The history of my relationship with Airbnb: 10 countries and 15 cities, 17 apartments and rooms for a few days and 2 houses for a month. What have I learned for myself in 4 years and will I continue?

Honestly, there have never been any serious problems with airbnb.ru, and I am 99.9% satisfied with it. Wait, where did one hundredth go?

What accommodations can you find on Airbnb?

Almost anything - rooms, apartments, bungalows, villas and even tree houses! It usually takes from 30 minutes to an hour to search for an accommodation option in one city - I look at photos of apartments, read reviews of “experienced” ones (I also translate foreign languages). I also compare prices with RoomGuru - it happens that the good old 3-star room also wins.

My Airbnb Review

Our apartment for 4 people in Jerusalem - $100/night

Note: and if not the first, then here's a life hack - register mom / dad / friend (remember that the bonus is not entered, but automatically credited when you click on the link), and the discount coupon will work again. 🙂

Step 2 Let's go further - search for housing for travel. Booking apartments is available in almost any city in the world. To do this, set the parameters you need on Airbnb:

• city
• dates (since 2019, the numbers drop out along with the cost - convenient)
• and the number of people by clicking "apply" and then "accommodation"

and here they are - all the rental options for your dates, from a luxury townhouse in the center to a bum-style tent by the lake (did I say, for any budget? 🙂).

What are the filters?

• Housing type(entire housing, separate or shared room) - I usually don’t choose anything here, I’m guided immediately by the ads. You can spank, for example, the first option, and the house / apartment will be completely in your - temporary - possession
• Price- you can choose the limit amount that you are ready to pay per day (from 0 to 50,000+ rubles)
• Book instantly– see one step below
• Trip type(for families / business trips) - in my opinion, not a very relevant filter, because. a more interesting and cheaper option can be found simply in the feed
• Other- if necessary, indicate the number of bedrooms, amenities, area, or check the box "unique accommodation" (hut in the forest, yacht or houseboat? 🙂)

Step 3 We study housing - a brief algorithm is as follows:

• look at the prices
• determine the location on the map on the right (when you hover over an ad, its price tag is highlighted on the map)
• we open some vending apartments
• read reviews

When you click on an accommodation, you can see detailed information about the rules / conditions of accommodation, photos of rooms, reviews of travelers and the owner. I advise you to CAREFULLY go through literally every letter. The site works in Russian, so there is also a magic “translate” button. Check out the Amenities section. It happens that the owners also include breakfast - they are quite simple, but still nice 🙂 Plus, it saves both time and money.

Our apartment in New York (Brooklyn) for $67/night for two - it has a robot, a fireplace and even a cinema (more info via telegram @howtrip)

My advice on how not to fly by and not overpay:

1️⃣ I never choose apartments about which no reviews or a small number of them (2-4). Although I admit that everyone starts somewhere, and that cool loft with zero responses in a month or two will become a super-selling offer. But I'll probably skip it.

UPD: I changed my mind and now I'm looking at the "novelties". And all because they sometimes offer a 20% discount for the first 3 guests. Booked like this twice already, and successfully!

2️⃣ Of the whole bunch of rave reviews, I note those that are automatically generated by the service itself "The host cancelled this reservation...". This means that the owner canceled the reservation for so many days before the arrival of the traveler - if there are 3 or more of them, I pass by.

3️⃣ An important factor - frequency and response time owner (can be found below reviews). They demonstrate the attitude of a person towards Airbnb - scores or is really responsible.

4️⃣ There are several lines above the red “Request a booking” button that make up the final cost, but these particular ones are not always found:

• Cleaning fee- I don’t see the need if I’m going for 3-5 days or even a week. In principle, it is small - up to 2000 rubles for the entire stay
• Weekly/monthly discount- this is the most favorite 🙂 If you book an apartment for more than 7 days, then some hosts drop 10-15% of the price, and if for 3-4 weeks, then the discount can reach up to 30-40%! That is why Bali cost me 400 rubles per night.

5️⃣ And someone enters and security deposit. You can find out about this in the "House Rules" section, expanding them in full. Interesting that he not written off and is not frozen on the card when booking (and even more so is not given to the owner in cash). If the owner complains about the damage after the eviction, Airbnb considers the claim (of course, with your participation) and issues a verdict - pay the amount or forgive. I haven't had any experience with pledges yet.

6️⃣ Don't click on "Request Reservation" At once. First, write to the landlord (in the section "Owner's name" the "Contact" button): ask something about the apartment or just mention how you liked the option. But be sure to check, whether the desired dates are free - the calendar can also act up. In addition, it will save you money from the insidious instant booking.

7️⃣ What is "instant booking"? The host set the automatic confirmation of the reservation, not manual. Accordingly, the money on the card is frozen immediately, without waiting for the final word from the owner. In fact, this is a convenient option, and overlays (cancellations) occur extremely rarely 🙂 The red "Request a booking" button is normal, and "Booking" is instant.

8️⃣ Browse cancellation policy. Flexible, moderate, strict - the amount that will be returned to the card depends on them if you decide to cancel the apartment.

Step 4 After your request, the host has 24 hours to accept or decline your booking. If the outcome is positive, payment is made, and airbnb.ru opens access to all information about the accommodation - the exact address, phone for communication.

What should be considered in matters of finance (how payment is made):

• Airbnb takes a commission from 10 to 15%, the value of which depends on the cost of the reservation
• Payment is always in rubles, not in dollars or euros, even if the cost is indicated in such currencies. And it is better to use a ruble card, in order to avoid crazy conversion

• If you select "Split payment with friends" - a friend will not be able to pay with bonuses. They can only be used by the person booking the accommodation.

Step 5 Wait for the trip and contact the host the day before to clarify the details.

Entrance to the house in the center of Barcelona where we rented an apartment - 30 euros / day

How can I contact Airbnb?

