yuliagulyaeva

Pitalenko Alexey

Denis

Pitalenko Alexey

Pitalenko Alexey

AirBnB Host

Catherine

Catherine

Oksana

Maria Glazunova

Oksana

Julia

Svetlana

Svetlana Heiro

Maria Glazunova

Svetlana Heiro

Svetlana Heiro

Maria Glazunova

Maria Glazunova

Svetlana Heiro

Svetlana Heiro

Maria Glazunova

Maria Glazunova

Olga

Maria Glazunova

Galina

Maria Glazunova

Zoya

Olga

Oksana

Yuri

Antonina

Anya

Nina

Yana

Marianne

Marianne

Get ready for a long post. In this article, I tried to take into account all the nuances and answer all questions about renting out your apartment using Airbnb. This information is based on my personal experience and the experiences of my friends. So practice, practice and more practice. Go!

How to rent out an apartment through Airbnb?

Imagine the picture:

You boarded a plane to relax in some wonderful country, for example, Greece. You've been lying on the beach all week, enjoying the sun, sea, life and fresh seafood. You met new people, ate delicacies and got a good tan.

And so you returned home, checked your account and were glad that you had a good time and managed to make good money while you were basking in the sun.

But wait a second, is this even possible unless you're a venture capitalist?

Every year more and more people rent out their homes to travelers. Some of them earn six figures.

To make money with Airbnb you need 3 things: an empty house, a room that sits idle, or even sleeping area, openness in communicating with people and the desire to earn money.

The idea of ​​Airbnb is simple - you rent out your home to travelers (often more expensive than daily rent apartments to your fellow countrymen), and travelers rejoice at the opportunity to live in comfort and feel “like a local.”

By helping tourists experience the day-to-day life of their destinations, Airbnb's founders have created a $30 billion company. This service covers 190 countries and 60 million tourists as its clients.

Good news - you can get your piece of this huge pie.

If you prefer to first thoroughly familiarize yourself with a new situation before rushing headlong into the pool, this article is for you. Everything you need to know to successfully make money by renting out your home to tourists is described here. And the basis was personal experience renting an apartment through Airbnb.

How does Airbnb work?

Airbnb is an online home rental platform that offers an alternative hotel business. Also this good opportunity make money for those who are open enough to let strangers into their home.

Airbnb connects tourists in need of affordable or unique accommodation with hosts offering a free bed or fairytale palace depending on your capabilities.

Tourists use Airbnb when:

• hotels are crowded (for example, during a festival);
• hotel prices are unreasonably high;
• They don’t like hotels a priori and prefer to live “at home.”

They can come to you either for a couple of days or for several months, all this is agreed upon in advance on the website and we will move on to the technical aspects a little later.

Airbnb retains a small commission from both tourists and renters.

Why rent out your home on Airbnb?

Airbnb has become a very popular platform among renters because it allows you to earn additional money without spending much time and money. But this does not mean that this type of business does not have negative sides.

Opening your home to strangers is always a risk.

Firstly, renting out housing is also a kind of income generation, which is subject to tax by law. For non-payment of tax (if you are caught, of course), you will have to pay a fine.

Secondly, we've all heard horror stories about homes that have been destroyed or stolen by tenants. Statistics show that such cases are less than 1%, but they also occur.

But if you have the courage to let strangers live in your property and resolve the issue of taxes for yourself, then Airbnb can be a profitable business for you.

If you like to communicate, then this service will help you make many new acquaintances around the world. Airbnb is used by many business people, and you will have the chance to meet people from different social circles.

Not to mention that an empty home is a big source of expense if you don’t use it in any way. So why not bring benefits to people who will also pay you for it.

Airbnb Rental Requirements

Initially, to rent out your home on Airbnb, you need to create an account. It's free, both for tourists and for you. To register, you will need an email address, or a Facebook or Google+ account.

Legal aspects

If you live in Russia, then you do not need to make any additional movements. If you, as a decent citizen, are going to pay taxes, then you have 2 options:

• pay personal income tax as an individual. face;
• register as an individual entrepreneur.

Choose the option that is more profitable for you, keep in mind that the individual entrepreneur also has insurance contributions to the Pension Fund.

If you live in another country, check this point in your legislation.

Personal space

By registering on, you must accept the rules of the game - here it is customary to respect personal space. And if you have security devices in your home, such as CCTV cameras, then warn your guests in advance.

Otherwise, the guest may terminate your agreement and request a refund, and you will receive a penalty in Airbnb's system.

Time spent

If you are serious about making money with Airbnb, then be prepared to spend several hours a week on it.

You need to visit Airbnb's official website frequently to interact with your potential guests: answer questions, make arrangements to convince travelers to stay with you.

You also need to confirm the reservation and simply clean up after the guests. Of course, you can delegate the latter to a cleaning company.

Get permission from the owner

If you are a tenant yourself, then obtain permission from the owner to sublease all or part of the premises, specified in the contract, so as not to have problems in the future.

Responsibility

The Airbnb community is built on reliability and trust. Therefore, it is very important to accurately and correctly describe the housing you are renting: provide real photographs and normal living conditions (electricity, heat, running water and cleanliness).

