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You’re going to come into Airbnb issues as a host at some point. Learn how to cope with the most common Airbnb questions and issues and avoid them in the future.
My team and I have managed a lot of reservations—almost 9000 reservations with close to 17000 registered guests.
With over 140000 messages, a lot of those are automated. Still, a lot of the ones that weren’t automated were these questions issues that we’re going to talk about this week so let’s go ahead and jump in, and these are necessary in order.
The most common question has to do with entry.
“We can’t get in the door.“
“We can’t open the door.”
‘We can’t find the key.”
“Your digital door lock is not working.”
Something’s happened with the entry, and your guest is having trouble getting into the property, or maybe they couldn’t find it.
You’re going to get asked these questions a lot. For example, some of our older guests don’t have as easy with the digital locks. Some people don’t read the instructions, so they go to the wrong unit.
Guests may become disappointed when they arrive at their Airbnb, expecting to check-in and relax after a long day of travel, only to find themselves hauling heavy baggage about, unable to locate their Airbnb. Provide your guests specific directions if your home isn’t readily visible from the parking lot or a cab drop-off.
Even though I encourage using smart locks to make the check-in process easier, technology sometimes fails. It’s critical to have a backup plan to avoid angry guests upon check-in. Keep a spare manual key with a trusted neighbor or in a nearby lockbox to which the guests can gain access.
We put this everywhere, and yes, people still ask. Along with this question, we’re going to kind of lump sum together; maybe someone just says your wifi is not working or your wifi is slow. You’re going to get questions about the wifi. I highly recommend you make your wifi password super easy, so ours is “just relaxing” for example, don’t make it complicated like XZ467910tM#$&. People are going to mess that up. Make it easy to lessen the questions you get, making it easier for your guest.
Make sure it’s up and running and that your guest knows how to use it. Consider putting a laminated, easy-to-clean placard with helpful instructions someplace in your environment.
Now that so many people work remotely, guests have higher expectations for fast internet. Consider upgrading to a faster speed if you have the option.
Again we put all of this info in our digital guidebook. It’s all over the place, but unfortunately, people don’t read a whole lot. And the longer I do this, the least I think people are reading. I’m guilty myself. I must say I wait till the last minute for many things and don’t read as much as I used to.
Include parking information and be as specific as possible. Do you mean that you have a garage available or that there is a spot on the street when you state that parking is free? And if you say public, how long would the guest have to walk, and how much will it cost them? It’s also a good idea to specify the type of car that will fit in the parking area.
Can you bring us more linens, blankets, toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, whatever it is? Can you bring us more supplies of something? This will pop up or another as well, or it may just be someone’s asking where you have more of it if it’s already stored in your property.
The quantity of each item recommended is determined by the number of guests and the length of their stay.
Consumable essential supplies should always be placed out before the guest come, but excess should be kept in a locked pantry when you aren’t around. That’s because Airbnb’s restrictions on what can be “used” by guests are a little hazy; if you leave 20 rolls of paper towels out, you might not have any recourse if they all get used.
However, you still want to ensure that your guests have everything they require. You may go the additional mile by leaving a basic first aid kit conveniently available.
This could be the coffee machine or induction stove. The TV networks, you know, whatever it is, I can’t get ______to work usually that centered around appliances of some sort could be a laundry as well.
You may already know how to operate the appliances in your home, but your guest may not. Not being able to use any appliance and calling you every time will frustrate your guests and be time-consuming for you either.
As a result, to avoid annoyance, you must include every appliance a ‘How-To’ guide in your Airbnb welcome book or laminate sheet.
This is a common one, probably the number one reason for bad reviews.
Cleanliness is more important than ever. You’re going to get questions about cleaning, no matter how clean your unit is.
Everyone’s got different standards, and it’s going to happen. Believe me! There might be one strand of hair in a 5000 square foot vacation house, and the guest will see it. You’re going to get questions around this, but it might come to you in different ways.
