Among all Internet resources offering travelers intermediary services for finding an apartment or house in the private sector abroad, Airbnb booking site is one of the most popular and competes with hotel booking services. Its functionality is quite simple, but a little briefing for those who for the first time decided to independently pick up a roof over their heads in a foreign voyage will be useful.

Some useful tips about how airbnb works backed up with illustrations, so it won’t be difficult for you to do everything exactly as it should be and go to (or somewhere else) already knowing exactly what will be where to lay your head. To do this, you just need to go to the site and fill out the search form.

1. Registration

If you want to rent an apartment on Airbnb, then they must go through the registration procedure on this Internet resource. Many are not too fond of showing their contact details 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, more precisely in 190 countries of the world. Based on the average offered prices for accommodation, they are enough to spend the night in a comfortable apartment once.

2. Search for housing

Further apartment rentals in Airbnb starts with a very common World Wide Web procedures - filling out a search form. You will be required to provide your destination, estimated date of arrival and departure. Be sure to indicate how many people are traveling. Then press the red button "To start searching" and find yourself on the page of preliminary results.

3. Weeding out unnecessary housing

What you see may not seem very attractive to you, because the first on the list will be the most expensive offers. To rent a place 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 stop at the most reasonable prices. The left one is needed in order to weed out options that are very budgetary, obviously unsuitable for the comfort offered.

4. Useful filters

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

You can always expand the range of Airbnb accommodation options offered by clicking on the triangular icon to the right of the main set. For example, in the graph "Facilities" first you will be shown only "Internet" "TV" and "kitchen". By clicking on the triangular icon on the right, you will see the options "intercom", "fireplace" other. By putting checkmarks in front of the desired options in all boxes, you will reduce the number of offers. The rest will be exactly what you would like to receive. Using all kinds of filters, you will see that airbnb prices quite accessible to most travelers.

5. Selection of offers on the map

Now you can deal with offers “personally” by seeing their photo (on the right side of the Airbnb page) and location (on the map on the left). The scale of the map can be changed in the same way as in the Yandex service. If you are interested in a particular area, click on it and get the ultimate set of rental housing options. 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 the ruble price format and in the local currency.

6. Detailed view

You can get acquainted in detail with each Airbnb accommodation option you like twice: both with the house itself and with its owner. By clicking on the preview of the house, you will be redirected to the page with its full description and a small photo gallery. Guest reviews about its owner can be read by clicking on the avatar below the thumbnail. If the information is submitted to and you are at a loss with the translation, find 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. Do not be too lazy to click on it so that there are no surprises when moving in.

7. Final moment

After you have decided on the final version housing, start booking apartments on Airbnb. The procedure is also simple, but you must follow the algorithm.

1. If you still hesitate, 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 can or another language you understand.
3. When all doubts are overcome, press the button "Request a booking". In the window that opens, fill in the fields containing information about you and your bank card. There you can once again ask the owner about something.
4. Having indicated all the personal and banking data, put a "tick" in the box opposite the inscription "Agree with all terms", after which the button "Proceed" will become active. Click it and wait for the response of the landlord.

An Airbnb rental deal will be considered closed if the host responds within 24 hours. Approximate waiting time can be found in the reviews about it. The money will be debited from your account only after the final consent of the landlord.

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

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

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

How to rent an apartment through Airbnb?

Imagine the picture:

You boarded a plane to have a rest in some wonderful country, for example, in Greece. All week you lay on the beach, enjoying the sun, the 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 earn good money while basking in the sun.

But wait a second, is that even possible if you're not a venture capitalist?

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

You need 3 things to make money with Airbnb: an empty house, a room that is idle or even a sleeping place, openness in communicating with people and a desire to make money.

Airbnb's idea is simple - you rent out your accommodation to travelers (often more expensive than apartments for rent to your fellow countrymen), and travelers rejoice at the opportunity to live in comfort and feel "like a local".

By helping tourists get even deeper into the daily life of the place where they arrived, the founders of Airbnb created a $30 billion company. This service covers 190 countries and 60 million tourists as its customers.

The good news is that you can have your slice of this huge pie.

If you prefer to first thoroughly familiarize yourself with a situation that is new to you before rushing into the pool with your head, this article is for you. Here is everything you need to know in order to successfully earn money by renting out your accommodation to tourists. And the basis was personal experience renting an apartment through Airbnb.

How does Airbnb work?

