Rheinterrasse, a vineyard area along the river. Pfalz: Almost as big as the Rheinhessen, the Pfalz has earned somewhat more respect from wine lovers for its fairly rich and full-bodied white wines and its very good reds — all of which owe their style to the region’s relatively warm climate. Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Silvaner, and Kerner are among the most planted grape varieties of the Pfalz, but qualitatively Scheurebe and Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) are important. Nahe: One other German region of importance for the quality of its wines is Nahe, named for the Nahe River and situated west of Rheinhessen. The Riesling wines produced here are relatively full and intense.

Article / Updated 12-23-2021

If you want to travel internationally, you will need a passport. Passports are approved by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. In order to apply for a passport, you need to fill out the application, collect the appropriate documents for submission, prepare the fees, and submit your material to an acceptance facility. To submit a non-expedited, first-time passport application, you will need: Form DS-11: This and other forms necessary for passport applications or renewals are available at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs Forms page. Identification documents: Your identification can be authenticated with a U.S. passport (may be expired) Driver's license Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship Government employee ID U.S. military ID Valid foreign passport Matricula Consular (Mexican Consular Identification) Proof of citizenship: This could include A U.S. passport (may be expired) A U.S. birth certificate A Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth A Certificate of Naturalization A Certificate of Citizenship A current photo: Some passport acceptance facilities will provide this photo for a charge. The photo must be 2 x 2. You should be facing the camera, wearing normal clothing, with no adornments on your head or face (including hats, glasses, or headphones). Check the Bureau of Consular Affairs website for more specific requirements regarding passport photos. The required fees: Make sure you have separate payments prepared for the application fee and execution fee. This table outlines the fees associated with the regular six to eight-week processing period. Once you have collected all of the necessary documents and have the fees prepared, you will submit all material to a passport acceptance facility or at a passport agency (if you meet the requirements for expediting). How long does it take to get a passport? The normal processing period for a passport is six to eight weeks. However, if you are experiencing special circumstances, you can sometimes expedite the service so that you receive your passport more quickly. Certain situations may qualify for expedited service. Without explanation, you can apply for expedited service with an additional fee of $60. In this case, you should receive your passport within two to three weeks. If you are experiencing special circumstances, you may be able to get a rush order. These situations include A travel date within two weeks: In this case, you must make an appointment with a passport agency or center. A life or death emergency in your immediate family: If this situation should arise, you will need to make an emergency appointment with a passport agency or center. Find more information on the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs website. Where to get a passport The Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Passport Services/Customer Service elects certain entities to accept passport applications as a representative. Typical places that accept passport applications include: Libraries Post offices Local government offices Clerks of court Visit the U.S. Department of State’s website to find a representative in your area. Simply enter your zip code and adjust the distance requirements to find the passport acceptance agency nearest to you. If you need a passport within two weeks or less, you must visit an actual passport agency or center, rather than an elected passport acceptance facility.

