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Our technological world has made the increasing popularity of various house-sharing platforms possible. Airbnb, for example, is an online marketplace that allows “hosts” to list available rooms, apartments and houses as potential vacation homes for the everyday, excited tourist. When Brian Chesky first launched the platform, he created it as a way to help pay his rent. Today, thousands of men and women from all over the world use Airbnb to not only make extra money, but to also save extra money.
So, the next time you’re planning your weekend getaway, you can book an Airbnb home that’s cozy and down-to-earth instead of an expensive, five-star hotel. But before you even think about saying yes to that cute yet elegant beachside home you’ve found online, here are a couple of things you need to know about Airbnb.
Aside from it being cheap, what else do you expect from your stay? Remember, Airbnb homes are not hotels. Many of these places are private homes that people have opened up to you. Because of it, understand that you must be respectful and considerate.
Airbnb offers different options, depending on your needs. You can book shared homes, private rooms or full homes. As the name implies, your party will share the rental with another party. Are you willing to come home to people you don’t know during your vacation? On the other hand, private rooms are often rooms inside a person’s home; this means the host will be sleeping and staying in the same building. If you want a more personal experience, Airbnb offers listings that allow you to rent the entire house.
So before you book, know your budget, your personal preferences, how many people are staying with you and how long you are staying. Planning this out will help make your vacation more worry-free.
As with anything that happens online, there is always the possibility that people will lie. In fact, if you Google “Airbnb horror stories,” you’ll get plenty of fuel for traveling nightmares. Despite these stories, however, many Airbnb stays have gone smoothly. The company does, in fact, have protections where they match online profiles with real-life identities. Both hosts and users need to verify their identity with a scan of their photo identification such as a passport or driver’s license. Nevertheless, always proceed with caution before checking into a location.
In order to make sure your stay is worth the money, rely heavily on customer feedback, which the host can’t control. Also, be wary of the photos posted online. Different angles and better lighting can easily make a location look fresh and elegant when it really isn’t. Pay attention to the ratings, how many people have rated the location and the host’s listed response rate.
In the listings, there are lists of amenities and a map of the general location of the home. However, because the price is often the first thing people look at, it’s very easy to just gloss over the other details. If you don’t pay attention, don’t be surprised if the location doesn’t have Internet or if the place is far from the heart of the city. Not surprisingly, cheaper locations offer fewer amenities and are farther from the hustle and bustle of tourist attractions. Some hosts even write special notes in their profiles of facts for renters to know before they check in. Read them!
This is incredibly important because lack of communication can lead to a series of misunderstandings and ruined plans. So, reach out to the host and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Besides, using this as the first point of contact allows you to build rapport with the man or woman renting out their home.
In fact, many listings require you to “apply” to rent the home. Instead of being able to immediately book a location, renters are asked to send a message describing why staying at the location is important to them. Therefore, speaking with the owner before even sending the request helps build trust and confidence in you. Not only that, but it also shows you how responsive they are. The last thing you want to do is to be stuck outside their place without a key because the host doesn’t check his or her messages.
As the name implies, these fees are the not-so-obvious fees that you might be charged. For one, know that Airbnb charges a service fee of six to 12 percent of the total nightly rate. And in European countries (as well as some non-European countries), there is a Value Added Tax (VAT) fee that is included in the service fee. Airbnb also charges a three percent conversion fee if you pay with a different currency than the home country’s currency.
Some hosts may also charge you more for using Wi-Fi. Other hosts may offer a “free” breakfast, but charge that in the overall nightly fee. In addition, remember that fees vary not just depending on the location, but also depending on the number of people staying. Some hosts charge an equal amount per head, while others charge more for extra people, say, after four guests.
Despite all of these things, limit the amount of expectations you come with and instead have an open mind. As previously stated, Airbnb is not a hotel. And the fact that you’re probably looking to save money should already shift your mentality. Although some (expensive) listings are of elegant and top quality, most of them are just everyday homes. Therefore, don’t expect gifts and all-star service when you get there.
Sometimes the bed sheets, though washed, will be old and dingy. The bathroom will probably not be decorated with marble. But despite all of this, most of the time Airbnb is a charming place full of character to experience another person’s culture up close. And if you stay with your host, it’s a wonderful way to get to know new and different people who could potentially make your vacation an even better one. So go have fun, be safe and be open!
