6 Challenges of Airbnb Hosting and Their Solutions:
Hosting Airbnb as a business plan can be a life-changing decision. There are thousands of people worldwide relying on this business as their main source of income, and in most cases, they face no significant issues with running their businesses. But any successful Airbnb host may have to deal with some challenges of Airbnb hosting here and there, some of which we will discuss here. Along with the challenges of Airbnb hosting, we will also look at an easy solution for each, so you can pass these hurdles and take your business to the next level!
1. Violation of Local Laws
If you’re not careful, you can run into issues with your Airbnb business even before it goes into production! Airbnb business is banned in some countries, and violating the law can get you in serious legal trouble eventually. In addition, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many areas have set new restrictions for their tourist facilities which have become a challenge for Airbnb hosting.
Solution?
For those who plan to rent out their property, it’s necessary to keep up with all current local laws and regulations. Take into account that vacation rentals have different zoning laws than hotels.
To avoid this common challenge of Airbnb hosting, do your study ahead of time and study the local laws. Your business could be shut down if you operate it incorrectly in these sections of the book.
If your rental property is in a severely restricted location, speak with authorities and try to reach an arrangement that allows you to continue operating your business without breaking any local laws of Airbnb hosting.
2. Keeping Your House Sparkling Clean
In terms of dealing with visitors on a regular basis for Airbnb hosts, this may be the most crucial and most difficult challenge of Airbnb hosting. The necessity of thoroughly cleaning your home cannot be underestimated since guests will notice if something isn’t spotless. Even one strand of hair left behind by your previous guest can undo all the efforts you put in cleaning the place.
Negative reviews and a decrease in the number of potential customers may be the result of overlooking little details, such as dirty windows or dusty tables. All in all, you must learn to place a great value on cleanliness as an Airbnb host if you wish to succeed in this line of business.
Solution?
You may hire someone to clean your house if you don’t have the time to do it yourself. Reach out to the nearest professional home cleaning service available who are familiar with this challenge of Airbnb hosting and sign a long-term contract that fits your check-in/check-out schedule. You may want to double-check different spots – bathrooms, bed sheets, the kitchen, etc. Before handing the keys to your guests.
3. Changes in Check-in/Check-out Times
Your guests may request to arrive or leave earlier or later than the time you’ve set. This might happen due to changes in their flight schedule or misunderstandings in reading your timetable. Unfortunately, some people are also just bad at time management, and as a host, you will have to deal with plenty of them, which can be a real challenge of Airbnb hosting.
There is a high chance that this will cause some frustrations for you. However, you must consider that it can be frustrating for the guest to meet every timestamp in your schedule while visiting a new place as well.
Solution?
In order to avoid confusion later on, make it plain to your guests upfront what sorts of scheduling changes you will allow. If everything is explained clearly from the beginning, there will be no misunderstandings later on, and your Airbnb hosting experience will be less challenging.
Prior to their arrival, make sure you provide them with at least a maximum of 24 hours’ notice so that they can request a revision to the schedule of their check-in or check-out.
Politely decline any request to alter your home regulations if you’ve already addressed the issue in your house rules and your guest has continued to disrespect it.
Most of the time, the guest will understand that his request can be challenging for the Airbnb host and will agree to your requirements and abandon his proposal. But if you are willing to accommodate early check-in or check-out without charging a cost, do so!
4. Guests that are difficult to please
Your visitors are paying the cost of staying in your home, therefore they have a right to expect a few favors in return. However, dealing with guests who are excessive in their expectations and call you nonstop and ask for unusual favors can cause multiple challenges of Airbnb hosting and quickly drain your time, money, and patience!
You can have visitors brought up from the airport or make dinner reservations as an option. Your guests will appreciate these additional services, and you’ll be able to get more positive reviews from them. But it’s essential to draw the line when it comes to shopping for supplies or requesting that they be allowed to stay over their check-out time and other uncommon requests that only add to your challenges as an Airbnb host.
Solution?
A set of house rules describing what you will and will not do is the most excellent strategy for dealing with demanding visitors and making your Airbnb hosting experience less challenging.
Before making reservations, place it in a prominent location in the property, or better yet, distribute it via the platform’s messaging system to all potential guests. After this, there will be no misinterpretations or disagreements.
5. Property damage
It is not uncommon for guests to do property damage. People make mistakes; it’s just a fact of life. Even worse, you can come across people who have the mindset that they have paid for it and so have the right to break it. These people don’t care about making your Airbnb hosting experience more challenging. Others may even throw crazy parties that damage your home and leave you with nothing.
Solution?
Don’t stress out if a guest damages your property or facilities. Each room should be photographed and videotaped in order to document the damage, as well as any other relevant evidence.
The next step is to contact the guest, explain the situation to them, and elaborate on why it is a big challenge for an Airbnb host to deal with, as you will need to pay for the damages out of their security deposit. If the guest agrees to the amount requested, Airbnb will release the funds to you within 5 to 7 business days. Take note you must make this request within two weeks of the guest checking out.
Suppose the guest refuses to give consent on the deposit or ignores your messages longer than 24 hours. In that case, you can contact Airbnb’s Resolution Center and request to collect your guest’s security deposit.
To avoid upcoming challenges of Airbnb hosting, Submit the evidence you have collected with your request to support your case.
Airbnb will then review the evidence and contact the guest to get their side of the story. If they feel you are within your right to collect the deposit, it will be forwarded to your account. If not, you will then need to submit a claim to your insurance company.
Damaged rental property is a challenge no Airbnb host likes to deal with. However, hosts must always follow Airbnb’s legal, legitimate method.
Make no threats to guests, and don’t lose your temper while communicating with them. Keep your communication on the official website and where it’s easy to track.
6. Bad reviews
It’s almost impossible to prevent negative feedback from challenging customers as an Airbnb host.
Over time, one or two visitors will almost certainly express dissatisfaction.
No matter how hard you try to be the perfect host, things will occasionally go wrong – and even if they don’t, you will never be able to please everyone.
Solution?
The way you respond to a negative review will either help you protect your image as an Airbnb host who knows how to deal with the challenges of Airbnb hosting or ruin your reputation as a rude and unprofessional Airbnb host.
A sincere apology could always do the job, but keep cool and tell your side of the story if it doesn’t work. Focus on the good parts of your guests’ stay and detail how you’ve worked to solve the challenges as the Airbnb host.
Respond to all the reviews nicely. This will show your potential guests that you are a thoughtful and considerate Airbnb host. Make an effort to overcome this Airbnb hosting challenge by a positive gesture by providing the visitor with a reason to return to your house. It may make a world of difference to your reputation in the Airbnb community if you give a free meal or a free night’s stay.
All in all, it’s essential to consider these challenges and their potential solutions and have them in the back of your mind if you wish to lead a straightforward Airbnb business and get the most out of your property!