Article / Updated 12-23-2021

If you’re already putting in the time and energy to hosting on Airbnb, why not get the most from your hosting efforts? This list has ten strategies that have helped hosts to earn more while hosting. Put your best listing forward Most new hosts who complain about not earning as much as they want have low hanging fruits with their property listing, which can include having photos taken from their phones from the wrong angles with poor lighting at the wrong time of day. Or they have poorly written descriptions and boring titles. Unless you have the best listing profile you can have for your property, you won’t come close to earning your full potential as a host. Ask guests to leave reviews Although Airbnb will send an email to guests, reminding them to leave a review after their check-outs, hosts who reach out to guests with a friendly reminder will get more guest reviews. Having more reviews, especially from happy guests raving about their wonderful stays, will lead to more bookings and profits by making your Airbnb listing more appealing to future guests. However, asking for more reviews when you’re not meeting guest expectations consistently is just asking for trouble. Tailor amenities to your audience Understanding who your guests are can help you better cater to their specific needs. For instance, business travelers have very different needs than families with young children. Pay attention to the type of guests who stay at your listing and look for ways to add relevant amenities. For example, having family-friendly games can help attract family travelers while having a dedicated work station can appeal to the business travelers. The more you can make your listing an easy decision for your target traveler audience, the more bookings you’ll get. Offer add-on goods and services After your guests book with you, you’ll have a captured audience during the length of their stay. Why do hotels offer minibars? Some guests want to drink. You can do the same by offering a menu of extras like alcohol or breakfast to earn extra income. Hosts can also provide services like pickup and drop-off, guided tours, home-cooked meals, or equipment rental to increase earning potential. Use appropriate pricing Charge too much and you risk having more unoccupied nights. Charge too little and you miss out on profits you could have earned from guests who already chose your listing. Figuring out the right price to charge for your listing for any given night requires that you account for many factors that affect pricing, including your competitors’ pricing and availability, seasonality, and special events. Successful hosts understand they can’t do that manually and instead use a third-party pricing tool to set the ideal pricing for your listing automatically. Host more listings You can earn only so much from a single listing. After you’ve reached maximum occupancy charging the highest rates your market can support, there is little you can do to increase your earnings from that listing. But add another listing or two, and you can quickly grow your earnings on Airbnb. One of the best ways to do that is to offer your hosting services to a property owner who doesn’t want to host themselves. Doing so creates a win-win — hands-off profits for the owners and more earnings for you as a host without having the risk of buying or leasing another property. List an Airbnb experience Renting a property is not the only way to earn money on Airbnb. A recent but fast-growing opportunity on the platform is for hosts to list an activity rather than a property. Hosting an Experience over a property has many benefits and can help you grow your earnings substantially on the platform. Think long term Would you take $10 more now to lose $100 later? Probably not. Yet many new hosts make a similar trade-off by taking small short-term gains for bigger long-term losses. Yes, providing an extra supply of incidentals will mean higher costs per stay as guests use more of those items, but this small investment now prevents negative guest reviews that later lead to long-term losses from lost bookings. Similarly, hosts in hot or cold areas where energy costs can be very high for extended air conditioning or heater usage, can earn more in the long term by investing in solar panels that cut energy costs to zero while potentially adding value to their property. Although Airbnb is by far the most prominent example of the growth of sharing economy, it isn’t the only model. If you find that your listing isn’t getting enough bookings on Airbnb, you can look at alternatives like VRBO, HomeAway, FlipKey, and Bookings.com to just name a few. Putting your listing on multiple platforms requires the use of vacation rental management tools to help you manage the multiple listings and calendars to avoid double bookings and scheduling confusion. These tools can be costly so the option isn’t ideal for properties in low demand markets. Rent something else If you search online, you’ll quickly find Airbnb-like platforms targeting some other underutilized asset. Have a rarely used car you can rent? There’s an Airbnb for cars. A boat, backyard, garage, tools, gear, office, you name it. There’s an Airbnb for whatever that is. Some platforms could complement your hosting operation while others are an entirely separate operation. Avoid catastrophic losses Getting a huge fine from the city or having to make a costly replacement due to damage can wipe out an entire year’s worth of earnings. To avoid potential big losses, be sure to check and comply with local laws, keep all receipts and documentation if you need to make an insurance claim, and make timely repairs of all safety-related issues to limit liability risk. If you have assets greater than one million dollars, you should purchase additional insurance coverage on top of Airbnb’s insurance policy.

