Before I
begin my brain dump around everything I have learned about Airbnb, I need to get a couple of
housekeeping items out of the way which include the experience I am basing this info
on and, addressing the horror
stories you read in the headlines from time to time. And if you are hungry to read “what’s the
worst that can happen at an Airbnb”, you can read more at Asher &Lyric.
The most
important aspect of mine and Andy’s ability to engage in our digital nomad
lifestyle is always having a clean, safe, convenient place to live wherever we
may travel. For the past 14 months we have
lived exclusively in Airbnb homes throughout the Americas. In total, with the exception of the 10 days
we vacationed in Ecuador we have lived for 403 days in 13
locations with another 6 months booked in advance. This includes 3 months remaining in CDMX and then traveling to Vancouver for 3
months. We try to keep about 6 months in
advance booked. So this experience is what I am basing this blog on, and I think it’s a pretty good run.
Yes, horror
stories happen. But they have not
happened to us. I would guess that if
you have 150 million users like Airbnb, sometimes things are going to break
bad. But if you want to read more about
Airbnb stats just check out DMR. If you
want to know how to enjoy a great experience at and Airbnb and even incorporate
it into your digital nomad lifestyle just keep reading.
Airbnb Pricing, Payments, and PRO
TIPs
There’s a
few things I love about Airbnb pricing and payments. It is really a great equalizer when it comes
to pricing. For example, we have had a
great penthouse condo on the beach in Playa del Carmen for $2800 per month, a
great apartment in a luxury tower in CDMX for $2800 per month, and have booked
a penthouse apartment in Vancouver for $2800 per month.
If you
haven’t guessed, our budget is $2800 per month.
Which brings me to my next point, when including home mortgage, taxes, insurance,
utilities, maintenance and even a gym and pool in these instances this is a great savings to us compared to
home ownership we experienced in San Antonio.
And the Airbnb homes we have stayed in are n-i-c-e. If you want a list of homes we stayed in and
can recommend, subscribe to the blog and I’ll send it out to you. PRO TIP All of our Airbnb charges go on our AMEX, so we earn points, points, and
more points!
The first price you see for a home may not be the price you pay. But in a good way. Once you put in your dates and select a home
you will see the discount that the host offers for your stay. There are normally weekly and monthly
discounts. PRO TIP We have found that on occasion, a one month stay is the
same price as a two week stay because the host offers a 50% monthly
discount. So poke around. PRO
TIP You can message the host and request further discounts. Sometimes it’s no, but sometimes it’s yes.
Airbnb cancellation policy
Long term v.
short term cancellation policy…these are different policies. Also, each host can choose their own
cancellation policy so the one that applied to your last stay, may not apply to
your next. And there are a myriad of cancellation policies for your host to choose from. Be sure to read the one that applies to your home before booking.
AIRBNB CANCELLATION
POLICY.
Additional lessons to share
v Know that Airbnb is, by design, a
business for the hosts and not the guests, so you really need to be your own
advocate. With that said the Airbnb help
desk has always been wonderful to us and prove to be a great resource.
v Communicate with your host early and
often. Even before booking, we always start a conversation with our intended host.
This communication begins with questions we have about the listing and “house rules” for the home. Some of
our standard initial questions include:
§ “What’s the speed and reliability of
the internet?” Since we work from home this is the most important
consideration. Many times apartments
list Wi-Fi, but the service is poor.
This questions helps us rule out the apt. or prepare a contingency plan. (Andy is an internet warrior and I have requested that he write about this, so stay tuned.)
§ Hosts normally have “no parties or
events” rules. But we stay long term and
like to have dinner parties and friends to the house. We have even had friends and family visit for
a few days during our longer stays. “Is this
going to be a problem at your home?” If
the answer is yes, we know to move on to another home.
§ “Is there any problem engaging the
security in the building?” If the answer
is yes, this probably means the host is not authorized to rent the home, at
least to a short term renter. This is
also a barrier to having friends and family visit.
v Airbnb provides a basic list of items
to be supplied by the host. Some hosts
are really good at anticipating your additional needs and some, not so good. If there is something you really need, bring
it.
v With our long term stays we cook at
home a lot. We usually find our kitchen
needs lacking including some very basic items like measuring tools, colanders,
grater, mixing bowls and such absent. We
have started a small box of kitchen necessities and ship it from location to
location with each move. This has come
in handy every time.
v If you require A/C be sure the home
has it, particularly in beach towns.
Also be sure the cost of electricity is included in the rental price,
again particularly in beach towns.
v Many buildings in Mexico do not have
elevators. Be mindful if this is an
issue for you because you can be expected to climb 4, 5, or more floors in
smaller buildings.
If you avoid
the pitfalls of things that can ruin your stay you will enjoy your Airbnb
experience. With that I say, don’t make
assumptions. Ask questions. Communicate early and often. This will prevent issues and ensure a stress
free Airbnb stay without the horror stories.