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

Airbnb connects travelers looking for affordable or unique accommodations with hosts offering a free bed or fairy palace depending on your capabilities.

Tourists use Airbnb when:

• hotels are overcrowded (for example, during a festival);
• hotel prices are unreasonably high;
• they do not like hotels a priori and prefer to live “like at home”.

They can come to you both for a couple of days, and for several months, all this is negotiated in advance on the site and we will move on to technical issues a little later.

Airbnb takes a small commission from both tourists and landlords.

Why list your place on Airbnb?

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

Opening your home to strangers is always a risk.

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

Second, we've all heard horror stories about homes being destroyed or robbed by tenants. Statistics show that such cases are less than 1%, but they also take place.

But if you have the guts to let strangers live on your property and take care of your taxes, 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 a 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 hosting requirements

Initially, in order to list your accommodation 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 do any additional gestures. If you, as a decent citizen, are going to pay taxes, then you have 2 options:

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

Choose the option that is more profitable for you, keep in mind that individual entrepreneurs still have insurance premiums to the Pension Fund.

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

Personal space

By registering for, you must accept the rules of the game - it is customary to respect personal space here. And if you have security devices at 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 the Airbnb system.

Time spent

If you're serious about making money with Airbnb, then be prepared to spend a few hours a week doing it.

You need to visit the official Airbnb website frequently to interact with your potential guests: answer questions, negotiate any points in order 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 entrust the latter to a cleaning company.

Get owner permission

If you are a tenant yourself, you will receive permission from the owner to sublease the entire premises or part of it, prescribed 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, and your offer will have a low rating and tenants will bypass 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 match 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 your rental availability. It is important that the platform and future guests know when your property is occupied and when it is free.

2. Provide future guests with information in a timely manner. Be available to chat and visit Airbnb often to be ready to answer questions in a timely manner, tell you more about your place, when you can check in/out, and more.

Sometimes it happens that having booked accommodation with an unscrupulous landlord, the 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 helpful. Always prepare your accommodation for new guests. If for some reason you have to cancel the 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 for himself.

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 is a concern for every sane person who is faced with a phenomenon previously unknown, 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 was turned upside down after a party, property was damaged, and in some cases, guests changed the locks and refused to leave.

It is in Russia that this is quickly resolved with the help of the police, but in England, for example, serious problems may 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 lawsuit is a long process.

Incidents like this got Airbnb into serious trouble in 2011, so they have since implemented a sophisticated verification system that has become a benchmark in the rental/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 let trusted people with good reviews into your home.

Prior to confirming a booking, parties may only communicate through Airbnb. All messages containing telephone number are automatically blocked. Of course, there are workarounds, such as sending the number in parts, but do you need it?

Furthermore, bank cards participants 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 the PayPal system, which also takes care of user safety.

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

Another important thing is that you always have the option to reject a booking request if the guest doesn't seem reliable enough to you. There will be no sanctions for this, you have the right to accept only those whom you trust.

If you need Additional Information, Airbnb has a Facebook Connect feature that allows hosts to request recommendations from a guest's friends.

If these security measures prove ineffective, the landlord will be paid guaranteed insurance for $1 million. You can take out insurance if your damage does not exceed $1 million.

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

How to set up an Airbnb account

Filling in your Airbnb listing information is easy. The platform itself is intuitive, so filling out an account won't take long. But if you want to stand out from the crowd, then here are some tips for you.

header

Many people underestimate the importance of a bright and catchy headline, and write something like "Bright and modern one-bedroom apartment in the city center." It's not bad, but there are thousands of such headlines.

To stand out from the gray mass, you need to be a little creative, you must be remembered. For example, in Minsk there is a “taxi with a squirrel”, everyone in the city knows him. It's just that a man drives his clients in an inexpensive foreign car, and a real tame squirrel lives in the cabin of his car. A trifle, but 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 housing is located outside the city, it is worth mentioning.

Description

With a description, everything is simple, it is best if you write about your accommodation clearly and, most importantly, honestly. Specify as many as possible important details so that guests know exactly what to expect. Do not make false or exaggerated claims.

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

Photo

Photos are very important. Most often, apartments are rented from good photos. Here the logic 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 the ones that 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 turn to your more expensive and popular competitors. See what angles they choose and do the same.

