Setting up the Airbnb profile: When we create your Airbnb listing, you have two options: add your listing to one of our existing profiles, or create your own. If you create your own, we will ask you to write a short bio about yourself, including your interests and what brings you to Airbnb.
Inside Tip: Studies have shown that profiles with hosts’ picture(s) have more likelihood of being booked than those who don’t. Even though you won’t be the one managing the listing, showing guests who the owners are, gives the listing more personality and credibility.
Your Listing: A lot goes into your listing, including details about your property and things to do in the area. The more detailed you are, the easier it is for the guests.
Your listing will include:
details about the space, number of rooms, how many guests can sleep in each room, bed sizes, and special features such as decks, patios, etc.
highlights of your amenities, such as: essential toiletries, towels, linens, iron and ironing board, and hairdryer
a notice that someone is on call 24/7 to respond to emergencies
recommendations regarding activities in the area
how close the listing is to things like public transit and local tourist attractions
Inside Tip: The more attractions you list, the better. Listing attraction key words, helps our Search Engine Optimization, so guests searching for specific attractions will be directed to your listing.
Photos: Time to let your inner creative photographer come out, as we will start with photos of your home, from your phone. We want at least five photos: one bathroom, one kitchen, two bedroom, and one living room. Stage the bedrooms with your freshest brightest linens, put up some extra decorations or flowers, and take the photos during the day while the sun is the brightest.
Inside Tip: Our creative team will add little narratives to each photo as if the guest was seeing them. It’s much more inviting to say: “sip coffee outside on our private patio like a local,” instead of simple stating the obvious: “patio.”
There is no need to pay for a professional photographer; Airbnb will send out a free professional photographer to take photos a few weeks after the first guests check in.
Click here if you’d like more information about the management services we offer at South End Hospitality.
South End Hospitality is a Boston-based company committed to delivering cost-effective vacation rental management services and ensuring the best possible experience for our guests. With over ten years of experience in the hospitality industry, we have developed expertise in vacation rental management.
Listing your property involves numerous tasks, including setting up and writing an attractive listing, implementing smart pricing strategies, managing guest communications, organizing amenities, and facilitating smooth check-ins, among others. Managing all these aspects on your own can be challenging, which is where we come in to assist you.
In the coming weeks, we will be publishing blog posts about our signature Management Services, where we will explain each step of the management process. Our aim is to provide you with a clear understanding of what to expect from South End Hospitality services. Through our blog, we will offer insights, instructions, and helpful tips to alleviate the stress associated with your vacation rental venture.
Click here if you’d like more information about the management services we offer at South End Hospitality.
During our initial consultation with our Vacation Rental Management solution, we will go over your expectations, answer any questions or concerns you may have, and talk about your space. Next, we will send you a contract, a questionnaire about the ins and outs of your property, a detailed check list of everything you need to get your property rental ready, and schedule a property visit together.
When we visit the property together, our goal is to finalize an agreement, answer any questions have on our questionnaire, and make notes about the property.
If you haven’t rented your house before and your space is empty, we can advise you on how to get rental ready, using the detailed check list we sent you. Use our services to do as much, or as little, of the work needed to get your place rental ready. Some services we offer are: shopping, painting, assembling furniture, hanging curtains, decorating, etc. If you are already renting, during our walk through we can double check our detailed check list to be sure you haven’t forgotten anything, and we will make staging suggestions.
After our site visit, it will take about 7-14 days for your listing to go live. During that time, we will get your property ready, work with you on your Airbnb profile, write your listing, and take the initial photographs.
Insider Tip: We recommend, you have enough place settings and glasses in the kitchen and seats in the dining area and living room (when space allows) to at least match how many guests you can host in your space. It doesn’t make sense to say your listing sleeps seven, but only have seats and dinner plates for four.
Click here if you’d like more information about the management services we offer at South End Hospitality.
As part of our complimentary onboarding process we’ll send our professional photographer to your house to take photos. Below are some great tips on getting your rental photo ready!
Declutter: Remove personal items, excess furniture, and any unnecessary clutter from the space. This helps create a clean and spacious look in the photographs.
Clean and tidy up: Ensure that the entire property is clean, including all rooms, bathrooms, kitchen, and common areas. Pay attention to details like dusting, vacuuming, and making beds. Remove any visible stains or dirt.
Decorate with a neutral aesthetic: Opt for a neutral color palette when choosing furniture, decor, and accessories. This appeals to a wider range of potential guests and creates a fresh, inviting atmosphere.
Enhance natural lighting: Open curtains and blinds to allow natural light to flood the rooms. Bright, well-lit spaces tend to look more appealing in photographs.
Highlight key features: Showcase the unique selling points of your rental. If there are attractive views, balconies, or amenities like a pool or fireplace, make sure to capture them in the photos.
