29 Insanely Helpful Airbnb Tips For Owners Prepping For Summer

If you’re an Airbnb owner these insanely helpful Airbnb tips for owners are going to transform the stress you feel about a busy Summer season. I have compiled the best Airbnb tips for prepping for the Summer crowds and shared them here for you!

Most people, especially families with school-aged kids, take their big vacations during the Summer months. The weather is warm and it’s time for an adventure after the Winter cold and Spring rain. Make sure your listing is ready to go with these tips!

This post is all about Airbnb tips for owners.

Best Airbnb Tips For Owners

1. Highlight the outdoors

It’s Summer and the livin is easy! For your vacation guests that is. Make sure you focus on the outdoor features of your listing. Especially peak Summer vacation markets! Change up your listing photos to include amenities that would be attractive to prospective guests in the Summer. Those first 5 photos are what make or break a guest clicking on a listing and should be changed based on the season.

2. Don’t hide weird quirks

This is a general rule of thumb and not Summer specific but it’s SO important that you call out any weird quirks up front in the photos and listing description. Guests do not want to be surprised by anything and you do not want to compromise a good review by not disclosing something funky about your listing.

3. Have a flexible approach to check in/check out times

More often than not, guests are going to have circumstances happen outside of their control and need these flexibilities. I am getting SO many requests on one of my listings in particular and always accommodate if I can.

Now some hosts actually monetize this portion of their business and I think it’s brilliant! I’m not quite there but do plan on having this as an added feature in my portfolio at some point.

4. Try out guests with no reviews

Airbnb’s revenue is growing quarter after quarter which means new people are trying it out for the first time always! You want to capture that revenue growth so accept new guests. AirCover is a fantastic insurance policy for any fears you may have on hosting new people.

For more information on AirCover, take a look at this article!

5. Spring clean before the Summer rush

I’m talkin, wash the windows, shampoo the carpets/rugs, pull the furniture away from the walls and get those dust bunnies out of there. If you take away any Airbnb tips from this article, take this one!

My favorite place to find pros in my area is through Thumbtack. You can read reviews on pros, get instant quotes and hire someone to do your job quick.

6. Spray for outdoor pests

Hopefully you have regular pest control on your property, but if you don’t do it now prior to the Summer and outdoor crowd rush!

7. Have your backstock fully stocked

Replenish the TP, back up towels and coffee. Make sure your cleaners are ready and have all the supplies they need. If you provide Airbnb essentials like Shampoo and Conditioner, get those items in stock.

For a complete list of Airbnb essentials, check out this article!

8. Automated messaging needs to be in full force

Do not skip a beat with your Summer vacationers! They need the communication now because more than likely they have a couple kids and it’s their 1 trip a year with their family. These guests tend to be more needy than others throughout the year so ensure they have all the communication and know when they will be receiving key pieces of information before they arrive at your listing.

9. Elevate beyond what is promised in your listing

This is such a simple way to win. Provide coffee AND sugar. Provide a cabinet full of spices. Provide a bottle off wine! Provide basic toiletries beyond what Airbnb deems essential. It doesn’t have to get expensive and it will pay off. Guests will give you a 5 star review and appreciate the touches.

10. Be family (and baby) friendly

Like I said above, most Summer vacationers are families with school aged children. If you are family friendly and advertise this, you will get more bookings than other listings that don’t. Parents will pay so they don’t have to worry about being in an unsafe and stressful environment.

On the other hand, if you do not want to host families, just spell that out in your listing. Guests will appreciate it!

11. Have picnic blankets

If you have a lawn or parks in your city, this is a nice touch for Summer guests that are most likely traveling to spend time outdoors. It’s an easy amenity to add! Here’s a cute one I love:

12. Outdoor games

Cornhole, Spike ball, Crochet are just a few favorites!

 

 

13. Stock up on beach essentials

If you’re a coastal listing, you need to have a beach kit. Beach towels, a couple chairs, boogie boards and a sand castle making kit! Below are links to all of my favorites:

 

 

14. Make sure the BBQ is clean and propane tank is full

Guests are going to want to grill in the Summer so make sure your BBQ set up is ready for them to take full advantage! If you’re doing propane, ensure you have a full tank and a back up tank ready. Nothing like running out of gas in the middle of a meal, yikes!

