As an Airbnb Associate, I’m excited to curate incredible properties around the world. At no extra cost to you, I earn a small commission when you book through these links which helps me run this blog.
Airbnb is one of my favorite online resources to use when booking accommodations. The digital marketplace has an incredible array of lodging options in 191 countries around the world.
The choices are seemingly endless — from exotic treehouses to cozy home-stays, Airbnb offers travelers unique, tailored ways to experience new destinations. Being an Airbnb host also serves as a great way to earn extra cash for traveling.
Thinking about hosting? Here’s what you need to know about earning money for travel with Airbnb.
Saving Money to Travel
Becoming an Airbnb host is simple and it can seriously pay off. Just check out this calculator to figure out how much you can earn.
Sharing your home is a fun way to meet travelers from around the world and build up your travel fund. When you’re away, you can list your entire place to cover the cost of your own travel accommodation, and sometimes even more!
Serving as an Airbnb host is quite flexible; you can offer a couch, room or your entire place if you wish.
I understand that it can be worrying to have strangers in your home when you’re away, but Airbnb strives to mitigate any worries. All of the guests are vetted and they have liability claims of up to $1 million USD available.
Learn more about listing your place on Airbnb here!
What to Consider First
Hosting might not be for everyone — before you take the plunge, consider how much you’re looking to earn, and how much time you would like to invest.
Hosting is a grand commitment, especially if you are going to do all of the cleaning and managing of guests yourself. Handling communication, handing over keys and other last-minute surprises can take more time than you might estimate.
If you rent a home or apartment, working with your landlord is another thing to think about. Subletting, including short-term Airbnb arrangements, could be against the terms of your lease.
It’s essential for both you and your guests to make sure that your landlord is okay with you serving as an Airbnb host. You don’t want your guests booted out mid-stay or even get yourself kicked out!
Hosting Best Practices
Create a Good Profile: If you think you are ready to host, then it’s time to create a profile. Having well-lit photos and a clear description is crucial here.
While you want your place to look enticing, you still want to represent it accurately. A quick way to disappoint your guests is to let them down by overselling your place.
Add Perks: Once you’ve got a solid profile, it’s time to think about adding value to your homestay experience. Do you want to offer breakfast? A free tour around town? Tickets to popular tourist attractions? Think of hosting as a business and find incentives to put a smile on your guests’ faces.
Stock Up: One of the first things you’ll realize is that you need to have plenty of towels and bed linens. Every guest needs new a set, and there isn’t always time to have things laundered between guests. So, having extra sets on hand is a must!
Having little toiletries around for guests to use is a great bonus and be sure to have lots of toilet paper in stock. Put out little snacks and drinks for that extra little touch!
Get Help: Even if you plan to do the cleaning on your own, you’ll still want to have a reliable cleaner that you can call on. Sometimes you’ll have more than one set of guests while you’re away, and the place will need to be cleaned in between so it’s necessary to have someone you can count on.
Go Low Tech: Another major time saver is using a lockbox or keypad to facilitate an easy check-in. You never know when guests might be arriving in town, so it’s convenient for everyone involved if you have a passcode to use to get inside.
Register to become a host for Airbnb here!
This post was written in partnership with Airbnb. As always, thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Awesome place and good photography…
How timely! This is something that I’ve been thinking about for quite some time now, but I always worry that my place will get trashed, etc. Just last week I decided to buy a condo here in town and use it for my AirBnB adventures. I figure the worst case scenario is that I don’t get enough booking and have to rent it out to a long term renter locally.