Dapper Home: Sarah's Tips for Renting Your Home on AirBNB

Captain dapper wants you to get out of the house ... and maybe make a little money while you're gone.

Last week I showed you my friend Sarah's super cute garden apartment. She had been renting it with a standard lease until recently, when she decided to give AirBNB a try. The minute she mentioned that she's using AirBNB to lease out the apartment for short term rentals, my interest was piqued. One of the reasons The Mister and I want to buy a country home is so that we can make a little extra cash renting out our city apartment and the country house when we're not using them. To prep for my own AirBNB'ing, I asked Sarah to share her best advice on renting out a home for short term rentals. 

TIPS FOR MAKING THE STAY BETTER FOR THE HOST

• Meet your guests in person, if at all possible. Community building is part of the whole movement. You don’t have to have strangers in for drinks or even necessarily spend more than five minutes with them. But, personal contact guarantees a better experience for both parties. Your comfort level with having strangers in your property goes up, their respect level of their accommodations goes up, and – more often than not – you meet new interesting people!
• That being said, install a lock box. A lock box, typically used by realtors, is a minor expense ($25 on average) and allows your guests to arrive at their leisure and let themselves in. Things happen – flights get delayed, traffic gets gnarled. The last thing you want to do is disrupt your plans to wait for a late guest. This doesn’t preclude you from meeting your guests in person – you should always make an effort to do so (see above) – but then you can do it on both of your schedules.
• Practice safety first. Life and safety are number one, and you are ultimately responsible for guests under your roof. If you rent through AirBNB or other similar services, insurance coverage is often provided up to a limit. Learn what the limits are, and be sure you understand what your homeowner or renters insurance includes or excludes, in terms of fire, break-ins, damage, etc. I am mainly talking about life safety issues here; material objects are replaceable. Be sure your smoke alarms are in working order. Be sure there are operable exits that meet the fire codes in your city or town. Plan for the worst but expect the best. 
• Learn to love white towels and sheets. You (or your cleaning service) will be washing a lot of linens, and -- despite guests’ best intentions -- accidents happen. Mascara gets on towels. Someone gets a bloody nose during the night. White cotton can be bleached and comes out unscathed on the other side. 
• Buy the best you can afford, with practicality in mind. IKEA and Target are great for a college dorm room, but not necessarily for a grown-up rental property. Most of their furniture and housewares are “disposable,” made with a limited shelf life. Furnish and stock your rental with the highest-quality items you can, but not things that you will stress out over if they are damaged. Glasses break, rugs get stained, but if you have better quality items, they will most likely be handled more carefully and stand up to more wear and tear over time.
• Make it obvious. Everyone’s different. Habits and behaviors you may take for granted may be foreign to someone else. I have a few, discreet, well-placed notes around for things I want my guests to know: Please remove your shoes in the house; Please do not water the plants; Please crack the window when you take a shower (there’s no fan). Plus, there is a printed guide with other basics clearly posted on the refrigerator. It never hurts to over-communicate. 

TIPS FOR MAKING THE STAY BETTER FOR THE GUEST

• Install a motion-sensor light at the front door. If your rental is a private residence – without a public entrance -- be sure there is an outdoor light at your front door that automatically turns on at dusk and off at dawn. This falls into safety and just plain courtesy issues. You don’t want a guest fumbling in the dark at a strange doorway to fit a key into a lock.
• Provide neighborhood information. No, you don’t have to be a tour guide, but assume your guests have never been to your city, much less your neighborhood. Take the time to put together a guide to area restaurants, coffee shops, convenience stores, parks, the closest mailbox, parking rules, public transportation tips, etc. that your guests can peruse at their leisure. If you want to go above and beyond, stock up on restaurant menus and maps, recommend jogging paths and yoga studios, provide a guide to local radio stations. Yes, all this information can be accessed via the Internet these days, but sometimes old school is nice. 
• Provide free WiFi. In this day and age, it’s just a given. It allows your guests to be more self-reliant and is just the courteous thing to do. You know how annoying it is to be at a hotel that either makes you pay extra for WiFi or (egads!) doesn’t have it.
• Be honest. If your apartment doesn’t get a lot of sunlight, don’t pretend it does. If it’s a long walk to the closest subway station, tell it like it is. If you’re close to a fire station and hear a lot of sirens, provide ear plugs! Kidding! The point it, be honest, because inevitably your guests will find out the hard way and not be happy with the experience, which makes for an unhappy host. False representation gets you nowhere.
• Invest in a good mattress. And good sheets. Let’s face it, the most important thing your guests need is a place to sleep – a very comfortable place to sleep. As good travelers, they should be out and about during the day exploring your city and having wonderful new experiences. The kitchen, the living room … not so important. But the bed … critical. Once over the age of 21, futons are out. OUT. Personal preference for soft or firm mattresses varies, so cough up for something quality in between. And dress it with 100% cotton sheets. Period. Your guests will thank you.

Thanks for the great tips, Sarah! If you're interested in renting Sarah's apartment the next time you're in Chicago, check out her listing on AirBNB.

Images: Jason Loper