FIRST MONTH on Airbnb: What We Learned + $$$

11 Things We Learned Hosting Our FIRST Month on Airbnb!

We take a break from our regularly scheduled DIY / fixer-upper content to compile a list of what we learned during our first month in the short-term rental business and the profit we've made.

From the septic tank to our welcome basket... we're covering it all.

Let us know in the comments if you have any suggestions or questions for us!

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Hi! We're Kristen and Michael, a couple DIY renovating their dream desert home into a short-term rental business. In December 2020, we decided to leave Los Angeles (our home of 7 years) to pursue our dream of owning land in California and creating a sanctuary to share with family, friends, and others around the world! We purchased our house in the high desert during the summer of 2021 and have since DIY-renovated the entire thing and created our business from the ground up.

Follow along as we continue vlogging our journey of hosting our short-term rental & upgrading our DIYs on the home little by little.

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#airbnb #airbnbbusiness

[Loveofdecorating]

Just a suggestion from a former house cleaner… you can take it or leave it… we used to have a second and sometimes a third set of everything so it makes clean up time at the house WAY FASTER! So all you have to do is take sheets/comforters/towels off and take them home with you or to wherever you do your linens and just simply put the clean ones on 😅 cuts hours off of waiting on sheets/comforters/ and towels to dry!!
Thanks for all your insider info! Great video 😊

[nabilah]

I am a owner for 4 AirBnB's
My advise to get more customers and better ROI: (1) I am collecting and bring my guests from the Railway Station and Airport for free! (2) I think it's good of course to provide guest some free coffee, tea and snacks of course. They will love it and next time they are in your city they will come again!

[IWonderGirl]

Guys, I’ve been working in hotels 7+ years and let me tell you something about ESA. If they openly tell you they’re and emotional support animal…I kindly say unfortunately we are not a pet friendly property and only accept ADA certified animals.
ADA specifically points out that ESA ARE NOT service animals.
By law, you are allowed to ask 2 questions:
1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

[kara]

I’m also new to hosting on airbnb. We built an ADU on our property (Southern California, popular beach town). We allow pets (so far only dogs) this has been the single best decision we made. We are booked solid through next spring. It’s a new build and we installed ceramic floors so cleaning would be simple. We are at least 30 days rental due to local laws. I can’t believe what a great investment this has been. Some things I’ve learned is all white sheets and towels so everything can be bleached super clean. I will simply buy affordable comforter so I can just replace between guests due to dog hair. I really think spotless matters. In between guest bookings, I try to schedule my handyman to go in and touch up paint, caulk bathroom shower anywhere needed…. I also give upscale amenities such has nespresso machine (including weeks worth of coffee pods). I always include welcome basket with bottle of wine (nice bottle), chips and chocolates. So far, we are crushing it! Best of luck to you

[leonhamlin]

Great video. So many people waste time just to tell you to buy a class at the end. I appreciate the information 😊

[tonyashcraft]

Upon their booking, ask them for a 4-digit number which you will use to program the front door as their entry code. This confirms their booking even more (fewer cancelations) and less thinking on your end to create a new 4-digit passcode.

[funyogi]

We started off with Airbnb in 2019, converted a house to a duplex. It went so well, we converted the garage to a studio unit in 2020. Then in 2021 we build an ADU in the back yard.... I don't think we could squeeze any more value out of that property if we tried LOL. My only regret is not building the ADu in such a way where I could rent it out as either 1 larger unit or 2 small studio units

[horror_headed]

Cleaning. I clean for a living. So true. Cleaning is hard work exspecially deep cleaning.

[murph]

just started an airbnb myself. It's downtown. Our occupancy rate in the first month is at 70% and we had a resident at the nearby hospital book for the entirety of our 2nd month. It's honestly insane with how fast this investment is paying off.

[mjordan]

You two are crushing it in my watched this entire video and immediately thought the typical buy and hold long term investor will rent to a tenant on a one to two year straight lease, and then hope make $200.00 to $400.00 a door net cash flow after advice to you is to repeat the process you have explained to us in this video over and over again as quickly as Great job!!!

[sharonbeatty]

Nice to hear from "real" people and not these slick videos that are self promotion rather than educational

[jsonalbino]

New subscriber alert!! Lol. I’ve watched a lot of Airbnb videos and I like so many others that want to invest are looking for honesty, transparency, mistakes, realness, which you both have shown here. It’s refreshing to see a video of 2 ppl that were new to the industry, and kept it real!!

[landeeld]

I was a property manager for years and I observed lots of people who felt it was their right to bring their pets, claiming them as Emotional Support Animals. Total Bullshit!

[AbnormalMarketing]

This is my first look into the life of being an AirBnb host and I loved it. Thank you guys!

[jodylowe]

In my business, civil engineering, if someone, a contractor, has to call you to ask a question, your plan/design was incomplete. So it makes sense to be as detailed as possible in your airnbnb listing. If your renters are having to call you for info, you haven't done your job probably.

[Robuilt]

Oh snap, I got a shout-out! Nice job! Make sure to get on that smart pricing though ;)

[MrHamlet]

There is a big difference between Service Animals (SA) vs. Emotional Support Animals (ESA). The ADA and States recognize Service animals, but the ADA does NOT recognize Emotional Support Animals and most states don't either (check your local laws).

California DOES have some protections for ESA, but not on the same level as SA. If a property does not usually allow pets, landlords still have to allow someone who has an emotional support animal as long as they have a letter from a mental health professional stating their need for the animal.

You are not allowed to charge a fee UNLESS that service or ESA animal causes damage. Service Animals are trained for the disability they are serving for whereas Emotional Support Animals are not. In most states, and federally, there are no protections for ESA so you can tell those people "no" or charge a fee etc. except for California.

You folks are spot on that you are not allowed to ask the person what their disability is and, for some ridiculous reason, for SA you're not allowed to ask for certification that the animal has been trained. You can ask ESA for documentation proving the animal is ESA. For SA only allowed to ask if it is a service animal, and what tasks it performs for the owner. In some states service animals are required to wear identifying items so people know it's a service animal. Again see your states laws.

I recommend making tenants pay for insurance to cover any damage which usually covers pet damage.

The customer is not always right....people will be awful and take advantage of you.

You guys are awesome - keep up the good work!

[leostephens]

End of the movie! Love it!! First time watching. Thank you. So informative.

[leeanned]

Fascinating job. I love behind the scenes vibe. Thanks for sharing your work with us.

[sara.a]

Love your content. Really helpful. Greetings from new AirBnB host in Zagreb, Croatia :)