Otherwise, you will be left with negative reviews, your offer will have a low rating and tenants will avoid it.

How to get good reviews

Hospitality is the key to success. Airbnb has hospitality standards. Therefore, if you want to earn good money in this service, then try to comply with them. This will help you get good reviews, which means your services will become more in demand.

The math is simple: good reviews = more guests = more money.

To get good reviews, you need to pay attention to the following aspects.

1. Always update the availability of your rental property. It is important that the platform and future guests know when your property is occupied and when it is available.

2. Provide future guests with information in a timely manner. Be approachable and check in with Airbnb frequently so you can answer questions in a timely manner, tell us more about your property, check-in/check-out times, etc.

Sometimes it happens that after booking accommodation with an unscrupulous landlord, a traveler actually finds himself on the street in an unfamiliar city. In such a situation, he tries to quickly find a replacement for him, and here you are online.

3. Be proactive. Always prepare your home for new guests. If for some reason you have to cancel your reservation, then do it in advance so that the tourist does not find himself in the situation described above, and he has time to calmly find a new home.

4. Be honest. Provide real information about your accommodation so that travelers' expectations do not diverge from reality. Otherwise, your account may be blocked.

About security

The question of security arises for every sane person who encounters a previously unknown phenomenon, and Airbnb is no exception.

There is always a risk that you will come across an unreliable person. Airbnb hosts have had various situations where the house has been turned upside down after a party, property has been damaged, and in some cases guests have changed the locks and refused to leave.

In Russia, this kind of thing is quickly resolved with the help of the police, but in England, for example, serious problems can arise. They have such a thing as “squatting”. This is when strangers can move into an empty house without asking, and they can only be evicted from there by a court decision, and the legal process is a long process.

Due to similar incidents, Airbnb had serious problems in 2011, so they have since implemented complex system verification, which has become a benchmark in the housing rental industry.

You can't be anonymous, and the review and rating system works both ways, keeping both guests and landlords within the bounds of decency. Those. you can only allow trusted people with good reviews into your home.

Before confirming a reservation, parties may only communicate through Airbnb. All messages containing a phone number are automatically blocked. Of course, there are workarounds, for example, sending the number in parts, but do you need it?

Moreover, participants’ bank cards are also confirmed by the system. You can exchange contacts with the guest only after the reservation has been paid, so that you can call and communicate in a more convenient way.

All payments are made within the system using online banking. When a guest makes a reservation, he must enter his card details or pay through PayPal, which also takes care of user security.

Payment is credited to your account the day after the guest checks into your property.

Another important thing is that you always have the opportunity to refuse a booking request if the guest does not seem reliable to you. There will be no sanctions for this; you have the right to accept only those you trust.

If you're looking for more information, Airbnb has a Facebook Connect feature that allows hosts to ask for recommendations from a guest's friends.

If these security measures prove ineffective, the landlord will be paid a guaranteed insurance of $1 million. You will be able to use insurance if your damage does not exceed $1 million.

If you have any problems, you can contact Airbnb and request a refund. Please note that insurance does not cover all property or personal liability, so you may be better off purchasing separate insurance.

How to properly register an account on Airbnb

Filling out information about housing on Airbnb is quite simple. The platform itself is intuitive, so filling out an account won't take much time. But if you want to stand out from the crowd, here are some tips for you.

Heading

Many people underestimate the importance of a bright and catchy headline, and write something like “Bright and modern two-room apartment in the city center.” This is not bad, but there are thousands of such headlines.

To stand out from the gray mass, you need to be a little creative, you need to be remembered. For example, in Minsk there is a “taxi with a squirrel”, everyone in the city knows it. It’s just a man driving his clients in an inexpensive foreign car, and a real tame squirrel lives in the interior of his car. It's a small thing, but it's cool.

There is no need to indicate your city in the title, this is already clear. Travelers first choose a city, and then apartments from the proposed options.

If your home is located outside the city, this is worth mentioning.

Description

The description is simple; it is best if you write about your home clearly and, most importantly, honestly. Include as many important details as possible so guests know exactly what to expect. Do not make false or exaggerated statements.

To look more professional, translate your description into at least English, I recommend also Spanish and Chinese, but this is optional. This way you will generate more trust by your effort to be understood.

Photos

Photos are very important. Most often apartments are rented from good photos. The logic here is simple: the higher the quality of the photos, the more bookings.

Take photos during the day, natural light is best. You can only upload 10 photos to your account, so choose those that will give guests a clearer idea of ​​your space: what it looks like, what size it is, what bed, bathroom, etc.

For ideas, I advise you to contact your more expensive and popular competitors. See what angles they choose and do the same.

Airbnb also provides its own photographers. Photography is free. A badge will appear on your photos that they were taken by an Airbnb employee, which means they are reliable, which will add to your trust. Just find out if this service is available in your area.

Set the rules

Airbnb allows all hosts to set their own rules for guests. Consider your needs, the needs of travelers and your neighbors. For example, do not make noise after 11 pm, do not smoke. Indicate the number of people you are willing to let into the house. You may want to assign them some responsibilities around the house, for example, taking out the trash after yourself, watering the flowers.