Stage outdoor spaces: If your vacation rental has an outdoor area, such as a patio or garden, make sure it is tidy and well-maintained. Arrange outdoor furniture in an inviting manner and consider adding some colorful plants or cushions for a touch of vibrancy.
Add subtle touches: Use small decorative elements like fresh flowers, strategically placed throw pillows, or neatly folded towels to add a cozy and welcoming feel to the space.
Consider professional photography: If possible, hire a professional photographer experienced in real estate or vacation rental photography. They can capture the best angles, utilize proper lighting techniques, and showcase your property in its most appealing way.
Remember, the goal is to present your vacation rental as an attractive and inviting space that potential guests would want to stay in. High-quality, well-staged photos can significantly enhance the appeal of your property and attract more bookings.
This month we discuss how South End Hospitality handles Airbnb reservation support, guest screening, guest rules, and guest communication. Whether you sign up for our Hand Us the Keys or Reservations and More services you can feel confident that your property and all guest communications are handled professionally.
Spring is in the air, and the weather is warming here in Boston. This past weekend we welcomed four Marathon Runners at our properties. Next month we’ll be helping parents and family members with their reservations as they celebrate graduations at the many colleges in the area. The peak travel time for Airbnb guests is just beginning, so you need to be ready!
Airbnb Reservation Services:
Many factors affect how your property is ranked in search results and how it is seen by potential guests. At South End Hospitality we optimize the Airbnb reservation process to ensure your property is always visible to potential guests. The Airbnb reservation process we follow includes:
Fast 24/7 response to reservation requests, usually within seconds or minutes.
Collaborate with property owners to know when a property is available and constantly update the calendar to make sure if a reservation comes through we are able to accept it.
Write detailed property listings to attract the right kind of guest and minimize questions during the booking process.
Subscribe to the latest pricing services to update rental rates daily based on the season, local events, day of the week, number of nights, etc.
Work with property owners to set minimum night stays and how much traffic they think is appropriate for their properties.The type of reservations you accept more; one night vs multiple nights will affect how your property will be seen in Airbnb search results.
Network with other Airbnb hosts and rental management companies in the area and often get inquiries on property availability for their clients.
Insider tip: If your property is a condo, we will need to check with your condo board to see what their rules are before we can list on Airbnb. Many condo boards impose length of stay and number of nights per month rules that must be followed.
Insider Tip: Frequently guests send the same message to all the hosts in the area, maybe you’ve seen these, “is the property still available?” or “how much does the property cost for my stay?” Studies have shown that guests send these out to many different hosts and are most likely to book with the first one that responds. This is why a fast response and updated calendars are so important!
Airbnb Guest Screening And Rules:
At South End Hospitality, we take guest screening very seriously and go through various steps to ensure a guest is trustworthy before accepting a reservation. For guests who have used Airbnb before, we read their Airbnb reviews to make sure they are a good fit. If they haven’t used Airbnb before we look to see if they verified at least two social media accounts and their offline ID. We verify the Airbnb icon that indicates that the name they are using on Airbnb is the same name as their social media accounts and also on their license/passport. Negative reviews or a refusal to scan their offline ID are two indicators of a potential issue and a guest to avoid.
Insider tip: We always ask guests what brings them to the area. This can be a good indicator if they may be a bad fit for your rental unit. Things like my friend’s bachelor party, I’m a college student having some friends come to town, or in high school visiting colleges with my girlfriend, all may bring up some red flags for booking.
At South End Hospitality we work with the property owner to define the intended uses and guest rules for each property. These uses and rules are conveyed to the guest as part of the reservation process or outlined in a contract that guests sign after booking. The guest contracts can include the following:
The property can only be used for intended living purposes only.
No parties may be held on the property.
Noise is limited after a certain time of the evening.
The owner and the property manager have access to the unit at any time with or without warning
If they break the no party rules or are loud after the quiet hours they can be asked to leave and will not be offered a refund
Explain what the security deposit is being used for
Whether or not filming is allowed on the property
Airbnb Guest Communication:
Our trained professionals at South End Hospitality are available 24/7 to handle all guest communications. Once a reservation has been accepted, we stay in constant communication with the guest to ensure their needs are met. We have found that the following communication schedule works well:
One week before, we send reminders, finalize check in detail and send any instructions.
The day before check-in, we send pass codes (where applicable), verify check in time, and make sure they have everything needed to ensure a smooth check in.
Check-in day we verify that their check in went smoothly and they found everything okay.
The next day we follow up and make sure their stay is going well.
The day before check out we ask how their stay has been and confirm check out time.
On the day of departure, we send a quick thank you and wish them a safe trip.
Guest reviews are written as soon as possible.
