Post: #1

I'm considering renting out a condo in a Southeast Asian city to sublet for short term rentals on Air BnB and such like.

Before I go all in, I'd like to get an opinion and any tips on what you'd look for in a Air BnB listing and what would would make you want to book it.

I've got 2 main questions...

1) What would attract you to the listing on the site and make you book it?

2) What would make you enjoy staying at the condo once you're already there and become a repeat customer if you return to the city?

Also, if anybody has experience doing anything similar or any other advice or words or caution, please do either PM me or write it on the thread below.

All thoughts are much appreciated

Post: #2

These are some of my thoughts so far...

1) What would attract you to the listing on the site and make you book it?

- Stylish furniture/interior
- Central location
- Professional photos
- Nearby landmarks in title
- Description written with a friendly tone
- Good ratings/reviews on profile

2) What would make you enjoy staying at the condo once you're already there and become a repeat customer if you return to the city?

- The unit is just as good as it seems in the photos
- Good internet connection
- Friendly host
- Phone numbers for food takeaways, laundry services etc to save you time and hassle
- Some sort of guidance of the area, restaurants, tourist spots, transportation etc - either written or verbal

Post: #3

Good reliable WI-FI, good reliable AC, a host who speaks English to greet the renter at the condo.

Post: #4

I've used a ton of AirBnB's, and for me (traveling solo usually), I look for an area that's close to transport, reliable amenities (shower, warm water, AC/heating etc). Most importantly, I like a host that in the "contact with guests" section, says he/she is always available via contact, or likes to show guests around. That's just my personal opinion. Flexible check-in times are key as well, and despite the fact that it's not ideal for the renter, flexible cancellation policies.

Post: #5

Logistics are important. The kind of logistics depends on where the flat is - if you're going for a big traffic-nightmare city in SEA like Jakarta, you want to be close to transport/nightlife/malls/landmarks. If you're on an island known for beach stuff or nature retreats, I'd want to be within reasonable walking distance of the beach.

Good modern interior, comfortable bed and couch, wi-fi, washing machine, working A/C. If it's in your budget, one of the best places I rented for a few days had a projector system set up for the TV, it basically covered the wall when you turned it on and every TV channel streamed through an internet box. Given there was a football game I wanted to watch, and I brought a girl back to watch something on it another night, it was a really good feature. I wouldn't say a full kitchen is a deal-breaker, but at the bare minimum have a kettle and microwave.

I'd echo the above about someone who speaks English being there to greet you. It saves a lot of hassle, especially if you're off a long/late flight. Being available during daytime hours for everyday queries would also help, but you can delegate that to a helper if you have someone doing it full-time.

I had one host who left a couple of local beers in the fridge, some big bottles of water, and a couple of bags of nuts or something. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste in the bathroom etc. There was even a folder of guidebooks and pamphlets for things to do. It was a nice touch, and I booked another place through the same guy on a future trip. I even got a discount because in return, I looked after his place and added some more stuff to his folder, vouchers I didn't use etc.

If you do it all properly, you'll get a good price, and you'll generally get people who'll leave your place in as good a condition as they found it.

And don't cheap out on the towels - I had one place where the towels were thin and barely absorbed any water. I was not impressed.

Post: #6

Little things that could make a lot of difference:

Washing machine in the apartment (if not, describe in the posting where the nearest good laundry is).

Extra bed sheets and towels.

Either include a cleaning service for longer term rentals (e.g. twice a week) or make it easy for guests to request cleaning for a reasonable fee.

Post: #7

I use airbnb a lot and to me what makes or breaks a deal are the reviews. I scrutinize the reviews hard and make sure the host is not a petty cheapskate or intrusive twat. You'd be surprised how many good reviews in fact reveal negative details about the host and the unit.

I like hosts to not bother me when i'm renting their unit. A few how are you questions and can I do anything for you inquiries are fine but actively bugging me about anything means I will never rent from them again.

The unit must also be clean. Some hosts never bother to clean sheets or do basic things with their units. I've seen this sort of lackluster lazy care in even high end units i've stayed in. The last thing I want to see is some dudes jizz stain on the couch or cockroaches/ants having a party.

For me a full kitchen and fast internet is a must. So are convenient laundry facilities or a machine.

Easy check in and check out process is important. Waiting around forever for some lazy ass to send their person to hand over the key also means never again unless there are other circumstances.

A decent tv is nice too when you have company over but not absolutely necessary.