Your profile

Your profile is one of the most important elements of your account. People trust people. This means you must appear in the eyes of travelers as a person worthy of trust. Fill out your information so completely and clearly that guests know what to expect from you as a host.

Price

Another important aspect that everyone pays attention to when choosing housing is the price. Before you set your prices, look at your competitors' rental prices. Take into account their location, photos and analyze how successful they are (based on reviews). Look at hotel prices.

While you are a beginner, set the price a little lower than your neighbors for approximately the same housing option. Take into account that you will need to pay an Airbnb fee, buy small things like toilet paper, and possibly pay for the services of a cleaning company.

If you're serious about making money by renting out your home on Airbnb, be flexible with your pricing. Look at market demands and raise or lower prices depending on the tourist season.

Lifehack. It’s very easy to evaluate the season, go to wordstat.yandex.ru. Check "Query History" in the purple search bar. In the line write “hotel Moscow”, instead of Moscow write your city and click “Select”. You will see a graph from which you will understand how often tourists look for accommodation in your city depending on the season.

These are very easy to use; if you know that demand is expected to increase next month, then raise your prices. On the other hand, if you don't have many guests yet, lower your prices until you get at least 2-3 positive reviews.

If you don't want to go through such a tambourine dance, Airbnb has a built-in pricing tool. It will automatically adjust your price based on demand in your area. You can set a minimum and maximum price per day.

Landlord checklist

So, you have set up your profile according to all the rules and even received your first reservation. What's next? Now you need to prepare your home for receiving guests.

Regardless of the level of comfort your accommodation provides, you should always welcome your guests in a clean and friendly manner. Think of your property like a professional hotel, trying to maximize guest experience and good reviews.

Check your accommodation

Remember that your guests' expectations should not differ from reality. Think about how your furniture performs its function. It’s good if there is a washing machine, but if it’s broken, then it would be better not to have it.

Do not overload the space; less furniture is better than more. Ikea minimalism is just right. But you will have to worry about the safety of fewer things.

Get organized

Before renting out your home, do a thorough cleaning. Clean up the kitchen, bathroom, and hallway. Basically, anywhere your guests can get to.

Dirty apartments are what killed many fledgling Airbnb businesses. Nothing supernatural is required from you, just:

• Vacuum the carpets and wash the floors;
• Wipe off the dust, even in places you usually don’t go into;
• Clean your bathroom until it shines. Have you ever heard the phrase: “the toilet is the face of the owner.” Rough, but to the point.

Fix what's broken

Broken wires, flimsy steps, broken furniture - fix or throw away anything that could injure your guests due to its malfunction. Good reviews are important to us, right?

Change the bed linen

This tip may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many hostels neglect it. Change bed linen after each guest. If you are too lazy to wash often, buy several sets. This way you will avoid bad reviews. Who would like someone else's hair on their pillowcase?

Empty the refrigerator

This is a “destroy all traces of previous guests” rule. And it seems to be just as unobvious to many hosts as the previous point.

Nobody likes someone else's half-eaten pizza in the fridge. But if you buy salt, pepper, frying oil, etc., your guests will be pleased.

Scrub the bathroom clean

Any good Airbnb host offers their guests 3 basic things: a clean bed, a clean kitchen, and a clean toilet. Always keep these 3 points in mind and you will get good reviews, which means even more guests. I hope this motivates you to be a good landlord.

It will also be a good idea to buy towels, toilet paper, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste and anything else you consider necessary. This is not a waste of money, but an investment.

Keep track of valuables

If you rent out a room in your home or have guests staying with you for more than a week, make sure your valuables are in safe places. Keep money, jewelry, personal documents and albums with family photos where your guests do not have access.

If necessary, you can even purchase a safe to give you peace of mind regarding your belongings.

Give guests a separate key

Make sure you have at least one spare key for guests. Never give them your only keys, in case they lose them.

There is always something that can be done better. If good reviews are important to you, here are a few for you useful tips, which are worth paying attention to.

Added Value

It is important to understand that the more attentive you are to the comfort of your guests, the more travelers will rent an apartment from you. If you're serious about making money with Airbnb, think about the added value you can provide to your guests, at least at the beginning of your business.

If you pay attention to the reviews from your popular competitors, you will notice that tourists really appreciate the little things that their rental owners have taken care of.

I know many people who are too lazy to bother with all this, and I understand them, but their results are appropriate.

Don't keep guests waiting

Always greet guests, and if you don’t have time, ask your friends about it. Keep in mind that travelers may arrive at night and will need somewhere to stay.

You can be sure that you will not receive good reviews, if you force your guests to hang around a closed door for hours waiting for guests.

Meet them at the airport

The first impression is the most memorable. The best thing you can do for your guests in this case is to meet them at the airport or train station. Firstly, in this way you will not only significantly reduce the number of SMS with questions about how to get there, but also make life easier for travelers. Believe me, they will appreciate it.

If you don't have the time or desire to go on rides, provide your guests with detailed information about how to get to you public transport or taxi. Communicate the fares and provide signs to help them know they are on the right track.