Before booking For all questions, write to support www.airbnb.ru/help. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to call, they simply don’t have such an opportunity.

If you made a booking, and there was a need to contact, find the letter in the mail "Your booking is confirmed". At the very bottom there is a red button, go to the Help Center, specify the problem. You will be prompted to write or call their Russian-speaking support service (the number is free). Note: this very Russian-speaking support is often busy, there are few operators, so they throw it at the English-speaking one.

I recently discovered their Vkontakte page - vk.com/airbnbhelp, there is also a good connection.

What happens if a booking is cancelled?

Canceled by host: full refund or credit to another booking. Canceled by you: full/partial refund (depending on conditions).

If you choose accommodation with flexible cancellation, then there will be no problems. Always pay attention to this. In January 2018, we canceled a booking in Thailand - the money was returned to the card within 2 days! 🙂 Important: The refund is made to the card that was specified when booking.

By the way, if you are going to only one country for a week or 10 days, then I advise you to look at the cost of tours, it often happens that they are more profitable independent travel(applies to countries such as Thailand, Spain, Greece, Tunisia and other popular destinations):

What are the advantages of the Airbnb.ru website? Positive feedback from tourists

The apartment where we lived in Paris (August 2018) - 65 euros / day

1. The lowest prices for apartments around the world. And it is true! This is especially noticeable in large and expensive cities. As mentioned above, many offers are discounted if booked for a week or month. It is also profitable to rent an apartment with a company, when converted per person it turns out to be more budgetary. You can find cool offers for quite sane money. So, in Phuket, I rented an apartment for 600 rubles a day with a pool and a gym. Not bad, right? And in Barcelona - a room for 600 euros for a whole month.
2. Simple and clear site. This, of course, is not a completely tangible plus, but many services have big problems with this.
3. All sorts of options - you can find a chic apartment with a view of the whole city, a small and cozy apartment in a residential area with locals. In general, the choice and prices for every taste.
4. Renting accommodation on Airbnb, you get to know the locals, you feel the culture of the country. Which is quite difficult to catch if you check into a hotel and communicate with an employee at the reception, programmed to smile.
5. The service solved one of the main problems for many - full payment - and now it is not necessary to give the full amount when booking. It can be divided into two parts, and the second one can be held ≈2 weeks before the trip. Condition: total amount - from $ 250, travel date - no earlier than in 4 weeks.

What are the disadvantages of the site? Negative Feedback

Our accommodation for a day in Moscow on Bolshaya Sadovaya - 4200 rubles / day for three

Let me say a few words first. So I read the messages, and I think if everything was as bad as some describe, then Airbnb would have been blown away a long time ago. Well, and through one, of course, the blame for everything is the inattention of the user himself.

1. If you've been referred to a specific place - like Michael's cozy apartment in NusaDua - you won't be able to find it by name. This has been a very uncomfortable moment for me.
2. Payment upon booking. Now it is already possible to divide the amount into two stages, but back in 2017 this was not the case, which did not suit me wildly. Money, in fact, is in a "suspended" state for several months, and maybe quite a large amount. Airbnb finally went to meet customers. I know you will say that you can book a hotel without paying at all. But here, when canceling a reservation, ordinary people suffer significant losses, for whom this is not something that would be beneficial. And this is offset by cheaper prices than hotels. On the other hand, you can always cancel the reservation (a certain time before arrival) and the service will return the full amount based on the conditions that were specified in the apartment profile.
3. If there are any problems, the support service takes a very long time to respond to emails. It's okay that problems rarely arise, but they do happen. The last time I had a question about a refund. Surprisingly, the money returned faster than the employee answered - 2 days vs. 5 days 🙂
4. Negative reviews about Airbnb abound: I got caught by a fraudulent host who scammed me into a bad apartment or canceled a reservation a week before check-in. But just for such a case, reviews about housing, host ratings and the ability to contact before booking are introduced. Always carefully study each comment, see the date of registration of the profile and photos of housing. If you have any questions, be sure to write to the landlord - this is the difference between Airbnb and the hotel search engine, that he - about communication and expectation. In addition, the service is really client-oriented - any cancellation is accompanied by a discount coupon, and money is returned for non-compliance with the conditions (after proceedings). But this does not eliminate the need to look for new housing and unpleasant emotions. This is where one missing hundredth is hidden.
5. Speed ​​- people are not always online and after booking you need to wait for the owner's confirmation. Therefore, if you book accommodation in the morning and plan to check in after lunch, it is better to look for hotels through Roomguru.

By the way, if you settled on Booking, check: did you receive a refund of 1,000 rubles >> from a booking of 8,000 rubles or more? :)

Is Airbnb booking eligible for a visa?

Embassies accept airbnb visa bookings. For example, we made a Spanish Schengen and attached several confirmations from this site. You can easily do it for a visa to the Czech Republic, France and other countries.

Click View Travel Plan and print a detailed receipt. Names and dates are displayed there.

What other options does Airbnb provide?

In addition to accommodation on Airbnb, it became possible to book various entertainment and events with locals. For example, we booked:

• surf lessons in Bali for 450 rubles instead of the usual 1500 rubles on the beach
• yacht trip in Barcelona for 4200 rubles per person
• cupping and a lecture on coffee from a cool barrista in Barcelona for 1400 rubles
• jeep safari in Dubai for 1500 rubles (morning)

Profitable? Without a doubt. With the help of the site in Los Angeles you can learn how to make ice cream, book in Paris sightseeing tour, in Rome buy tickets for the locals concert. All this is available by clicking the "Impressions" button.

And since 2018, Airbnb Plus search for luxury accommodation has been introduced. The options marked with this sign are cool dwellings with maximum amenities and hospitable hosts (and a corresponding price).

