As full-time travelers since 2014, Airbnb is our go-to resource for finding accommodations worldwide.
We have booked over 100 apartments on Airbnb and have racked up more than 1000 nights in Airbnb beds over the last decade. As frequent, satisfied users, we feel very well-qualified to share a few Airbnb tips!
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Best Tips for Airbnb
Our vast knowledge of how to use Airbnb was gained through trial and error. Now we are sharing our top tips for Airbnb guests, so that you can have the best experience…from start to finish!
Since its inception in 2008, Airbnb has evolved from the ‘home share’ mentality to a fabulous alternative to hotels.
Owners have also gotten savvier. Many are now offering short-term vacation rentals that previously were only available through agencies or word of mouth.
We believe that staying in homes, rather than hotels, can make traveling more affordable, more comfortable and lends to more local experiences.
Airbnb FAQ’s
There are many misconceptions about what exactly Airbnb is. To help clear the air – so to speak – let’s discuss a few frequently asked questions before we dive into our top Airbnb tips for guests.
Will the Host Stay with Me?
Maybe! It depends on what type of accommodation you select – and there are filters that will allow you to choose exactly what you want. We cover this in detail on our list of Airbnb rental tips.
It used to be that when booking through Airbnb, guests would be staying in the home along with the owners. Oh, but so much has changed!
In fact, the majority of the listings on Airbnb are furnished vacation rentals – not somebody’s private residence.
We have only once booked a private bedroom where the owner stayed in the house at the same time. Otherwise, we booked the entire home and had the space completely to ourselves.
Is Airbnb like a B and B?
Some people assume that Airbnb is like a traditional Bed and Breakfast – as the name suggests. However, this is rarely the case. In fact, in all the places we have stayed, none of them have had the feeling of a B&B.
Can You Save Money with Airbnb?
One of the top touted Airbnb advantages is that it’s cheaper than a hotel room. Yes, booking through Airbnb can be less expensive, but not always.
Therefore, it’s best to do a little shopping and price comparison. You can also read all of our advice in our guide to Booking Hotels for Less.
Are there Alternatives to Airbnb?
Hotels are the obvious alternative to Airbnb – but there are other vacation rental websites. The most popular are VRBO and Turnkey – but Booking.com has expanded to include private rentals.
A unique way to secure accommodations around the world is by Pet Sitting. When not using Airbnb, we’re likely to be caring for pets with Trusted Housesitters.
Our 10 Best Guest Tips For Airbnb
Our list of Airbnb tips for guests covers everything from creating an account to finding a great price to how to interact with hosts.
These are not only ideal tips for first-time Airbnb guests, but for repeat users as well. We personally use these tricks to ensure we find the perfect place to stay!
#1 Create Your Airbnb Account and Save
One of our best Airbnb tips to save money is to sign up for your new account through a promotion. You will get an automatic discount on your first stay, and who doesn’t like to save money?!
#2 Complete Your Airbnb Profile
Unlike booking a hotel, Airbnb makes the experience a little more personal. Some of the information in your profile is required.
This includes an email address, phone number and a photo. Make sure your picture is a clear photograph of your face. Airbnb also requires that you verify your identity, which is done online via secure encryption.
Within your profile, you can complete a description of yourself, including your travel style and hobbies. Furthermore, you can add where you are from, what languages you speak and what you do for work.
Having a completed profile will give the host a better idea of who’s asking to be their Airbnb guest.
#3 Airbnb Search Tips
When you use our tips for booking Airbnb’s, you will find that there are now nearly 8 million properties to choose from! They range from entire castles to couches in someone’s living room.
In order to sift through the data and find lodging that includes everything that is important to you, use the search features.
You will definitely want to take advantage of the plethora of options on the search page in order to find the right place for your stay.
Using Airbnb Filters
After entering the basic information – location, dates and number of guests – you have the option to fine tune your Airbnb search.
First, choose Type of Place (this is where you can select Any, Room, Entire Home). Next, adjust the Price Range so that you only see properties within your budget.
If you are looking for specific amenities (wifi is essential for us) you will find them listed across the top and even more underneath.
Selecting amenities will help narrow your search so you don’t have to wade through listings that won’t work for you.
In the results, the amenities icons are clearly displayed so that you can quickly confirm what is included.