Help them navigate a new situation more easily

Create a “Welcome Card” (print it on a piece of paper or whatever your imagination allows) and put in it information that might be useful to them. For example, your contact details, a list of the best restaurants, museums in the city and things to do.

The next day, check how your guests are doing. Do they need anything else? If you have time and desire, you can spend it together and show tourists the city. Still, renting out through Airbnb is not quite the same as with a regular home rental/rental; to some extent, it is also a community.

Stand out from the crowd

Try to offer your guests something special to stand out from your competitors. Dinner at a restaurant free excursion, homemade cookies. I guarantee that your guests will be satisfied and recommend you to their friends.

Ask for feedback

Starting any new business is not easy. This is true for your Airbnb business as well. If you are new to the site, you will have a hard time finding your first guest. People usually choose places where others have been before and talked about their experiences. They want to know what to expect, and that's okay.

The good news is that if you are new to the Airbnb platform, you can ask your friends or family members to leave a review. Pay for your accommodation yourself at a minimal price. Yes, you will lose a little money on service fees, but it will be much easier for you.

What to do if you do get negative feedback

Sometimes, even if you tried your best, things can go to hell. It’s only a matter of time before you have your first negative comment on your profile. No matter why guests gave you a low rating, you need to remain calm and try to resolve the situation quickly and tactfully.

Apologize to your guests for what happened. Even if you don't agree with the review. Business is business, and the customer is always right. Let your future tenants know that you regret what happened and will make every effort to ensure it doesn't happen again. If you believe a guest is at fault, you have 14 days after check-out to provide them with feedback.

If the negative review was too negative, then write a public response to the review and explain what happened, tell how you corrected the situation and assure guests that they will not have to deal with this in the future.

All reviews remain forever, so do not give in to emotions, even if you really want to and remain professional, regardless of whether you communicate with the guest in person or resolve issues online. Always admit your mistakes and consider feedback as friendly advice on how to improve.

Don't forget that good communication can always prevent a bad review. Always communicate with your guests and try to make their stay with you as hassle-free as possible.

Often bad reviews are written due to a simple misunderstanding. Therefore, try to be understood correctly.

What's the best way to exchange keys?

The exchange of keys is the first contact with the guest. Try to make it leave a good impression. If you don't have time to greet your guests in person, here are a few ways you can hand over the keys to them.

Ask your friends

The most common way. If you can’t do it yourself, then ask relatives, friends or neighbors. Give tourists the phone number of the person who has the key.

Leave the key at a nearby store

The neighboring store or cafe is also perfect place where you can leave the key. But in this case, you must be completely confident in the reliability of the workers. Also make sure that your guests arrive during business hours, otherwise you will only create a new problem.

Use a key safe

Perhaps the easiest way to exchange keys if you constantly don’t have time and don’t want to disturb your surroundings. Buy a small key safe with a combination lock. Then your guests will be able to get into the apartment at any time of the day. You can attach it directly to your door, or you can place it in some secret place.

You can also install an electronic lock that can be controlled remotely using your mobile phone. Or you can give the code to your guests and change it every time they check out.

Surephost icon

If you have received at least 10 guests in a year, then you have a chance to receive Superhost status. To do this, you need to fulfill several requirements. You must respond to at least 90% of booking requests and have over 80% of your reviews being 5 stars.

By receiving the Superhost badge, you will become more visible among competitors, and you will have your own advantages and bonuses.

Results

If you are a hospitable person and are ready to let strangers into your home, then Airbnb can be a good source of additional income for you. But you need to first find free time to do this business.

Is it profitable to rent out an apartment through Airbnb? The answer is clear - yes. Firstly, renting an apartment by the day is always more profitable, and secondly, foreigners pay more money.

Many people have managed to create a permanent source of income for themselves by renting out several residential properties and earning six figures a month. And you can too, if you like to host guests and you have read this article carefully.

My review of the website Airbnb.ru, where I often rent apartments when traveling. Learn about booking accommodation, getting discounts and taking precautions.

I travel 10-15 times a year and often book accommodation on Airbnb.ru. I like this service. In this review I will tell you how to use it safely and profitably. And using the link below, any new user can receive a discount on their first booking.

What is Airbnb

Airbnb is the world's largest private travel rental service. Service statistics: 800,000 accommodation options, 190 countries, 34,000 cities, over 17,000,000 guests who have booked accommodation in this service.

The service operates in many countries, there is a version in Russian: Airbnb.ru.

Through Airbnb you can rent apartments, houses, villas, rooms, rooms in guest houses, residential boats and bungalows, castles, tree houses, campers.