FAQ

1. What to do if the apartment turned out to be completely different from the photo?
   Send photos and videos of your property to the Airbnb Help Center right away. The complaint is usually considered within 3-4 days, but the entire amount + non-pecuniary damage is returned.
2. What should I do if, after confirming the reservation, the host asks to pay extra or reports that he has to cancel the reservation?
   In no case do not cancel yourself, otherwise, in which case, you will not be able to return the full amount. Please contact the Support Center.
3. What does the review mean: “The host cancelled this reservation _ days before arrival. Is this an automated posting?
   The host canceled the reservation so many days before the arrival of the tourist. If there are many such marks, I close the ad. Although, in fact, the owners also fall under fines for "draining", and considerable ones.
4. Canceled the booking, but lost/replaced/stolen the card specified in the profile. How to return money?
   Funds are returned not to the card, but to the account to which it is linked. If you reissued the card, the issue is resolved by transferring the amount from the account to new card. If you closed the account itself, then you need to contact the bank with an application. Recently, I myself encountered such a problem - everything was quickly resolved in a week.
5. I want to change / shift the dates of the reservation, the owner approves, what should I do?
   In the "Trips" section there is an item to change / cancel. Enter new dates, the host confirms, you get an updated booking.

This is my review of airbnb.com. I am friends with the service and have not caught any hint of “setups” for three years. What will be yours? 🙂 Share in the comments!

Airbnb coupon and 3 more ways to save

1️⃣ It is more profitable to rent a house for a week or a month, because usually from 7 nights a discount of 5-15% is given, sometimes more.
If you need to stay for 2-3 days, then it’s easier to take a hotel or hostel on RoomGuru or. On the second, by the way, you can also get a 1000 rubles discount (for any booking)

With a discount, accommodation for 7 days will cost less than 6 or 5. And renting for a month will be more profitable than for 3-3.5 weeks. It happens that the monthly discount starts from 27-28 days.

2️⃣ Why not take a chance and look for new offers (special icon next to it)? Some hosts offer a discount on the first 3 bookings, and it can go up to 30-40% of the initial price.

3️⃣ Some apartment owners add a fixed cleaning fee. It is a tangible amount (whoever sets it), especially if the reservation is for 3-5 days. So try to find accommodation without cleaning. You can write to the host and ask - what if I clean it myself? :) Sometimes they go to a meeting, and the price goes down. But if against, you should not insist.

4️⃣ Naturally, a life hack that many people know about is a coupon of 2100 rubles for the first booking. BUT! Even if you already have an account, follow the link, register a new one for your mother, sister, aunt, friend, and voila. So far in 2019 it works. And you can even apply for yourself if you have changed your passport or you have a driver's license.

Additionally: watch the conversion. We already wrote about this in our article, in short - at the bottom right of the Airbnb website there is a currency switching feature.

Copying of materials is allowed only with the obligatory indication of a direct, active and open for indexing hyperlink to the site.

Get ready for a long post. In this article, I tried to take into account all the nuances and close all questions about renting out my apartment with the help of Airbnb. This information is based on my personal experience and the experience of my friends. So practice, practice and more practice. Go!

How to rent an apartment through Airbnb?

Imagine the picture:

You boarded a plane to have a rest in some wonderful country, for example, in Greece. All week you lay on the beach, enjoying the sun, the sea, life and fresh seafood. You met new people, ate delicacies and got a good tan.

And so you returned home, checked your account and were glad that you had a good time and managed to earn good money while basking in the sun.

But wait a second, is that even possible if you're not a venture capitalist?

Every year more and more people rent out their accommodation to travelers. Some of them earn six figures.

You need 3 things to make money with Airbnb: an empty house, a room that is idle or even a sleeping place, openness in communicating with people and a desire to make money.

Airbnb's idea is simple - you rent out your accommodation to travelers (often more expensive than apartments for rent to your fellow countrymen), and travelers rejoice at the opportunity to live in comfort and feel "like a local".

By helping tourists get even deeper into the daily life of the place where they arrived, the founders of Airbnb created a $30 billion company. This service covers 190 countries and 60 million tourists as its customers.

The good news is that you can have your slice of this huge pie.

If you prefer to first thoroughly familiarize yourself with a situation that is new to you before rushing into the pool with your head, this article is for you. Here is everything you need to know in order to successfully earn money by renting out your accommodation to tourists. And the basis was personal experience renting an apartment through Airbnb.

How does Airbnb work?

Airbnb is an online rental platform that offers an alternative to the hotel business. It is also a good opportunity to make money for those who are open enough to let strangers into their home.

Airbnb connects travelers looking for affordable or unique accommodations with hosts offering a free bed or fairy palace depending on your capabilities.

Tourists use Airbnb when:

• hotels are overcrowded (for example, during a festival);
• hotel prices are unreasonably high;
• they do not like hotels a priori and prefer to live “like at home”.

They can come to you both for a couple of days, and for several months, all this is negotiated in advance on the site and we will move on to technical issues a little later.

Airbnb takes a small commission from both tourists and landlords.

Why list your place on Airbnb?

Airbnb has become a very popular platform among landlords because it allows you to earn extra money without spending too much time and money. But this does not mean that this type of business only does not have negative aspects.

Opening your home to strangers is always a risk.

Firstly, renting out housing is also a kind of income, which is taxed by law. For non-payment of tax (if you are caught, of course), you will have to pay a fine.

Second, we've all heard horror stories about homes being destroyed or robbed by tenants. Statistics show that such cases are less than 1%, but they also take place.

But if you have the guts to let strangers live on your property and take care of your taxes, then Airbnb can be a profitable business for you.

If you like to communicate, then this service will help you make many new acquaintances around the world. Airbnb is used by many business people, and you will have a chance to meet people from different social circles.

Not to mention that an empty home is a big source of expenses if you don't use it in any way. So why not bring benefits to people who will also pay you for it.