Airbnb also provides its own photographers. Photography is free. An icon will appear on your photos that they were taken by an Airbnb employee, which means they are reliable, and you have another plus for 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 neighbors. For example, do not make noise after 23:00, do not smoke. Specify the number of people you are willing to let into the house. You may want to assign them some household chores, for example, take out the garbage, water the flowers.

Your profile

Your profile is one of the most important elements of your account. People trust people. So you should look in the eyes of travelers as a person who is trustworthy. Fill out your information as completely and clearly as possible so that guests know what to expect from you as a host.

Price

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

While you're new, set your price slightly lower than your neighbors for roughly the same housing option. Bear in mind that you will need to pay an Airbnb fee, buy essentials like toilet paper, and possibly even a cleaning company.

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

Lafhack. Evaluating the season is very simple, go to wordstat.yandex.ru. Check the "Query History" item on 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.

Using these is very simple, if you know that demand is expected to increase next month, then raise 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 do that kind of drumming, Airbnb has a built-in pricing tool. It will automatically adjust your price based on demand in your area. You can set the minimum and maximum price per day.

Landlord checklist

So, you have completed your profile in accordance with all the rules and even received your first booking. What's next? Now you need to prepare your accommodation for receiving guests.

No matter what level of comfort your accommodation provides, you should always greet guests with cleanliness and kindness at the ready. Think of your property like a professional hotel, trying to maximize the guest experience and get good reviews.

Check your accommodation

Remember that the expectations of your guests should not be at odds with reality. Think about how your furniture performs its functions. Well, if there is a washing machine, but if it is 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 have to worry about the safety of fewer things.

Put things in order

Before renting your home, arrange a general cleaning. Clean up the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallway. Basically, anywhere your guests can get to.

Dirty apartments are what killed many Airbnb businesses in the bud. Nothing supernatural is required of you, just:

• Vacuum the carpets and mop the floors;
• Wipe the dust, even where you usually do not climb;
• Clean your bathroom to a shine. Have you ever heard the phrase: "the toilet is the face of the hostess." Gross, but to the point.

Fix what's broken

Broken wires, flimsy steps, broken furniture - fix or throw out anything that could cripple your guests with their malfunction. Good reviews are important to us, right?

Change bed linen

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

Empty the fridge

This rule is from the category of "destroy all traces of the presence of previous guests." And it seems to be just as obscure 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., guests will be pleased.

Wash the bathroom clean

Any good Airbnb host offers their guests 3 basic things: a clean bed, a clean kitchen, and a clean bathroom. 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 useful to buy towels, toilet paper, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste and whatever else you see fit. This is not a waste of money, but an investment.

Keep track of valuables

If you're renting 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. Money, jewelry, personal documents and albums with family photos keep it where your guests don't have access.

If necessary, you can even purchase a safe to be calm about 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 it.

There is always something that can be done better. If good reviews are important to you, then here are some useful tips that you should pay 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 start 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 landlords 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 make guests wait

Always welcome guests, and if you do not have time, then ask your friends about it. Keep in mind that travelers may arrive at night and will need somewhere to stay.

You can be sure you won't get good reviews, if you make your guests hang around for hours at a closed door waiting for guests.

Meet them at the airport

The first impression is the most memorable. The best thing you can do for 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. Trust me, they will appreciate it.

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

Help them navigate the new situation more easily

Create a “Welcome Card” (print it out on a piece of paper or whatever your imagination is enough for) and enter information there that may be useful to them. For example, your contact details, list the best restaurants, city museums 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 them together, show the city to tourists. Still, renting through Airbnb is not quite the same as with a regular rental / rental of housing, to some extent it is also a community.

Stand out from the crowd

Try to offer guests something special to stand out from the competition. Dinner at the restaurant free tour, 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, then it will be difficult for you to find your first guest. People usually choose places where others have visited before them and told about their experience. They want to know what to expect and that's okay.

The good news is that if you're new to the Airbnb platform, you can ask your friends or family to leave a review. Pay for your stay yourself at the lowest price. Yes, you will lose some money on the commission of the service, but it will be much easier for you.

What to do if you still get negative feedback

Sometimes, even if you try hard, things can go to hell. When you have the first negative comment in your profile, it's a matter of time. No matter why the 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're sorry about what happened and do your best to make sure it doesn't happen again. If you believe the guest is at fault, you have 14 days after check-out to leave feedback.

If the negative review was too negative, write a public response to the review and explain what happened, how you fixed the situation, and reassure guests that they won't experience it again.