My review of Airbnb: pros and cons

I have been using this service for seven years now and have rented dozens of different properties around the world. In my collection: houses in the Azores, apartments in Prague, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, The Hague, Paris, Rouen, Cane, rooms and guesthouses in Barcelona, ​​Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Why I like Airbnb:

• Interesting. A huge selection of accommodation, more interesting than simple hotels. I try to book authentic apartments with cool design and preferably in houses with history.
• Inexpensive. Often renting an apartment on Airbnb.ru is cheaper than renting a hotel room. For example, in France we saved a lot by living in apartments for 28-50€ instead of hotels for 100€. For a family or group of at least 3-4 people, it is almost always more profitable to book accommodation rather than hotel rooms.
• Practical. Living in an apartment with a kitchen is very convenient and profitable - you save on food.
• Privacy. I’m an introvert, so I love privacy: in an apartment and house that is completely at your disposal, there is more of it than in hotels.
• Excellent support in Russian: they work quickly, they always help.
• Convenient system of reviews, ratings and filters allow you to choose best accommodation.
• Simple and clear website design.
• Safety. You pay by card on the service’s website; you don’t need to bring cash with you or settle financial matters with the owner.
• Visa eligible. All consulates accept bookings from Airbnb without any problems, I received 4 or 5 Schengen for them.

I have never had a bad experience booking on Airbnb. I am completely satisfied with the service, I can only find fault with the little things.

What I do not like:

• Service commission when renting housing - 10-15%. However, everything is fair, they must earn money.
• There is a risk of bumping into a bad owner. But this human factor, the service is not to blame here. But there is a system of reviews of other tourists about Airbnb accommodation and a support service. Next, I will tell you how to choose a reliable host and good housing.

Choose apartments with reviews and a high rating (4-5) - this is a guarantee that everything will be fine with the housing. Reviews on Airbnb cannot be faked, so all good hosts try to please their guests in order to get good ratings.

Read reviews - people can report important things: for example, the Internet or heating is not working well, noise from the street is disturbing at night, and so on.

Reliable owner:

• has a verified profile,
• a lot of positive reviews,
• I registered for the service a long time ago.

In case of problems, always write or call support. Our apartment in France was once poorly cleaned and we had to sweep the floor ourselves. I thought it was fair to ask Airbnb to refund us the money for cleaning - they returned it the same day. If the housing does not correspond to what is stated in the description, complain and the service will either give you coupons for a discount of $50-100, or provide better and more expensive housing in the same city.

About prices

The cost of housing almost always depends on the season: in the high season there is high demand and prices are 2-3 times higher. I try to travel during the low season so as not to overpay.

Airbnb charges a service fee, the amount of which depends on the amount of the reservation - usually around 10-15%.

Hosts often include a separate cleaning fee in the bill, but you will see this amount before booking.

Sometimes municipal taxes from tourists are included in the bill (in Italy, for example).

In rare cases, the owner may take a deposit for the safety of property - this is typical for respectable apartments and apartments, where there is something to spoil, destroy and break. In my practice there was only one such example.

The amount you pay when booking is final. When you meet the owner, you will not need to pay anything else.

How to book a place on Airbnb

Everything is very simple. Briefly, it looks like this: you go to the Airbnb website, look for accommodation in the desired city for the desired dates, choose, contact the owner, book, arrive, live and be happy. Now more details.

Stage 1. Registration

Fill out your profile: add a photo, link to your Facebook page and phone number, write a few lines about yourself - all this is necessary to confirm that you are a real person and give future landlords the opportunity to get to know you. It is advisable to upload a scan of your document to confirm your account and make it reliable. This is for safety reasons.

After registration, you can invite your friends and receive a new bonus - $17 for each friend. Not a bad and nice discount!

Stage 2. Choosing housing

Now you can start looking for housing.

Airbnb is a convenient and simple service, you can easily figure it out. Enter the required information into the search box: destination, dates and number of guests. A page will open with the available options and their location on the map. There are search filters at the top. You can limit the price range, select the area, type of accommodation, and more.

Open the pages of the accommodation you like. Read the description, reviews, look at the photos. Compare and choose the best option.

Once you have chosen your accommodation, you can book it immediately or write to the owner first to ask any questions you may have. Do what is most convenient for you.

Stage 3. Payment

To book accommodation you will need a bank card or PayPal. Payments are processed through a secure protocol. Recently, it became possible to pay half the amount, and the rest later, about a week before arrival. Please double check the dates and number of guests before paying.

Once you book an apartment on Airbnb, the host has 24 hours to approve your request. If he doesn't do this, the money will be immediately returned to your card. This happened to me once.

The service has accommodation marked “instant booking” - the reservation is made automatically, confirmation of the owner of the accommodation is not required.

Updated 01/10/2020

The history of my relationship with Airbnb: 10 countries and 15 cities, 23 apartments and rooms for several days and 2 houses for a month. What have I learned for myself in 4 years and will I continue?

To be honest, I have never had any serious problems with airbnb.ru, and I am 99.9% satisfied with it. Wait, where did one hundredth go?

What kind of accommodation can you find on Airbnb?

Almost anything - rooms, apartments, bungalows, villas and even tree houses! Searching for an accommodation option in one city usually takes from 30 minutes to an hour - I look at photos of apartments, read reviews of those who have been there (I also translate foreign ones). I also compare prices with RoomGuru - it happens that the good old 3-star room wins.

My review of the Airbnb website

Our apartment for 4 people in Jerusalem - $100/night

Note: if not the first time, then here’s a life hack - register your mom/dad/friend (remember that the bonus is not entered, but is automatically counted when you click on the link), and the discount coupon will work again. 🙂

Step 2. Let's move on - looking for accommodation for the trip. Apartment booking is available in almost any city in the world. To do this, set the parameters you need on Airbnb:

• city
• dates (from 2019 the numbers appear along with the cost - convenient)
• and the number of people by clicking “apply” and then “accommodation”

and here they are - all the rental options for your dates, from a luxury townhouse in the center to a homeless-style tent by the lake (did I say, for any budget? :)).

