I’m exploiting the Airbnb exposure and when guests tell me they want long term, I tell them book one night make sure you like it, I get the five star review, then make ‘em a lease . They keep a bit more and I make a bit less, but I still make good $, they ❤ me for looking out for them and making it about helping pets and vets not just $, and i still get most guests from Airbnb vs dealing with seo
But there's a risk that if during the lease the relationship between the host and the guest sours, the guest might report to Airbnb that this host is doing her own dealings as retaliation. I think Airbnb has some leniency in this, but if repeatedly reported, I think they'll suspend accounts, just gotta be careful.
As a guest that usually books for a month, I always want to try that out but I'm afraid the rest of the month will not be available any more until I get there so I just book for the whole month via Airbnb with a monthly discount
I remember when airbnb, was mainly just owners of a second home that let people rent it out when they weren’t using it. But now everyone’s making it a business buying multiple houses and getting whole teams to take care of them. It’s lost the personal touch of direct bookings. That’s why I don’t use Airbnb anymore. It’s too business like before it felt like just friends letting you use their house and you just pay them a little money To use their space. But now I just feels like more of a corporate America 🙄
About 3 yrs ago I’d posted inside a Facebook STR group about a Smokies cabin owner who only does direct booking via their website (decades of email contacts this way) & guests must snail mail a check for their total rental in advance, plus leave another check in the cabin to cover the housekeepers cleaning fee. Everyone laughed at that time about how antiquated his process was….until now. His massive email database keeps his business booked up & cash flowing without any fees for him nor the guests, so he never even has to advertise nor do social media posts. #winning 😅
When AirBnB's biggest proponents are sharing why it is important to not rely on their platform, they better be paying attention. Over 26k views in one day, and so many others saw the "Airbnb is dead" in the title while scrolling. If AirBnB's PR team isn't already talking to @Robuilt, then they should be fired.
Actually, they're being helpful. The sooner AirBnB kills the short-term rental market, the sooner communities can recover and get on with normal life, with people being able to afford housing in their own communities, rather than being the money-making scheme where money is made in their community and siphoned off elsewhere, and the housing market is distorted into a nightmare. This is a horrible way to develop a society, civilization. Find other ways to make money. You may as well be running a business by secretly hauling toxic waste and dumping it in the ocean.
Is Direct Booking a new service. I've been on Airbnb since 2010...took a break because of Covid19...now I want to get back My state only allows 30 days or more Bookings
Is Direct Booking a new service. I've been on Airbnb since 2010...took a break because of Covid19...now I want to get back My state only allows 30 days or more Bookings
I agree - i am a super host and a guest booked a monthlong stay at my place. They loved it so much they asked to stay weeks / months longer if not through the end of 2023. 3 weeks into the 4 week (initial) booking the power went out unexpectedly and the guest wanted to leave. Understandable. However Airbnb immediately deducted MY earnings to cover THEIR AirCover policy (which are separate buckets) without notifying me in advance, asking my permission, or consent. After weeks of continuing to push the issue - about how my strict cancellation policy on long term stays entitled me to FULL payment if the guest leaves midway through - they basically agreed and refunded me back 50% of what they took. However I was still at a loss. They decided to override my cancellation policy to cover their AirCover insurance policy which is not my responsibility. And it was only after me contesting for weeks did they comply. That was a big eye opener about how skewed the protocol is in favor of guests over hosts. Not cool.
@@JordanAnthonySmith Exactly if the power went out and the person left. I am sure he could rent it back out and recoup the money he lost by getting another guest.
@@carmenmichbut can he? I’m new to all of this so take with a grain of salt…I’m wondering if that’s true, for one. Can he just book out after this, is their anything prohibiting him from doing that. And then…what about the potential lost revenue from others that would’ve booked but saw that it was rented so far out? And yeah…how long was the electrical out (and should we all learn from this and maybe have backup systems to enlist of this and other issues where that’s possible?).
Honestly, this has been a gripe of mine with Airbnb for quite some time, and I'm glad you both discussed this. It's great as a newbie hearing insights from a veteran in the space.
Sounds to me like the downfall of ETSY for sellers. They protected sellers until they didn’t and then they sided with buyers 100%. I say grow your business through these mediums but always have a strategic exit plan and start to guide your customer to your own site because ultimately Etsy/Airbnb has all the power and Can and will shut you down unfairly. Etsy did this to our $200K annual business. Unfortunately we didn’t recover, I wish I would not have put all of my eggs in one basket. 😢
That's terrible! What kind of business did u have on Etsy? What reason did they give for shutting your site down? Really shows the importance of having a private website self-hosted. More work, but more security long term.
I agree. Airbnb delisted a property of mine for a month and canceled all bookings because a nuisance neighbor called and claimed "party" although there was no music playing or noise or any disturbance of any kind. It didn't matter that we had video evidence to show there was no party or noise. It's so beyond asinine that I don't even have words to express it. If they hear the word "party" it is the host who takes the brunt
Yes! Airbnb has created a system for support to flowchart their way to a resolution between guests & hosts… Airbnb won’t change until it hurts them in their pockets, most large companies won’t until revenue plummets. So for the hard working hosts that are able to pivot, this is a good thing (although going through the change and costs can be a challenge)
My opinion as an investor, and as a vacationer, I’ve never been a fan and here’s why. As a vacationer I don’t want to go “live” somewhere for a a week. Example. Wife “let’s get Airbnb in Florida for a week” Me “ok” We get to the Airbnb and unpack, she says “let’s go to the grocery store” Me.. “grocery store? For what?” Her “food, toilet pallet, paper towels,” It’s not a vacation if you’re buying freaking toilet paper. That was right when Airbnb started. 15 years ago…. Since then 37 cruises 4 all inclusives. There is no cost savings renting over cruising. As a real estate investor way too much work. I’ll stick with my 8/16/32 units multi family.
Airbnb is terrible for coverage. I was a guest last month at an airbnb rental, and the apartment was broken into- (it was firmly locked, and police verified that lock and door was broken open). Airbnb did not cover anything- not the loss of my computer or guitar. I am completely disgusted with airbnb. Just to note I also am a superhost with my own listing. Even though I sent airbnb the police report, police photos, the host confirming the break-in = airbnb said no, they didn't have enough information and refused to cover the loss of my computer or guitar (not even partially!) ! Incredible!! Airbnb is terrible, considering the amount of money they have made from me, as both guest and host. I cannot imagine what they would be like if it were something more serious, like the house burning down etc! It should be a warning to everybody!