Airbnb hosting requirements

Initially, in order to list your accommodation on Airbnb, you need to create an account. It's free, both for tourists and for you. To register, you will need an email address, or a Facebook or Google+ account.

Legal aspects

If you live in Russia, then you do not need to do any additional gestures. If you, as a decent citizen, are going to pay taxes, then you have 2 options:

• pay personal income tax, as a physical. face;
• register as an individual entrepreneur.

Choose the option that is more profitable for you, keep in mind that individual entrepreneurs still have insurance premiums to the Pension Fund.

If you live in another country, then check this point in your legislation.

Personal space

By registering for, you must accept the rules of the game - it is customary to respect personal space here. And if you have security devices at home, such as CCTV cameras, then warn your guests in advance.

Otherwise, the guest may terminate your agreement and request a refund, and you will receive a “penalty” in the Airbnb system.

Time spent

If you're serious about making money with Airbnb, then be prepared to spend a few hours a week doing it.

You need to visit the official Airbnb website frequently to interact with your potential guests: answer questions, negotiate any points in order to convince travelers to stay with you.

You also need to confirm the reservation and simply clean up after the guests. Of course, you can entrust the latter to a cleaning company.

Get owner permission

If you are a tenant yourself, you will receive permission from the owner to sublease the entire premises or part of it, prescribed in the contract, so as not to have problems in the future.

Responsibility

The Airbnb community is built on reliability and trust. Therefore, it is very important to accurately and correctly describe the housing you are renting: provide real photographs and normal living conditions (electricity, heat, running water and cleanliness).

Otherwise, you will be left with negative reviews, and your offer will have a low rating and tenants will bypass it.

How to get good reviews

Hospitality is the key to success. Airbnb has hospitality standards. Therefore, if you want to earn good money in this service, then try to match them. This will help you get good reviews, which means your services will become more in demand.

The math is simple: good reviews = more guests = more money.

To get good reviews, you need to pay attention to the following aspects.

1. Always update your rental availability. It is important that the platform and future guests know when your property is occupied and when it is free.

2. Provide future guests with information in a timely manner. Be available to chat and visit Airbnb often to be ready to answer questions in a timely manner, tell you more about your place, when you can check in/out, and more.

Sometimes it happens that having booked accommodation with an unscrupulous landlord, the traveler actually finds himself on the street in an unfamiliar city. In such a situation, he tries to quickly find a replacement for him, and here you are online.

3. Be helpful. Always prepare your accommodation for new guests. If for some reason you have to cancel the reservation, then do it in advance so that the tourist does not find himself in the situation described above, and he has time to calmly find a new home for himself.

4. Be honest. Provide real information about your accommodation so that travelers' expectations do not diverge from reality. Otherwise, your account may be blocked.

About security

The question of security is a concern for every sane person who is faced with a phenomenon previously unknown, and Airbnb is no exception.

There is always a risk that you will come across an unreliable person. At Airbnb landlords there were various situations when the house was turned upside down after a party, property was damaged, and in some cases, guests changed the locks and refused to leave.

It is in Russia that this is quickly resolved with the help of the police, but in England, for example, serious problems may arise. They have such a thing as "squatting". This is when strangers can move into an empty house without asking, and they can only be evicted from there by a court decision, and the trial is a long process.

Incidents like this got Airbnb into serious trouble in 2011, so they have since implemented a sophisticated verification system that has become a benchmark in the rental/rental industry.

You can't be anonymous, and the review and rating system works both ways, keeping both guests and landlords within the bounds of decency. Those. you can only let trusted people with good reviews into your home.

Prior to confirming a booking, parties may only communicate through Airbnb. All messages containing phone number are automatically blocked. Of course, there are workarounds, such as sending the number in parts, but do you need it?

Moreover, the bank cards of the participants are also confirmed by the system. You can exchange contacts with the guest only after the reservation has been paid, so that you can call and communicate in a more convenient way.

All payments are made within the system using online banking. When a guest makes a reservation, he must enter his card details, or pay through the PayPal system, which also takes care of user safety.

Payment is credited to your account the next day after the guest checks into your property.

Another important thing is that you always have the option to reject a booking request if the guest doesn't seem reliable enough to you. There will be no sanctions for this, you have the right to accept only those whom you trust.

If you need Additional Information, Airbnb has a Facebook Connect feature that allows hosts to ask guest friends for recommendations.

If these security measures prove ineffective, the landlord will be paid guaranteed insurance for $1 million. You will be able to take out insurance if your damage does not exceed $1 million.

If you have any issues, you can contact Airbnb and request a refund. Please note that insurance does not cover all types of property or personal liability, so you may be better off purchasing separate insurance.

How to set up an Airbnb account

Filling in your Airbnb listing information is easy. The platform itself is intuitive, so filling out an account won't take long. But if you want to stand out from the crowd, then here are some tips for you.

header

Many people underestimate the importance of a bright and catchy headline, and write something like "Bright and modern one-bedroom apartment in the city center." It's not bad, but there are thousands of such headlines.

To stand out from the gray mass, you need to be a little creative, you must be remembered. For example, in Minsk there is a “taxi with a squirrel”, everyone in the city knows him. It's just that a man drives his clients in an inexpensive foreign car, and a real tame squirrel lives in the cabin of his car. A trifle, but cool.

There is no need to indicate your city in the title, this is already clear. Travelers first choose a city, and then apartments from the proposed options.

If your housing is located outside the city, it is worth mentioning.

Description

With a description, everything is simple, it is best if you write about your accommodation clearly and, most importantly, honestly. Include as many important details as possible so guests know exactly what to expect. Do not make false or exaggerated claims.

To look more professional, translate your description into at least English, I also recommend Spanish and Chinese, but this is optional. In this way you will generate more credibility by your effort to be understood.

Photos

Photos are very important. Most often, apartments are rented from good photos. Here the logic is simple, the higher the quality of the photos, the more bookings.

