HOST HACKS

Low-line couch against a window facing a green courtyard wall

Framed! When DIY turns NQR

Framed! When DIY turns NQR

How to recover from a DIY disaster! I've been on a mission to redecorate one of my Airbnb apartments this week in preparation for an inspection by the Select program photographer. I was tired of the mundane artwork on the walls that I had inherited from the previous owner, and wanted to inject a Melbourne vibe into the space. In my opinion, a property should always speak to its location and environment, so for instance if it's by the seaside, decorate it accordingly, with c

8 mini room make-overs that made my Airbnb pics pop

8 mini room make-overs that made my Airbnb pics pop

Wondering why your Airbnb property is languishing with minimal views and even fewer bookings? Could it be that your pics are boring and your space is nothing special in a sea of other listings? With the explosion of properties listing on Airbnb globally, your place is facing unprecedented competition. You can wring your hands, blame Airbnb, blame the universe and the economy, or you can take action. Check out these Before & After shots of rooms I have transformed. I often he

Balcony Blitzed! The Big Reveal

Balcony Blitzed! The Big Reveal

How I transformed my boring balcony into a lush and inviting outdoor living-room! Ok, I admit it... I was bored in those lazy days between Christmas and New Year. More than 2 days off, and I start to look around for things to renovate or spray-paint. This time the balcony was in my line of sight and I decided I was sick of it after 4 years, so a design make-over was called for. I invited my Airbnb hosting buddies to watch my progress on my FaceBook posts as I went on my journ

Newsflash - Insurance for sub-letting

Newsflash - Insurance for sub-letting

Fantastic news for Hosts who are sub-letting (renting an apartment and letting it out on the short stay holiday market. Perfect for Airbnb). Ceneta HostRite Short Stay Apartment Insurance is now approved for sub-letting! Underwritten by Lloyds of London, this is our most popular Apartment insurance - covers all the most critical Hosting risks in one well-priced annual policy. You can download the full product description with application form here, and the PDS here. Eligibi

Best Place in [your town]

Best Place in [your town]

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I couldn't agree more! There is no shame in appropriating other peoples' good ideas and adding your own twist. In fact, history is full of examples of ideas being copied and improved upon. A truly original idea is a rare thing, and most inventions are more likely to be a refinement of an existing concept. The best thing about staying in other people's Airbnb properties when you travel, is being able to pick up c

Global Airbnb Host Hacks

Global Airbnb Host Hacks

***Keep an eye on this post for updates as I add more excellent hacks from our contributors!*** There are heaps of FaceBook pages where Airbnb Hosts can get together and share their collective wisdom. The queen of Airbnb Hosts in the USA would have to be Evelyn Badia who runs The Hosting Journey, a closed group with more than 1000 members from all over the world. We had a very interesting discussion thread recently (thanks to Christina Kent Zima), where hosts jumped in to sha

What kind of Host are you?

What kind of Host are you?

Insurance for hosting is a mine-field. The point of difference between standard Landlord insurance and what an Airbnb host needs is embodied in 2 small words: SHORT STAY. While there are lots of Landlord insurance products out there, most of them won't allow short stay letting; Of those that do, some are very expensive, some have limitations surrounding number of days that you can let the property, some won't allow subletting - the devil is in the detail and that's why it can

The House Manual: Don't lease home without it!

The House Manual: Don't lease home without it!

Following my recent presentation at the Airbnb Hosting Festival in Melbourne, I had many people ask if they could look at the sample House Manual I brought along. This is a document I have developed over time as a template for all my properties. Here are my tips on what to include in a good House Manual. The House Manual is the single most important hosting resource there is. It should provide your guests with a reassuring source of information about your property, how to w

When you're on a good thing, stick to it!

When you're on a good thing, stick to it!

If you want to set your Airbnb property apart, give it some character. Some striking wall art will make your place stand out from the crowd. But how do you do that in a rental property without damaging walls? Decorating a rental property is problematic - hooks or fixtures may damage walls and jeopardise the return of your bond, so you are limited in what you can do to give the space some character. My go-to solution for rental properties is stickers! These are also known as

What flavour are your guests?

What flavour are your guests?

In the immortal words of Forest Gump: "Life is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you're going to get". Hosting is like that too... Guests come in all nationalities, shapes, sizes, customs and habits, and that's one of the most wonderful things about it - you get to meet a kaleidoscope of humanity and realise that despite the differences, we have more in common than not. I was recently asked to speak at a public event by Western Melbourne Tourism in partnership wit

House Rules - Be firm, but fair

House Rules - Be firm, but fair

Setting up your House Rules is one of the most important steps in creating your Airbnb listing because you are designing the rules of engagement between you and your guests. Most hosts refine their rules along the way as a result of experiencing the many vagaries of guest habits. You can set whatever rules you like, as long as they comply with Airbnb terms of service, and the law. But be aware that rules that you may find reasonable may not be viewed the same way by the gu

Remote Control Hosting

Remote Control Hosting

Wouldn't it be great if your house was making you money while you're away! We all fantasise about this, but it requires some very good planning to do it successfully. Here's what I do: I was in Europe twice for 3 weeks at a time at the end of last year. On both occasions I just kept taking short stay bookings like I normally would if I was at home. On the last trip I had 5 lots of guests stay - I never met any of them! Most of them were back to back stays. To do this succes

7 Tips for Perfect Pics

7 Tips for Perfect Pics

Newsflash: (human insight) People won't read if they can look at a picture. So what do your pictures say about your property and how can you attract the eye of the beholder? Here are my basic tips, and watch out for my next post on how to style your space! If you are listing on Airbnb, take advantage of the free photography offer. Yes, that's right: It's totally FREE! You apply online and the photographer will contact you within a few days to arrange a time. My tip

7 ways to beat the hosting blues

7 ways to beat the hosting blues

Many hosts are reporting a slow-down in bookings right now. The consensus seems to be that there is an imbalance in supply & demand as a result of the runaway success of AirBnb's Host Acquisition program. So what can you do about it? Here are 7 tips to kick-start your enquiries: 1 Change your lead picture. Do it weekly to prevent viewing fatigue (guests skipping over your property because they've seen it before) 2 Change the title of your property listing - same logic as

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Balcony Blitzed! The Big Reveal

Newsflash - Insurance for sub-letting

10 Essential prepping tips for remote hosting success

Global Airbnb Host Hacks

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