Honestly, the homeowner's insurance should cover that, not AirBnB. But, the fact that they don't even require Hosts to have insurance is part of the problem and could be a very big issue if a renter was hurt on property. And I'm pretty sure the Homeowner's Insurance does not cover Short Term Rental, which is why it wasn't used. It's a quasi business at best and is doomed to failure because they've been riding a wave of sliding under the radar for regulations, taxes, insurance, etc. for years and it's getting ready to end. And it really should. You need to think about that. An injured renter could cost you everything you own and nobody talks about that.
14:00 A word of caution for any owner. Ask about refresh and sync times when connecting multiple sites to any channel manager to avoid overbooking. “Instant book” does not mean the unit will “instant close” on all other websites to prevent overbooking. In theory, yes. In reality, some are 6 hours. Read carefully who is ultimately responsible for over bookings - the owner.
Not in the short term rental business but in our vertical (ebike content) leveraging SEO (search engine optimization) traffic traffic has been driving the growth of our brand exposure. Most of our traffic now comes from website traffic (via SEO/Organic Traffic). IMO you should invest in creating content to drive traffic to your direct website while also leveraging the newsletter
I started setting up a direct booking website for my bnb yesterday for the exact same reason. Airbnb is blocking highly rated guests from booking my rental for the October 28 & 29 dates. I talked to customer support and they basically said "we are doing this to protect you from parties and there's nothing you can do about it." This is a massive mistake they are making. It's great to see other hosts not taking it either.
Had this happen to me too. So frustrating. Thankfully my guest booked through his cousin's account after getting blocked a few days later. Were amazing guests. I don't understand why Airbnb is trying to make the decision on who can and cannot stay at my place. I want to be able to make the choice....
Airbnb will focus on guest retention over hosts because guest can only book their stay 1 time, via 1 platform. Hosts can list the same property on multiple platforms.
The Airbnb Support rep really drove me nuts. A guest broke house rules and caused damages to the property. She left a retaliatory review after I reach out to Airbnb about the issues. I initially called Airbnb support in 2022 about the retaliatory review and requested removal but no action was taken. Two years later 2024 I called Airbnb Support again; I was shocked that I got a warning from the Airbnb Support rep. She accused me of manipulating/coercing/threatening guests to remove negative reviews. I could not believe that. It’s like double wounds to me. I did not get any support and instead I got hurt twice! Anyone here please help?
i had a similar issue. If a guest complains and tells airbnb the place "smells", they get their nights for free and if it was a longer booking, the rest of the time frame is blocked. so you loose all that money. for me it was 3 months and i was counting on it. NEVER make yourself dependend on a monopoly.
Don't rely on aircover!!!! The policy will not cover most damages. There's a house in my neighborhood that flooded and caused 300k in damage from guests clogging a toilet and airbnb would only give them about 10% (31k)
I have operated four doors for six years on ABB and have rented 16,629 nights there and about 6,000 night direct. ALL of our spaces required a 30 day minimum. More cash year over year. Until June. Now nothing. I've already converted one of my units back to LTR and just listed a second one on Zillow this morning. Best of luck with whatever your plans are but for me, even mid term has ceased to perform. Luckily I own three of my four outright, but 100% of 0 is still 0 hence my pivot.
I liked this podcast/episode. Well balanced, flat-footed, common sense oriented business concepts and advice. Well done lads. Keeping the OTA for your more pedestrian bookings and RESERVING your direct bookings for special occasions or high demand events times is a FANTASTIC way to phase out OTA dependence.
I came here for learning about STR. Became big fan of Mark Simpson, I love his style of answering questions. Great for people who get mentorship from him.
If ABB switches to listing host fees only, suddenly they will begin to care much more about keeping hosts happy and successful; a 6 week penalty will be punishing to their own profitability. There must be a glut of available rentals for ABB to shut anyone down right now; it shows that with buyer fees they don’t expect to lose any revenue because they know the renter can find alternatives on their site.
There is a glut on AirBnB for certain. I am able to get rents even in competitive markets like Laguna Beach for much less than the carry costs on a property. I don't know how y'all are making any money with it but in the meantime I will enjoy the oversaturation.
When your starting out these guys make you feel small. 40 property portfolio 👀. I took it as inspiration and thank both of you gentlemen for the insight. 🤙🏽
Three times I had guests do thousands of dollars in damages to my house and I got nothing despite providing receipts, invoices, back up of conversations with guests and photos. Also they had a glitch they never owned up to and never corrected and cost me an entire summer rentals upon which I rely upon to cover my mortgage. Additionally they allowed a couple psycho guests to post terrible reviews despite my proof that they were lying to not pay damages AND get a couple nights refunded. They don’t truely vet guests and only care about getting their fees. 99.9 percent of my reviews are 5 star rave reviews and yet they always side with the sleezeballs!
About time Rob. :D Jumping on the same page as other professional hosts! I am happy that you are bringing this info to your followers. I've been following Mark for years.
This was great. Thank you Rob and Mark. Lots of stuff I was already feeling and discussion...great to know I'm not in the camp alone. Direct booking has been a big push for me to get my hands around once we got established. We started our business with renovation of 6 units and building 4 domes last year and we are focused on systems and tools now. We have a niche, we have unique market position and we have a great value proposition when it comes to other offerings in our market. Direct booking and the challenges you covered in this interview are absolutely timely. Thank you again.
Judging in Phoenix the amount of houses and apartments coming online this year it's going to be interesting. I'm a seller of properties now and will invest again in a few years.
I’ve been short term renting for 15 years long before Airbnb. This required my own direct booking website and commercial insurance from my own broker. I’ve run parallel since Airbnb started. It’s just seemed logical. 50% of my business has always been outside Airbnb.
You present one side, that airbnb is becoming pro-guest. Has anyone heard of the cleaning scams that seem to be pro-Host? I have a friend who recently stayed in an airbnb in West Palm Beach Florida. They charged him $1000 after leaving for cleaning charges and damages that were made up. Airbnb sided with the hosts even though the reviews stated that the host has charged other people for the exact same things and outrageous charges that they didn't do....
I don’t know, direct booking for a guests could be a complete nightmare, because some Airbnb hosts are just not professional. Too many host want to collect the money, but don’t want to give a quality experience. Old towels, dirty beds, hard bed with stains, no hot water, power outages, no Wi-Fi, and bug situations our common issues that come up with some of these hosts. It’s important to know how to run a polished and professional business before doing direct bookings. Otherwise, the business will fail due to BBB reports, lawsuits and other issues.
Booking on AirbnB does not affect any of these potential problems. AirBnB will fight any claims you make just as much, if not more, than any insurance company adjusters. AirBnB is nearly a monopoly and they have been arrogant and greedy for some years now.
