I’m all about the passive income. I’ve written about my love for passive income before. If you haven’t read my old articles about passive income, these earning methods allow you to earn without actually “working” day-to-day. There’s a wide range of passive earning methods, from renting out your car to renting out your room and home.
Today, I’ll be talking about how to make money by renting out your place via, yep, Airbnb. A lot of people are familiar with Airbnb. But if you’re not quite sure how this works, or whether this is an appropriate earning method for you, this post will attempt to answer a bunch of questions for your benefit. In this post, I’ll be talking about how to make money with Airbnb, how much money can you make on Airbnb, and other details. Let’s get this show on the road!
Who Can Rent Out Their Place In Airbnb?
As a property owner, you can do two things on Airbnb – you can rent out a room, or you can rent out your entire home. I know some people who actually maintain properties just for the purpose of renting them out on Airbnb. Of course, that’s the most extreme end of the spectrum, since you gotta be loaded to have “extra” houses you can rent out on Airbnb.
But mostly, regular people like you and me with relatively modest homes can make good money off Airbnb. People who rent out their entire homes, I’ve discovered, usually work abroad frequently, meaning their homes are usually vacant. And since they work abroad, they keep a few personal items in the house, which is advisable, since strangers will be staying at your place.
For people who rent out single rooms (which is what I do), it’s advisable to have an outgoing personality. Although my renters don’t spend much time at home – they’re usually tourists who spend most of the day outdoors – it’s still a good idea to be friendly and accommodating when you’re together.
Airbnb Standards
Like I said, even people with modest accommodations can rent out their homes. But that said, Airbnb does have standards, which is understandable. For starters, you need to ensure the safety of your travelers. Next, you can’t misrepresent your place, or provide a place that is dangerous to occupy – a lot of these are pretty common-sense, but it’s still advisable to read up on Airbnb’s standards. You can find their complete standards for hosts on this page. Understanding these standards should be your first step before you embark on making money on Airbnb.
Your Earning Potential When Making Money With Airbnb
This is the most important item of all! How much can you make with Airbnb will, of course, depend on several factors, namely:
The location of your home. Places in cities, or in places near popular tourist spots like beaches, will be able to charge more.
The size of your home. More space means a higher rate, of course. But note that some travelers travel solo, meaning they would probably prefer smaller accommodations (or even just rooms). This is purely anecdotal, but among my friends making money on Airbnb, the ones with smaller spaces tend to have a faster turnover of guests, and that sometimes translates to more earnings overall.
Time of the year. Expect an influx of travelers around Christmas or any major holidays. But peak rental times could also depend on your location. For example, if you live near the beach, you can expect more travelers when the season is ideal for going to the beach.
So expect a bit of variance between what you actually earn and what other people earn. But to give you a good ballpark range, I live in a marginally busy city, and my nightly rate for my spare 15 square meter room is $50. Since the room isn’t occupied every day of the month, I make around $500 a month from it.
It’s a pretty decent amount, especially when you consider the fact that that room is spare; it used to be the place where I dumped my old books and clothes. I’m actually considering fixing up my second spare room and making it Airbnb-able since I hate having to turn down inquiries when my first room is already occupied. Once I get that done, I hope to up my monthly Airbnb to about $1,000 a month.
Challenges As An Airbnb Host
So it’s been established that you can make a good chunk of change renting out your home – or even just a spare room – on Airbnb. And while I said a while ago that renting out your place is passive income, you still need to ensure the safety and satisfaction of your guests. There are also quite a few challenges you’ll have to face as an Airbnb host. They are:
You’ll have to deal with a few bad apples – not all travelers are super-friendly or mindful of the space they’re renting. A few are slobs, and some are pretty rough on the furniture. I’ve had one guest who snored so loud it kept me and the wife awake during the duration of his stay. It sucks to have those types of guests, but my experiences have been positive, for the most part.
You need to keep your place in top condition all the time – If the wallpaper starts peeling in my own bedroom, it’s not such a big deal. But in the Airbnb room, it could have an adverse effect on my rating. That means I need to keep the room as hotel-like as possible. It’s definitely the most high-maintenance space in my home.