For example, the guest smells some sort of cleaning chemical and wants to know precisely what you use because maybe they’re allergic or sensitive to a particular cleaning chemical. Perhaps they found a spot on linen or something, and they have an issue with that, or maybe just drop the ball —you know it’s not that clean, and they want a refund or move to another unit if you have a multi-unit complex. So you’re going to get questions about cleaning, just be prepared for that.
There’s an issue with your actual unit. Your guest asked if they could move. Do you have another unit available in town? We happen to have a lot of units in the same areas. Sometimes we can do this. Still, it could be for whatever reasons.
No matter how well you put your pictures in your description, sometimes people show up at a place, and it’s just not what they expected, so they may ask you if they can move or just straight up cancel the reservation.
This goes in line with #7 but again if there was an issue with the property. It can happen to even the SUPERHOST—the wifi goes down, or the hot tub isn’t working.
Can we get a refund? People ask that, or maybe they stayed for a couple of days, and the reservation changed. They had an emergency and had to go somewhere. They want to cancel, or if something interferes with your guest’s enjoyment of their stay—they will ask if they can get a refund.
Even though you have strict refund policies in place, they’re still going to ask you if you’re willing to negotiate with them on that, and that’s up to you. You can issue a full or partial refund before, during, or after their stay.
Hopefully, this never happened. But it will mess you when you start doing thousands and thousands of reservations. Don’t freak out! Pretty much these emergency issues are very, very rare, and they’re all manageable.
The shower isn’t working, the water heater is not working, the internet isn’t working, or the garage door isn’t closing correctly. Whatever the problem is, you, as the host, are offering a service, so it will be your responsibility to resolve it with urgency. You should inform your guests that you will take care of any issues they may have right away.
Make a point of apologizing and confirming with visitors when you will access the property to make repairs. You must act quickly; otherwise, the guest may become enraged and wish to cancel their stay and submit a bad review.
“There are ants on the ground.”
“I saw a cockroach.”
“There’s a giant spider somewhere.”
“Bed bugs! Bed bugs!
We’re talking about pests. These will come up to, and some people get a little freaked out easier than others. You must keep any pests from invading the space and disrupting guests in your rental property.
Pest prevention is a wise economic decision: when your rental is pest-free, you’re more likely to have satisfied guests who are ready to extend their stay. This eliminates the risk of negative reviews and vacancies.
Guests who complain about noise from the neighbors, especially at night, are another issue that hosts face. You are still accountable for your guests’ experience, even if it was not your fault.
Make a phone call to your neighbors and tell them to be quiet. If they ignore your request, you might contact your local police station or security firm to file a noise complaint.
If noise is a persistent issue, you should reconsider listing your rental property on Airbnb. If the problem remains, your listing may continue to receive poor reviews, putting your business at risk.
Hopefully, this will never happen. But it’s possible, and that is robbery or vandalism, or something happens to the property.
And hopefully, too, none of your properties get broken into while the guest is there.
As a host, you are now a target for theft more than ever. Neighbors and others will no longer notice a stranger hanging about your house if you have them stay with you regularly.
Hopefully, this one never happens to you guys. Knock on wood! I hope I’m not jinxing myself here, but after almost 9000 reservations, no one has got injured our properties.
Gosh, I feel like I just jinxed myself. I did, of course; We have insurance and everything to cover this, but yeah, what if someone gets injured on your property. What if someone slips? If you’re in an area with a lot of snow, you just have to be mindful of these things that can happen.
Your guest has arrived, but things are beginning to go wrong. Even if something goes wrong, the best advice is to remain calm and act like a host. You can reduce potential problems by following local laws, talking properly with guests, and trusting your gut judgment.
If you’re in this for the long run, these questions and concerns will come up, so it’s better that you have the answers for them upfront versus trying to come up with a monthly cost, especially if it’s one of these emergencies.
As the adage goes, “forewarned is forearmed.” You gain an advantage by being aware of future questions and issues. You may do your best to avoid the most common issues by being aware of them.
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