Take photos during the day, natural light is best. You can only upload 10 photos to your account, so choose those that give guests a clearer idea of ​​your space: what it looks like, what size it is, what bed, bathroom, etc.

For ideas, I advise you to turn to your more expensive and popular competitors. See what angles they choose and do the same.

Airbnb also provides its own photographers. Photography is free. An icon will appear on your photos that they were taken by an Airbnb employee, which means they are reliable, and you have another plus for trust. Just find out if this service is available in your area.

Set the rules

Airbnb allows all hosts to set their own rules for guests. Consider your needs, the needs of travelers and neighbors. For example, do not make noise after 23:00, do not smoke. Specify the number of people you are willing to let into the house. You may want to assign them some household chores, for example, take out the garbage, water the flowers.

Your profile

Your profile is one of the most important elements of your account. People trust people. So you should look in the eyes of travelers as a person who is trustworthy. Fill out your information as completely and clearly as possible so that guests know what to expect from you as a host.

Price

Another important aspect that everyone pays attention to when choosing a home is the price. Before setting prices, look at your competitors' rental rates. Take into account their location, photos and analyze how successful they are (according to reviews). Look at hotel prices.

While you're new, set your price slightly lower than your neighbors for roughly the same housing option. Bear in mind that you will need to pay an Airbnb fee, buy essentials like toilet paper, and possibly even a cleaning company.

If you're serious about making money on Airbnb, be flexible with your pricing. Look at market demands and raise or lower prices depending on the tourist season.

Lafhack. Evaluating the season is very simple, go to wordstat.yandex.ru. Check the "Query History" item on the purple search bar. In the line, write “hotel Moscow”, instead of Moscow, write your city and click “Select”. You will see a graph from which you will understand how often tourists look for accommodation in your city depending on the season.

Using these is very simple, if you know that demand is expected to increase next month, then raise prices. On the other hand, if you don't have many guests yet, lower your prices until you get at least 2-3 positive reviews.

If you don't want to do that kind of drumming, Airbnb has a built-in pricing tool. It will automatically adjust your price based on demand in your area. You can set the minimum and maximum price per day.

Landlord checklist

So, you have completed your profile in accordance with all the rules and even received your first booking. What's next? Now you need to prepare your accommodation for receiving guests.

No matter what level of comfort your accommodation provides, you should always greet guests with cleanliness and kindness at the ready. Think of your property like a professional hotel, trying to maximize the guest experience and get good reviews.

Check your accommodation

Remember that the expectations of your guests should not be at odds with reality. Think about how your furniture performs its functions. Well, if there is a washing machine, but if it is broken, then it would be better not to have it.

Do not overload the space, less furniture is better than more. IKEA minimalism is just right. But you have to worry about the safety of fewer things.

Put things in order

Before renting your home, arrange a general cleaning. Clean up the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallway. Basically, anywhere your guests can get to.

Dirty apartments are what killed many Airbnb businesses in the bud. Nothing supernatural is required of you, just:

• Vacuum the carpets and mop the floors;
• Wipe the dust, even where you usually do not climb;
• Clean your bathroom to a shine. Have you ever heard the phrase: "the toilet is the face of the hostess." Gross, but to the point.

Fix what's broken

Broken wires, flimsy steps, broken furniture - fix or throw out anything that could cripple your guests with their malfunction. Good reviews are important to us, right?

Change bed linen

This tip may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many hostels neglect it. Change bed linen after every guest. If you are too lazy to wash often, buy several sets. This way you will avoid bad reviews. And who likes someone else's hair on a pillowcase?

Empty the fridge

This rule is from the category of "destroy all traces of the presence of previous guests." And it seems to be just as obscure to many hosts as the previous point.

Nobody likes someone else's half-eaten pizza in the fridge. But if you buy salt, pepper, frying oil, etc., guests will be pleased.

Wash the bathroom clean

Any good Airbnb host offers their guests 3 basic things: a clean bed, a clean kitchen, and a clean bathroom. Always keep these 3 points in mind and you will get good reviews, which means even more guests. I hope this motivates you to be a good landlord.

It will also be useful to buy towels, toilet paper, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste and whatever else you see fit. This is not a waste of money, but an investment.

Keep track of valuables

If you're renting out a room in your home or have guests staying with you for more than a week, make sure your valuables are in safe places. Keep money, jewelry, personal papers, and family photo albums where your guests don't have access.

If necessary, you can even purchase a safe to be calm about your belongings.

Give guests a separate key

Make sure you have at least one spare key for guests. Never give them your only keys, in case they lose it.

There is always something that can be done better. If good reviews are important to you, then here are some useful tips which are worth paying attention to.

Added value

It is important to understand that the more attentive you are to the comfort of your guests, the more travelers will rent an apartment from you. If you're serious about making money with Airbnb, think about the added value you can provide to your guests, at least at the start of your business.

If you pay attention to the reviews from your popular competitors, you will notice that tourists really appreciate the little things that their landlords have taken care of.

I know many people who are too lazy to bother with all this, and I understand them, but their results are appropriate.

Don't make guests wait

Always welcome guests, and if you do not have time, then ask your friends about it. Keep in mind that travelers may arrive at night and will need somewhere to stay.

You can be sure you won't get good reviews, if you make your guests hang around for hours at a closed door waiting for guests.

Meet them at the airport

The first impression is the most memorable. The best thing you can do for guests in this case is to meet them at the airport or train station. Firstly, in this way you will not only significantly reduce the number of SMS with questions about how to get there, but also make life easier for travelers. Trust me, they will appreciate it.

If you don't have the time or desire to ride, provide your guests with detailed information how to get to you public transport or taxi. Tell them about fares and provide signs to help them know they are on the right track.

Help them navigate the new situation more easily

Create a “Welcome Card” (print it out on a piece of paper or whatever your imagination is enough for) and enter information there that may be useful to them. For example, your contact details, list the best restaurants, city museums and things to do.

