All Forum Posts by: Carolyn Fuller

 Notice there are several things John mentions here that I think lead to the 5-stars that, just providing the snacks @Marc Shin mentions above, won't accomplish.

(1) Snacks from a local bakery with a hand written note (with address of local bakery) makes a huge difference. We use to leave specialty chocolates we could get from the grocery store. They were hardly noticed by our guests. When we switched to fresh croissant from a bakery around the corner with a handwritten note that includes the address of the local bakery, they started getting noticed and the 5 stars started coming in.

(2) Pro-actively checking in with the guests made a huge difference in our ratings, as well.

One other thing I would add. We send a message after check out that has not only increased the number of 5 star reviews we get but has also led to some great suggestions on how to improve our listing:

"[guest first name],

Thanks! Safe travels and hope to host your next trip to our city.

Don't forget to leave us a review on Airbnb!

Also, we strive for a five star experience. Is there any feedback/ suggestions or items to improve the home for the next guest stay?"

I require last month rent upon the signing of a lease and monthly rent on the first day of the month for the other months. I do not require a security deposit or any insurance. I do not provide an inspection checklist. I treat my tenants the same way I treat my STR guests. All they need to bring are their clothes and their laptop. All they need to do upon check out is to lockup and text me. I provide all utilities and a monthly cleaning service, all of which are covered by their monthly rent payments. In other words, there are no fees beyond their monthly rent.

In my market, people who are renting for 3 months want all that an STR would provide and no additional fees. I throw in a monthly cleaning service to remind them that I am taking care of my rental and expect them to do so, as well.

Google My Maps which is different from Google Maps. There is a video tutorial on how to create the map you want.

One other tip... Make sure you have a good cleaning crew lined up and that they understand the tight window between checkout and checkin.

My very first Airbnb guest arrived right at checkin time and my cleaner had not finished cleaning the unit! A really awful way to begin my Airbnb hosting experience!

 It's illegal in my blue law state for a business to offer free alcohol to customers. Also, a bottle of wine isn't all that special or local.

Biggest Selling Amenity: Treat guests to something local and special. For instance, we give our guests freshly baked croissant from a French bakery located a block from unit. It doesn't have to be close to the unit but it should be both local and special. We have a laminated card that accompanies the croissant, that gives directions to the bakery.

Check-ins: Smart lock with a code using guest phone number makes a big difference to smooth check-ins. I created the 1 minute video (see below) showing guest how to find the door and how to use the smart lock. I send out this video at least 2 times, once 8 days before check-in and then when the apartment is ready for them. It has made a big difference in how smoothly check-in goes. Guests no longer fumble when attempting to use the smart lock for the first time. They no longer go to the wrong door. They enter the unit as if they have been living there for years.

Check-outs: Send a message the evening before reminding the guest of your check-out time & what they need to do. Also, ask them if they have an estimated time that they expect to be checking out. Keep your "things they need to do" to a bare minimum. Remember they are on vacation. 

I find dynamic pricing to be a pain. This season I picked a rate that wasn't the highest rate around but was on the high end. I stuck with that rate and we are darn close to 100% occupancy. I think the only vacant days were two days that we blocked off ourselves.

First month SNAFUs: Avoid cancelling a reservation. Make sure you understand how Airbnb's schedule works and avoid double booking because you are listing on multiple platforms. Also, be careful of the default discounts that Airbnb will propose for week long or month long stays. A common mistake first time hosts make is to allow for month long reservations with Airbnb's default recommended discount. Invariably, this will produce big bargains for guests looking for longer stays and will often mean the host is making less than if the unit was on the LTR market!

Managing communications: Airbnb provides functionality for both scheduled automatic messages and message templates you can manually send. I'm not 100% sure the scheduled functionality is available to brand new hosts. You might need to have some experience under your belt before Airbnb offers you that functionality. 