What filters are there?

• Housing type(entire apartment, separate or shared room) - I usually don’t choose anything here, I’m guided directly by the advertisements. You can click, for example, the first option, and the house/apartment will be completely in your – temporary – possession
• Price– you can choose a limit amount that you are willing to pay per day (from 0 to 50,000+ rubles)
• Book instantly– see step below
• Trip type(for families/business trips) - in my opinion, not a completely relevant filter, because a more interesting and cheaper option can be found simply in the feed
• Other– if necessary, indicate the number of bedrooms, amenities, area, or check the box for “unique housing” (hut in the forest, yacht or houseboat? :)

Step 3. We study housing - a short algorithm is as follows:

• look at prices
• determine the location on the map on the right (when you hover over an ad, its price tag is highlighted on the map)
• We are opening several apartments that you like
• read reviews

When you click on an accommodation, you can find detailed information about the rules/conditions of accommodation, photographs of rooms, reviews from travelers and the owner. I advise you to CAREFULLY go through literally every letter. The site works in Russian, so there is a magic “translate” button. Pay attention to the "Amenities" section. It happens that the owners also include breakfast - they are quite simple, but still nice :) Plus, it saves both time and money.

Our apartment in New York (Brooklyn) for $67/night for two - it has a robot, a fireplace and even a cinema (we wrote more in the telegram @howtrip)

My tips on how not to fly by and not overpay:

1️⃣ I never choose apartments that no reviews or a small number of them (2-4). Although I admit that everyone starts somewhere, and that cool loft with zero responses will become a super-selling offer in a month or two. But I’ll probably give him a wide berth.

UPD: I changed my mind and now I’m looking at the “new items”. And all because they sometimes offer a 20% discount to the first 3 guests. I’ve booked this way twice already, and successfully!

2️⃣ Of the whole bunch of enthusiastic reviews, I note those that are automatically generated by the service itself "The host canceled this reservation...". This means that the owner canceled the reservation so many days before the traveler’s arrival - if there are 3 or more, I pass by.

3️⃣ Important factor - frequency and response time owner (can be found below reviews). They demonstrate a person’s attitude towards Airbnb – whether he’s scoring or really being responsible.

4️⃣ Above the red “Request booking” button there are several lines that make up the final cost, but these specific ones are not always found:

• Cleaning fee– I don’t see the need if I’m traveling for 3-5 days or even a week. In principle, it is small - up to 2000 rubles for the entire stay
• Weekly/monthly discount– this is my favorite 🙂 If you book an apartment for 7 days or more, some hosts discount 10-15% of the price, and if for 3-4 weeks, the discount can reach 30-40%! That’s why Bali cost me 400 rubles per night.

5️⃣ And someone enters and security deposit. You can find out about this in the “House Rules” section, expanding them completely. I wonder what he not written off and is not frozen on the card when booking (and certainly not given to the owner in cash). If, after eviction, the owner complains about damage, Airbnb reviews the claim (with your participation, of course) and makes a verdict - pay the amount or forgive. I haven't had any experience with collateral yet.

6️⃣ Don't click on "Request Booking" At once. First, write to the owner (in the “Owner’s name” section there is a “Contact” button): ask something about the apartment or simply mention how you liked the option. But be sure to check whether the desired dates are free - the calendar may be acting up. Plus, it will save your money from the insidious instant booking.

7️⃣ What is "Instant Book"? The host set up an automatic confirmation of the reservation, not a manual one. Accordingly, the money on the card is frozen immediately, without waiting for the final word from the owner. In fact, this is a convenient option, and cancellations (cancellations) occur extremely rarely 🙂 The red “Request Booking” button is normal, and “Booking” is instant.

8️⃣ View cancellation policy. Flexible, moderate, strict - the amount that will be returned to the card if you decide to cancel the apartment depends on them.

Step 4. After your request, the host has 24 hours to accept or decline the reservation. If the outcome is positive, payment is made, and airbnb.ru opens access to all information about housing - the exact address, phone number for contact.

Things to consider regarding finances (how payments are made):

• Airbnb takes a commission from 10 to 15%, the amount of which depends on the cost of the reservation
• Payment is always made in rubles, not in dollars or euros, even if the cost is indicated in such currencies. And it’s better to use a ruble card to avoid crazy conversion

• If you select “Split payment with friends,” your friend will not be able to pay with bonuses. They can only be used by the person who books the accommodation.

Step 5. Wait for the trip and contact the host the day before to clarify the details.

For the first time we decided to try expensive housing on Airbnb - an apartment with a view of Manhattan cost 20,000 rubles/night for two (we rented for 2 nights)

How to contact Airbnb?

Before booking For any questions, write to support www.airbnb.ru/help. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to call, they simply don’t have that option.

