Five AirBnB Tips You May Not Know

These five Airbnb tips will help you make the most of planning a trip with social distancing in mind. As Fall arrives, we are ready to hit the road and have a little away time. After being cooped up, sheltered in, and limited time away from the house, we are ready! So let’s go!

An Airbnb stay is a great way to take the whole family, have a great time and social distance. 

Here are a few things you may not be aware of when booking an Airbnb.

There is more to an Airbnb stay than a shared room or house. Many people think AirBnB means shared space. While there is that option, there are many other options to make getting away fun, unique, and creative. Among their list of over 99,000 cities and locations are what they call Unique Stays. To break up your feelings of ho-hum and boredom, try booking a camper or RV, a boat, or even a treehouse! Airbnb has villas, boutique hotels, bungalows, and cottages among their list of options. Try something different from the standard house and make your Fall getaway something extra special.

Let Airbnb do the work of finding you a place nearby. As we continue to social distance and some folks continue sheltering-close to home, Airbnb has an option called Nearby; click the tab, and Airbnb will find places nearby your present location. There may be places you are not familiar with but, now Airbnb has searched and found them for you, or places you didn’t think about are there as an option. Once all the close by places are shown, you can shop for your perfect place using filters to narrow the choices. 

Allianz Travel Insurance covers your rental. Travel insurance is an investment – in your travel investment. Even a short or close by trip needs to be covered. The non-refundable deposits can be a dark cloud looming over your vacation. What if something happens – a change with your work schedule, illness, medical emergency, or the dreaded unpredictable weather. Travel insurance can help you with a refund for deposits. Their TravelSmart App will also update you on changes at your destinations, provide 24/7 customer service, and their concierge service can help you find things to do and places to eat nearby. 

Everyone wants to be the happy camper, having fun, enjoying your vacations just as you planned. However, sometimes our expectations are not exactly what we find in reality, and sometimes things “just happen.” When you arrive at your Airbnb, walk around and check out everything. Are things just as you expected? Is everything working correctly? Are there any potential issues that could cause you and your family problems while staying in the home? If the answer is yes, Airbnb expects you to contact the Host to make things right. No storming out and complaining later without giving the Host a chance to correct the issue. If problems are escalated to Airbnb customer service, they will intervene once the Host has an opportunity to make things right. They will also want the Host to have time to solve it before moving you to another location.  Take photos, use the Airbnb message platform to communicate with the Host and document everything.  

Five Star reviews – everyone wants them! Don’t think for a minute that reviews are only about the Host. They go both ways, and having a stellar list of reviews is what makes it easy to book the places you’d like and be welcomed back. One of the top places a Host can rate his/her guests is on “Did they follow the house rules?” This is the spot where Hosts will reflect the most on your stay with them.  If you’re wondering what house rules are, they can be anything from no smoking, no pets on furniture, no gatherings, check-out details, quiet hours, condo/community rules; the list can go on and on. The Host will provide the house rules and expect each to be followed precisely. So does Airbnb!  If there are any issues, they will side with the Host on this one. Follow the rules and if you feel there are rules that you and your family can not follow, choose another place. Big Brother may not be watching, but they will take note once you have checked out and what they think and feel will be in their reviews of you as a guest.  *Another tip – once those reviews go public, they are there for all future Hosts to see.  

Bonus tip – In light of the remote workplace we are experiencing, Airbnb is working with Hosts to structure longer stays. Presently, Airbnb is considered a short-term-rental platform.  Pricing, house rules, local ordinances and community regulations are being considered for Host to have the option of offering longer rentals to people wanting to switch-up their work environment.

Make your first or your tenth stay at an Airbnb all that you want it to be, with expectations met, five-star reviews shared, and the “Welcome Back” sign hanging-high just for you.