Tips to becoming a successful airbnb, vrbo host

TIPS FOR SUCCESS Once you decide to take the plunge and become a host, you can take steps to lower your risks of headaches and increase the chances that your guests will go home happy. 1.

PRESENT YOUR PROPERTY IN ITS BEST LIGHT. Use as many high-quality photos as you can to showcase its best features. A dozen is not too many. People want to visualize themselves there. Airbnb,

Vrbo and other sites offer help. 2. TO REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE, LIST ON MULTIPLE SITES. Yes, it might get confusing, but there’s software that can help you manage bookings from multiple

sites. Host Tools, for example, can sync rental calendars, send front door lock codes and welcoming messages to guests, plus text cleaners for $8 to $12 a month. Guesty is similar. 3. MAKE

SURE YOUR SPACE IS GUEST-READY. That includes easy-to-use locks, comfortable mattresses and pillows, quality linens and properly working appliances, heating and cooling, TVs and sound

systems. Declutter. Remember you’re competing against many other properties, and guests increasingly want an “aspirational experience, better than their own home,” says California Superhost

Kate Shaw, 38. Digital locks allow guests to let themselves into the property, though many hosts like to meet their renters. Hosts must disclose if they are using noise monitors or security

cameras in public spaces or entrances (some may do so to ensure that rules are followed — but prospective guests may be deterred by such intrusions). 4. OBEY LOCAL REGULATIONS ON SHORT-TERM

RENTALS. You may need a permit or inspection. In an apartment building, check whether renting for short stays is allowed. Don’t make guests sneak up in a service elevator or pretend to be

visiting friends. 5. SET PROPERTY RULES. In a shared space, make clear whether kitchen, laundry facilities and public spaces can be used. Maybe you don’t want bachelor or bachelorette

parties in your house or candles burned. You might want guests to take out the trash before they leave. Be clear on whether you’ll be providing sheets and towels. 6. ACCEPT GUESTS CAREFULLY.

 Vet them beforehand by phone or have them submit images of ID. Maybe Google them. On some sites, hosts rate guests, and other hosts can see reviews. A badly rated Airbnb guest can’t

instantly book her properties, Krones says. Host Cindy Vinson keeps a “naughty list” of former guests she won’t let back. 7. COMMUNICATE WITH GUESTS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A STAY. That

goes a long way toward ensuring satisfaction and fixing problems. Vinson personally calls guests after check-in to make sure everything is satisfactory. If it isn’t, she takes action. A

downside (for hosts) to the boom in home rentals is that guests have become more demanding, she says. 8. LEAVE A NOTEBOOK OR BINDER DETAILING HOUSE RULES, EMERGENCY CONTACTS AND PROPERTY

MANAGEMENT TIPS. That includes how to operate things like heating and air-conditioning, and Wi-Fi passwords. Provide contact numbers for yourself, your management company or a local

caretaker. Suggesting your favorite restaurants, markets and local attractions is a very nice touch. 9. SET A WELCOMING TONE. That could mean a gift basket containing snacks, fruit,

chocolates or a bottle of wine. Guests also appreciate a kitchen stocked with a coffeemaker, a variety of pots, pans and utensils, as well as basic condiments and staples such as oil and

vinegar, spices, sugar, toilet paper, trash bags, laundry detergent and paper towels. Wine glasses and a corkscrew are thoughtful touches. 10. ENCOURAGE GUESTS TO LEAVE REVIEWS IF THEIR

EXPERIENCE WAS POSITIVE. Those are important marketing tools to bring in future bookings. Ratings are often the first thing potential renters consider.