5 Mistakes to Avoid as An Airbnb Owner

As we head into peak season, you want to make sure that you’re doing everything you can as an owner and operator to ensure that your property is maximizing its potential, securing bookings and increasing occupancy rates. Below are 5 common Airbnb mistakes that we see from owners; you can also watch Sean’s video here.

Not Using Professional Photography

No iPhone photos - we repeat, avoid using your phone to take property photos. Hire a professional photographer to take photos of the inside and outside of the property, and drone photos or videos to showcase the property’s location and floor plans. In the grand scheme of your budget, this is a one-time cost that can help you to rank higher online, increase your bookings, and obtain higher reviews.

Static Pricing 

Don’t set & forget your prices. Your best option is to use a smart pricing tool that can help to set dynamic prices that change depending upon supply and demand. For example, we often set higher prices for a weekend than a weekday and in the summer than in the winter (in certain markets). We’ve mentioned this in a previous blog post about increasing your Airbnb’s profitability but, as a reminder, we use PriceLabs, which is a dynamic pricing tool and revenue management platform. With this software, we know that we’re maximizing our income while minimizing vacancies.

Over-Cluttering Your Property

Avoid your urge to “decorate” your property with kitschy knick-knacks on common surfaces, coffee tables and in bedrooms. While you may find them endearing, we’ve found that the simplest properties tend to outperform those decorated in clutter. Keep the look of your property clean as the simplicity of its spaciousness alone is attractive to renters. After all, if your renters really want to take home a piece of their vacation for sentimental reasons, there are plenty of souvenirs available for purchase on Seacoast boardwalks, beach shops and neighborhood boutiques.

Cheap Beds

This one is very important: invest in quality beds and mattresses. One of the most common complaints we’ve heard is that a mattress was not comfortable. When it comes to beds, we recommend steel over wood as wooden frames get damaged more frequently and more easily. Trust us, quality goes a long way and when you invest in beds and mattresses, you’ll spare your property unfavorable reviews. 

Not Putting Time & Effort into a Unique Design & Concept

See above - a unique design and concept does not mean cluttering your space with knick-knacks; it does mean creating a vibrant space that can help your property to stand out online. With the rental market becoming increasingly saturated, help yourself and your occupancy rates by creating a design that will attract renters. You might want to consider hiring an interior designer - it may impact your budget, but you’ll get a return on investment in the long run. 

Those are 5 of the most common Airbnb owner mistakes that we encounter. Are there others that you’ve experienced or that stick out to you? Leave a comment & let us know! We’re here to help owners and operators maximize property potential while earning more income and stressing less.

To view our complete portfolio of properties, check out our Seacoast STRs!

Top 5 Airbnb Owner Mistakes - Sean Bakhtiari