I learned a lot from this but can offer two comments: as a regular airbnb guest who gets top comments (clean, quiet, pleasant... basically I'm an ideal guest), I have only once had to complain to airbnb about a host (he charged a damage deposit which apparently is now prohibited) and ghosted me when I asked for it back. He messaged me once saying he was in Mexico (irrelevant) and would get on it. Airbnb tracked him down and I received my money immediately. In this instance I would say that airbnb was rightly protecting the guest. Second comment: please don't put me on your email list. Nothing puts me off more. If I liked a place and am returning to the area, I will return to the same place. I don't care what the heck the deal of the month is if I'm not in the same state, province, country.
If you have a good clients and referrals then sure, direct book. Airbnb just makes the whole process safer and more convenient for those who don’t have repeat clients.
As a frequent AirBnB guest user, I would be VERY hesitant to direct book with a host that I had not used before. (as in I would never do it) At one point there were so many poorly equipted hosts that I gave up on AirBnB too. At this point, I am back using the platform. With hosts that I book with as returning guest, we generally go outside of any platform and use a simple pdf contract agreement and a direct transfer of funds. Good luck with your enterprises
I agree... very nervous about booking outside of a larger platform... it's not the same as booking directly with Hilton.. see my comment about about a host that would not return my damage deposit.
We are a 5-star fully luxury villa in Jamaica, we just upgraded to Airbnb Luxe 2 days ago. For over 50 years we have booking directly in Jamaica and especially in the luxury space, they are happy. I’m booking more and more direct stays. Our guests are saving that massive fee especially when our high season rates are in place.
They were professional operators who had to meet a higher bar of marketing to attract clients. Rental standards were lower and other entities like chamber of Commerce kept things in check . @@vividhaiku
what did you do before AirBnB? I mean every booking used to be made direct and with no platforms and review sites. We aren't talking about that long ago. As always, someone tries reinventing the wheel, seems like a good idea at the time but we end up realising there was nothing wrong with the way it was being done before. All these greedy and unwieldy intermediary platforms will be their own undoing.
The problem with direct bookings is that you get less views on airbnb which drops your rank in the listing. Once it starts falling, it falls fast and then if you don't have enough direct bookings to cover yourself, you won't get much from airbnb because people aren't booking your place. It's a dangerous game...
Yes, you raise a valid concern. Direct bookings can affect your Airbnb ranking. To strike a balance, consider a hybrid approach - use direct bookings for stability and Airbnb for additional exposure. It's about finding the right mix for your goals. Best of luck!
Hi Rob, Here in Toronto, Canada we landlords have another huge concern with direct bookings - professional tenants who move in and refuse to leave (and stop paying) it takes 8 months or more to get a hearing with the LTB (landlord tenant board) and even if you win - it’s nearly impossible to recover the loss. Some landlords have lost 100’s of thousands because of this backwards and defective system. Airbnb provides us with a layer of protection against this - if a guest books on Airbnb we can simply call the police and have them removed. However, if they book directly, they are considered tenants and have police have no jurisdiction and your only recourse is filing with the LTB.
thats not true . airbnb does not save you from squatters . the police arent coming to your rescue . unless 😂you report them as home invasion burgalars , which they are not ,they all fall into the same category of squatters except you invited them in willingly and after 30 days they are legally residence with or without airbnb.. i repeat airbnb doees not save you from anything such as so . sorry
i was a guest on a third party bookimng unaware and was arressted a few days later after we checked out. the host was running a scam hostile , total shithole $48 per night ripping people off with a dirty listing ,filthy .. they masde money filing fake claims on everyone who exploited them with bad in reveiws. airbnb is clueless to the losers doin this …one bathroom for 11 guests..my boyfriend had to do 1 yr. in jail . i was bailed out and fought them in court for 1yr and half because i have no record no bad reveiws and not a burglar . also a super host for 8 yrs.. my attorney suboena airbnb for the transaction history of that address and they gave it us making it very hard to p;rove i was on a third party booking not a burglar .. the company is a joke .. i beat my case am looking into lawsuit for deflamation ..
Great Guest, and interview, Rob! I appreciate you, for the content and insight that your podcast provides; and, also for you sharing your personal experiences and knowledge. I especially appreciate your process in Marketing ... thank you; and, may you and your family, continue to be Blessed.
The best way to evaluate any insurance policy is to look at the exclusions page. You should do the same to see what air cover covers you for. I haven’t looked at this, but I’m sure it’s not going to be favorable for the host..
Airbnb is all for the guests. They don t give a s. about hosts.Airbnb remove negative reviews of guests from hosts, you have no way to know who s coming.They don t give a s.The guest is their precious clients, their revenue.They DON T CARE at all about hosts, Airbnb put immense presure on hosts, even insanes guest claims leads immediatly to threats on the listing.The super customer service, is just copy-past responses, the best you get is " yes, we know, but we cannot do anything, we are tied by policies blablabla"
This was great thank you! Sounds like soon you’ll extend your neeksleeps to your host camp members to post their listings too! That be huge! Good bye bnb 🎉
It was all predictable! The business models of tech companies are based on growth. In other words, first free or best service deal. When the market shares are reached, the cash out begins! Paypal was great in the beginning now it's desperate if you have a problem with a transaction. Amazon was synonymous with top price and outstanding service! Now ads and Amazon Basic products dominate the search results! Airbnb's market power and access to customers will not constantly improve conditions for landlords! Those who become independent of Airbnb and booking in time will be winners in the near future.
In Canada, we are experiencing a AIRBNB STR Ban essentially limiting our rentals to only our principle residence. This podcast was great, in terms of both parties providing so much value in their responses to their conversation. I've seen many people but I understand why your videos are so highly valued, because the value is here.
My apprehension is visibility. How do people find our place? ABB is where people look for our place. We are in a pretty small town. Not sure how people would find us if we were direct.
Now there is this thing called hotels where you pay to stay overnight and can get food delivered to your room. Having to stay at some weirdo's house is a thing of the 13th century.
I also am a Superhost that had two lake reach out to try and book for Halloween but were blocked bc of "parties" even though they weren't coming for that.. This want the first set of booking that were blocked!
Could also be because they don't want to have to pay out of their cost or Insurance to you the damage is done during a drunken Super Bowl rager and not just you but everyone with an Airbnb in that area ?