All reviews are forever, so don't give in to emotions, even if you really want to, and stay professional, regardless of whether you communicate with the guest in person or resolve issues online. Always acknowledge your mistakes and treat feedback as friendly advice on how to improve.

Don't forget that good communication can always prevent a bad review. Always keep in touch with guests and try to make their stay as seamless as possible.

Often bad reviews are written because of a simple misunderstanding. So try to be understood correctly.

How best to exchange keys

The key exchange is the first contact with the guest. Make sure it leaves a good impression. If you don't have time to meet your guests in person, here are a few ways you can hand them the keys.

ask 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

A nearby shop or cafe - too 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 your guests arrive during business hours, otherwise you'll only create a new problem.

Use the key safe

Perhaps the easiest way to exchange keys if you constantly do not have time, and you do not want to pull your environment. 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 from a distance using 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 get Superhost status (super host). To do this, several requirements must be met. You must respond to at least 90% of your booking inquiries, and more than 80% of your reviews must be 5 stars.

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

Results

If you are a hospitable person and are ready to let strangers into your house, 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 an apartment through Airbnb? The answer is unequivocal - 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 a few apartments and getting six figures a month. And you can, too, if you enjoy hosting and have read this article carefully.

I'll tell you how to find nice apartment and take it off with no problem. Here are five tips to help you not screw up your rent.

Sergey Korol

traveler

Usually, newcomers to Airbnb choose a city and date, and then admire the beautiful photos of apartments from the search. They imagine how they will lie on a luxurious bed and how they will have breakfast on a balcony overlooking the park. As a result, they choose housing with the cutest photos. This is dangerous.

Perhaps, instead of a pleasant sleep on the bed, you will have to get up early in the morning in order to catch the train to the center. And for breakfast on the balcony, it will take an hour to walk for groceries to the nearest supermarket.

We went to Helsinki for the festival and were impressed by the nice apartment with sauna and grill on the balcony. It turned out that she was formally in another city, in Espoo. One hour drive to Helsinki

To make your stay enjoyable, look not only at the photos, but also at the location of the apartments. Find out where the nearest stops are public transport And how often does he go? See what shops and cafes are nearby. If you are driving, find out where to park overnight.

For example, I want to rent an apartment in the city center, in the Punavuori district:

I find this place in Google Maps, and after that I “walk” along the neighboring streets in street view mode.

Looking for parking lots, looking at the signs like I'm driving a virtual car and thinking about where to put it.

Oh, you can park your car here from 9 am to 7 pm - this is written on a yellow sign on the wall of the building, above the "Canon". But you won’t be able to park at night - in the morning a fine will be waiting under the janitor

Sometimes they deliberately rent an apartment not in the center in order to save on rent. Before doing so, calculate how much an hour of your vacation is worth. So you will see that an expensive apartment in the center will be more profitable.

Cost of renting an apartment in Paris

Rent an apartment for 3200 R per day

Get closer and closer

Rent an apartment in the center for 4800 R per day

Every day spend 2 hours to get to the center and back - 800 R of your time and another 20 € for two for bus tickets (≈1400 R)

Get closer and closer

You walk around the city on foot, you rarely spend money on transport. The apartment costs as much as you pay for rent

Total - 5400 R

Get closer and closer

Airbnb reservations can be canceled by both the tenant and the owner.

If you rent an apartment and then change your mind, the service may fine you. This is determined by the types of cancellations. There are six of them: from soft to hard.

With soft cancellation, you can cancel the rental even five minutes before check-in - the money will be returned in full. With hard cancellation, you will get a 50% refund if you cancel a month in advance.

Cancellation policy is specified in the "Prices" section

Sometimes it happens that the reservation is canceled by the owner of the apartment. Often the owners rent out their apartments for the duration of the trip, and plans may change. This is quite rare, it happened to me once.

If the host cancels the reservation, you will receive an email about it. I advise you to look through your mailbox before the trip. By the way, if the host cancels the reservation, then Air-bn-b will give you a small consolation amount to your internal account.

Make lists right on the site

Usually there are dozens and hundreds of apartment options on Airbnb. In order not to get confused in them and not to lose interesting ones, I advise you to make a list.

The list is made directly on the website. Name it after the city you are going to

Then add apartments to the list directly from the search - click on ❤:

So in half an hour you will have a dozen options to choose from. They can be discussed with family or friends. These apartments will not be lost in the search.