You gotta be mindful of reviews – at the end of the day, this is a feedback-driven community. The better your ratings and reviews, the more chances you have of getting guests. So you always need to be a good host at all times. Be a good host, and see your bookings pile up!
Today, I’ll be talking about how to make money by renting out your place via, yep, Airbnb. A lot of people are familiar with Airbnb. But if you’re not quite sure how this works, or whether this is an appropriate earning method for you, this post will attempt to answer a bunch of questions for your benefit. In this post, I’ll be talking about how to make money with Airbnb, how much money can you make on Airbnb, and other details. Let’s get this show on the road!
Who Can Rent Out Their Place In Airbnb?
As a property owner, you can do two things on Airbnb – you can rent out a room, or you can rent out your entire home. I know some people who actually maintain properties just for the purpose of renting them out on Airbnb. Of course, that’s the most extreme end of the spectrum, since you gotta be loaded to have “extra” houses you can rent out on Airbnb.
But mostly, regular people like you and me with relatively modest homes can make good money off Airbnb. People who rent out their entire homes, I’ve discovered, usually work abroad frequently, meaning their homes are usually vacant. And since they work abroad, they keep a few personal items in the house, which is advisable, since strangers will be staying at your place.
For people who rent out single rooms (which is what I do), it’s advisable to have an outgoing personality. Although my renters don’t spend much time at home – they’re usually tourists who spend most of the day outdoors – it’s still a good idea to be friendly and accommodating when you’re together.
Airbnb Standards
Like I said, even people with modest accommodations can rent out their homes. But that said, Airbnb does have standards, which is understandable. For starters, you need to ensure the safety of your travelers. Next, you can’t misrepresent your place, or provide a place that is dangerous to occupy – a lot of these are pretty common-sense, but it’s still advisable to read up on Airbnb’s standards. You can find their complete standards for hosts on this page. Understanding these standards should be your first step before you embark on making money on Airbnb.
Your Earning Potential When Making Money With Airbnb
This is the most important item of all! How much can you make with Airbnb will, of course, depend on several factors, namely:
The location of your home. Places in cities, or in places near popular tourist spots like beaches, will be able to charge more.
The size of your home. More space means a higher rate, of course. But note that some travelers travel solo, meaning they would probably prefer smaller accommodations (or even just rooms). This is purely anecdotal, but among my friends making money on Airbnb, the ones with smaller spaces tend to have a faster turnover of guests, and that sometimes translates to more earnings overall.
Time of the year. Expect an influx of travelers around Christmas or any major holidays. But peak rental times could also depend on your location. For example, if you live near the beach, you can expect more travelers when the season is ideal for going to the beach.
So expect a bit of variance between what you actually earn and what other people earn. But to give you a good ballpark range, I live in a marginally busy city, and my nightly rate for my spare 15 square meter room is $50. Since the room isn’t occupied every day of the month, I make around $500 a month from it.
It’s a pretty decent amount, especially when you consider the fact that that room is spare; it used to be the place where I dumped my old books and clothes. I’m actually considering fixing up my second spare room and making it Airbnb-able since I hate having to turn down inquiries when my first room is already occupied. Once I get that done, I hope to up my monthly Airbnb to about $1,000 a month.
Challenges As An Airbnb Host
So it’s been established that you can make a good chunk of change renting out your home – or even just a spare room – on Airbnb. And while I said a while ago that renting out your place is passive income, you still need to ensure the safety and satisfaction of your guests. There are also quite a few challenges you’ll have to face as an Airbnb host. They are:
You’ll have to deal with a few bad apples – not all travelers are super-friendly or mindful of the space they’re renting. A few are slobs, and some are pretty rough on the furniture. I’ve had one guest who snored so loud it kept me and the wife awake during the duration of his stay. It sucks to have those types of guests, but my experiences have been positive, for the most part.
You need to keep your place in top condition all the time – If the wallpaper starts peeling in my own bedroom, it’s not such a big deal. But in the Airbnb room, it could have an adverse effect on my rating. That means I need to keep the room as hotel-like as possible. It’s definitely the most high-maintenance space in my home.
You gotta be mindful of reviews – at the end of the day, this is a feedback-driven community. The better your ratings and reviews, the more chances you have of getting guests. So you always need to be a good host at all times. Be a good host, and see your bookings pile up!
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