Being a great Airbnb guest starts from the very beginning of a search to find the most perfect, most awesome vacation property for you and your loved ones or your friends.
Yes Children Count
The most critical thing and the most basic concept is understanding how many people are in your party. This way, when you conduct a search, the results will return only the properties that meet your needs.
One of the questions that we get quite a bit is whether or not children count as guests, and the answer is emphatically, “Yes, they absolutely do.” This is for a few reasons: first, not only does it ensure there are enough sleeping areas but also it involves the impact on the house overall. Children will impact everything from noise levels in the home to linen stains and water usage. It’s important to know exactly how many people are going to be in your party when you begin to search on Airbnb.
Read Everything
Another really important thing that you need to do as a good guest is to actually read everything in the listing and every communication sent by the host.
Read every single word in the listing. The host put this information in there for a reason. You, quite simply, need to read everything. If you’re not going to have phone connection where you’re going to be staying, print out the directions you might need to access the home before you set out on your adventure.
Read the listing completely and thoroughly before asking a question. Often hosts cover those things in the listing or under house rules.
If you have done your part to make sure that the property is a good fit for you, chances are you’re going to be a good guest and have a great experience. All your host really wants is for you to be happy and there’s no better way to do this than to read and look at the pictures closely.
Check-in, Check-out
Observing the posted check-in and check-out times. These times are included as standard guidelines, but if you have any questions or you need to make special arrangements, just ask. The majority of hosts are quite reasonable and willing to accommodate whenever possible. In the same way, they may have a reason for delay in having the space available and flexibility is key to your personal happiness.
Tread Lightly
Treat a host’s linens just as well as you would treat your own. That includes things like removing your eye make-up with cleanser before using a washcloth or bath towel. Hosts hate nothing more than mascara and tanning cream stains all over their fresh linens.
Guests don’t have to leave everything perfect when they depart – that’s not an expectation – but don’t trash the place either. Be aware that you are staying in someone else’s home and treat their property better than you would your own.
Observe House Rules
There is a separate section called “House Rules” in every Airbnb listing and usually this is where you’ll find what are the most important things for your hosts. By reading that, you can find out what people’s pet peeves are because they will list them there. Pay special attention to the house rules and make sure that you observe them because your compliance with these rules is one of the few ratings that you receive as a guest.
Communicate Well
Good communication with your host is critical. If you do have any questions leading up to a few days before your arrival, reach out to your host to get the answers you need to arrive with confidence. Use the Airbnb website for emails and transactions with your host. Keeping transactions in that kind of closed system helps your host maintain a history of communication and allows you to refer back to those messages over time. Once you arrive, your host may be comfortable with you contacting them via phone or text and will have left that information for you in a readily available space. Use it to get restaurant recommendations, tips and tricks, and clarification on house rules at any time.
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