Check details in advance

Usually, apartment owners send guests detailed instructions: how to get from the airport, how to find an apartment. Guests close the tab with Airbnb, thinking that everything is ok.

What to look out for

The owner writes that the easiest way to get from Berlin Tegel Airport is by taxi for 20 € (1534 R). But you are not flying to Tegel, but to Schönefeld. Find out how to get there by public transport from Schönefeld and how much it will cost.

The owner asks to pick up the keys from a neighbor. She lives opposite, in apartment 20B. Ask for your neighbor's phone number and ask her to give her your number. Warn that you will be there between 12 and 14 o'clock - let him be at home at this time.

The owner offers to meet from the train and drive home by car. He asks for this only 15 € (1150 R). Google transport: it turns out that from the station to the house you can take a tram for 4 € (306 R). Refuse politely.

The owner complains that his parking space now there is an excavator and leaving the car at the house will not work. Ask him where the nearest free parking is. If there is none, ask him to negotiate with the neighbors so that you park in someone else's place.

Usually, before a trip, I look through the path from the stop to the street view house. This way I find accommodation quickly and without errors.

Here is our temporary home in Berlin. If you walk a street view around the neighborhood, you can see huge park full of weed dealers

I also make sure to write down the owner's phone number and take screenshots of Google Maps. According to the screenshots, I will reach the place, if I get lost, in extreme cases, I will call by phone.

You might think I'm paranoid. However, for all the time with me there were almost no unpleasant moments with the check-in at Air-B-N-B.

Turn on the skeptic

Usually people think the apartment is cute in advance. Beautiful pictures, window view. By default, I consider any housing suspicious.

When I look at an apartment, I always try to find a flaw in it. Why didn't they take a picture of the bathroom? Where will all the things from the table and from the closet go? Why does the crib get wet in the rain on the balcony?

Here I found a nice apartment in Riga:

But if you scroll down to the photo of the house itself, it becomes scary. Hut on chicken legs for 2600 R per day!

If there are doubts about the apartment, it is better to clarify them with the owner in advance. If you can't figure it out, don't shoot.

I avoid apartments in which there are too many master's things. Usually such apartments come across from those who leave for a few weeks. You will be greeted by cabinets filled with things and a bathroom shelf, where even toothpaste has nowhere to put. A strange feeling: you seem to have paid a lot of money, but you live like a guest.

This apartment in Rome is obviously residential. Everywhere paintings, books and things of the owners

Don't forget cleaning. Airbnb usually shows in the search the cost of a day's stay. However, in addition to this amount, an additional cleaning fee will be charged. The money for cleaning goes to the owner of the apartment, so sometimes he cheats: he reduces the cost of rent, and takes a lot for cleaning. Look at this amount when choosing an apartment. The cost of cleaning should not exceed one night in the apartment.

For three nights in a Tokyo apartment, you expect to pay 9600 R, and pay more than 12 thousand. In addition, they will take 2200 R for cleaning and another 1500 R for the Air-bn-b commission

How to contact outside Airbnb. The service stops all attempts to exchange contacts with the owners of apartments that you have not rented. It will not be possible to leave a phone number or a link to an account on a social network - Airbnb will hide this for the recipient of the message.

To contact the owner, some distort the words: Fαсၔbo0k or Inƽαrαm. Or they write the numbers in letters: plus seven nine two five ...

Please don't do anything to rent an apartment bypassing Airbnb. The host will complain, you will be blocked, or something else will happen:

In this article, we will tell you on which sites you can book accommodation on your own, and give step by step instructions, how to do it.

Have you ever had to search for accommodation all over the world on your own or do you entrust this business to travel agencies? The latter will draw up all the documents for you - this is a plus. However, you will pay them more money, the only exception is last-minute trips. In addition, you will be accommodated in one of the typical hotels where all package tourists are taken. And if you want to go on the trip of your dreams, then no one can organize it better than you.

Today we will tell you how to book accommodation yourself. To get started, we recommend reading this article. It will help you navigate the rental sites around the world. And if you like it, sign up for ours.

Where to book an apartment yourself: the best English-language sites for finding accommodation for travelers

Previously, in order to rent an apartment in our city, we read ads on poles and in newspapers in the "Rent" section. They asked acquaintances if they had any friends who were looking for tenants. And renting a home abroad, before arriving in another country, seemed to be a daunting task. Thanks to the Internet, everything has changed - rental sites around the world will help you.