I disagree with this idea of spreading bookings out between multiple platforms. I think it depends on your market. I do only Airbnb outside of Yosemite and stay about 90 percent booked year round. I think the algo does better when you commit full in. They will also have your backbif you have a good listing that makes them money. I have had to step up to put in the work to get some asinine reviews removed. Airbnb customer service is increasingly outsourced and aweful. Trick is to escalate the claim until you get an American supervisor. The outsourced reps just want to solve the problem the easist way which is by a refund to the guest.
@@Boostly He's right - homes are for living in they were never meant to be hotels - thats what HOTELS are for. I have a LTR myself and there are 4-5 ABBs within a block of my home - it really REALLY pisses off all the neighbors AND it fucks up the housing values - real people cant afford a home to raise their families in - all so a bunch of get rich quick type morons that cant get a real job think they have a "business" - same thing with watch flippers over the last 4 yrs
@agates9383 tbh I read your moment as "I have a LTR because I don't want to work any harder and it makes me mad to see people who will invest more time in rentals or flipping houses make more money than me"
@@Daishi43 you read it wrong, as most people that ASSume do - I bought a second home so my daughter would have a place she and her young family can afford and live close to me and my wife - I didnt buy it to exploit a neighborhood - it's a self correcting problem as we speak - Scottsdale is cracking down on the whole ABB bullshit along with Palm Springs and other destination type places. I have no problem with owning a rental or two and providing a place to live for people that cant afford to buy - I have a HUGE problem with ABBs used as party houses every weekend disrupting the neighborhood and devaluing the housing prices. Its correcting as we speak and I couldnt be happier.
As someone who’s freelanced as a web dev and now an artificial intelligence architect and 10+ years house hacking growing up around rentals, the seo thing is gonna be a thing
I am do new to this STR world so I apologize if there is a video out there but how do we get guests to find our direct booking website when society is so use to booking through Airbnb and or Vrbo?
The 2.99% + $.30 is the card processing transaction fee. Which is pretty much the same, if not cheaper at stripe. I guess you can absorb or pass on that fee.
Airbnb is terrible now far too expensive !!!!!! much cheaper to stay in a hotel !!!!!! would not touch Airbnb anymore.. far too many problems and conditions it's like being in jail staying in some ones place, with all the do's and don'ts and cleaning fees on top of rental fees !!!!! give me back a nice hotel room with no problems !!!!!! any day of the week....
Has anyone ever gotten paid out by air cover?? Maybe as said here, for media purposes, but idk that it’s worth the $, but they do always answer my phone calls and work things out with me n guests so I think they are like any other business , they’re doin their best
I feel that if I found the lodging via Airbnb then they deserve their fee. I've had hosts try to direct me to their website and away from Airbnb but I just move along to the next listing. Now if it's a repeat stay that might be an option.
Hi we are an Online Travel Agency.We need help to find more Direct Booking and maximize our revenue on all the properties we are actually managing. Actually we have good ratings on Airbnb but relying on airbnb is not always our choice as more and more they are trying to lower the pricing
Aircover only covers a host if AirBnB IS ALSO sued. If the host alone is sued - Aircover is wholy useless. It is necessary to carry for hosts to carry their own insurance. I was an insurance broker for about 25 years. The status hosts get under Aircover is "Additional Insured" which is a reduced version of "policyholder". Just ask yourself - was AirBnB negligent? Or, was it mostly or only the host who was negligent? Never rely only on Aircover. It is disingenuous of AirBnb to not make this clear to hosts.
I think this is a great idea of cutting out the middle man and booking directly. However it feels like the examples of outreach you gave were for repeat guests like the email list where they would have to stay once with you. For someone brand new to the space, is there a different way to reach out, i feel like most people go to airbnb for simplicity and efficiency. However if airbnb is taking so much profit and siding with guest over everything i dont really want to go that route
I’m exploiting the Airbnb exposure and when guests tell me they want long term, I tell them book one night make sure you like it, I get the five star review, then make ‘em a lease . They keep a bit more and I make a bit less, but I still make good $, they ❤ me for looking out for them and making it about helping pets and vets not just $, and i still get most guests from Airbnb vs dealing with seo
Good lookin!!
That sounds pretty smart. I always look to continue my booking with a good host outside of the platform.
But there's a risk that if during the lease the relationship between the host and the guest sours, the guest might report to Airbnb that this host is doing her own dealings as retaliation. I think Airbnb has some leniency in this, but if repeatedly reported, I think they'll suspend accounts, just gotta be careful.
As a guest that usually books for a month, I always want to try that out but I'm afraid the rest of the month will not be available any more until I get there so I just book for the whole month via Airbnb with a monthly discount
what if it’s a small home/cabin do you think it could work and how would i turn it into long term
I remember when airbnb, was mainly just owners of a second home that let people rent it out when they weren’t using it. But now everyone’s making it a business buying multiple houses and getting whole teams to take care of them. It’s lost the personal touch of direct bookings. That’s why I don’t use Airbnb anymore. It’s too business like before it felt like just friends letting you use their house and you just pay them a little money To use their space. But now I just feels like more of a corporate America 🙄
It was nice up to about 2017. That’s when it became a cash-extraction carnival.
It's a disaster for communities. People who use short-term rentals as a business may as well be dumping toxi waste in watersheds.
About 3 yrs ago I’d posted inside a Facebook STR group about a Smokies cabin owner who only does direct booking via their website (decades of email contacts this way) & guests must snail mail a check for their total rental in advance, plus leave another check in the cabin to cover the housekeepers cleaning fee.
Everyone laughed at that time about how antiquated his process was….until now. His massive email database keeps his business booked up & cash flowing without any fees for him nor the guests, so he never even has to advertise nor do social media posts.
#winning 😅
Do you remember what his rental is called? I’d love to check it out
You still have that group
That's just dumb. It doesn't take much $$$ to integrate a payment processor into a simple website. He is living in the past
@@sotonin he's in his 70's & since it's still working good for him, he sees no reason to change it.
Any chance you can let us know the name of the website for the cabin ? Please ? 🙏
When AirBnB's biggest proponents are sharing why it is important to not rely on their platform, they better be paying attention. Over 26k views in one day, and so many others saw the "Airbnb is dead" in the title while scrolling. If AirBnB's PR team isn't already talking to @Robuilt, then they should be fired.
😂
Actually, they're being helpful. The sooner AirBnB kills the short-term rental market, the sooner communities can recover and get on with normal life, with people being able to afford housing in their own communities, rather than being the money-making scheme where money is made in their community and siphoned off elsewhere, and the housing market is distorted into a nightmare. This is a horrible way to develop a society, civilization. Find other ways to make money. You may as well be running a business by secretly hauling toxic waste and dumping it in the ocean.
