Are you planning to earn something extra from those empty rooms of your home? Your friend is making something by being an Airbnb host and you too are thinking why not give it a try! You can but before that it is better to think twice and consider to the following to take the right decision.
Inviting strangers to your home
As a host of Airbnb you will be inviting complete strangers to your home. If it’s part of your own resident then you have to spend nights with strangers. They may live in separate unit but will be there.
Does this idea seem uncanny? If it so then you must think again and then consider whether you want to be a host on Airbnb. Are you comfortable with strangers? If yes, then go ahead.
Committing time
You may think that once you have set the rooms and guests starts coming in you are done with it. The truth is different. It takes much more effort than just what you thought. You have to manage bookings, take care of your guests and handle different queries that come along. If you are fine with all this then go ahead, you can be a host.
Listing positioning
Guests love to stay at somewhere that is special. What is your specialty? Why should a potential guest take interest in your listing when there are so many other options available right on Airbnb?
Naturally, it’s the images and the description that you post will play the major role. You have to highlight your positive aspects and this will change with time. For getting right positioning you have to make changes regularly. Do you think you will be able to do that constantly?
Neighbor relations
Whether you rent a property for hosting Airbnb or own it is obvious that you will have neighbors. The question is how are they reacting to such situation? Is your neighbors’ fine with the fact that you are hosting on Airbnb or they are hostile to it?
The situation varies from one city to another and how does it happens with you will depend on your location. Do you think you can manage your neighbors?
Risk & liability
Even if you feel good to spend time with strangers have you ever though that you are taking their risks too? You do not know who will be coming as guests. They may damage your property, may disturb others, they may injure your neighbors or themselves get injured! Do you think you are in position to manage all this?
It’s true that with liability insurance coverage from Airbnb much of these can be covered but are you ready to take the pain when it occurs?
To conclude
Apart from the ones mentioned above there are many more things with which you should be ready while hosting a guest. There will be some interruption in your regular life; you have to keep yourself updated about your guest’s choices and many more. When you find this fine you can think of getting listed as an Airbnb host.