This article is courtesy of MetroButler. MetroButler is a full service platform for Airbnb hosts , providing vacation rental property management services including online listing, guest payments, and more. Whether you are a seasoned Airbnb host who doesn’t have the time to manage your property or a newbie looking to get your NYC listing up and running quick, MetroButler is the answer. They are based in New York City.
When renting your home on Airbnb, your guests are looking for more than just a place to stay. One of the reasons they are choosing to stay in your home is to live like a local and see the world from your point of view. To be a successful Airbnb host, it’s important to embrace your guests and help them feel at home while staying in your place.
Here are 4 ways to make your Airbnb guest live like a local while staying in your home.
1. Don’t forget that your guest booked through Airbnb for a reason.
There are many reasons people decide to book an Airbnb opposed to a hotel and indeed, one of them is to live like a local. That can mean something different to every guest, but it almost always comes back to staying in a local neighborhood, relaxing on a couch, and not feeling the pressures put on by a hotel.
Make sure that your place is accommodating to guests. Whether that means having your kitchen ready for a guest to cook themselves dinner or having your wifi and TV easily accessible, it’s important to make your guests feel at home in your apartment.
2. Clean up!
Cleanliness creates a comfortable environment and living like a local is about being comfortable. Although guests are choosing your home over a hotel room, they are not expecting to walk into your home with dirty laundry all over the place and two-day-old leftovers sitting on the table.
Your guests are expecting a level of cleanliness when they show up to your home. Make sure your apartment is VERY clean. They may have booked a stay in a home, but they will still expect some things to feel like staying in a hotel. At MetroButler, we not only offer guests cleaning services like fresh linens and towels, but we also offer travel-sized shampoos, conditioners, and other small “extra” items. Little things like offering toiletries goes a long way to making your guests feel at home.
3. Offer a guide to your city.
There is nothing more useful to someone new in a city than a tour guide.
You may be worried that this is a difficult task, but you don’t have to do it alone. Try using Coral, a free application that will create a custom guide for your guests. Each guide includes important details regarding your property such as wifi info, Netflix login, or specifics like where the extra towels may be or how to use the Jacuzzi. The guide also provides recommendations for the neighborhood. It gives your guests ideas on where to find the best coffee or Italian restaurant, where the closest drugstore is, and so much more.
No matter how you decide to offer suggestions and information to your guests, remember it’s an important aspect in helping them feel like a local.
4. Be responsive.
Being available 24/7 gives your guest a valuable local resource and is a great way to help them feel at home.
If your guest has a question or if an issue arises while they are staying with you, being accessible to them is important. If they can’t get in touch with someone to help them, how can they feel like a local?
This may be one of the harder points to keep up on. You may be one of many hosts that rent you home on Airbnb while you travel or as a secondary property you own. While away, it’s not always easy to respond immediately to a question from your guests. Despite these things, do your best to get back to any questions as quickly as possible.
Your “home away from home” is the reason people choose to spend their time away in your vacation rental and hosting them is a responsibility you should be well prepared for. Being an Airbnb host is a great way to make some supplemental income, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. With the right tools, you’ll be set to help your guests feel less like tourists and more like natives in no time.
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