The next day, check how your guests are doing. Do they need anything else. If you have time and desire, you can spend them together, show the city to tourists. Still, renting through Airbnb is not quite the same as with a regular rental / rental of housing, to some extent it is also a community.

Stand out from the crowd

Try to offer guests something special to stand out from the competition. Dinner at the restaurant, free tour, homemade cookies. I guarantee that your guests will be satisfied and recommend you to their friends.

Ask for feedback

Starting any new business is not easy. This is true for your Airbnb business as well. If you are new to the site, then it will be difficult for you to find your first guest. People usually choose places where others have visited before them and told about their experience. They want to know what to expect and that's okay.

The good news is that if you're new to the Airbnb platform, you can ask your friends or family to leave a review. Pay for your stay yourself at the lowest price. Yes, you will lose some money on the commission of the service, but it will be much easier for you.

What to do if you still get negative feedback

Sometimes, even if you try hard, things can go to hell. When you have the first negative comment in your profile, it's a matter of time. No matter why the guests gave you a low rating, you need to remain calm and try to resolve the situation quickly and tactfully.

Apologize to your guests for what happened. Even if you don't agree with the review. Business is business and the customer is always right. Let your future tenants know that you're sorry about what happened and do your best to make sure it doesn't happen again. If you believe the guest is at fault, you have 14 days after check-out to leave feedback.

If the negative review was too negative, write a public response to the review and explain what happened, how you fixed the situation, and reassure guests that they won't experience it again.

All reviews remain forever, so don't give in to emotions, even if you really want to and remain a professional, regardless of whether you communicate with the guest in person or resolve issues online. Always acknowledge your mistakes and treat feedback as friendly advice on how to improve.

Don't forget that good communication can always prevent a bad review. Always keep in touch with guests and try to make their stay as seamless as possible.

Often bad reviews are written because of a simple misunderstanding. So try to be understood correctly.

How best to exchange keys

The key exchange is the first contact with the guest. Make sure it leaves a good impression. If you don't have time to meet your guests in person, here are a few ways you can hand them the keys.

ask friends

The most common way. If you can't do it yourself, then ask relatives, friends or neighbors. Give tourists the phone number of the person who has the key.

Leave the key at a nearby store

A nearby shop or cafe is also a great place to leave the key. But in this case, you must be completely confident in the reliability of the workers. Also make sure your guests arrive during business hours, otherwise you'll only create a new problem.

Use the key safe

Perhaps the easiest way to exchange keys, if you constantly do not have time, and you do not want to pull your surroundings. Buy a small key safe with a combination lock. Then your guests will be able to get into the apartment at any time of the day. You can attach it directly to your door, or you can place it in some secret place.

You can also install an electronic lock that can be controlled from a distance using mobile phone. Or you can give the code to your guests and change it every time they check out.

Surephost Icon

If you have received at least 10 guests in a year, then you have a chance to get Superhost status (super host). To do this, several requirements must be met. You must respond to at least 90% of your booking inquiries, and more than 80% of your reviews must be 5 stars.

By earning the Superhost badge, you will become more visible among your competitors, and you will have your own benefits and bonuses.

Results

If you are a hospitable person and are ready to let strangers into your house, then Airbnb can be a good source of additional income for you. But you need to first find free time to do this business.

Is it profitable to rent an apartment through Airbnb? The answer is unequivocal - yes. Firstly, renting an apartment by the day is always more profitable, and secondly, foreigners pay more money.

Many people have managed to create a permanent source of income for themselves by renting out a few apartments and getting six figures a month. And you can, too, if you enjoy hosting and have read this article carefully.

Accommodation on airbnb.ru

What is a siteairbnb

Airbnb.ru (airbnb.com) is a website for rental accommodation around the world. The essence of the airbnb (airbnb) project is to connect the owners of apartments (rooms, apartments, houses, villas and even yachts) in different countries who want to rent out their housing, and potential tenants of this housing on a trip, business trip, study, vacation and in other circumstances.

The advantages of renting accommodation around the world from hosts over standard hotel bookings are obvious. For the same money (and often cheaper) you get a full apartment instead of a small hotel room. Renting a house or apartment from the owner is very convenient in family trips, especially with children, or for large companies. For solo travelers it is convenient to rent a room. Let's compare the cheapest double room in a hotel and accommodation on airbnb at the same price in Stockholm. What will you choose: stay in a hotel with a tiny room and a shared (!) toilet or in a bright spacious two-room apartment for the same money?

On the left is a large dvushka, on the right - hotel room without a bathroom

How to rent an apartment without intermediaries from the owner on Airbnb

There are a few simple steps you need to follow to make your first global rental through airbnb. In the future, you can rent an apartment without intermediaries from the owner on Airbnb in just a few minutes.

Profile completion

Start with yourself. The owner needs to be sure that he receives a decent guest. Be conscientious about filling out the profile, because it depends on whether the owner will approve your reservation.

• Register. Of course, you need to register first. Have you noticed a gift from us? Next, I'll tell you what that means.
• Fill in the description. Tell us a little about yourself.
• Upload a photo. It is desirable that the photo be yours, close-up and with a smile.
• Confirm profile. There are several options: linking an account with social networks, phone, e-mail, verification through a document scan. This is a very important point, confirming that you are a real person with serious intentions.
• Collect positive feedback. When you start using the site to the fullest, from the very first booking, negotiate with the owner about the exchange of reviews. They can be left at the end of your stay for a certain period of time. Unfortunately, many guests and hosts are then too lazy to do this.

⚠ Since airbnb is a rental site around the world, try to give your description and reviews not only in Russian, but also in English.

Important nuances when booking an apartment forairbnb

When you start selecting housing in a city or country of interest, pay attention to the following parameters.