@@izzytoons😂😂
Should always go with the direct booking approach. It’s your business, don’t let another company take money off the table.
Is Direct Booking a new service. I've been on Airbnb since 2010...took a break because of Covid19...now I want to get back
My state only allows 30 days or more Bookings
Is Direct Booking a new service. I've been on Airbnb since 2010...took a break because of Covid19...now I want to get back
My state only allows 30 days or more Bookings
Direct booking is just having your own website or way for guests to book directing with you instead of using AirBnB or VRBO as a platform.
Yes !
I agree - i am a super host and a guest booked a monthlong stay at my place. They loved it so much they asked to stay weeks / months longer if not through the end of 2023. 3 weeks into the 4 week (initial) booking the power went out unexpectedly and the guest wanted to leave. Understandable. However Airbnb immediately deducted MY earnings to cover THEIR AirCover policy (which are separate buckets) without notifying me in advance, asking my permission, or consent. After weeks of continuing to push the issue - about how my strict cancellation policy on long term stays entitled me to FULL payment if the guest leaves midway through - they basically agreed and refunded me back 50% of what they took. However I was still at a loss. They decided to override my cancellation policy to cover their AirCover insurance policy which is not my responsibility. And it was only after me contesting for weeks did they comply. That was a big eye opener about how skewed the protocol is in favor of guests over hosts. Not cool.
How long was the power out?
Corporatism is Fascism.
It’s everywhere Neo…
No none is on the side of the individual except for the individual.
@@JordanAnthonySmith
Exactly if the power went out and the person left. I am sure he could rent it back out and recoup the money he lost by getting another guest.
@@carmenmichbut can he? I’m new to all of this so take with a grain of salt…I’m wondering if that’s true, for one. Can he just book out after this, is their anything prohibiting him from doing that. And then…what about the potential lost revenue from others that would’ve booked but saw that it was rented so far out? And yeah…how long was the electrical out (and should we all learn from this and maybe have backup systems to enlist of this and other issues where that’s possible?).
Thanks for this post. As a customer, it’s good to see that Airbnb is looking out for me.
Honestly, this has been a gripe of mine with Airbnb for quite some time, and I'm glad you both discussed this. It's great as a newbie hearing insights from a veteran in the space.
Sounds to me like the downfall of ETSY for sellers. They protected sellers until they didn’t and then they sided with buyers 100%. I say grow your business through these mediums but always have a strategic exit plan and start to guide your customer to your own site because ultimately Etsy/Airbnb has all the power and Can and will shut you down unfairly. Etsy did this to our $200K annual business. Unfortunately we didn’t recover, I wish I would not have put all of my eggs in one basket. 😢
That's terrible! What kind of business did u have on Etsy? What reason did they give for shutting your site down? Really shows the importance of having a private website self-hosted. More work, but more security long term.
couldn't agree more
Similar thing happened with my friend she built up a $150k a year Etsy biz only to have it ultimately dismantled by Etsy
Wait please tell me how you got sells on Etsy I have yet to get one sale from a No. family member what keywords SEO or tags do you suggest
I only stayed once in a short term rental and was staggered by the sizable fees added on, would not repeat.
I agree. Airbnb delisted a property of mine for a month and canceled all bookings because a nuisance neighbor called and claimed "party" although there was no music playing or noise or any disturbance of any kind. It didn't matter that we had video evidence to show there was no party or noise. It's so beyond asinine that I don't even have words to express it. If they hear the word "party" it is the host who takes the brunt
ah sorry to hear that
Sue the neighbor for loss of revenue and emotional distress. That will stop that in a hell of a hurry.
Yes! Airbnb has created a system for support to flowchart their way to a resolution between guests & hosts… Airbnb won’t change until it hurts them in their pockets, most large companies won’t until revenue plummets. So for the hard working hosts that are able to pivot, this is a good thing (although going through the change and costs can be a challenge)
I don't know...Rob just strikes me as someone who doesn't get complacent ever and is always looking for the next challenge. I really admire that!
I really like the tip about blocking off prime dates so that it’s available to your direct booking site first. That’s a great idea.
My opinion as an investor, and as a vacationer, I’ve never been a fan and here’s why.
As a vacationer I don’t want to go “live” somewhere for a a week. Example.
Wife “let’s get Airbnb in Florida for a week”
Me “ok”
We get to the Airbnb and unpack, she says
“let’s go to the grocery store”
Me.. “grocery store? For what?”
Her “food, toilet pallet, paper towels,”
It’s not a vacation if you’re buying freaking toilet paper. That was right when Airbnb started. 15 years ago….
Since then 37 cruises 4 all inclusives.
There is no cost savings renting over cruising.
As a real estate investor way too much work. I’ll stick with my 8/16/32 units multi family.
Oh yea that 270 dollar cleaning fee and 300 in tAxes for a 3 day stay is such an amazing deal.
Airbnb is terrible for coverage. I was a guest last month at an airbnb rental, and the apartment was broken into- (it was firmly locked, and police verified that lock and door was broken open). Airbnb did not cover anything- not the loss of my computer or guitar. I am completely disgusted with airbnb. Just to note I also am a superhost with my own listing. Even though I sent airbnb the police report, police photos, the host confirming the break-in = airbnb said no, they didn't have enough information and refused to cover the loss of my computer or guitar (not even partially!) ! Incredible!! Airbnb is terrible, considering the amount of money they have made from me, as both guest and host. I cannot imagine what they would be like if it were something more serious, like the house burning down etc! It should be a warning to everybody!
Wow that is so messed up!
Sorry! Sucks. Demonstrates who is #1 to ABB… ABB!
Parking structures warn they are not responsible for theft or fire.
Honestly, the homeowner's insurance should cover that, not AirBnB. But, the fact that they don't even require Hosts to have insurance is part of the problem and could be a very big issue if a renter was hurt on property. And I'm pretty sure the Homeowner's Insurance does not cover Short Term Rental, which is why it wasn't used. It's a quasi business at best and is doomed to failure because they've been riding a wave of sliding under the radar for regulations, taxes, insurance, etc. for years and it's getting ready to end. And it really should. You need to think about that. An injured renter could cost you everything you own and nobody talks about that.
Good to know . Thank you!
14:00 A word of caution for any owner. Ask about refresh and sync times when connecting multiple sites to any channel manager to avoid overbooking. “Instant book” does not mean the unit will “instant close” on all other websites to prevent overbooking. In theory, yes. In reality, some are 6 hours. Read carefully who is ultimately responsible for over bookings - the owner.