As you can see a there are many steps involved with the reservations process and guest communications to optimize your success on Airbnb. Everything from getting trustworthy guests, maximizing your nightly rates, and keeping your guests happy to ensure positive reviews, all take time and careful planning. That’s why we offer these services through our Hand Us the Keys or Reservations and More services to save you time and maximize your income. Whether you are a seasoned Airbnb super host or a novice Airbnb host we’d love to help you welcome your guests next month. Click here to get started.
Check back next month as we will cover property set-up, maintenance and cleaning services.
This month’s topic is how South End Hospitality handles Airbnb property set-up, maintenance, and cleaning services. Both of our Hand Us the Keys and Reservations and More services will ensure that your Airbnb properties are professionally managed, to optimize the guest experience and your profits.
Spring time in Boston is the start of the peak travel season, and we have been very busy all month welcoming families celebrating the many college graduations in the Boston area. South End Hospitality also offer temporary host services during your busiest times or your vacation. This month we helped four Airbnb hosts welcome parents for the Harvard graduation by handling guest communications, cleaning, and putting together welcome packets. We also just added a new property in the Boston suburb of Jamaica Plain, which ties in perfectly to this month’s blog about property set up, maintenance, and cleaning.
Property Set Up: First impressions are very important and a lot goes into the setup of your property to welcome guests on Airbnb. We have a detailed check list of everything you need to make your property guest ready. If your space is already furnished, we will have our in-house stager walk through your property and make suggestions if they see things missing from the list we recommend. The stager may move furniture around, or suggest lighting or decorating changes to make the space feel more inviting. We will use items you already have to decorate with, things like: decorative bowls, vases, wine decanters, and plants.
If your space is empty we have two strategies. First we can recommend a designer who rents furniture which will give your rental space a great design feel. The cost to rent furniture for a one bedroom, kitchen, dining room, and living room can range from $300-$500 per month. These are often high end, matching pieces that are brand new and expertly placed around the house. We can also source furniture for you and set it up. Depending on your budget, we can buy everything new and stage it for you, or for the more budget cautious, we can go to estate sales, yard sales, and use Craigslist to furnish a one bedroom for around $2,000, plus an hourly cost for sourcing.
Insider Tip: Craigslist can be great for a bargain! This week we found a beautiful oak bed frame (with no scratches)for $75 and we connected with another lady who gave us her amazing round dining table and 8 chairs, FOR FREE, because she was excited we would be welcoming guests from all over the world to dine on her family’s dinner table!
Insider Tip: Martha Stewart says that a home should always have three sets of linens per bed, one on the bed, one in the wash, and one in the closet. We keep to this philosophy and suggest three sets of sheets per bed. We obviously change the linens every time a group checks out, but sometimes we have a quick turn around and don’t have time to do a load of laundry, so backups are great to have.
Maintenance: When we first get a new listing, we like to make detailed check lists of problem areas inside the unit and report them to the owners. We will go room by room checking for things like: making sure all the outlets and light switches work, making sure all the windows open, close, and lock, and we determine what sort of cosmetic changes we could make. We work with a great group of handymen and contractors who come and give us quotes. We’ve helped owners connect with great handymen to replace broken windows, sand and stain hardwood floors, and glaze bathtubs.
Insider Tip: Getting hardwood floors sanded and stained is not inexpensive, but it is so worth the cost. Check out these before and after pictures and you’ll see what I mean.
Cleaning Services We work with some great cleaning staffs. Our cleaning company partners are dedicated to Airbnb cleaning, so they can come and do a comprehensive cleaning of our units with only a couple of hours’ notice. The cleaners do everything from changing the linens, washing the laundry, putting out gifts for guests, and letting us know when we are low on supplies. Our cleaning service includes a walk through of our properties to ensure they are guest ready including replacing batteries in smoke alarms and tightening loose door handles; they really check everything!
One of our first steps after getting a new listing is a deep cleaning. Even if your space looks perfect to you, we want to start with a clean slate. We will clean everything from the window sills, under bed frames, inside the oven and refrigerator and entryways. We have a list of monthly and seasonal deep clean projects that we will have the staff do. Also our managers will do at least one cleaning project every week when checking on properties to make sure everything is in tip top shape.
Insider tip: If a toilet paper roll is any less than half full, replace it with a fresh one. Another nice touch, fold the toilet paper roll to make a triangle. It not only looks pretty, but gives the guests the feeling we don’t look past the small stuff.
As you can see, a lot goes into getting a space ready for guests. Next month, we’ll be discussing the gifts and other touches we leave for guests, as well as some more before and after pictures of our newest listing. If you would like a consultation about your Airbnb rental and you’re ready to “Hand Us The Keys” or if you have any questions or comments, send us an email at [email protected] or call 781-436-2205.