If you made a reservation, and there is a need to contact, find the letter in the mail “Your reservation has been confirmed.” At the very bottom there is a red button, go to the Help Center and specify the problem. You will be asked to write or call their Russian-language support service (toll-free number). Note: this same Russian-language support is often busy, there are few operators, so they switch to English-language support.

I recently discovered their VKontakte page - vk.com/airbnbhelp, there is also a good connection there.

What happens if a booking is cancelled?

Canceled by the host: full refund or credit towards another booking. You canceled: full/partial refund (depending on conditions).

If you choose accommodation with flexible cancellation, there will be no problems. Always pay attention to this. In January 2018, we canceled a reservation in Thailand - the money was returned to the card within 2 days! 🙂 Important: The refund is made to the card that was specified when booking.

By the way, if you are traveling to only one country for a week or 10 days, then I advise you to look at the cost of tours, it often happens that they turn out to be more profitable independent trip(applies to countries such as Thailand, Spain, Greece, Tunisia and other popular destinations):

What are the advantages of the Airbnb.ru website? Positive reviews from tourists

Apartment where we lived in Paris (August 2018) - 65 euros/day

1. The most low prices for apartments all over the world. And it is true! This is especially noticeable in large and expensive cities. As mentioned above, many offers are discounted if you book for a week or a month. It is also profitable to rent an apartment with a group; when calculated per person, it is cheaper. You can find cool offers for quite reasonable money. So, in Phuket I rented an apartment for 600 rubles a day with a swimming pool and a gym. Not bad, right? And in Barcelona - a room for 600 euros for a whole month.
2. Simple and clear site. This, of course, is not an entirely tangible advantage, but many services have big problems with this.
3. All kinds of options - you can find luxurious apartments with a view of the entire city, a small and cozy apartment in a residential area with locals. In general, there is a choice and prices for every taste.
4. By renting accommodation on Airbnb, you get to know the locals and get a feel for the culture of the country. Which is quite difficult to grasp if you check into a hotel and communicate with a receptionist programmed to smile.
5. The service has solved one of the main problems for many - full payment - and now it is not necessary to pay the entire amount when booking. You can split it into two parts, and spend the second ≈2 weeks before the trip. Condition: total amount – from $250, travel date – no earlier than 4 weeks.

What are the disadvantages of the site? Negative reviews

Our accommodation for a day in Moscow on Bolshaya Sadovaya - 4200 rubles/day for three

First I’ll say a few words. I read the messages, and I think if everything was as bad as some people describe, Airbnb would have gone under a long time ago. Well, and through one, of course, everything is to blame - the inattention of the user himself.

1. If you were advised of a specific accommodation - for example, Michael’s cozy apartment in NusaDua - you will not be able to find it by name. This has become a very uncomfortable moment for me more than once.
2. Payment upon booking. Now it is possible to divide the amount into two stages, but back in 2017 this was not the case, which did not suit me at all. The money, in fact, is in a “suspended” state for several months, and maybe even quite a large amount. Airbnb has finally met its customers. I know you will say that you can book a hotel without paying at all. But here, when canceling a booking, significant losses are incurred by ordinary people, for whom this is not exactly profitable. And this is compensated by cheaper prices than hotels. On the other hand, you can always cancel your reservation (a certain time before check-in) and the service will return the full amount based on the conditions that were specified in the apartment’s profile.
3. If any problems arise, the support service takes a very long time to respond to emails. And it’s okay that problems arise rarely, but they still happen. The last time I had a question about a refund. Surprisingly, the money was returned faster than the employee responded - 2 days vs. 5 days :)
4. Negative reviews about Airbnb abound with the following: you fell for a fraudulent host who tricked you into getting a bad apartment or canceled your reservation a week before check-in. But just for such a case, reviews of accommodation, host ratings and the ability to contact before booking have been introduced. Always carefully study each comment, look at the profile registration date and photos of the property. If you have any questions, be sure to write to the landlord - this is the difference between Airbnb and a hotel search engine, that it - about communication and waiting. In addition, the service is truly customer-oriented - any cancellation is accompanied by a discount coupon, and for non-compliance with the conditions, money is returned (after proceedings). But this does not eliminate the need to look for new housing and unpleasant emotions. This is where the one missing hundredth is hidden.
5. Speed ​​– people are not always online and after booking you need to wait for the owner’s confirmation. Therefore, if you book accommodation in the morning and plan to check in in the afternoon, it is better to search for hotels through Roomguru or.

Is Airbnb booking eligible for visa?

Embassies accept airbnb reservations for visa. For example, we did the Spanish Schengen and attached several confirmations from this site. Without any problems, you can apply for a visa to the Czech Republic, France and other countries.

Click "View Trip Plan" and print your detailed receipt. Names and dates are displayed there.

What other options does Airbnb offer?

With a discount, accommodation for 7 days will cost less than for 6 or 5. And renting for a month will be more profitable than for 3-3.5 weeks. It happens that the monthly discount starts from 27-28 days.

2️⃣ Why not take a risk and look for new offers (special icon next to it)? Some hosts give a discount on the first 3 bookings, and it can go up to 30-40% of the initial cost.