There are apps that manage to a single calendar
Not in the short term rental business but in our vertical (ebike content) leveraging SEO (search engine optimization) traffic traffic has been driving the growth of our brand exposure. Most of our traffic now comes from website traffic (via SEO/Organic Traffic).
IMO you should invest in creating content to drive traffic to your direct website while also leveraging the newsletter
100%
what type of content? video? blogs? educational posts?
LOVE how you handled this. AirBnb sounds like they need a wakeup call
Abnb we t Woke now they are going broke.
I started setting up a direct booking website for my bnb yesterday for the exact same reason. Airbnb is blocking highly rated guests from booking my rental for the October 28 & 29 dates. I talked to customer support and they basically said "we are doing this to protect you from parties and there's nothing you can do about it." This is a massive mistake they are making. It's great to see other hosts not taking it either.
Had this happen to me too. So frustrating. Thankfully my guest booked through his cousin's account after getting blocked a few days later. Were amazing guests. I don't understand why Airbnb is trying to make the decision on who can and cannot stay at my place. I want to be able to make the choice....
Airbnb will focus on guest retention over hosts because guest can only book their stay 1 time, via 1 platform. Hosts can list the same property on multiple platforms.
The Airbnb Support rep really drove me nuts. A guest broke house rules and caused damages to the property. She left a retaliatory review after I reach out to Airbnb about the issues.
I initially called Airbnb support in 2022 about the retaliatory review and requested removal but no action was taken. Two years later 2024 I called Airbnb Support again; I was shocked that I got a warning from the Airbnb Support rep. She accused me of manipulating/coercing/threatening guests to remove negative reviews. I could not believe that. It’s like double wounds to me. I did not get any support and instead I got hurt twice!
Anyone here please help?
Dude, get off AirBnB and use other companies or methods!
i had a similar issue. If a guest complains and tells airbnb the place "smells", they get their nights for free and if it was a longer booking, the rest of the time frame is blocked. so you loose all that money. for me it was 3 months and i was counting on it. NEVER make yourself dependend on a monopoly.
100%
Wow!!
Don't rely on aircover!!!! The policy will not cover most damages. There's a house in my neighborhood that flooded and caused 300k in damage from guests clogging a toilet and airbnb would only give them about 10% (31k)
Agreed! Pivot! ABB doesn’t have the right to impact my income while I support 3 children without notice 💔No way good bye
100%
Happened to me too !
I like sticking with mid term rentals. Less risk and same profits
I have operated four doors for six years on ABB and have rented 16,629 nights there and about 6,000 night direct. ALL of our spaces required a 30 day minimum. More cash year over year. Until June. Now nothing. I've already converted one of my units back to LTR and just listed a second one on Zillow this morning. Best of luck with whatever your plans are but for me, even mid term has ceased to perform. Luckily I own three of my four outright, but 100% of 0 is still 0 hence my pivot.
I liked this podcast/episode. Well balanced, flat-footed, common sense oriented business concepts and advice. Well done lads. Keeping the OTA for your more pedestrian bookings and RESERVING your direct bookings for special occasions or high demand events times is a FANTASTIC way to phase out OTA dependence.
Thank you Mateo
I came here for learning about STR. Became big fan of Mark Simpson, I love his style of answering questions. Great for people who get mentorship from him.
Ah thank you. 🙏🏼
If ABB switches to listing host fees only, suddenly they will begin to care much more about keeping hosts happy and successful; a 6 week penalty will be punishing to their own profitability. There must be a glut of available rentals for ABB to shut anyone down right now; it shows that with buyer fees they don’t expect to lose any revenue because they know the renter can find alternatives on their site.
There is a glut on AirBnB for certain. I am able to get rents even in competitive markets like Laguna Beach for much less than the carry costs on a property. I don't know how y'all are making any money with it but in the meantime I will enjoy the oversaturation.
When your starting out these guys make you feel small. 40 property portfolio 👀. I took it as inspiration and thank both of you gentlemen for the insight. 🤙🏽
Three times I had guests do thousands of dollars in damages to my house and I got nothing despite providing receipts, invoices, back up of conversations with guests and photos. Also they had a glitch they never owned up to and never corrected and cost me an entire summer rentals upon which I rely upon to cover my mortgage. Additionally they allowed a couple psycho guests to post terrible reviews despite my proof that they were lying to not pay damages AND get a couple nights refunded. They don’t truely vet guests and only care about getting their fees. 99.9 percent of my reviews are 5 star rave reviews and yet they always side with the sleezeballs!
About time Rob. :D Jumping on the same page as other professional hosts! I am happy that you are bringing this info to your followers. I've been following Mark for years.
This was great. Thank you Rob and Mark. Lots of stuff I was already feeling and discussion...great to know I'm not in the camp alone. Direct booking has been a big push for me to get my hands around once we got established. We started our business with renovation of 6 units and building 4 domes last year and we are focused on systems and tools now. We have a niche, we have unique market position and we have a great value proposition when it comes to other offerings in our market. Direct booking and the challenges you covered in this interview are absolutely timely. Thank you again.
Brilliant, thank you for commenting
If this is click bait Rob, it worked.
Judging in Phoenix the amount of houses and apartments coming online this year it's going to be interesting. I'm a seller of properties now and will invest again in a few years.
I’ve been short term renting for 15 years long before Airbnb. This required my own direct booking website and commercial insurance from my own broker. I’ve run parallel since Airbnb started. It’s just seemed logical. 50% of my business has always been outside Airbnb.
Love this!
I stopped doing Airbnb years ago because they kept changing the algorithm to appear near the first page.
You present one side, that airbnb is becoming pro-guest. Has anyone heard of the cleaning scams that seem to be pro-Host? I have a friend who recently stayed in an airbnb in West Palm Beach Florida. They charged him $1000 after leaving for cleaning charges and damages that were made up. Airbnb sided with the hosts even though the reviews stated that the host has charged other people for the exact same things and outrageous charges that they didn't do....
I don’t know, direct booking for a guests could be a complete nightmare, because some Airbnb hosts are just not professional. Too many host want to collect the money, but don’t want to give a quality experience. Old towels, dirty beds, hard bed with stains, no hot water, power outages, no Wi-Fi, and bug situations our common issues that come up with some of these hosts. It’s important to know how to run a polished and professional business before doing direct bookings. Otherwise, the business will fail due to BBB reports, lawsuits and other issues.
Only the professional ones will survive
What are direct bookings vs. "normal" bookings?
Booking on AirbnB does not affect any of these potential problems. AirBnB will fight any claims you make just as much, if not more, than any insurance company adjusters. AirBnB is nearly a monopoly and they have been arrogant and greedy for some years now.
