If you are looking at increasing your rental returns andhaving passive income, the Short Term Rental Market is the best place to start.For many people this is a daunting task; however, with the right people on yourside, leveraging your investment property could be your first step towardsfinancial freedom. In this post we willprovide you with 15 tips to set your property up for Airbnb and why they are crucial forsuccess.
1)Lockable Closet
This is an important place for your cleaner to store the extra linen, welcomegifts and any extra essential supplies. This cupboard needs to lock to ensurethat guest do not feel entitled to these items. The key for this cupboardshould be stored in a hidden lockbox on the property.
2) Sofa Bed
One of the easiest ways to increase the rental return of your property,is to make use of a sofa bed. This increases the number of guests that can stayat your property, which means you can charge a higher nightly rate - increasing your income.
3) Waterproof Mattress Protector
Waterproof Mattress protectors are imperative in saving your mattress.Accidents do happen, so be prepared for every situation. They also give your guests the comfort of knowing that cleanliness is important to you. We love these ones from Ikea because they are fitted and have no chance of slipping off the mattress.
4) Cleaning Supplies
It is important to have all of the basic cleaning supplies so that guestsare able to clean up after themselves and keep your house relatively neat and tidy.
- Broom
- Bucket
- Mop
- Cleaning Cloths
- Dish Cloths and Drying Cloths
- Dishwashing Liquid
- Iron and Ironing Board
- Multi-purpose Cleaner
5) At least 2 Sets of All Linen and Towels
A minimum of 2 sets of linen will be required in order for your cleanersto changeover between guests. This is also helpful if your guest have any 'accidents' and need your cleaners to do a quick change. Or if any of the linen is stained and needs a few washes. The extra sets will be stored in the lockablecupboard.
6)Make-up Towels
We provide dark face towels in the bathroom for ladies to wipe themake-up off their faces without ruining our white towels. You can get some beautiful towels, like these ones, from Amazon.
7) Welcome Board and Gift
Have you ever heard of the phrase, "a first impression is a lastingimpression?" It is so true, so give your guests something good to remember! A chalkboard that welcomes each guest by name helps increase good reviews for thelisting as the guests feel special. We put a small gift like a bottle of wineor chocolates to add the special little touches that guests really appreciate.
8) Welcome Book
Along with our welcome board and gift we put a Welcome book that includesall of our House Rules, Check-out Procedures, Wi-Fi Details and any otherdetails regarding amenities for the property. It is also a good idea to includeinformation about public transport in the area, so that your guests know how toget around.
Welcome Package: Made up of the Welcome Board & Gift, Welcome Book, Local Information and Guest Book
9) Local Tourist and Restaurant Information
The majority of your guests will be tourists, and it will be beneficialto provide them with information of local attractions. This will help increaseyour properties rating for location. We always provide a city map and brochuresfrom local wineries and tours; this is all placed in a labelled folder and presentedalong with the welcome book and gift.
10) Paper Guest Book
Although your guests can leave reviews online, having a paper book inyour house encourages guests to read other's messages and to leave a good onetoo!
11) Wi-Fi
In this day and age, you cannot go without Wi-Fi! Having Wi-Fi allows youto increase your target market, as you can advertise to business people as wellas families.
12) Smart TV
This goes hand-in hand with Wi-Fi and technologically savvy guests! We suggesthaving a Smart TV so that millennials can connect to their Netflix accounts whileothers can watch the normal Free to Air TV.
13) Coffee Machine
Most people are 'Coffee Snobs' and appreciate the fact that they can havea good cup of coffee to start their day on the right foot! We use Nespresso Essenza podmachines in our properties as they are well known and liked and don't take up too much space. We supply a start-upkit of pods and our guests are free to get more if they wish. (Coles andWoolworths also sell home brand pods that fit in the machine for a fraction ofthe price)
14) Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector
Safety First! Most houses in Australia will already be fitted with Smoke detectors.Airbnb is firm on guests' safety and properties with both a smoke and carbonmonoxide detector are rated higher. For this reason, we suggest getting a dualdetector installed. (This is an unobtrusive detector available from Bunnings)
15) Smart Lock or Lockbox
The safest option, although slightly more expensive, would be to installa smart lock. This means that you would be able to give each guests' their owncode with a time limit based on their booking. This helps eliminate anyproblems of guests overstaying their welcome, or entering before the check-intime.
If you feel that it is too much work to install the keyless entry system youcan use a lockbox (key safe) mounted on the wall to store the keys.
Wehope this list of must have items helps you get started on your Airbnb journey.Remember, it is the little things that count and leave lasting impressions.
Ifyou would like a little more hand holding through the process, we provide afully hands-off service for Landlords. Havea look through our website. We can assist with everything - from furnishing and styling theproperty to handling all guest communication. Thus, you can have passive incomeand spend your time doing something you are truly passionate about!
