With the advent of Airbnb, it has become easier for apartment owners in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and other tourist-attractive cities of Russia to make money on daily rentals. The Airbnb website takes on the most difficult and controversial part of the job - finding clients and providing guarantees. But in order for cooperation with Airbnb to be truly productive and profitable, you will have to work on both the ad and the housing.
Illustrations work better than text, so before submitting your ad, you need to prepare photos of the living space you are renting out. It is optimal if the photographs show all the premises of an apartment or house: living room, bedroom, bathroom and toilet rooms, balcony, terrace. It is good if there is an image of the facade or entrance.
The more revealing and more interesting the photos, the higher the price can be set and the more bookings there will be. To make a high-quality photo shoot of your home, Airbnb provides professional photography services. The cost of the photo shoot is deducted from the first rental payment.
Beneficially on Airbnb, you can rent an economy-class apartment, a room, and even a bed. The main thing is to find the advantages of housing and focus on them. Houses on the outskirts are booked with pleasure by tourists traveling around the country by car - for them the proximity of transport interchanges and free parking spaces are important. A tiny apartment in the center can be comfortably furnished and positioned as a compact, inexpensive housing for singles or couples. Anything can become a "chip" that affects the cost: a quiet green area, a private patio, designer finishes, a jacuzzi, a landscaped balcony, a view of the bay or mountains.
Do not limit yourself to price increases only during the summer season and on New Year's Eve. Track events in the city and increase rental prices ahead of significant events. These do not have to be events of an international or national scale. In St. Petersburg, Moscow, Sochi, people come to concerts of stars, festivals, during the spring break, on the May and November holidays.
Calculate how much the average daily rent of rooms and apartments in the city and district costs. The data can be taken on the Booking website, on the same Airbnb, local forums. Evaluate your audience and estimate, perhaps you will be able to earn more by renting out not the whole house as a whole, but individual rooms or even sleeping places.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of recommendations and reviews on Airbnb. Most tourists decide to stay with their chosen host based on reviews. Even so, the amenities are not entirely satisfactory, and the prices are higher than the budget for the trip. Experience, including someone else's, is valued above beautiful photographs and colorful descriptions.
To get a good review, improve not only the appearance of your home, but also the service:
- Give guests helpful shopping, sightseeing and transportation tips;
- keep a map of the city and district in the apartment;
- leave your phone number for communication;
- offer assistance with organizing excursions, travel and ticket purchases, if possible.
When seeing off guests, clarify what did not suit them and what features of housing they consider to be disadvantages. Then, most likely, this will no longer be in the review.
Consider the possibility of using additional options: check-in with pets, reception of people with disabilities, etc. Look for accommodation with these parameters on Airbnb, and you will see that there is not much of it, especially in Russia. If in your city you will be the only owner offering families with a baby a crib and a stroller while relaxing in the apartment, this will be a significant competitive advantage over other landlords.
Remember, the more good reviews and vivid photographs your accommodation has, the more attractive it will be for tourists. Few people want to risk booking cheap, but unverified housing, but many are willing to pay for guarantees, reliability, comfort and service, and pay good money!
