Now, we’re definitely not saying managing an Airbnb is easy – but it’s also not the hardest job in the world. Neither is being a mother, despite what Oprah says. But, never mind her – we’re here to talk about managing an Airbnb.
To fully grasp just how hard (or easy) it is to manage a rental property, we’ve done some research and talked to some friends in the industry, and what we found out is nothing short of (un)surprising. Some of it’s super easy and some of it sucks. Here are five of both.
The Easy Parts
Let’s start on a good foot.
1. Screening And Vetting Tenants
This is definitely one of the best parts of being a property manager. You get to be in control of who stays at your property and for how long. You can be as picky or lenient as you want, but either way – it’s your call.
Also, this isn’t that hard to do. There are plenty of websites and services that can help you screen tenants and make sure they’re not complete psychopaths or serial squatters.
2. Creating A Listing That Stands Out And Handling Marketing
This is another great part about being an Airbnb host. You get to be creative and design a listing that’s unique and eye-catching. And, if you’re good at it, you can attract a lot of guests.
Plus, marketing your rental property isn’t rocket science. There are plenty of articles (like this one) or other educational material that can teach you how to do it effectively even if you haven’t done it before.
3. Handling Deposits And Monthly Rent Payments
This is probably one of the simplest and most hassle-free parts of being an Airbnb host. Most platforms handle payments automatically, so you don’t have to worry about it. And if you do have to worry about it – it’s easy.
It’s probably harder to settle on a fair price for the rent, and that’s as easy as it gets.
4. Responding To Guest Inquiries And Requests
Another thing that’s super easy and definitely not time-consuming is responding to guest inquiries. You can automate some of it, and the rest is just a matter of being polite and helpful.
Of course, you might get an occasional request that’s out of your control or range, but those are few and far between. Most of them are handled within minutes.
5. Coordinating Check-Ins And Check-Outs
This is probably the simplest task on this entire list. All you have to do is coordinate with your guests about their check-in and check-out times, and that’s it. You don’t even have to be there if you don’t want to.
However, if you want to provide a more personal touch or be there in case something goes wrong – you can. But, generally speaking, this is an easy part of being an Airbnb host, according to helloguest.
The Hard Parts
And now for the not-so-fun stuff.
1. Hiring And Managing Employees
Whenever you have to deal with other people, it’s never fun. And, hiring and managing employees is definitely not a walk in the park. You have to find the right people, train them, manage their work, and so on.
It’s a lot of responsibility, it can be quite stressful at times, and as they say – it’s hard work, but somebody has to do it. Although, if you end up with good employees – it won’t be that hard.
2. Maintaining A High Level Of Customer Service
It’s one thing to be polite and helpful when responding to guest inquiries, but it’s another thing entirely to maintain a high level of customer service. This is something you have to do constantly, and it can be quite tiring.
Of course, you don’t have to do it all by yourself. You can delegate some of the tasks to your employees, but you still have to make sure that they’re doing a good job.
But, what makes this hard isn’t you or your employees – it’s the guests. You can’t please everyone, and there will always be that one guest who’s impossible to please no matter what you do. Just don’t let them make you miserable.
3. Keeping Up With Cleaning, Maintenance And Repairs
This is another one of those not-so-fun parts of being an Airbnb host. You have to constantly make sure that your rental property is clean, in good condition, and everything is working properly.
If something breaks or needs to be repaired – you have to do it. And if something needs to be cleaned – you have to do it. There’s just no way around it. Especially around the latter since cleanliness is not quite optional.
But, it’s not just that you have to stay on top of it – it’s that guests often don’t care. It’s not uncommon for unruly guests to leave a literal pigsty after themselves and fixing that mess is what grinds our gears.
4. Coordinating And Communicating With Guests
This might sound similar to the earlier point about responding to guest inquiries and requests, but it’s not. This is about constantly coordinating and communicating with guests during their stay.
It’s making sure that they’re comfortable, that they have everything they need, that they know how to use everything, and so on. It’s a lot of back-and-forths since there’s always more they want, need or require.
But, at the end of the day, it’s all worth it when you see the smile on their face – as they’re leaving, of course.
5. Coordinating And Communicating With Property Owners
If you’ve noticed a trend it’s because there is one. It’s people. People are the hard part. But, it’s not just guests that can be intolerable – it’s the property owners, too. The same people which have hired a manager to manage their property.
It’s mind-boggling how unreasonable they can be. Making impossible demands, being disrespectful, and completely clueless about how the business works while being absolutely certain the agency is charging them way too much for the services. What a combo.
But, there’s a silver lining. You don’t have to deal with them. Just end it. Quit. There’s always more work and more properties to be managed.
Final Thoughts
Those were the 10 easiest and hardest parts of managing an Airbnb business.
So, if you’re thinking about getting into this line of work – then those were some of the things you can expect.
