Get Paid For Your Pad | Airbnb Hosting | Vacation Rentals | STR Revenue Management

During my travels around the world I've met some really interesting people, and Matt Ward is one of them.

Matt Ward is an angel investor, serial entrepreneur, startup advisor and many more things. He also runs FringeFM, a podcast about exploring the edges of human understanding and exponential technologies to help create a more abundant, long term focused future.

Matt has stayed in Airbnbs in different parts of the world for over three years and he shares his experiences and advice for hosts, such as the importance of standing out.

Other topics include:

• How travel transformed Matt´s life and helped him build a "Lifestyle" $1M Business
• Why he wants to live to be 153 and how fitness and diet have impacted his life

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Airbnb recently decided to make changes regarding the visibility of the profile pictures of their users. In the future, hosts won’t be able to see the photos until a booking has been accepted. 

Here’s a quote from the press release:

"Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, hosts will receive a guest’s photo in the booking process only after they’ve accepted the booking request. 

Airbnb does not require all guests to provide a photo. Instead, we’ll be giving hosts the option to ask their guests to provide a profile photo, which will only be presented to hosts after they accept the booking."

The reason Airbnb made this change is because they don’t want hosts to reject a booking request based on the physical appearance of the guest. In particular, they don’t want hosts to discriminate based on race. 

I’m sure racial discrimination happens on Airbnb. In fact, I interviewed Rohan Gilkes, the founder of Innclusive, in this podcast episode. Rohan founded Innclusive after experiencing racial discrimination on Airbnb. 

There are two reasons why I think hiding the profile pictures is not the right move. 

First of all, the profile picture is one of a number of factors that hosts can use to decide whether the guest is a good fit or not. I always look at the profile pictures. 

What I look for is: did the guest put a lot of effort into the pictures? This is important because I believe that people who are out to abuse Airbnb, trash a house or throw a party, typically don’t put a clear picture of themselves, for obvious reasons. 

These people already know they will get in trouble for what they are about to do, so they prefer to provide as a little information about themselves as possible. 

They probably also don’t plan on using their Airbnb account in the future. They’ll create an account, use it to book a place, do whatever evil they plan to do, and accept that they won’t be able to use the account in the future. 

In short, I believe that hosts should have more information about guests, not less. This way they can make better decisions as to which guests are a good fit and avoid bad experiences. 

It is your home and you should have the right to decide who gets to stay there. The fact that there are racists out there shouldn't change that. 

The other reason I don’t agree with this measure is this. If I request to stay with a host, I want them to look at my picture before accepting me. Here’s why. If the host would decline my request based on racial considerations, I wouldn´t want to stay with that person!

Why would I want to stay with a racist? Or even if it´s for other considerations, maybe the host doesn’t like my face. Or whatever the reason may be. I don’t want to put money in the pocket of someone who doesn’t want me in their house. 

I rather pay someone who’s happy to host me. I wouldn’t feel comfortable staying with someone who would have declined my booking based on the way I look. I want nothing to do with that person. 

I understand it is frustrating for people who often experience racial discrimination. But the reality is, there are people who make decisions based on racial considerations. And that reality is not going to change by not allowing hosts to see a picture of the guest. 

Instead, what I would suggest is that Airbnb identifies racist hosts and removes them from the platform. If a guest has the suspicion that a host discriminates on racial grounds, they should be able to report that person. Airbnb can then investigate the booking history to see if this is the case or not and base their decision on that.

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Airbnb Plus represents the creme de la creme of all Airbnb listings. It's a selection of the highest quality listings run by Airbnb's finest hosts, known for attention to detail and great reviews. In today's episode I talk with Blake Crothers, a super host from Melbourne. Blake has been renting his apartment in Melbourne since 2017, and decided to apply for Airbnb Plus in April 2018. Six months later, he's still working to get his listing approved.

We cover the following topics:

• What is Airbnb Plus? 
• What are the benefits? 
• What’s the application process like?
• How long does it take? 
• How to pass the inspection

Main takeaways:

• Most Airbnb Plusses have a theme, very strong design, high quality amenities 
• Every home is visited in person for a 100+ point quality inspection to ensure the listing qualifies
• Airbnb Plus listings are show at the top of the search results
• According to Airbnb, plus listings get up to seven times more views
• Airbnb Plus listings can be identified by their PLUS badge
• The application process can take a while as Airbnb reviewers can keep asking for improvements

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In this week's podcast episode I speak with RemoteLock CEO Nolan Mondrow. For hosts managing multiple properties or locations abroad, RemoteLock offers an easy solution that provides simplified access for guests as well as additional security for hosts.

