The fuss-free Airbnb hosting routine: tips from an expert

We all live busy lives and it can be hard to keep track of our to-do lists on a daily basis. As an Airbnb host, the profitability of your holiday let business is reliant on you having an awesome Airbnb hosting routine. You need to be thorough. You need to be punctual. You need to be responsive. What does that mean in practical terms? You need to remember to empty the garbage bins and have enough clean linen ready for your next guests. 

If you’re someone who can become easily overwhelmed, or if you are not the most organised individual, never fear – we’ve put together our top five tips for a simple hosting routine.

1. Keep track of your tasks

There is a long list of things that you will need to do between guests – everything from scrubbing the toilet bowl, to putting fresh milk in the fridge. Many hosts use the old-fashioned pen-and-paper approach, writing their to-do lists down and ticking items off as they go. Others create spreadsheets or Word Docs with lists of tasks. If you want to use technology to make your life easier, we highly recommend downloading apps that help you keep track of what you need to do. Here are some of our favourites:

• Wunderlist – lets you set up multiple to-do lists 
• Calendy – ensures you don’t double-book yourself 
• Time Timer – helps you set time periods to complete tasks 
• TurnoverBnB – helps you not only find cleaners but also manage their schedules so that you can let them know online when their services are required for each check-out
• Monday / Trello – this online organisational tool is ideal if you are sharing responsibilities and tasks with another co-host.

“As an Airbnb host, the profitability of your holiday let business is reliant on you having an awesome hosting routine.”

2. Clean everything

Guests will forgive you if you forget to leave them a bottle of wine as a welcome gift but they won’t be as understanding if they find hair in the bathroom sink. Clean everything and everywhere. If you can afford to hire a professional cleaner, you will make your life a lot easier and your guests a lot happier. If you are determined to mop the floors yourself, here is a quick cleaning checklist:

• Ventilate – Open the windows and air the place out between guests
• Dust every surface – This includes each slate on your venetian blinds as well as the tops of cupboards
• Remove all rubbish – Empty bins in the kitchen and bathroom and put fresh bin liners in for the next guests
• Focus on the kitchen – Ensure there are no food scraps in the fridge, no burnt pieces of bread in the toaster and that the oven is spotless
• Make the bathroom shine – Remove mould from shower cubicles, ensure the drains are clear and most importantly, make sure there is no hair anywhere
• Windows – Don’t forget to clean all the windows so that your guests can enjoy the views.  

Check out more of our cleaning tips here.

3. Make your check-in process as easy as possible

Have a set of clearly written instructions on how to get to your Airbnb and make sure they are emailed to your guest well in advance of their arrival. If your property is hard to find, take photos of nearby buildings or draw arrows on maps so that guests have a very clear understanding of how to find your front door.

We highly recommend investing in a smart lock or lockbox so that guests can access the keys to your place when they arrive without you needing to be there. This won’t work for all Airbnb properties, as some will require a proper tour to show guests where everything is, but if you have a basic apartment it could be an option that will save you a lot of time.

4. Buy more of everything

You might think you have a decent supply of towels and bedsheets but all it takes is the dryer to break or a guest to spill red wine on a pillowcase and you could find yourself in need of a spare.

Don’t assume you’ll have time to wash and dry sets of sheets between guests. Always have at least two spare sets of everything so that, no matter what the circumstances, you can provide clean linen to new guests. 

This also applies to kitchen supplies. If you usually host a maximum of four guests, make sure that your kitchen is stocked with more than four plates, cups, knives and forks. Guests won’t always want to wash the dishes between meals so give them more rather than less. We recommend having a spare set of plates in case guests damage any during their stay.

 

5. Be an exceptional communicator

A successful Airbnb host will respond to enquiries and guest questions within a couple of hours. Make sure you always answer emails promptly and that you address all the questions raised. 

When it comes to welcoming your guests, know what you want to say. This might sound strange but if you are not an experienced host you mightn’t know what guests will expect when they walk through the door. Here are our welcome tips:

• Greet guests with a smile
• Give them a tour of the house
• Show them how to use any tricky appliances 
• Hand them a welcome gift 
• Reassure them that you are available any time if they have any issues
• Confirm their check-out time before saying good-bye

6. Get advice from an Airbnb expert

If you’re uncertain about where the begin when it comes to your Airbnb hosting routine or if you’d like help with organising cleaners between guests, why not hire an Airbnb management company like GuestReady? We can take the stress out of your schedule and ensure that check-ins go smoothly each and every time.