1. Airbnb

Airbnb's article These Airbnbs Will Blow Your Mind (Not Your Budget) features 79 of the most unusual travel accommodations, from luxurious treehouses and small trailers to fabulous mansions.

2.9 flats

3.Wimdu

5. Tripping

6. Agoda

8 Hostel World

10 Outdoorsy

12 Private Islands Inc.

2. WWOOF

Wherever you are going to go on vacation - be it Italy, Turkey or a summer house in the suburbs, the main thing is to take a good mood with you. And then unpleasant little things, even if they exist, will not be able to spoil such a long-awaited vacation for you.

I remember my first solo travel- directly the stone age. It was necessary to write off with the hotel or with partner companies, at the counter at the airport or look for accommodation on the spot, because there was no convenient payment via the Internet. However, in those days, everyone used paper tickets, and electronic ones aroused distrust. It's good that everything has changed, although some countries in Southeast Asia, such as Myanmar, are still at this level.

What is AirBnB?

Airbnb Features

6. Host help

In my cases of renting, all the apartment owners helped me a lot. For example, in Turkey, sights and hiking trails to see everything, advised inexpensive restaurants with vegetarian food, helped book transfers. And all this without the imposition of services like "buy me a tour." The owner of my Phuket apartment meets guests at the airport and helps as much as possible. Write off with the owners, clarify all the details: is there nearby, what infrastructure surrounds the house, how fast the Internet works. Live communication always helps. There are hosts who mark recommended restaurants, attractions and entertainment in the map under the description of the accommodation. I would say that the hosts on Airbnb in a sense will replace your guide, help you navigate in an unfamiliar city and tell you how best to spend your time. The hotel check-in desks are mostly staffed by visiting people who have little interest in the tourist component and sometimes do not even know the movement of public transport. So on Airbnb, a good host is a traveler's friend.

7. Extended stay

Depending on the apartment, there are options for longer stays on Airbnb. For example, renting a villa for two or three weeks will cost the same as for a month. Check with the hosts for details and ask for a discount for a long stay.

8. Airbnb is ideal in big cities

Cons of renting through Airbnb

1. This is not a hotel

The conditions of living in a private apartment in comparison with a hotel room have their drawbacks. In some apartments and villas, cleaning is charged separately and is included in the final bill. In apartments, sometimes the maid service is not included at all or is provided once a week. You don't always get breakfast. When you move into an apartment, check the condition of the air conditioner, TV, plumbing and the integrity of the furniture. It happens that the previous tenant broke something, but the owner did not notice. In such cases, when leaving, it will be impossible to prove that it was not you who did it. In some cases, the host takes a deposit for the safety of the property, which is blocked on your card and returned 48 hours after check-out. I would say that such a deposit is not a minus, since all the details are spelled out in the description of the property. Compare that some hotels also take a deposit, but do not write about it on the booking sites. It is better to know about the deposit in advance than to be notified about it upon arrival.

2. Speed ​​of responses

Another difference from booking sites is the speed of confirmation. The hosts generally respond within an hour or two, but sometimes I wait a day for messages from them. For urgent booking, if you have already decided on accommodation, select the option " Instant Confirmation". In other cases, you need to search and find out the details in advance. Once I discussed the details of renting an apartment in Bali for a whole week.

3. Internet ignorance of users

Sometimes the owner has not fully understood the functional part of the Airbnb system, and there will be serious errors on the page with apartments. For example, the absence of prescribed information about an additional bill for electricity and water can be an unpleasant surprise upon arrival. Or the host has incorrectly filled out the cost information for the second and subsequent guests. Specify these details if you are going to rent an apartment in Thailand. Some hosts fill in information about accommodation in their native language, of course, the built-in translator will help translate, but in situations with Korean, Chinese and other Asian languages, something seems to be missing.

4. Airbnb commission

7. Cancellation

In rare cases, the owner may cancel your booking, although there is a penalty for doing so. You can see all host cancellations in their profile. Carefully read the terms of cancellation of the reservation on your part. There are several of them, it all depends on the conditions and time of cancellation.

As you can see, Airbnb has more pros than cons. It is worth noting that the system has more than a million unique options - there is always a choice. In my opinion, the options for renting an apartment in Phuket are superior to hotel rooms in terms of cost and comfort. Share your experience with Airbnb in the comments.