#4 Airbnb Map Feature
The map is incredibly helpful – and it’s one of the best Airbnb tips for searching. You can expand it to full screen as well (just use the arrows in the upper right corner of the map).
Once you know the neighborhood you want to stay in or the specific sight you want to be near, zoom in on the location.
For us, it is usually important to be within walking distance to most attractions (or at least near a main public transit line).
We also like to be in a neighborhood where there is a grocery store and a few restaurants, cafes and bars.
Also, being in the heart of the things is not always ideal. Cities can be noisy and chaotic – and Airbnb apartments in the center are often more expensive.
Weigh the pros and cons before you decide exactly where to search for your ideal Airbnb apartment.
Pro Tip: The exact Airbnb address is not revealed until after you have booked. The pin drop only indicates the general location.
#5 Airbnb Price Tips
One of our best tips for booking Airbnb’s is to look at the final price…not just the price per night.
If you only look at the per night price displayed on the picture and map, you may be surprised by the actual cost.
UPDATE: Airbnb has improved this, and now you see the total price for your selected dates.
Airbnb Additional Fees
To see the additional fees, click Reserve (you won’t be charged) and then expand the Price Breakdown under the total.
Common fees are the Service Fee (this is Airbnb’s cut) and Cleaning Fees, which are determined by the owner. Occupancy Taxes and Municipal Fees (if applicable) are also listed here.
Still, pricing isn’t that straight forward in Airbnb. Some hosts add extra fees per guest and they can also adjust pricing to be dynamic, charging more for weekends, holidays and Taylor Swift concerts.
One of the best Airbnb booking tips to find the lowest price is to search for an expanded range of dates. If you’re flexible, you can choose up to 14 days on either side of your preferred dates.
#6 Airbnb Photos: Don’t Always Judge a Place By The Pictures
One of our best tips for renting on Airbnb is to not believe everything you see. Specifically, use caution when viewing Airbnb photos.
Some owners use special lenses – like wide angle or fisheye – to make the space look bigger and brighter than it actually is.
While this, in and of itself, may not be a huge deal, it can lead to a disappointing Airbnb stay when you arrive and find the rooms are much smaller than you anticipated.
We once rented an apartment that pictured a kitchen table that looked like it seated six people, when it actually could barely accommodate two.
On the flip side, some hosts don’t have access to professional photography equipment. Their pictures often fall short of adequately depicting just how lovely the space is. Which brings us to…
#7 Read Airbnb Reviews Thoroughly
Reading reviews is one of our top Airbnb renting tips! We sometimes rely more on reviews than the pictures or the descriptions.
Once you have weaned down your Airbnb wish list with price and filters, read the reviews thoroughly.
They can give tremendous insight to the realities of the listing. Hosts are salespeople – and sometimes they over-promise and under-deliver (and sometimes vice versa).
The reviews help shed light on the true conditions. This is where you will find out about details not specified in the listing – like the vibe of the neighborhood or the water pressure.
For example: fast, secure and reliable Wi-Fi is a necessity for us. If the listing states Wi-Fi, but the last three reviews state that there were problems, it’s reason for concern.
All that being said, bear in mind that some negative reviews are inflated. If one thing went wrong (that could or could not have been the fault of the host), the overall Airbnb experience and subsequent review can be tainted.
We suggest reading all of the reviews and then proceeding based on a complete look at all the information available. One of the best tips for Airbnb guests that we can give is to trust your instinct.
Another important tip regarding reviews is to not only read what guests say, but the responses from the host. This may provide insight into their personality and how they handle situations.
Booking Airbnb’s Without Reviews
If you come across a property without any reviews, we wouldn’t suggest immediately dismissing it.
A listing without any reviews is likely new to the platform – and, often, the host will offer a discounted price to lure in the first few guests. This means you might be able to score a deal, but hang on…
We strongly suggest checking to see if the host has other properties listed under their profile…then go read those reviews.
If it’s the only rental listed, has no reviews, few pictures and very little description; then it might be best to keep looking.
When considering whether or not to book a place without reviews, our next Airbnb tip becomes extremely important.
#8 Contact Airbnb Host Prior to Booking
One of the great things about Airbnb is that you (usually) have a personal host. So, if there’s questions, start a conversation prior to booking.
Using the Message Host button (located at the bottom of the posting), contact them. How they respond is a fairly good indication of what you can expect going forward.
