As someone who has been renting out properties for a while now, you’ve probably become familiar with the different nuances of being a host after dozens to hundreds of guests. In this article, we’ll go over the importance of having house rules for your Airbnb listing.
While it’s no secret that managing guests on your property is no small task, the important point to know is that using the platform presents a few unique challenges and considerations. Compared to simply renting a property out and receiving text messages, managing your space on Airbnb means taking on a hotel-like experience because of how hands-on you need to be.
Unlike regular tenants, the guests that you’ll be getting from the platform will come with the expectation of being treated like they’re in a hotel because of how the system itself works. By booking a room, sending requests, and receiving confirmation messages, anyone who finds your property on Airbnb and schedules a stay expects to be treated like royalty, and this can make for a few unique challenges.
However, there’s one particular solution that you can depend on to circumvent most of these unique challenges: establishing house rules for your guests.
What are house rules, and why do they matter?
Although Airbnb reiterates the fact that hosts never need to entertain a reservation they’re uncomfortable with, the fact is that every opportunity to house a guest means adding to your ROI.
House rules help ensure that guests don’t do anything against your wishes, leading to troublesome results. When put together and established well enough, these same exact measures can go a long way towards ensuring that both host and guest are satisfied and comfortable with their respective experiences.
A few tips to help get you started
If this is your first time drafting and setting house rules for any guest that books a reservation at your Airbnb property, then it’s essential to take note of a few key tips that will help you put everything together in the best way possible. Let’s look at some of the most helpful tips that will go a long way towards protecting your property, guests, rating, and profits:
1. Emphasize the benefits of following the rules
The one mistake that many beginner Airbnb hosts make when drafting house rules is that they inadvertently employ a draconian-like approach that makes an uncomfortable experience even more imposing. Unfortunately, this same approach tends to backfire because it fails to answer the crucial question of “what’s in it for me” that can encourage or hinder a guest’s willingness to comply.
When it comes to making house rules that any guest would be happy to follow, it’s important to emphasize the importance that guests follow them.
2. Don’t impose rules that are too severe
We understand that you want to protect your property to the point where imposing strict rules seems like a must since it can help prevent disaster before it happens. The problem with this approach, however, is that it’s so off-putting to the point where it makes your property look undesirable in the eyes of would-be guests.
You see, the one thing that you must know about house rules is that they can be a key point of consideration for any guest that will influence them to reserve or not. By setting “limiting” rules instead of “NO this” or “DON’T that” ones, you’ll avoid the mistake of enforcing heavy-handed rules that make someone not want to follow them or not book at all!
Conclusion
House rules are an effective tool that any Airbnb host can use to maintain peace, order, and cleanliness in their listing. Yet, it also pays to employ the right approach when drafting your own. Through the key points mentioned above, you’ll be able to ensure that you come up with a set of guidelines that are easy to follow and sound approachable! If you're wondering about how to generate wealth with Airbnb or how to get more bookings, BeyondBNB.io is here to help you out with anything you should know about Airbnb’s success. Claim your seat to our FREE “The 3 Secrets The Big Hotels Don't Want Airbnb Hosts To Know About” webinar by reserving here today!