Master:

• Description of yourself.
• Profile verification. The more, the better
• Availability positive feedback(the host may not have reviews for this property, but they do for others).
• response rate. A good host strives for a 100% score.
• The presence of the status of "Superhost". Awarded for special merit, as seen in the diagram below.

The best hosts are awarded the Superhost Order

We were satisfied with the owner with the status of superhost.

Apartment (house, room):

• Reviews of the apartment on airbnb.
• Photo availability. Sometimes the photos are taken by airbnb representatives, then they are marked with the “Verified” sign.
• Address (location area).

Conditions of accommodation and booking:

• Cancellation conditions. We will consider this point in more detail below.
• Availability of options: household appliances, internet, parking, etc.
• Presence of collateral. Sometimes the landlord may specify the amount of the deposit for the safety of the property.
• Minimum number of days of stay.

⚠ Lack of property reviews, verified photographs, and a host's "superhost" status does not mean that the property should not be considered. Most likely, the owner does not often rent an apartment, just recently joined the Airbnb site, or is located in a rarely visited place.

What do we pay for

Payment includes basic payments and additional payments.

Main:

• Amount of rent.
• Airbnb service fee (≈6-12%).

Additional (at the request of the owner):

• Cleaning.
• Other host services.

The total amount is indicated in a special window - everything is extremely transparent.

On the right you can always see what goes into the price and the final cost of the reservation

General rules for paying for housing

Contact the owner by clicking the button

Once you have decided on accommodation, contact the host via messages. Tell us a little about yourself and the purpose of the trip, ask the owner additional questions, check if the accommodation is available for the dates you are interested in. If both parties are satisfied, request a reservation. Correspondence can be made simultaneously with several owners, but only one can request bookings for the same dates. Otherwise, you may be confirmed by several owners at once, and funds will be debited from your card for all confirmed requests.

⚠ If you do not speak the host's language, use online translators. Do not make complex and ambiguous sentences to minimize distortion during automatic translation.

You can bypass the correspondence with the owner through messages and immediately send a booking request. But I do not recommend doing this if you have found several options you like, and there is little time left. You may not have time to submit a new application for another accommodation if your reservation is not rejected immediately.

Submit a booking request and wait for confirmation from the host

Some apartments on airbnb have an instant booking option. This means that confirmation from the owner is not required. But I, nevertheless, try to first enter into correspondence with the owner in order to clarify the details of interest.

Book your accommodation worldwide instantly

Payment on the Airbnb website occurs online by credit card as soon as the host confirms the reservation, or at the time of booking if the property has the status of “instant confirmation”. For residents of some countries, other payment methods may be used (for example, PayPal). airbnb is the guarantor of safety Money. The host will only receive payment 24 hours after your check-in. Therefore, if something goes wrong, it is very important to file a claim with Airbnb support before this period expires.

Travel coupons and bonuses

Airbnb has created an incentive system for attracting new users. For the successful invitation of friends, both you and your friends will receive so-called coupons. In fact, these are not standard coupons with a promo code, but a travel bonus that is assigned to your account.

If you simply register on the airbnb.ru website, then there will be no bonus. And if you go through a special invitation link, then the system will give you a discount of $ 15-35 for booking accommodation (promotions change periodically, they may soon be canceled altogether, so it’s better to register now). After registering on the site, you will also be able to invite friends and acquaintances and give them gift coupons. For what? And then, that after they rent a place through airbnb, you will be credited with a new discount coupon. It is better to register now, as the promotion can be canceled at any time. So, lately the value of bonuses has changed several times.

Kostya and I once went to Moscow and decided through airbnb (you can read our review with photos at the link). By that time, we had already accumulated 2 discount coupons for a total of $50. We paid $60 instead of $110 for a chic new three-ruble note in two days, redeeming the coupons. We love saving so much! 🙂

This is how our receipt for paying three rubles for two days in Lyubertsy looks like

⚠ Coupons are valid for 1 year.

Cancellation of a booking on the siteairbnb

Of course, there are situations when plans or travel itinerary change. Therefore, when choosing accommodation, be sure to pay attention to the cancellation conditions. They are of several types:

• Flexible.
• Moderate.
• Strict.
• Super strict 30 days.
• Super strict 60 days.
• Long-term.

The first three conditions are the most common. For all of the above options, the general rules apply:

But if the owner cancels the booking, this will affect his rating. The Airbnb system automatically publishes information about this fact in the form of a guest review. The owner cannot delete it, therefore it is not in his interests to spoil his karma reputation. In addition, the owner pays serious fines and will not be able to receive the status of "Superhost" within the next year. But if this nevertheless happened, then the guest will be returned the funds and will be assisted in finding a new home.

Compliance with the rules of Airbnb is a guarantee of safety

Carefully read the rules for renting accommodation around the world on airbnb. They are designed to provide maximum safety and comfort. The system is built in such a way that it protects both guests and hosts. It happens that under the pretext of saving on a service fee, the hosts may offer you to pay them directly. Booking bypassing the Airbnb website runs the risk of running into scammers. And in this case, you will not be able to use the guarantees of the system.

Explore the possibilities of Airbnb

Marina and Konstantin Samorosenko

Gathered in one place links to all sites for booking travel accommodation that I know. Here you will find out how easy it is to spend the night in almost any city in the world at an adequate price or even for free! Or really find unusual place where you will remember your stay for a long time.

In the post, the largest base of hostels in the world, the largest hostel rental service, websites for booking unusual designer hotels, accommodation in exchange for help around the house or looking after a pet - in general, options for every taste. Choose!

Classic: hotel aggregator sites

Personally, I open these sites first of all when I am going somewhere on a trip. As the name implies, they combine information from various booking systems, such as: booking, hotels, ostrovok (one of best prices in Russia), agoda (good for traveling around Asia), trivago, expedia and many others.

