Airbnb/booking. com rental owners, are your bookings down?

[Oneafterthelaissezfaire]

Bookings have dropped off a cliff compared to recent years. I know it's Jan/Feb but we've always had a steady flow but this year it's just dead.

I have an annex next to my house so not ruining any towns before anyone jumps on me. Curious if it's the same anywhere else? I'm in the SE.

Ive used airbnbs in the past a lot but the last year or so im just finding the website really clunky and difficult to use. It was much more straightforward before.

Maybe others are similar to me?

I'm. Not but I've noticed there are a lot of holiday homes for sale on Rightmove so I presume it's not just you.

After using AirBnB for a while, I now prefer hotels or serviced apartments.

Hotels and serviced apartments might be soulless but there are easier to baby proof which has only recently become a factor in booking!

But prior to that, I began to appreciate not having to run around like a lunatic following detailed to-do lists clean up before leaving.

I’ve had issues with the website as well which always seems to increasingly extortionate cleaning fees at the end of the process.

Hotel booking sites are just easier when cost is a factor. And hotels are just easier when it comes to ease of check out. In fact, ease of the whole stay.

What kind of bookings do you usually get? Beauty spot tourism, working people who need to be in the town for conferences etc? Do you usually get many repeat bookings?

I have usually lots of bookings this time of year but not so many this year. I do have a few several week repeat bookings and I upped my prices (first time in years -still way under local hotels) so will probably come out the same as previous years.
I also have a small annex, that would be unsuitable for long term rent unless for a granny. Airbnb has been a life saver.

I'm in Pembrokeshire, bookings are definitely down for the year compared with this last Feb.. Not just on Airbnb but with other host sights too!
Last year was erratic booking wise, i fear this coming year will be the same.
Small town here and local businesses really need the visitors to survive!

We've booked less on Airbnb this year just gone purely as we've struggled to combine increased cost of life and then pay more for a cottage on top.
We used to like a couple of 3/4 day breaks but finding we can't find the £400 plus needed and more like £800 for 4 nights for the size we need

Agree their filter is crap

I always book all our holidays on airbnb, Ive 4 trips this year planned already, another 2 or 3 to book. These are both abroad and at home

The prices are through the roof, so hard to get good value now.

I used to book a lot of air bnbs but ly I found it was cheaper to use hotels so will do the same this yr.

I also used to book on air bnb but now prefer booking.com

Yes rent out a room only, for the past 4 years. Usually fully booked, but bookings definitely down this year.I feel there's a lot more competition as more people cotton on to the idea especially with the COL crisis

We let a house on AirBnB and our bookings are really good but we've only been doing it a year so not much to compare with.

I have heard that tourism bookings are down for hotels and self-catering generally so I don't think it's to do with AirBnB as a platform.

I've gone off Airbnb, having used it for a good few years. For my last few holidays, the homes have had too many little niggles to make it worth the risk. Both places had lots of good reviews but I no longer trust them. I'm now booking hotels because I know what I'll get.

Ours is a little down compared to this time last year though we have put our price per night up by 15%. Our laundry and cleaning costs increased so much towards the end of last year so we had to increase our costs too.

They don’t seem especially cheap plus with a hotel that’s the price none of this adding cleaning stuff. So the last time I looked I just booked a hotel. I would never book an Airbnb in a regular residential road either. I grew up in a holiday resort and my home town is now over run with them.

I won't use airbnb or similar any more. Too many cleaning fees, too many short notice cancellations, a couple with bonkers rules about having to take ALL rubbish home with us, one that put the heating on for 2 hours a day only.

We are budget limited, but hotels offer more certainty that something isn't going to crop up.

Thank you for the replies.

I'm on booking. com and VRBO too so 3 different sites.

It's not a massively touristy place like the Lake District but plenty to do and see, it's a very quirky old building and people love to just come and relax, very rural.

I don't charge much in the way of cleaning fees and ask absolutely nothing of my guests. I have always had 5* reviews and am a Super host on Airbnb.

Heating always on, I take the rubbish away 😊. I realize Airbnb has a bad reputation in this respect.

It’s all just got so expensive…

Definitely a different vibe to other years. I wonder if the novelty has worn off?

Still got plenty for later on in the year but had nothing over the Feb holiday which is unprecedented!

I wonder if Easter being early is also a factor.

We've dropped our prices as much as we can, our mortgage has tripled. It's ironic because I know I couldn't afford to go away so I'm assuming lots of others can't either 😞

Are you on other platforms too?

No just Airbnb.

Work full time elsewhere and caring commitments so that’s plenty!

Neighbour with another self catering and b&b in house has also noticed a slight decline.

Cost of living suspected by both of us.

Tour companies are raking it in here doing ‘X in a day’ which I think is also changing the face of things and still attributes cost of living.

I'm afraid some have ruined it for a lot of you. I won't take the risk any more. Shame as we had some nice places.