Shampoo & Booze 29: What Is It Like Running an Airbnb Business?

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This week you can listen to Ryanne and I argue over how much work it takes to run a rental. From my point of view, 90% of the work is done up front:

• Research to make sure a place you already own is worth renting, or choosing the right place to buy.
• Compare what other people are getting in nightly rates to make sure the 1% rule works for that property.
• Renovations. This is often the biggest job. We can't stress how important it is to invest in a property up front to make sure it's appealing to renters AND that everything works so you don't lose business fixing leaky rooks, broken pipes, and HVAC.
• Take nice photos and write a clear, inviting description for your Airbnb page. Having invested in a property, why would you not spend a good deal of time making sure the page people see is thorough?
• Think through the check-in and check-out process when a guest comes. Know what to expect. Have a list of people to call if anything goes wrong (Plumber, internet, HVAC person). 

As Ryanne reminds me, it's not all passive income once the place is rented. There's cleaning and maintenance which can be an incredible amount of work if you do it yourself (like we do now!)  But if you've done your work up front, the renting part is the easier portion. And if you hire someone to clean for you, it's even less work.

Question: If you currently run an Airbnb, was it more work than you thought? Better or worse?

Thinking of becoming an Airbnb host or guest? Use our referral code and get $20 off your next stay or $80 credit if you become a host!

Shampoo & Booze 28: To Hire A Cleaner? That Is The Airbnb Question.

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This is an age old debate that's been happening in our house since we started thinking about doing an Airbnb. Would we clean it every time, or would we hire someone? How would that work? How much would they charge? Would they clean as obsessively as we would? These are questions we keep asking ourselves still.

Thinking of becoming an Airbnb host or guest? Use our referral code and get $20 off your next stay or $80 credit if you become a host!

Shampoo & Booze 27: How to Hire Someone to Run Your Airbnb When You Travel

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After being on the road (and staying in Airbnbs) for about a month, we're finally home. Today we talk about what it's like handing off our rental to a hired friend. Sometimes it's cake, sometimes it's not- for all parties. But for the most part, it's been wonderful. Airbnb announced the ability for third parties, ie travel agents or managers, to book on behalf of clients. Check out their Business Travel Program. We also recently got an email about Smart Pricing, which might not work for us, but it could very well work for you.

Thinking of becoming an Airbnb host or guest? Use our referral code and get $20 off your next stay or $80 credit if you become a host!