Could someone talk to me about air bnb

[StealthPolarBear]

We are looking to advertise a house on air b n b. I've had a look at the site and it looks really helpful but it would be good to have some real people to chat to and ask silly questions.
Is it easy? Do you get the bookings?

I would never book anywhere that didn't have wifi or a tv. I have just booked a load of apartments in Eastern Europe and this was standard - access to Netflix etc. Salt/pepper/oil plus washing up liquid/cloths. If there is a DW supply a few tabs for it. Bin bags. Tea/coffee/milk is a nice touch.

I wouldn't buy sweets and magazines for children, but I would have a bookcase with some (secondhand) books on it.

We wouldn't consider anywhere without WiFi, a tv would be good but no need for an aerial as long as the broadband speed supports Netflix (you can use your own subscription so no need for you to pay)

Oh and allowing dogs is essential for us too - last place provided 2 large "dog towels".

It's not a smart TV though

WiFi I would view as essential, and a TV would be a nice-to-have. I wouldn't care that much about whether I could access terrestrial TV (as long as I was told about it before hand - ie TV in living room, not connected to an aerial but has a DVD player - or whatever) as I could then take my own firestick along.

I really care about towels, sheets, tea towels etc being provided. I don't much care about a washing machine because I'm not going for long periods; ideally there would be a dishwasher.

Excellent thank you

Just back from a stay in a fairly cheap and cheerful Airbnb. Lots of the things mentioned above were missing - it was a definite dumping ground for the owners old bed linen / plates / glasses etc. But the bit that bugged me most was that there weren’t any cleaning products or tools. We were there for four days, there were toast and food crumbs on the floor after day one, and nothing to sweep them up with! A long broom and a dustpan would have helped me to keep their place cleaner. Ditto a degreasing spray for the hot plate. And spare bin bags.

Thank you, that's the sort of thing I could easily forget. No one is excited to have kitchen spray but as you say it makes life nicer

The thing I've found most difficult has been the heating - leave clear instructions and make sure it's on if the weather is freezing .

Oh and bedside lamps ,sometimes they don't work or there is only one on one side of a double bed .I like to read in bed and it's disappointing if that's not possible .

And enough hangers .

Other than that milk ,washing up liquid .I take my own tea and coffee . A cafetiere .

I bet yours will be lovely .

Instructions with what to do with rubbish !

We use air bnb a lot. Recently stayed one night in a place that had only half a roll of toilet paper and no towels - the worst thing was the lack of heating though. It was freezing when we arrived and the heating automatically went off at night so we were freezing when getting up with the baby in the middle of the night. They hadn't left instructions on how to turn it on other than to phone them.

We stay a lot in airBnBs (in fact no longer ever use hotels) and a collection of cleaning products is very helpful. I love it when there is tea/coffe/milk etc. At one place there was bread and those little catering squares of butter which again was appreciated.

A list of places nearby for food/drink etc is nice, especially places that are in walking distance. A collection of touristy stuff nearby is also great.

I’m not a huge fan of barren places, where there is nothing except the bare minimum - it’s nice, especially with the kids, if there is stuff on the walls and (non-breakable) ornaments around. It makes it more homey and therefore easier to relax in.

Thank you. These are all brilliant

Do you live near the property, OP? Can you meet and greet?

Apologies if I've got it wrong but I think you are in the NE? The local tourist boards used to have regular exhibitions where accommodation owners could go along and collect leaflets for local attractions to put in their accommodation. Failing that, next time you pass a local tourist attractions pop in and pick up leaflets, they're really handy for welcome packs.

You might get overseas visitors so look at listings in other countries. One thing they always seem to mention is 'coffee maker' by which they usually seem to mean a filter type but I would think a cafetière would fit the bill.
One of the best places we ever stayed was very simple but really well kitted out in the kitchen with sturdy crockery , pans and cutlery.everything was from ikea but they felt good and were very functional irony basic and flimsy. It really added to the quality of the experience for very little extra cost . I would also reiterate the idea of leaving instructions for heating and hot water handy.

@Stealth whereabouts are you? I am currently searching air bnb for a number of work conferences that I am going to throughout the year.

I use airbnb a lot. I like having my own space and not being in that "hotel" environment. Off to one in Brighton on Monday for a week while DD5 is in hospital there. I would just like a clean place with WIFI and TV. Not bothered by all the extras to be honest.

One last impassioned plea from me... Go round your house and write down instructions on how to use things like oven, shower etc. As if you were patiently explaining to a slightly stupid child.

You may think your oven is simple to use and it probably is, but I've had to Google more appliances than I care to remember in order to turn them on or off!

I'm an Airbnb host and would say Wi-fi is essential. We have a tv monitor, HDMI box with dongle and there was an existing satellite dish so access to 200 plus channels inc loads of radio stations (not that anyone would need that many !). Make sure it's spotlessly clean, good shower, comfy bed with good linen. Ours is a small annexe so only snack making facilities plus little fridge, toaster, kettle etc. We leave toiletries and basket with bread, Dorset Cereals, cookies, individual jams/marmalade. In the fridge butter, orange juice and milk. Ground coffee, teas and sugar. Leave cards and little gifts for birthdays and anniversaries. Fresh flowers and sometimes fruit. Sounds like a lot but we do charge at the upper end and good reviews help us get more bookings. One tip - make sure your Airbnb description is absolutely accurate (warts and all). Less chance of complaints. Good luck OP

WiFi is important a tv isn’t

Clean bedding and towels are essential

It’s nice to have bathroom toiletries left and milk/tea/coffee

Positive I have pmed you. Best wishes to your DD.
Alpaca I will do! Just realised our grill doesn't work, well need to get that sorted won't we.

Thanks to people who mentioned leaflets, welcome pack details and all the other things. This is so helpful

Welcome packs: thing is, everyone likes different stuff. I've been left white wine and rose wine, but want to drink red. We've been left semi skimmed milk, but want full fat. So, dont leave too much. Yes to coffee, tea, sugar, tea towels, dishcloth and washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets (please, pretty please, more than 3 for a weeks stay). I think the bacon and eggs will get wasted as often as they are used - tho maybe you could offer a selection of welcome packs, at a cost. So, an English breakfast for 3, or afternoon tea for 3 short of thing?

Wifi, please. Less fussed about a TV, but it would be the deciding factor on 2 otherwise matched places. I need the wifi, as I fly from abroad to see family, so dont have UK data! Personally, washing machine. But I do not think I do your normal try of staying - tho I do stay in none typical areas, because I stay near family, not necessarily in holiday locations.

Oh, and I cant get on with Air BnB. I want instant confirmation, not waiting 3 days for an owner to maybe reply. So I use cottage sites and booking.com.

Sheets, towels, instructions. If the place is for 3, please leave more than 3 cups, 3 plates. I don't want to gave to wash up after every meal or drink!

Noted thanks. Afraid there's not a dishwasher but agree you need enough stuff to not have to dash out on day 2 (although there is a giant tesco 1.5miles away which I'll be mentioning!). I've never met a welcome pack I've not liked, maybe I just have low standards :) but OK no to bacon and eggs.