As an Airbnb host, there is nothing worse than having a negative experience with your guests. Fortunately, this is a problem that short letting marketplaces such as Airbnb have worked hard to prevent and the chances of having an unpleasant guest experience are now extremely low. That said, there will always be a small risk when short-letting your property.

Here are five key steps you can take to reduce the chance of having an unpleasant experience with your guests...

1. Verify your guest on Airbnb

When a customer first creates an Airbnb account, they are asked to verify their contact details. So a general rule of thumb is that the more verified details on a users Airbnb page, the more you can trust them. You can also gather a lot of information about a potential guest from looking at their age, interests and vocation on the ‘about me’ section of their account. Needless to say that the reviews written about a guest by other hosts are the first port of call. Don’t rush to accept bookings for the sake of filling your calendar without carrying out this basic check on your guests! After all, it is super accessible and shouldn’t take more than five minutes. You can choose to switch “instant booking” off so you can vet a guest thoroughly prior to their booking.

2. Photo Verification

As an Airbnb host, you can request that potential guests provide a verified photo ID on Airbnb before you accept them. This ensures that Airbnb can fight fraud more effectively. If a guest is serious about your property, they will not mind quickly uploading a photo ID so don’t let this extra security step put you off!

3. Utilise Social Media

Whether you like it or not, we are living in a digital age, and most people have at least one social media account in their name. If a potential guest approaches you, you can always go an extra mile and check for an active social media account with lots of connections as Airbnb accounts can be linked to social media.

4. Hire a property management company 

It’s no secret that short letting is not easy, especially if you are letting multiple properties simultaneously and have a lot of responsibilities to juggle. This is where a short let property management company steps in, to remove the workload from your hands. Pass the Keys is the UK’s leading Airbnb management company, providing an end to end service that prioritises the safety of your property and puts the host first. We carry out comprehensive guest vetting and our hosts all have insurance for their peace of mind. Our client portal allows you to receive frequent updates on the state of your property through time-stamped photos. We are a bespoke, all encompassing service with a 24/7 guest support team that will deal with any issues that arise whilst guests are staying in your property. 

Still unsure about the short-letting process? Check out this blog post to learn more!