Host Customer Service Tips

Becoming the Perfect Vacation Rental Host

You see their bright and shining faces on Airbnb with “SuperHost” by their name and you think – overachiever! But really, what are they doing that is giving them this status? It takes some work and consistency, but listening to your guests is key. Put Yourself in the Guest’s Shoes Imagine you cozy yourself into […]

By Lisa Brown

Last updated: November 16, 2023

You see their bright and shining faces on Airbnb with “SuperHost” by their name and you think – overachiever! But really, what are they doing that is giving them this status? It takes some work and consistency, but listening to your guests is key.

Put Yourself in the Guest’s Shoes

Imagine you cozy yourself into your little vacation rental for the night. You crawl into bed and you notice a gross looking stain on the comforter, and you think to yourself, “Ewww, what the???” While it might seem minimal to you, it can be a big deal to your guest.

Make sure that your place is spot-on when guests check-in – don’t overlook a thing! Create a checklist so you cover every detail. You want all, and I mean ALL of your reviews to reflect a spic and span space. Every. Single. Time. Ensure that you and your vacation rental cleaner are on the same page.

Photo by Logan Nolin on Unsplash

Always Be a Phone Call Away

You aren’t a doctor or a bail bondsman for crying out loud, but again, think about ways that you can stand out from the multitudes of other listings in your area.

Let’s say you get a call from that turned off guest that suspects there might be a smidge of lord knows what on that bedding. Take care of it for them at a moment’s notice, and BAM! You’ve just turned a bad situation into something good by being responsive. Trust me, guests can be a pain, but treating them like they are appreciated will go far for you in the reviews – and people read reviews!

woman on phone dialing a number

Be Helpful, even if you think it’s Not Necessary

It is very useful when vacation rental owners keep a welcome packet somewhere noticeable. It’s a nice touch, and often has some very helpful information about their home and area around them.

Some can be tabbed with useful tidbits on how to operate remotes or appliances. If there is anything that you think can be helpful like bus lines or information about nearby venues or stores – let your guests know. This doesn’t take much work and can actually help prevent you from answering calls about random things.

Don’t Cancel that Reservation

Sometimes things come up that we can’t avoid, that’s just life. However, when you have a vacation rental, make sure you have an easy self-check-in set up, or a back-up in case you aren’t available. Also, ensure that you have someone other than yourself locked down to clean your place in case you can’t.

Utilize all of those cool services that are available on Turno to help Airbnb and other vacation rental hosts find great cleaning services and get those great reviews that translate into more bookings. A perfect host will honor confirmed reservations whenever possible, so make this a priority if you plan to rent your place out.

What are the Perks?

What are the perks of all of this hard work you might ask? Increased visibility on vacation rental platforms, bonuses, increased bookings, you name it. Every vacation rental platform will reward you with these things if you are reliable, responsive and treat guests well. After all, isn’t that what we all want?