I’ve have had my apartment units listed on Airbnb for almost a year now and I’ve learned so much. Airbnb connects people with a host who offers a place to stay for the night, week, or month. The concept is pretty cool because it allows you to get to know a city and experience what it is like as a local from the area. As a host you can if you want to meet your guest, and the best part is that You earn money by sharing your home with travelers.
Who can be a host? Well pretty much anyone with extra space. In very busy cities I’ve seen people listing couches and or living rooms to the guest. There are standards of course, but I think the barrier to entry is pretty low. To be successful I think its best if you had at minimum a spare bedroom. You could charge $25-40 a night making enough that would help with the monthly bills.
The typical guest that have booked my space has been a mixture of international travelers and out of town college kids coming home to visit friends and family. We have been very fortunate that most of the people that stay with us are very tidy and respectful of the space. There were concerns of damages to but Airbnb offers a $1,000,000 protection policy however I’m have read its best if you also cover yourself with your own insurance. I charge a modest $85 for a nightly rate, which is why we see a lot of bookings from college kids or budget travelers.
How much do I make and how much does Airbnb make off my listing? It's about 3-5% so for me it comes up to about $3 buck per night. I also charge a flat rate cleaning fee of $50 which I pay myself or the cleaners when I’m too busy. My monthly income ranges from $3500-$4500, which is 100% higher than what I would make just renting out the units. Dallas has had a large population increase in the past few years and this has only made the area more attractive to out of town visitors and guests. We have had a few people come to stay with us just to check out the neighborhood before purchasing in the area.
Getting started is very easy. Set up an account, provide them with a bank account, and post some pictures. They even provide you with a photographer to make your space look extra Gucci. I just used my iPhone and I get plenty of bookings, so you don’t have to go pro with everything. The design of our space is simple. The beds were where we spent most of the money. Foam mattresses are expensive, but everything else our friends donated to us or we had laying around.
In summary, I could go on and on about Airbnb, and how much I love it but you would just have to sign up and see for yourself. If you need extra income you can do it, if you need a full-time income you can do it. Put in a bit of vision and you WILL get bookings. If you know me personally need any help shoot me a DM or just call me.
This is my referral code, use it to sign up, and I’ll take you out of dinner 😉
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