My auto messages: 
When someone books instantly, a message will go out, highlighting every single aspect of the listing that someone might find wanting. The message then reminds them they have 24 hours to cancel for a full refund. This has meant guests aren't surprised to discover xxx when they arrive and leads to more 5 star ratings.
I have an auto message that goes out the morning after check-in: "[Guest name], It's Carolyn. How's your stay? Do you need anything? Don't hesitate to reach out if there is anything you need." Guests love this outreach.
I have an auto message that goes out the evening before check-out that reminds them of the check-out time, asks them when they expect to be checking out and lists the check-out instructions (lock up, leave gate keys, message when checked out, keep it simple)

I have a bunch of templates for just about everything you can imagine. One that has been particularly successful is the message I send when they have checked out. "[guest name], Thanks for staying with us! Safe travels and hope to host your next trip to Cambridge. Don't forget to leave us a review on Airbnb! Also, do you have any feedback or suggestions to improve the guest room or home for the next guest stay?" Again, guests respond well to this message. Not only has it led to more 5 star reviews, it has also led to some excellent suggestions.

Guest red flags: Both my listings use instant booking. I treat all of my guests as if they are the best customers anyone in the hospitality industry could want. Even the worst guests you can imagine can be handled professionally, respectfully and firmly. 

Good luck and enjoy being in the hospitality industry!

re: "A negative review might be fair. But the system itself (Lauren's post is perfect for capturing that) is not fair. I'm undecided."

I actually think the ratings are fair but not nearly as useful as the reviews. When I stay in an Airbnb that I wouldn't stay in again because of issues that weren't highlighted either in the description / communications from host or in any of the reviews (I do read reviews before I book), the rating I leave is much less useful than the review I write. I might leave an overall 5 stars because the listing mostly met expectations but then my review is factual.

For instance, this past June I stayed in an Airbnb in Pisa. Nowhere in the description, communications from the host or the reviews, did I see that the air conditioning would not be available to us. When we arrived there were notices in the unit that it was illegal in Pisa to run the AC less than 77 degrees Fahrenheit and we couldn't run the AC at night, at all. 

More importantly, there were no remote controls in the unit so we were unable to turn the AC on at all. When I reached out to the host about the remote controls, he had his mother bring them upstairs for us. But the instructions remained that the AC should be set no lower than 77 and not run at night at all. We were to open windows at night.

We were there on a weekend and nowhere in the description, communications from the host or reviews did it mention the unit was directly over a weekend outdoor social hotspot. Even when we ignored the instructions and closed the windows and turned on the AC, the noise was too loud to sleep. No one was able to sleep until the hot spot closed in the wee hours of the morning. 

I looked up the rules for AC in Pisa and discovered that, indeed, hotels and other public buildings were to keep their AC no lower than 77. It is debatable about whether that regulation covered Airbnb units but I gave the host the benefit of the doubt on that point. 

In my review, I said anyone who is relying on AC should check in with the host before arrival to make sure the remote controls were placed in the unit. I told them about the 77 degree limit in Pisa regulations. I told them that if they were staying in the unit over the weekend to expect a raucous crowd at the outdoor spot below the unit. I told them that sleeping with the windows open and no AC on a weekend was challenging. 

A 5 star host with a listing like this one, would warn potential guests of the issues up front before the guest committed to the reservation. 

If only the host or guest writes a review but the other doesn't, the written review will be posted after 14 days. Search on Google turned the following up:

What happens if an Airbnb host doesn't leave a review?

If an Airbnb host doesn't leave a review for a guest within the 14-day window after checkout, here's what happens:

No Review on Guest's Profile: No review from the host will appear on the guest's profile.
Guest Review Publication (if applicable): If the guest did leave a review for the host, that review will still be published on the host's listing after the 14-day review period expires, regardless of whether the host reviewed the guest or not.

In essence, if the host remains silent, the guest won't receive a review from them, and if the guest wrote a review, it will still be published after the deadline.

Hosts can't avoid bad reviews by choosing not to review the guest and I'm guessing the opposite is true. I don't think you avoid getting a review from the host by not reviewing the listing. 

"A host also may not create a duplicate listing to circumvent negative consequences for an existing listing (for example, negative ratings or reviews)."

Rampant for one of my large "luxury" apartment building owners/competitor, here in Cambridge. 

In fact, he not only creates duplicate listings to avoid his negative ratings and reviews but also to avoid city regulators from shutting him down. He is a particularly unscrupulous landlord/developer. I feel for his long term tenants who were conned into paying luxury rents for subpar housing. 

Thank you Airbnb!!