5 SuperHost Tips for Staying at Your First Airbnb

My very first Airbnb experience was five years ago, in 2013, when I stayed at this amazing mid-century modern house on a lake with the most charming and welcoming host, Chuck Taylor. We booked the house for a weekend getaway from DC. It was a unique house, architecturally. Dog-friendly. And it had a hot tub! One of our favorite parts, however, was just getting to know Chuck. We watched his HGTV episode together. He even hung out with our dog while we went whale-watching. I was hooked on Airbnb.

I was a big fan of staying at AirBnb listings before I ever became a host. There are so many reasons I love it: the opportunity to experience the city like a local, staying in some really unique places– almost like an ultra-boutique hotel, getting to know a local, and of course price (although it’s not always cheaper than a hotel!).

And now, I’m a host myself (made SuperHost last week, woo!). Sadly, I’m a remote host, so I don’t get to hang with any of my guests. But I do have some tips for your first Airbnb stay as an enthusiastic guest AND host.

1. Fill out that profile and get verified!

As a new guest, you may have difficulty booking a place for the first time. Personally, I only accept guests who have a verified government ID and at least one positive review. I have, on occasion, relaxed the review requirement, but not the ID requirement. Filling out your profile, with a clear profile picture and verified government ID, makes you look more trustworthy and therefore boosts your chances of having a host accept you as a new guest. The more information you can fill out in your profile, the better.

2. Carefully read house rules before booking a place.

I once stayed in an Airbnb that required us to start the dishwasher, start the laundry, wipe down the counters AND vacuum all the floors before we left. It honestly left a bad taste in my mouth about the stay. I’m on vacation, why am I cleaning? Or, if I’m cleaning, why am I paying a cleaning fee?

Hosts have all sorts of requirements and cleaning procedures– no two listings are the same in this regard. Be sure that you can live with the rules and checkout procedures. For me, I think that line is vacuuming. I do not vacuum on vacation.

Also, if a listing says “no parties,” but you are looking for a party place, then it’s best to move on. Personally, my house rule says “no parties” for two main reasons: cleaning and noise. I just don’t want my other guests to complain that the couch smells like beer. And I DEFINITELY want to keep my neighbors happy. Both of those things are more important to my business than any single booking.

I suppose you can have a nice, quiet, adult party with no spilled drinks and low voices. But where’s the fun in that? That’s not really a party anyways.

If you break house rules, or make a huge mess for my cleaning crew, or are simply rude to me, I will not leave you a positive review.

3. Send a detailed booking request.

Let us know more about who you are, what your relationship is to anyone else who will be at the property with you, and why you’re visiting the area. If you have no reviews yet, sending a detailed booking request is even more important to us hosts.

For example:

Hi Chuck! I am a working professional, in my 30s, visiting the Norfolk area for a weekend getaway with my husband and dog. We would like to do some whale watching and perhaps visit the Botanical Garden while we’re there. My dog is a 25 lb terrier mix, cuddle bug, but can be a little nervous, and he does shed a little bit.

Remember, you are trying to convince a human, not a corporation, to trust you.

4. Remember that AirBnbs are not hotels.

Yes, they are an alternative to staying in a hotel when you travel, but it is fundamentally going to be a different experience, no matter how hard your host is working to provide a hotel-like experience for you.

There is a lot of variation in the type of listings on Airbnb. But most are still operated by small-time hosts like me. Many Airbnb hosts are your concierge, maid, and maintenance manager. We’re on call 24/7. And for most of us, this is the first time we’ve ever been in the hospitality industry. So it’s not really fair to compare it to your stay at the Hilton.

What you ARE getting is the chance to support a small, local business and perhaps have a bit more of a local experience.

5. Consider how you provide feedback to your hosts.

My philosophy as a guest has always been to leave a five star review unless

• I had an issue at the listing and the host was not interested in resolving it for me, or
• The house didn’t match the description. For example, that time that I stayed at a “basics provided” listing, but we had to bring our own sheets or pay an additional 12 Euro per person.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of reviews on AirBnb. AirBnb is a community built on trust, as captured in reviews. When you book a place, you expect it to match the description, for it to be clean, and for your host to treat you with respect. If the listing isn’t living up to your expectations, give your host a chance to correct it. We want to provide you with a five star experience. If you save all your feedback for the public review, we don’t have an opportunity to make things better.

Also, trust is a two-way street. When I’m considering whether to host someone, I read both reviews of them AND reviews they’ve left other hosts. Let’s just say that if your public reviews show a pattern of surprise one-star reviews, without giving your host a chance to correct the issue, future hosts may be wary of hosting you as you may be difficult to please.

I hope you found these tips helpful! Get $40 off your first stay on AirBnb with my promo link.