How to Manage Airbnb Properties

May 1

6 Steps to Airbnb Management Success

Becoming an outstanding Airbnb host is no simple feat. There are multiple ongoing tasks to consider such as guest communication, a pricing strategy, calendar syncing across multiple channels, linen hire and cleans – the list doesn’t end there!

There is an easy fix to taking the guess work and time out of the tasks we’ve mentioned, and that’s through utilising the services of a Short Let or Airbnb Management Company like Moa & Kin. Typically a property management service will undertake the care and responsibilities involved in managing a holiday let without trouble or hesitation.

Moa & Kin successfully manage multiple short stay lets in the cities of Bath, Bristol & London. We’re going to give you a quick overview to our recipe for success!

Make your listing perfect

It all starts somewhere and attracting bookings for your newly listed property is of paramount importance! We take the time to create unique and eye catching content, highlighting all the benefits your property has to offer guests as a short term let. Moa & Kin can create this with you or for you as part of our onboarding service, which also includes taking professional photos of the spaces within your home that do it the justice it deserves.

2. Use the best technology available

Moa & Kin use an industry leading channel manager which enables us to list rentals on various platforms to give your Airbnb property maximum exposure and opportunity for high occupancy. This isn’t the only thing our software can do! We automate certain guest communications and messages ensuring the guests feel cared for and have all the information they need at the exact times they need them. This all helps building excellent reviews for guest communication. Our outstanding local cleaning team have the same access to this technology which keeps them informed of upcoming cleans and other tasks ensuring nothing gets missed.

3. Don’t lose on pricing

This is a crucial part of Airbnb Management. A bad pricing strategy can lead to a client losing thousands of pounds of potential revenue. Price too high and occupancy levels fall. Price too low and attract the wrong type of guest whilst losing out on revenue at the same time.

Fortunately, Moa & Kin utilise another industry leading piece of tech equipment that has an algorithm taking into account seasonality, day of week, lead time and local demand across multiple platforms. This software has generated an additional 20% revenue for some of its clients.

4. It’s all in the cleans

Finding a reliable, trust worthy and high quality cleaning team can be the hardest part in short let management and (in our eyes) adds the greatest value in going to an Airbnb management company.

Many local cleaning companies won’t entertain the idea of taking on short term rental clients, simply because the dates of cleans are so variable and changeable that it’s difficult to manage. If you intend on doing the cleans yourself it’s also worth considering the lead times from checkout to next checkin, the tight turnaround times and the vast amount of labour it takes to properly clean a property suitable for Airbnb.

Fortunately, we have a large strong cleaning team that delivers excellent cleans, goes the extra mile and never disappoints. They’re also hooked up to our software so new bookings and cleans go straight to their mobile phone app meaning they never miss a clean!

5. Don’t forget the linens

Linens can make or break a stay and having clean, fresh, white, stain-free linens is simply a must. You can buy your own and have a local laundry company service them, if you do this, make sure to buy at least 3 sets, one being used, one being washed and one spare. Don’t forget, guests will need bath towels, hand towels, floor mats and fresh clean tea towels too.

Our linens are sourced from a professional linen company, giving us an endless supply of dry clean high quality linen, ready to go every time.

6. Be available all the time

There’s never a dull moment in short let property management and you have to always account for the unexpected. Sometimes it can be something as simple as the guest not figuring out how to open the lock box and be stood outside in the pouring rain. Being available to communicate over the phone is really important and something we’ve become very good at.

Things to remember…

So there you have it! A surface level insight into the complexities of Airbnb management.

Going alone probably won’t earn you any more rental income than using an expert within the industry. A leading Airbnb management company will add value to your property through the steps outlined above, all of which can generate and command a higher revenue for your property.

When deciding whether to self-manage your rental property or use a professional management company like Moa & Kin, be sure not to underestimate the amount of work that goes into successfully achieving a high service level and 5* guest reviews.

With all that being said, do what works for you and be sure to enjoy whichever route you take!