Regardless of the pictures, the prose and the reviews, we want to be certain we’ll match well with the host.
If we are staying longer than the minimum number of nights, this is when we would also inquire about long-term discounts (if not already stated in the listing).
#9 Keep Up Communication
Once booked, the communication with the host doesn’t stop. The most important details we share is our estimated arrival time – as some hosts still meet guests at the property.
It is also important to communicate any issues that arise throughout the stay. Is something broken? Is something missing? Contact them. If they don’t know, they can’t fix it!
#10 Set Your Airbnb Expectations
This is probably the most important of all our Airbnb rental tips: Clearly understand the type of place you are staying in and set your expectations accordingly.
The accommodations rented through Airbnb are typically not hotels. Don’t expect a concierge, in-room dining, daily maid service or standard hotel amenities.
Normally, sheets and towels are provided, but it isn’t unusual to only find one roll of toilet paper and no soap. Some hosts make more effort than others.
They may provide extras like shampoo, a hair dryer, coffee, sugar, cooking oil and the first morning’s breakfast. If those things are important, communicate before booking an Airbnb.
Pro Tip: We often equate staying in Airbnb apartments to staying at a friend-of-a-friend’s house. We treat the space and host with respect, and we’ve been treated with respect in return.
More Airbnb Tips and Tricks
The above is a round-up of our best advice for using Airbnb. However, with our years of experience, we have a few miscellaneous tips that fellow travelers might find helpful ,as well.
Airbnb Private Room Tips
Booking a private room is a great option for budget travelers. Since we have only done this once, we can only give you one tip for staying in a home with the host.
As you are essentially a temporary roommate, it’s important to be courteous and communicative. This is especially important regarding any communal areas.
Airbnb Laundry Tips
We love Airbnb apartments that have laundry facilities – but unfamiliar washing machines can be tricky!
If you don’t understand how to use the laundry, ask the host for instructions. We’ve flooded a bathroom and ruined a few items because we attempted to figure it out on our own!
Other laundry tips for Airbnb are to bring your own travel-size detergent and maybe dryer sheets, too.
That said, most Airbnb’s outside of the US do not have dryers. Therefore, you may need to adjust your laundry day schedule to allow time for clothes to line dry.
Airbnb Safety Tips
We have never felt unsafe in any of our Airbnb rentals. However, we do make sure that all doors and windows can securely lock as soon as we arrive.
We also recommend you follow any of your own safety routines as you would in any other type of accommodation.
Best Time to Book Airbnb
Some claim that the best way to book Airbnb’s is to wait for last minute deals…but we don’t agree.
While hosts can choose to drop rates if they have vacancy, we don’t think the savings is worth the risk.
In our opinion, the best overall value apartments are the first to go, so booking at least a couple of months in advance is actually a better practice.
Pro Tip: Always check the cancellation policy!
Long-Stay Airbnb Tips
One of the best price tips on Airbnb is to book long term. Many hosts offer significant discounts for week-long and month-long stays.
We have seen (and booked) Airbnb long term pricing discounts of up to 70% off the nightly rate with a stay of 28 days or longer. In some cities, the taxes may be eliminated if booking 30 days or more.
Leave an Airbnb Review
After your completed stay, Airbnb will send a prompt to review your experience. Be honest about the pros and cons and give helpful information for future guests.
You will have an opportunity to give private feedback to the host, as well. If there were any issues, concerns or observations that you didn’t communicate during your stay, this would be a place to do so.
Airbnb Alternatives and Combinations
On a longer trip, you could consider using a combination of Airbnb apartments and another type of lodging.
Let’s say you have a big 3-city trip to Europe planned. You could mix up your accommodations so that in some cities you stay in a hotel and others you use Airbnb.
Ideally, you would book an Airbnb in between. That way you could do laundry and take a break from eating out with some in-home meals.
In our travels – while we are in transit, on a long layover or in between two Airbnb accommodations – we often find that hotels are better for just one night.
We personally love using Airbnb, however, it isn’t necessarily for everyone, every time. Hopefully, our tips have helped you to determine if it is right for you!
Start planning your next trip! Search for the lowest airfares, the best accommodations and fun things to do…then start packing! Want additional advice? Head over to our Travel Planning Page and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides Page!
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