Fill your empty nest with paying guests: Airbnb for Seniors
Would you like more financial security in your retirement? Do you have an empty nest that you’d like to fill with paying guests?
You might think that Airbnb is a website that younger people use but retirees are the fastest-growing group of hosts on the platform for a variety of reasons. If you’re a senior who is interested in creating financial freedom for yourself in your retirement and meet people from around the world, we have some great tips for how Airbnb could be the ideal solution for you.
The benefits of senior citizens becoming Airbnb hosts
Retirement can be a challenging time for many people aged 60 and over. Maybe your children have moved out and now live far away. Maybe you’re very attached to your family home but can’t afford to maintain it on your own anymore. By renting your home or rooms out on Airbnb you can complement your pension with an additional income to help you pay for travels or the upkeep of your property.
– Travel the world: Travel the world – finally, you have the time to travel but necessarily the means. By letting out your property on Airbnb or short-let booking site, the rental income you can make can cover your travel costs. Find out how you can manage your Airbnb remotely.
– Goodbye loneliness: Many people over 60, particularly those who have lost a spouse, can feel quite lonely and isolated in their home. Airbnb is a wonderful way to ensure you have constant company. You’ll have travellers to chat with and offer advice to. You’ll be able to share your local knowledge and stories with people who will truly appreciate you. For many retirees, even just the sound of someone else pottering around in the kitchen can be reassuring.
– No need to keep working: If you’re reaching retirement age and longing to leave your 9-5 workday behind, Airbnb can be a great source of income that can allow you to quit your job and embrace the golden years of your life. Many seniors feel they have to keep working in order to secure financial security for themselves but Airbnb allows you to earn a regular income without having to be part of the rat race.
– Staying in your family home: Older residents can feel forced into downsizing and moving into a retirement village. You might know that you can’t physically continue with the gardening and household maintenance and that your property is too big to manage on your own but you probably have a strong emotional attachment to your family home. By renting rooms out on Airbnb, you’ll solve that problem by earning the extra money needed to maintain the property.
– The familiarity of your neighbourhood: Earning money on Airbnb will not only allow you to stay in your family home, which you love dearly, but also to stay in your community rather than move away to a retirement home. Many retirees feel very connected to their neighbourhood. They like to shop in certain stores and they have a local GP who knows them. As an Airbnb host, you will be able to keep hold of all those things. Even better, you’ll be able to share your precious local knowledge with travellers who will be super grateful for all your tips!
– Keeping busy in retirement: If you’re a senior who is used to staying busy – whether it’s caring for the grandchildren or working part-time – it can be confronting when those projects come to an end. Maybe the grandkids are now all in school and your health doesn’t allow you to work in an office anymore. By putting your home on Airbnb, you’ll create a project for yourself that will keep you very busy. You’ll have emails to reply to, and guests to greet, and cleaners to book.
Seniors are the ideal Airbnb hosts
If you’re a senior citizen who is doubtful about whether you’d be a good Airbnb host, we are here to reassure you that you are, actually, the ideal candidate for becoming an Airbnb host.
You’ve got time: Many Airbnb hosts are extremely busy. They have to attend to a range of work and family commitments which can mean that they are less available to guests when it comes to answering their questions and attending to their needs. An ideal Airbnb host will be available around the clock to help guests out, which is why people over 60 who have left work commitments behind are great hosts – because they have the time to help with anything. And if you rather use the time to travel or stay with your family overseas, you can appoint an Airbnb co-host to help you manage your property while you are away.
Attention to detail: Yes, Airbnb attracts many twenty-something hosts who are drawn to the idea of earning a passive income while they pursue bigger career goals or travel, but this age group is not always able to provide the attention to detail that is needed for Airbnb. Senior hosts, in general, are more house-proud and pedantic about levels of cleanliness in their Airbnb. This results in great reviews from guests who appreciate the attention to detail. Find out how interior design can further increase your income.
Warm welcome: Not only will you, as a senior host, have time to greet guests but you will probably also have time to make their welcome a warm one. Whether it’s baking a welcome cake or picking fresh flowers from your garden for the kitchen table – those thoughtful touches will go a long way at creating a successful Airbnb business..
Your safety as an Airbnb host
Many seniors are concerned about their physical safety and issues such as being robbed in relation to opening their home to potential strangers. Rest assured that Airbnb is one of the most trusted holiday rental platforms in the world and it prides itself on security – ensuring all guests must go through a verification process as well as undergo identity checks. The review system offers added reassurance because you, as a host, can choose to accept bookings from travellers who consistently receive good reviews.
There are other things to consider, such as security cameras and quality locks on doors, if you decide you want to turn your home into an Airbnb. All of these things can easily be arranged with the help of an Airbnb management company like GuestReady. We can also assist seniors who are not confident with using the internet by creating their online listing for their Airbnb and managing communication with guests.
Call us today to find out how we can help you start to truly enjoy the financial freedom of your retirement.