Post: #8

Full kitchen
Close to a grocery store

Post: #9

1) Location

2) Clean

3) Nice furniture in accordance to the realm

4) Amenities (wifi, washing machine, etc)

5) Private Entrance (no doormen to make girls coming back to your apt feel self conscious or outright try to cockblock directly or indirectly)

6) English speaking host, though I've worked around this many times

Post: #10

I'd also like to add that the most recent AirBnB unit I rented had two jugs of fresh water next to the fridge - which came in handy when I was hungover one morning. She got a five-star review for that alone.

Post: #11

^ Definitely, filtered water is always a plus especially when it's somewhere that even locals don't drink tap water

Post: #12

Location location location

Post: #13

I also look for a host who is either local or at least has a local representative in case something goes wrong.

Post: #14

1. Your listing should have as many photos as possible. The furniture should be good quality. Also the bed is of the utmost importance, it shouldn't look like a flimsy piece of shit that will break easily or be excessively squeak.

2. Internet is number 1, should be fast and stable. The bed should have been proven to be comfortable. Nothing in the apartment should be broken, small details really piss me off(broken curtain rail etc)

Post: #15

1) Location

2) Host

3) Truth in advertising

Airbnbs are in the news a lot here in Hawaii. Something you may want to watch for is what is going on here.

The State is all over Airbnb owners because of excise and transient accommodation taxes. If someone rats out your Airbnb, the state can actually send sheriffs to immediately evict the tenant.

Naturally, you would get a refund, but it could put you in a real bad spot, especially here. Hotel rooms are very scarce and very expensive right now. This could ruin a vacation.

Be careful out there.

Aloha!

Post: #16

Key for me:

Bright with good natural light

Modern

Firm mattress

Post: #17

I've got an important one that is often overlooked. Although as the person renting it out perhaps you wouldn't be thrilled about offering this:

Extra people: No Charge

I always make sure ahead of time if it is ok if I can have a guest over before reserving. Of course it is very possible that you're not looking to rent to devious rascals like us on the RV Forum who like to have overnight guests.

Post: #18

My places gets fully booked after running couple months. I am sure it would be filled instantly in summer time.

Location: Unless they are a couple and looking for a cozy place to fuck after sightseeing, solo travelers care about the location (than nice features) first since they will just come home at night to sleep.

Interior: Spend some money to make the place look like at least Ikea (cheap modern style)

Host: Since I am a guy, obviously I get more guys than women. People care about your Race too. Since I am Asian, 50% of people were Asian. If you post IRT like picture, then I am sure many people will stay away (especially women) You need to post a clean, professional photo.

Reviews: You don't need a lot of reviews. If you have more than 5, I think people should feel comfortable enough to book.

Price: You might not realize but they compare it heavily. Many travelers want to save that extra 5 bucks even though they will spend $50 at a bar. It needs to be competitive if you want to fill it up.

Post: #19

My brother has run a AirBnB apartment rental in Lower Manhattan for the last couple of years. It's his own apartment that he resides in, and some of the below is taken from what I know of what he did to assure his success. Some of it is my own standard:

*Clean, overall. Behind the fridge, in the bathroom, behind the couch, the baseboards, under the bed, etc.
*Have the sheets dry cleaned after every single renter. My brother has them delivered to the apartment.
*At least mid-tier furniture meaning no futons, nor overly cheezy particle board furniture. The furniture can show wear. The better it is, the more wear it can have without looking trashy. For instance, my brother has a nice white sofa but it has marks on it. It's all good. My brother's television stand is hand made and painted from some type of wood crate. It looks bohemian. His kitchen has a high end finish.
*Walls painted a color other than white are a nice touch. Consult a color wheel, online, to look for color compliments and triads. When in doubt, go for a warm white.
*Blackout curtains in the bedroom.
*My brother put up some artistic touches on the wall in the bedroom. The pic of the bedroom is a large selling point for the apartment.
*If you can make the bed up to look like a hotel bed (in terms of the bed cover and sheets) that would be a selling point for me.
*No bugs.
*Clean towels and washcloths.
*I'm not sure about soap. I suppose that a new bar for each new renter in the bathroom would be appropriate
*A kitchen that, if not fully updated, was at least acceptably updated. No peeling particle board nor stained counter-tops. Of course, higher end is better.
*The same applies to the bathroom. That being said, it's probably the rare Airbnb apartment that has an updated Kitchen and bathroom.
*A flat screen television of acceptable size. Though, by no means does it have to be large. It can even be somewhat smaller than it should be for the distance to it. People understand that they are renting. If you have a really nice place, I suppose that skimping on the size would be foolhardy.
*Cable television and internet. With a decent modern wireless router, you can set up a guest network and they can have their own password while your network is kept secure. Though, you do risk having them search for some nasty and possibly illegal shit by giving them internet access on your account. That's a tough one.
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