Aggregators compare prices, look for discounts and special offers, where you can find not only hotels, but also hostels, guest houses It's very convenient to have everything in one place.

Read also:

Free accommodation

The best way to understand a country and its people is to get to know local residents Or better yet, stay with them for a while. Such opportunities are given by international hospitality sites, when people invite guests to their homes. Just don’t see them as just a free overnight stay, rather it’s a cultural exchange, interesting communication, an opportunity to improve your languages ​​and find new friends around the world.

Source: instagram: @myinterior

Accommodation in exchange for housework

These sites should not be considered only as a way for a free overnight stay, but as a new unusual experience and an opportunity to help people and the ecology of the planet for a week, a month, or maybe more. The bottom line is that you work several hours a day, and in return you get room and board.

Source: GettyImages

Cool and unusual hotel rental services

If you want to live in a lighthouse, in a treehouse, visit eco-friendly or vegetarian-only hotels, try out glamping (glamorous camping) or just show off, then there are special sites for this.

✔ and - here you can buy someone else's reservation at a discount. Someone could not go and sells their reservation on the site. You get a good discount, and the person gets money for a non-refundable number.

AirBnb is the best rental service that makes it easy and safe to rent apartments and houses in many countries around the world. On the site, homeowners place ads for renting housing, and those people who need it rent it. Everything is simple. All ads are placed with descriptions, photographs, a list of what is and what is not in the apartment. Moreover, Airbnb is not limited to renting apartments, on the service you can find excellent houses on the ocean, rooms, yachts, and even medieval castles.

Renting a home on Airbnb goes through several stages:

1. Direct housing search
2. Correspondence with the owner, in which you can find out everything to the smallest detail
3. Payment
4. Arrival and check-in
5. After your stay, you can leave a review about the accommodation (this is optional)

Renting an apartment on Airbnb is no different than renting a house, a private room, or a yacht. The process is the same. The service itself has proven itself with positive side, has been working all over the world for many years and its popularity is growing every year, which is worth only numerous, in addition, it is fully translated into Russian, so knowledge of a foreign language is not necessary. Compared to hotels, booking airbnb apartments is on average 2-3 times cheaper than a room in a three-star hotel. And if you are traveling with family or friends, then Airbnb is what you need, because hotel rooms are usually designed for 2 people, and you have to book several rooms at once to fit everyone (especially for groups of friends of 4-8 people). ), and renting an apartment on Airbnb, you can accommodate all together.

Why you need to rent a place on AirBnb:

• You will see the real state of housing in numerous photographs
• You are guaranteed the security of the lease, i.e. You will not be “thrown”, all homeowners are checked by the service.
• You can find out reliable information about accommodation from reviews that are written by people who have already lived there.
• Each ad contains a list of available devices (Wi-Fi, washing machine, TV, air conditioning, etc.).
• You can set your own filters by price, type of accommodation, amenities, and more, allowing you to find exactly the accommodation you want.
• The site is very easy to use, it is translated into Russian.
• The site has received thousands of positive reviews from travelers around the world.

How to choose the right accommodation on Airbnb

Knowing some of the features of the service, you can find airbnb apartments at the most low prices and with high level comfort. Often beginners do not know these "rules good search and find not the most comfortable accommodation. Especially for such newcomers, here are tips for booking airbnb apartments.

• Read property reviews carefully. Reviews were written by those who have already lived in this apartment / house / room, so they reflect the real situation. Choose accommodation with more than 5 positive reviews.
• Prioritize properties with verified photos. Photos of some apartments are labeled "Verified Photos". This means that the host provided comprehensive information, professional Airbnb photographers came to him and personally photographed the rooms.
• Ask your landlord for details. Do not be shy if you want to know what speed Wi-Fi has, how long it takes to get to the city center, whether the windows face the sunny side, what pattern the rug is in front of the entrance - feel free to write to the owner, he will be happy to answer all questions.
• It is better to book accommodation with a host with a verified profile. Each host has their own Airbnb profile, check it before booking, if the profile is not verified, it is better to find another accommodation option.

Comparison of Airbnb and hotels

Is Airbnb safe?

Don't worry, renting an apartment abroad on airbnb is absolutely safe. The service is the guarantor of the lease. When did you find suitable option housing, then transfer money to the airbnb service as payment, and not to the owner, which eliminates the possibility of the owner “disappearing” after the transfer of money (and this happens on some foreign services). Only after you check in, Airbnb transfers money to the host, and you can relax and enjoy life.

But not without a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey. The service is safe and in case of problems it is a guarantee that you will not be left in trouble without help, but some hosts can be cunning and provide false information about their accommodation. But such hosts can be quite simply identified and not booked with them. Be sure to read the article about that, and then you will be protected to the maximum.

Airbnb and visa confirmation

Booking on Airbnb is suitable for proof of residence, which is required when applying for a visa. You will just need to print the payment receipt from the site. There is no difference between confirming with and with Airbnb, all embassies accept both.

If you are not eating alone / alone, then when booking accommodation on Airbnb.ru, enter the names of all the people who are going to live with you in this apartment and they will also be indicated on the receipt. If suddenly you did not do this at the time of booking, then contact the support service, write the names and surnames (as in passports) of all guests, and then the service staff will correct the receipt and send the corrected version to your mail.

Some embassies also require a copy of the landlord's passport: a page with his photo and a page with his signature. You can find out exactly whether these additional documents are required or not for your visa only at your embassy (call them or write to the mail). If copies are still needed, then simply send a letter to the owner with a request (if you do not own English language, then you can translate the letter in an online translator) send copies of the pages and within a few hours or days (whenever) you will receive them. For almost never need to get a copy of the passport of the owner of the apartment.

Instruction

Understanding how to use the AirBnb site is easy enough, but, knowing a few tricks, you can find very good and cheap accommodation.

AirBnb is the best travel rental site. Travel and enjoy life! All the best!