Want to know how to set up an Airbnb in a property you own? Here’s a quick guide on how to turn your property into a successful vacation rental.
Do you live in an area that’s attractive to tourists? You could turn your house into a vacation or Airbnb home rental and earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month. Hundreds of thousands of people already do it.
Keep reading to learn how to set up an Airbnb
What You Need to Set Up an Airbnb
One of the benefits of vacation rentals is that you are in control of your business. You can host when you want to and set your own prices. You can even set the rules to protect your property and ensure you only take the guests you want – when you want them.
But before you start thinking up ways to spend your extra cash, you need to check a few boxes.
The first thing you need to do is find out how your city deals with Airbnbs or vacation rentals. Many major cities now have codes that dictate who can rent out their properties and how long they can do so. You may even need a permit or another type of permission.
Airbnb provides a page on “responsible hosting” here. Make sure you do this before you list, or you could get caught promoting an illegal Airbnb rental.
Once you have the legal legwork done, all you need to do is:
- Lots of great photos of your property
- Descriptions of your property
- List of rules
- Your preferred prices
Remember, first impressions matter. You’ll get more bookings when you’re more descriptive. You will also get better ratings from guests when your property matches your profile.
How to Set Up an Airbnb
To get started, you need an Airbnb account. Once you’re in, you can then go to the Airbnb host page. Airbnb wants to know all of the basic facts about your space, from the size of your property to the Airbnb cleaning fee, so be prepared to provide them with:
- Type of property (House, apartment, unique space, boutique hotel, etc.)
- What space the guests have (Entire place, private room, and shared room)
- Your photos and descriptions
- Your cancellation policy
Setting up your page is only the first step. You then need to learn how to assess guest’s profiles, the best ways to communicate with guests, and whether you want to provide other services, like a professional cleaner.
Remember that listing an Airbnb is the easy part. Once you’re live, you need to run a business.
That means you’ll need to provide great customer service so that your guests have a great experience. After all, your next guest will read what your current guest has to say!
You Can Make Money from Airbnb
Now that you know how to set up an Airbnb, you’re ready to make extra cash with your existing property. But it’s still important to keep in mind that you can have a great house in a lovely location, but the service you provide is what will make you a highly-rated host.
Airbnb isn’t passive income: you need to be ready and able to help customers make the most of their rental before, during, and after their stay.
Are you getting ready to welcome your first guest? Make sure your home is in tip-top condition. Visit our DIY archive for helpful tips and step-by-step guides.