I learned a lot from this but can offer two comments: as a regular airbnb guest who gets top comments (clean, quiet, pleasant... basically I'm an ideal guest), I have only once had to complain to airbnb about a host (he charged a damage deposit which apparently is now prohibited) and ghosted me when I asked for it back. He messaged me once saying he was in Mexico (irrelevant) and would get on it. Airbnb tracked him down and I received my money immediately. In this instance I would say that airbnb was rightly protecting the guest.
Second comment: please don't put me on your email list. Nothing puts me off more. If I liked a place and am returning to the area, I will return to the same place. I don't care what the heck the deal of the month is if I'm not in the same state, province, country.
If you have a good clients and referrals then sure, direct book. Airbnb just makes the whole process safer and more convenient for those who don’t have repeat clients.
As a frequent AirBnB guest user, I would be VERY hesitant to direct book with a host that I had not used before. (as in I would never do it) At one point there were so many poorly equipted hosts that I gave up on AirBnB too. At this point, I am back using the platform. With hosts that I book with as returning guest, we generally go outside of any platform and use a simple pdf contract agreement and a direct transfer of funds. Good luck with your enterprises
I agree... very nervous about booking outside of a larger platform... it's not the same as booking directly with Hilton.. see my comment about about a host that would not return my damage deposit.
So how did Vacation rental’s survive for the last 50 years? lol
We are a 5-star fully luxury villa in Jamaica, we just upgraded to Airbnb Luxe 2 days ago. For over 50 years we have booking directly in Jamaica and especially in the luxury space, they are happy.
I’m booking more and more direct stays. Our guests are saving that massive fee especially when our high season rates are in place.
They were professional operators who had to meet a higher bar of marketing to attract clients. Rental standards were lower and other entities like chamber of Commerce kept things in check . @@vividhaiku
what did you do before AirBnB? I mean every booking used to be made direct and with no platforms and review sites. We aren't talking about that long ago. As always, someone tries reinventing the wheel, seems like a good idea at the time but we end up realising there was nothing wrong with the way it was being done before. All these greedy and unwieldy intermediary platforms will be their own undoing.
Direct booking is the "old school" wild wild west way that existed before Airbnb.
aka the sexy bad boy =)
The problem with direct bookings is that you get less views on airbnb which drops your rank in the listing. Once it starts falling, it falls fast and then if you don't have enough direct bookings to cover yourself, you won't get much from airbnb because people aren't booking your place. It's a dangerous game...
Yeah, but you only need to find a few heads on beds to fill your properties. You don't need thousands or millions
Yes, you raise a valid concern. Direct bookings can affect your Airbnb ranking. To strike a balance, consider a hybrid approach - use direct bookings for stability and Airbnb for additional exposure. It's about finding the right mix for your goals. Best of luck!
The title is misleading, your changing your marketing strategy not your entire business.
I couldn't get into short term, I prefer leasing to non profits for commercial leases 5-10 year garunteed money for aging out foster kids.
Please, make a video (If you haven't done it yet) of how you built Neek Sleeps
Hi Rob,
Here in Toronto, Canada we landlords have another huge concern with direct bookings - professional tenants who move in and refuse to leave (and stop paying) it takes 8 months or more to get a hearing with the LTB (landlord tenant board) and even if you win - it’s nearly impossible to recover the loss. Some landlords have lost 100’s of thousands because of this backwards and defective system. Airbnb provides us with a layer of protection against this - if a guest books on Airbnb we can simply call the police and have them removed. However, if they book directly, they are considered tenants and have police have no jurisdiction and your only recourse is filing with the LTB.
It's all down to the contracts and agreements and systems and structures you have in place
Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail
thats not true . airbnb does not save you from squatters . the police arent coming to your rescue . unless 😂you report them as home invasion burgalars , which they are not ,they all fall into the same category of squatters except you invited them in willingly and after 30 days they are legally residence with or without airbnb.. i repeat airbnb doees not save you from anything such as so . sorry
i was a guest on a third party bookimng unaware and was arressted a few days later after we checked out. the host was running a scam hostile , total shithole $48 per night ripping people off with a dirty listing ,filthy .. they masde money filing fake claims on everyone who exploited them with bad in reveiws. airbnb is clueless to the losers doin this …one bathroom for 11 guests..my boyfriend had to do 1 yr. in jail . i was bailed out and fought them in court for 1yr and half because i have no record no bad reveiws and not a burglar . also a super host for 8 yrs.. my attorney suboena airbnb for the transaction history of that address and they gave it us making it very hard to p;rove i was on a third party booking not a burglar .. the company is a joke .. i beat my case am looking into lawsuit for deflamation ..
Great Guest, and interview, Rob! I appreciate you, for the content and insight that your podcast provides; and, also for you sharing your personal experiences and knowledge. I especially appreciate your process in Marketing ... thank you; and, may you and your family, continue to be Blessed.
Mark is the biggest G in direct booking
Thank you my friend
Airbnb needs a class action lawsuit from hosts
LOVE this topic! I'll definitely be looking into this once I get up and running.
We need to create a host friendly website.
The best way to evaluate any insurance policy is to look at the exclusions page. You should do the same to see what air cover covers you for. I haven’t looked at this, but I’m sure it’s not going to be favorable for the host..
Airbnb is all for the guests. They don t give a s. about hosts.Airbnb remove negative reviews of guests from hosts, you have no way to know who s coming.They don t give a s.The guest is their precious clients, their revenue.They DON T CARE at all about hosts, Airbnb put immense presure on hosts, even insanes guest claims leads immediatly to threats on the listing.The super customer service, is just copy-past responses, the best you get is " yes, we know, but we cannot do anything, we are tied by policies blablabla"
Great video Rob! Really helpful!
This was great thank you! Sounds like soon you’ll extend your neeksleeps to your host camp members to post their listings too! That be huge! Good bye bnb 🎉
We're working on that =)
Great video, tremendously informative and timely. Thank you!
Why thank you
@@BoostlyAnd thanks for the reply, made subscribing to you easy!
Great content, you can never get tired of this movement #bookdirect
If I'm starting out with one studio in my home, do you suggest I run direct bookings through a website or sign up for Airbnb?
I had the same ABB bedbugs and camera guests smearing and agree with this video that is essentially self advertising.
It was all predictable! The business models of tech companies are based on growth. In other words, first free or best service deal. When the market shares are reached, the cash out begins! Paypal was great in the beginning now it's desperate if you have a problem with a transaction. Amazon was synonymous with top price and outstanding service! Now ads and Amazon Basic products dominate the search results!