Article / Updated 12-23-2021

Even though both launching and maintaining a successful Airbnb listing takes planning and effort, as a host, doing some simple things can help you earn more, stress less, or both. Here are ten helpful tips for happy hosting. Research your market before hosting Smart hosts research their market before hosting to know exactly what to expect in their market. Some would-be hosts choose not to become Airbnb hosts after finding out that a traditional rental of their unit would perform better. Become a guest first The best hosts know what it’s like to be guests first. So, before you jump into hosting with both feet, book your stays on Airbnb for your next trips. Experience the entire process from start to finish as a guest — from searching on the platform and booking to checking in and checking out. Note all the moments you felt confused, irritated, relaxed, or elated. These moments can point to both things to replicate or avoid in your practice as a host. Even better, enjoy a few “staycations” by booking reservations at existing local listings in your city. Invite but never impose Guests traveling from different places come stay at your listing for different reasons. Some come to relax. Some want to meet and hang out with strangers. Some want quiet time. Never assume you know the preference of any guests unless they tell you explicitly. For example, if you’re hosting a dinner party with friends and family and want to extend an invitation to your guests, make sure they know it’s an open invitation with zero expectations. Come if they want. If not, no biggie. The more you host, the more you’ll develop intuition for how and whether to extend invitations with each specific guest. Offer more than promised Promise the stars and deliver the moon? Disappointment. Successful hosts who wow their guests consistently know to properly manage expectations with their listing profile and their communications with potential guests. This means having great but honest photos and descriptions and then offering little but unexpected extras for the guests. Offering killer home-baked cookies? A bottle of wine from a local vineyard? Fresh roasted coffee beans from a local roastery? Let your guests discover them as surprises when they arrive. Touch base with your guests regularly For every guest who reached out to you directly with a question or complaint, there probably were a few more with the same question or complaint who didn’t reach out to you. Some people are shy. Some don’t want to feel bothersome. Send a short and inviting message to your guests like, “Good morning! Just wanted to see if you had any questions or requests. Call/text me anytime. Here for you,” the day after check-in and at least once every three days. Doing so lets the guests know it’s more than okay to reach out to you if they need something. Use tiny helpful labels Checking into a stranger’s home after a long day of travel, many guests will want to settle in and relax before the next day’s adventures. But that can be tough if they don’t even know which switch works for which light or if they have to open all the cabinets just to find the extra trash bags. One simple way to show your guests you’re thinking of them is to place small but conspicuous labels next to switches, cabinets, drawers, or doors in the house. Keep these small and visible only up close so they don’t show up on normal photos. Use a color scheme and a font that fits your overall decor, and they will look as intentional as they are useful. Always have extra supply Not having an extra supply of essentials like toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and all linens will ruin an otherwise great Airbnb experience for your guests. No one will enjoy having to make a trip out to the local store to get toilet paper because the host provided only a starter roll. Being penny-wise and pound foolish may save you a few bucks in the short run, but unhappy guests will leave you scathing reviews that cost you bookings in the long run. Keep the extra supply out of sight to encourage more frugal use of supplies and provide it to guests happily when asked. Use action shots in your photos Showing guests what they could be doing in your listing is much better than telling. Yes, well-composed photos help, but putting people in some of the photos enjoying the space or showing the action will make for a more compelling pitch and result in more bookings. Have a hot tub in the backyard overlooking a picturesque sunset? Put a couple of friends in there and silhouette them against that sunset. Have a firepit in the back ideal for making marshmallow s’more sandwiches? Show the marshmallows roasting on the open fire. Have a billiards table for guests to enjoy? Don’t show an empty table but take a photo with the blurry moving cue ball just about to collide with another ball. Disclose and highlight potential negatives up front Getting long-term success for your listing is as much about avoiding the wrong kind of guests as it is attracting as many guests as possible. Have an extra friendly cat that likes to greet guests? Talk about Waffles and his nosy manners in the descriptions and add a photo. Yes, doing so will turn off many guests who don’t want to share their stay with a cat, however friendly. But it also will make your listing more appealing to guests who love cats. Honest disclosure enables you to both attract the right guests who would appreciate the listing as it is and discourage those who wouldn’t enjoy it from booking in the first place. Measure return on time Could earning more from your listing ever hurt? Yes, if it means having to put in a disproportionate amount of extra work. Would you rather earn $1,000 a month from two guest stays or $1,200 from 15 guest stays? Many will choose the more relaxed two guest stay with far less turnover work. As you host, instead of only seeking ways to squeeze every dollar out of your listing, look instead on how you can free up your time by using automation tools to simplify pricing and communications or using smart locks to eliminate time-consuming in-person check-ins. Sometimes, profit per hour of input is more important than total profits.