15. Make sure your outdoor fire pit is ready for guests

Whether you need to wheel it out or clean it up, ensure your fire pit set up is ready for guests to take full advantage!

16. Add more outdoor furniture

I like to put a dining table outside for guests in the Summer and Fall months at most of my listings. But add some chairs or a table depending on the size of your listing. It will take the guest experience to the next level if you’re able to have an outdoor space for them to enjoy.

17. Bulk up your Guidebook

If there’s any seasonality to your location, ensure you highlight all the key features about your area for the Summer months. Include the local festivals and activities. Does your town do something special for 4th of July or Labor day? This could help rake in some serious cash so ensure you are highlighting all the reasons for guest to be visiting your listing!

18. Make sure your pricing strategy is set

Especially during busy season, get in the habit of updating your pricing weekly. This will ensure you are getting top dollar for every booking and maximizing revenues. I personally use Pricelabs and love it.

If you don’t have a pricing strategy, I highly recommend Pricelabs, here’s my referral link!

19. Update your pictures to accommodate seasonal amenities

It’s always best to be in the habit of changing out your cover photo but adding a cover photo that highlights seasonal amenities will help you get more bookings over other listings. If you have a pool, put that as your cover photo for the Summer season. If you don’t have pictures of amenities, get those professionally shot and add now before Summer season hits!

20. Provide snacks

I am so not one to provide or even eat the snacks at an Airbnb but since Summer is all about the family travel, this is a great way to secure 5 star reviews for tired parents. Most people that are checking into your Airbnb are going to be tired and hungry from traveling and having a simple snack they can enjoy at check in will go a long way. It’s not something I would necessarily feature in my photos but putting it in your description will make the difference when guests are booking!

21. Put “how-to” signs by all the electronics & amenities

Signage is the key to easy hosting! This is my secret weapon on reducing guest messages and creating an autonomous experience for my guests. Most guests don’t want to send you a message or to call you and you don’t want the call. So make the sign!

Below is an example from one of my properties. I created these in Canva and get these 4×6 acrylic signs that I put up around the house explaining all the ways guests use various features or quirks.

22. Fix all the broken things

Hire a handyman and get everything fixed that needs to be tended too. You don’t want guests to notice or be concerned about safety issues with your listing so ensure everything is ready for them and safe!

23. Replace the dang light bulbs

OMG, the amount of times I have forgotten to replace a light bulb is embarrassing. It’s such a simple fix and guests will really notice it! Have extra light bulbs in an obvious place too. I have had guests just change them out for me.

24. Have extra batteries

Just click the link and buy them now. I promise, you will need them and thank me later!

25. Label your kitchen

This is something I have not done but it’s on my personal checklist for my properties! I watched a video where a host took this simple label maker from Amazon and labeled where everything goes in the kitchen. I am always so annoyed when guests put things back in the wrong spot, especially big items but I never thought about doing this until now! Here’s the label maker I just bought. Let me know if you try it in the comments below!

26. Provide kid-friendly dinnerware

The parents will thank you later and you will be glad you did, trust me. No one wants a toddler with a glass plate so save yourself and your guests the heart ache and provide plastic dinnerware. The set I always get is from Target and it’s the best.

27. Have a high chair & pac n’ play (with a sheet)

Just buy it. Stock it. Your guests will love you. I promise you will get more bookings!

 

 

28. Stock a couple kid toys

I like to keep a handful of books and large blocks and that’s it. This way the older kids can build and the younger kids can throw or chew on them. They’re easy to clean and simple to pick up. It also doesn’t matter if a couple get lost because no one will notice!

 

29. Relax and enjoy the cashflow

I promise, you will stand out from the competition by using these tips thus convert more bookings. If you book more guests, you will increase your revenue and therefore your cashflow!

What do you do to get ready for a busy season? I would love to know in the comments!

This post was all about Airbnb tips for owners.