Airbnb's market power and access to customers will not constantly improve conditions for landlords! Those who become independent of Airbnb and booking in time will be winners in the near future.
so important regarding email lists
True
This felt like a secret meeting conversation great insight
Last time I used Airbnb was 2019. It's just not worth the hassle anymore.
In Canada, we are experiencing a AIRBNB STR Ban essentially limiting our rentals to only our principle residence. This podcast was great, in terms of both parties providing so much value in their responses to their conversation. I've seen many people but I understand why your videos are so highly valued, because the value is here.
Thank you and good luck
My apprehension is visibility. How do people find our place? ABB is where people look for our place. We are in a pretty small town. Not sure how people would find us if we were direct.
Social Media Marketing
Now there is this thing called hotels where you pay to stay overnight and can get food delivered to your room. Having to stay at some weirdo's house is a thing of the 13th century.
I also am a Superhost that had two lake reach out to try and book for Halloween but were blocked bc of "parties" even though they weren't coming for that.. This want the first set of booking that were blocked!
23:19 we have this to help us build our email list
Could also be because they don't want to have to pay out of their cost or Insurance to you the damage is done during a drunken Super Bowl rager and not just you but everyone with an Airbnb in that area ?
If deciding on going the direct booking route, the REAL challenge is to generate TRAFFIC to your listing.
that's why I do what i do
I disagree with this idea of spreading bookings out between multiple platforms. I think it depends on your market. I do only Airbnb outside of Yosemite and stay about 90 percent booked year round. I think the algo does better when you commit full in. They will also have your backbif you have a good listing that makes them money. I have had to step up to put in the work to get some asinine reviews removed. Airbnb customer service is increasingly outsourced and aweful. Trick is to escalate the claim until you get an American supervisor. The outsourced reps just want to solve the problem the easist way which is by a refund to the guest.
Thanks everyone here for helping with the housing shortage, appreciate you
Thanks @jhouston206 for bringing a good dose of ignorance to the discussion.
I bet you're fun at parties...
@@Boostly He's right - homes are for living in they were never meant to be hotels - thats what HOTELS are for. I have a LTR myself and there are 4-5 ABBs within a block of my home - it really REALLY pisses off all the neighbors AND it fucks up the housing values - real people cant afford a home to raise their families in - all so a bunch of get rich quick type morons that cant get a real job think they have a "business" - same thing with watch flippers over the last 4 yrs
@agates9383 tbh I read your moment as "I have a LTR because I don't want to work any harder and it makes me mad to see people who will invest more time in rentals or flipping houses make more money than me"
@@Daishi43 you read it wrong, as most people that ASSume do - I bought a second home so my daughter would have a place she and her young family can afford and live close to me and my wife - I didnt buy it to exploit a neighborhood - it's a self correcting problem as we speak - Scottsdale is cracking down on the whole ABB bullshit along with Palm Springs and other destination type places. I have no problem with owning a rental or two and providing a place to live for people that cant afford to buy - I have a HUGE problem with ABBs used as party houses every weekend disrupting the neighborhood and devaluing the housing prices. Its correcting as we speak and I couldnt be happier.
I absolutely hate Airbnb. It is so unfair.
As someone who’s freelanced as a web dev and now an artificial intelligence architect and 10+ years house hacking growing up around rentals, the seo thing is gonna be a thing
Its about time. Air BNB needs regulation as it does nothing hurt potential home owners.
Good luck rolling the dice with direct bookings... Matter of time until something happens. Airbnb has the cash and resources to go to bat for you.
I am do new to this STR world so I apologize if there is a video out there but how do we get guests to find our direct booking website when society is so use to booking through Airbnb and or Vrbo?
Air cover and homeowners insurance does not protect you if the home burns down. He should know this.
why doesn't homeowners insurance cover in case of fire? Isn't that what it's for?
Omg same here about the bed bugs it was definitely not!!!
Now this is content!!
🎉🎉🎉
The 2.99% + $.30 is the card processing transaction fee. Which is pretty much the same, if not cheaper at stripe. I guess you can absorb or pass on that fee.
Airbnb is terrible now far too expensive !!!!!! much cheaper to stay in a hotel !!!!!! would not touch Airbnb anymore.. far too many problems and conditions it's like being in jail staying in some ones place, with all the do's and don'ts and cleaning fees on top of rental fees !!!!! give me back a nice hotel room with no problems !!!!!! any day of the week....
Has anyone ever gotten paid out by air cover?? Maybe as said here, for media purposes, but idk that it’s worth the $, but they do always answer my phone calls and work things out with me n guests so I think they are like any other business , they’re doin their best
“Robuilt” would be a good name to replace Airbnb…
I saw Mark’s presentation in Orlando. Timely and important information. #bookdirect
Thank you
Take the direct booking. Easy
I avoid AirBnB whenever possible. I travel all the time. As a guest it's shit.
Furnished finder yall.
yup
@marksimpson dropping knowledge bomb after knowledge bomb.
Only 30 days or more in NYC
Be careful….airbnb shuts down listings for any reason! Don’t put your eggs in one basket.
I prefer direct biking due to crazy service/cleaning feee add ins on AirBnB plus all the crazy restrictions to buy j hosts and guests ..
I feel that if I found the lodging via Airbnb then they deserve their fee. I've had hosts try to direct me to their website and away from Airbnb but I just move along to the next listing. Now if it's a repeat stay that might be an option.
Hi we are an Online Travel Agency.We need help to find more Direct Booking and maximize our revenue on all the properties we are actually managing. Actually we have good ratings on Airbnb but relying on airbnb is not always our choice as more and more they are trying to lower the pricing
I dont use abnb because of unreliability in service and quality assurances just isn't there.
I love airbnb! They make me a ton of cash
Aircover only covers a host if AirBnB IS ALSO sued. If the host alone is sued - Aircover is wholy useless. It is necessary to carry for hosts to carry their own insurance. I was an insurance broker for about 25 years. The status hosts get under Aircover is "Additional Insured" which is a reduced version of "policyholder".
Just ask yourself - was AirBnB negligent? Or, was it mostly or only the host who was negligent?
Never rely only on Aircover.
It is disingenuous of AirBnb to not make this clear to hosts.
I think this is a great idea of cutting out the middle man and booking directly. However it feels like the examples of outreach you gave were for repeat guests like the email list where they would have to stay once with you. For someone brand new to the space, is there a different way to reach out, i feel like most people go to airbnb for simplicity and efficiency. However if airbnb is taking so much profit and siding with guest over everything i dont really want to go that route
Totally understand, but it can work more ways