3️⃣ Some apartment owners add a fixed cleaning fee. It amounts to a significant amount (who knows), especially if the booking is for 3-5 days. So try to find accommodation without cleaning. You can write to the host and ask - what if I clean up myself? :) Sometimes they agree to a meeting, and the price is reduced. But if you are against it, there is no point in insisting.

4️⃣ Naturally, a life hack that many people know about - coupon 2100 rubles Select dates and compare prices

We are looking for a discounted tour.

Among all the online resources offering travelers intermediary services in finding an apartment or house in the private sector abroad, Airbnb accommodation booking site is one of the most popular and is a big competitor to hotel booking services. Its functionality is quite simple, but a little instruction for those who for the first time decided to independently choose a roof over their head on a voyage abroad will be useful.

Some useful tips on how Airbnb works are supported by illustrations, so it won’t be difficult for you to do everything exactly as it should and go to (or somewhere else), already knowing exactly what there will be somewhere to lay your head. To do this, you just need to go to the website and fill out the search form.

1. Registration

If you want to rent an apartment on Airbnb, then you must go through the registration procedure on this Internet resource. Many people are not too fond of showing their contact information to the whole world. In the case of Airbnb, the bitter pill is sweetened with a bonus: $25 gift upon registration . It can only be spent on, or rather in 190 countries around the world. Based on the average prices offered for accommodation, they are enough to spend one night in a comfortable apartment.

2. Search for housing

Further renting apartments on Airbnb It begins with a procedure quite usual for the World Wide Web - filling out a search form. You will be required to indicate your destination, expected check-in and check-out dates. You must indicate how many people are traveling. After that, press the red button "To start searching" and you find yourself on the preliminary results page.

3. Weeding out unnecessary housing

What you see may not seem very attractive to you, because the most expensive offers will be first on the list. To rent an apartment on Airbnb on your terms, use additional filters. The main one is the expected price range. By moving the right slider to the left, you can settle on the most reasonable prices. The left one is needed in order to weed out very low-cost options that are clearly unsuitable for the comfort offered.

4. Useful filters

Once you have decided on the price, move on to the amenities offered, location and other options. To do this, click the button "More filters". Airbnb will ask you to choose the number of bathrooms and toilets, the presence or absence of the Internet (more about), a washing machine. When you see this wealth, try to be practical. If you are traveling on business, you cannot do without the Internet. Staying for more than three days without a kitchen may seem unnecessarily extreme. But the presence of a swimming pool is a pleasant, but very expensive and not entirely appropriate bonus.

You can always expand the range of Airbnb accommodation options offered by clicking the triangular icon to the right of the main set. For example, in the graph "Facilities" first they will only show you "Internet" "TV" And "kitchen". By clicking on the triangular icon on the right you will see options "intercom", "fireplace" and others. By checking all the boxes next to the desired options, you will reduce the number of offers. The rest will be exactly what you would like to receive. By using all types of filters, you will be convinced that Airbnb prices quite accessible to most travelers.

5. Selecting offers on the map

Now you can deal with offers “in person” by seeing their photo (on the right side of the Airbnb page) and location (on the map on the left). The map scale can be changed in the same way as in the Yandex service. If you're interested in a specific area, click on it to get your final selection of rental properties. There is a button at the bottom of the map "Language and Currency". By clicking on it, you will be able to choose both in ruble price format and in local currency.

6. Detailed review

You can get acquainted in detail with each housing option you like on Airbnb twice: both with the house itself and with its owner. By clicking on the thumbnail of a house, you will be taken to the page with its full description and a small photo gallery. Reviews from guests about its owner can be read by clicking on the avatar, which is located below the thumbnail. If the information is submitted to and you find it difficult to translate, look for the red inscription "Translate to Russian", the Airbnb service will translate everything for you. Remember: any inscription that is highlighted in red hides additional information. Don’t be lazy to click on it so that there are no surprises when you move in.

7. Final point

Once you have decided on your final housing option, start booking an apartment on Airbnb. The procedure is just as simple, but you must follow the algorithm.

1. If you are still hesitating, but do not want to lose sight of the option you like, then add it to the list of acceptable ones by clicking the button "Save to Wish list".
2. If there is no information that only the owner of the house can provide, click on the button “Contact the owner.” Be prepared for the fact that he may or another language that you understand.
3. When all doubts are overcome, press the button "Request booking". In the window that opens, fill out the fields containing information about you and your bank card. There you can ask the owner about something again.
4. Having indicated all personal and banking information, put a “tick” in the box opposite the inscription “I agree with all conditions”, after which the button "Continue" will become active. Click it and wait for the owner's response.

The transaction for renting and renting housing on Airbnb will be considered concluded if its owner responds within 24 hours. Approximate waiting times can be found in reviews about it. Money will be debited from your account only after the landlord's final consent.

Possibility to rent Airbnb accommodations around the world imposes certain obligations on the borrower. The community principle that unites members of this resource states that “Anonymity harms trust.” Therefore, on your profile page, follow the link "Trust and Confirmation", and then press the red button "Verify my profile". After that follow step by step instructions. Those who have passed the verification procedure can count on a quick and objective resolution of controversial issues.

You can read reviews about Airbnb in the comments, and don’t be lazy and add your own :)