How to Keep Guests Coming Back to Your Airbnb Home

A common fear among hosts on online travel agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb and Vrbo is that their home will be a turn-off to guests. What if they don’t like the decor? What if they don’t have enough towels or extra sheets? Will their home seem too small for the guest’s needs?

While it’s important to maintain your property and provide all of the necessary amenities, you also want to make sure that your home is comfortable and inviting. To do this, you have to think about what would make someone want to come back. If you can create an air of comfort in your space with a few tips, then you’re well on your way!

Here are 5 tips to keep guests coming back to your Airbnb home (or homes!):

1.   Be a Good Host

Making your guest’s stay comfortable and enjoyable should be your number one goal when hosting on OTAs. It may seem obvious, but if you really want people to come back, then it has to start with you! Are you easy to get in touch with? Do you respond quickly and politely? Are your check-in and check-out instructions clear? Do you provide all of the amenities that your guest needs? If you can be a good host, then they’ll most likely want to come back!

2.   Maintain Your Homes Properly

A big part of hosting on Airbnb is properly managing your properties. Make sure that there are no major damages on your property that could affect your guest’s stay. It is important to try to keep your vacation rental tidy. Remember your cleaning standards are often held to a similar standard that hotels are. The second part of maintaining your homes properly is also ensuring that you are managing your properties well. Many hosts will utilize property managers for their homes who often utilize services like Lodgable to ensure homes are managed efficiently.

3.   Add Personal Touches

Your guests are paying for the experience of staying in someone else’s home. If you really want them to want to come back, then you should make them feel like it’s their own space! You can do this by adding personal touches to your home. Add art that reflects you, or little knick-knacks and souvenirs from where you’ve traveled. Maybe even add a few of your favorite books! If your guests see these items and get a sense of who you are, they’ll feel more inclined to book again.

4.   Keep Your Home Stocked

It’s important to have all of the amenities that your guests need when they stay at your place. For most rentals, this includes a kitchen with cooking supplies and a bathroom with towels and toiletries. However, you may want to stock some other things as well! If you have a pool or fitness room, have some extra pool towels and workout equipment ready to go! If you have a fireplace or board games, make sure those are stocked as well.

5.   Make it Feel Like Home

It is common for guests to feel anxious about being in another’s space. It’s important to give them a sense of being at home so they keep coming back. Create a space that is warm, inviting, and familiar. If possible, rearrange the furniture so it matches how your guests would normally set things up at home. Make sure they know where everything is located in the kitchen and bathroom so they don’t need to ask.

Bottom Line

As a host, you want to make sure that your guests have an enjoyable stay at your home. And if they’re happy with their experience, then it increases the likelihood of them coming back for another visit in the future.

Hosts should be aware of how their guests behave and what they need during their stay. These small steps can go a long way towards building strong relationships between both parties which will lead to more repeat bookings!