Airbnb is all the travel rage these days. An Airbnb property appeals to both – Travelers looking for a homely stay, as well as landlords looking to get the best of rental returns and flexibility. With the 2016 launch of Airbnb in Dubai, many property owners across Dubai are now interested in turning Airbnb hosts.
If you are looking to become an Airbnb host, you would naturally have a lot of questions. The biggest one being – How to get started.
Here’s a helpful guide to get your property in Dubai Airbnb ready.
Hiring a property management company
Interested in listing your property on Airbnb, but don’t want to take matters in your own hands? You can avail the services of property management companies. There’s a bunch of new entrants in the market such as GuestReady, Airdxb, Airsorted and bnbme that can take care of the business aspect of things and help you manage your Airbnb home more efficiently.
Here’s how it works…
Getting in touch
You can contact property management companies on their numbers listed online or by signing up on their website. Once you get a call from the specialists, they will ask you basic questions to understand the type of property you have and your expectations. Post this, they will schedule an appointment with you to meet you at the property to kick-start the process.
Meeting with the property managers
Once you meet the property managers at your property, you will have to answer a bunch of questions. These include questions about the property in general, the revenue you are looking to generate, how often you can or want to rent it out and any other special requirements you may have. Property management firms can also help you furnish your property if it is not move-in ready.
[Related: 5 tips for renting out your property faster]
Photographing the property
The firm will send a professional photographer who will take pictures of the property to be posted on the Airbnb platform. They will also make an inventory list, write attractive descriptions about the property and ensure that it is presented to the guests in the best possible manner.
Registration of your Airbnb ready property
Once your house is ready to be listed, the firm will register your home with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). It will also update you on the legal rental procedure.
Aside from helping you list your property on the platform, property management firms offer a host of other services. These include guest screening, home cleaning, routine maintenance, providing toiletries, etc.
[Related: 4 Creative and “Legal” Ways to Make Extra Cash]
Hosting & managing the property yourself
While it is helpful to enlist the services of professionals to help you host your home, there are many property owners out there who would be happy to manage things on their own. Hosting on your own would also give you greater control over the property. The good thing is, listing and managing your property by yourself is not as hard as it seems.
Here’s how you can host on Airbnb without availing the services of a professional firm…
Make an account on Airbnb
You can sign up for free on Airbnb and fill out all relevant details to make your profile as informative as possible for the convenience of guests. Try to add a clear picture of yourself and link your social media profiles. You can also display your contact number if you want guests to have the option of reaching you directly.
Create your listing
Airbnb can help you calculate how much rent you should charge per night with a suggested price guide based on factors such as amenities, location, nearby listings, previous bookings, etc. The final rental price is up to you to decide – You can even choose to charge more money than suggested. Airbnb will also provide you a calendar to help you adjust the availability of the property as per your discretion.
[Related: Hotels vs vacation home rentals: Which is better?]
Describe your property
Make sure that you post a very honest description of your property to paint an accurate picture in the guest’s head. How is the ambiance? Are there good restaurants nearby? Does it have an open area for morning tea? What facilities can guests avail? Try to evoke the guests’ interest by answering these questions. At the same time, you must also be honest about the demerits of the property. For instance, if your property is difficult to locate or is near a construction site, you must mention it beforehand.
Post appealing pictures
Finally, take great pictures of your property and showcase it in the best possible way. Ensure that you take pictures in natural lighting and present the house from various angles so people can have a fair idea about the size.
And that’s it, your Dubai property is up on Airbnb and ready to host guests in your home!
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