Smartlocks are connected via your current internet routers which makes it possible to manage access to your properties no matter where you are.

Aside from providing access to guests, you may want to provide scheduled access to cleaning and repairs staff, and to as additional security you can receive alerts when someone has unlocked your door or used a code to unlock so you are aware of all activity at your property.

*The benefits of smart locks

*How smart locks work

*How they are installed

*How RemoteLock differes from other smartlock solutions

*Airbnb Host Assist

If you're interested in RemoteLock, you can save with my Special Code: gp25 to get $25 off your smartlock purchase.

Website: RemoteLock.com

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad

Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad

Airbnb News Facebook Group

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If you like the show, please consider leaving the show a review in iTunes or Stitcher. A couple minutes of your time can help the show immensely! Thanks!

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In this week's podcast episode I speak with Francisco Arango, long time Airbnb host and cleaning expert. Francisco started his Airbnb hosting career by renting out his bedroom in Hawaii. Soon enough he realized the potential of the platform, and rented a few apartments solely for the purpose of renting on Airbnb. Not long after, he managed up to 10 units, with great results as he managed to consistently achieve and retain super host status. 

Francisco partly credits his outstanding results to his thourough understanding of what a good cleaning and Airbnb turnover looks like. He treats, manages and trains his cleaners well, as they are such an essential part of the team.

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Airbnb guests often want to check-in early or check-out late. If that's not possible, they often ask if they can at least store their luggage. Although you want to accommodate your guests as well as you can, this can interfer with other guests checking in and your cleaning schedule. So what do you do? You don't want to say no without providing an alternative solution. 

That's where Knock Knock City comes in. They provide a luggage storage solution for Airbnb guests in New York, San Francisco and Boston. The storage locations are local cafes and bars. Your guests can store their luggage for as little as $2 per hour per bag. 

If you send your guests to your favorite local coffee shop, they will not only have the opportunity to store their bags, but they also get a chance to experience your city like you do yourself. Plus, you're sending local businesses additional customers. It's a win for everyone. 

In this podcast episode I chat with Nikolaos Georgantas, Co-founder of Knock Knock City, and Brandon McKenzie, COO and Founder of Metro Butler, the leading short term rental management company in New York. Brandon is an enthusiastic user of Knock Knock City and he explains how the service helps his Airbnb business.

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Every week it seems the news is flooded with stories about short-term rental guests using properties to host wild parties, unbeknownst to the property owner. This issue is not limited to specific cities or countries. It is increasingly becoming a cause for concern for hosts around the world.

This is a major concern for Airbnb hosts as these issues can disturb neighbors, leading to complaints or can even end in significant damage caused to the property.

This week I speak with David Krauss, the co-founder of Noiseaware. What is Noisaware? It is a noise monitoring sensor that allows short-term rental hosts to be aware of noise levels at their properties, so they can take preventative action and avoid potential damage, noise complaints from neighbours and police involvement. Noiseaware is known for their indoor sensors and is now the first to develop an outdoor sensor.

They have just launched pre-orders of their new product, the Gen 3 Indoor Sensor, which can be bundled with an outdoor sensor to ensure that your property is fully monitored and give you peace of mind. You can find more info about pre-orders here: share.noiseaware.io/jasper

Topics covered:

*How David lost $20,000 after his guests threw a party at his Airbnb

*The solution that David came up with to protect his Airbnb

*How this solution led him to start Noiseaware

*How you can use Noiseaware to protect your Airbnb

Pre-order your Noiseaware sensor now and save up to $89 on your indoor and outdoor Noiseaware sensors and get $20 off your yearly subscription plan.

Rent Responsibly:

Website: https://rentresponsibly.org/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/880967662054010

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad

Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad

Airbnb News Facebook Group

Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes

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If you like the show, please consider leaving the show a review in iTunesor Stitcher. A couple minutes of your time can help the show immensely! Thanks!

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Short-term rental regulation and legislation is a hot topic right now. Many major cities including New York City, Miami and San Diego - to name a few - are advancing bills and legislation which further restrict short-term rental services, requiring hosts to register information and banning rentals of secondary homes. More cities are likely to follow suit in the coming weeks and months, so it is of great import that hosts are aware and seek to acquire the latest information on current and upcoming changes to regulations in your area.

In some instances, legislation is too strict and is seen as unfair as it seeks to restrict the rights of homeowners and how they choose to use their property. In order to make a change and fight back, it is important to get involved and build strength in numbers by working with your local community of Airbnb hosts in order to generate a singular voice for legal operators to fight back with.

Not all regulations are equal though. In some instances, they are fair and can be beneficial in setting parameters in areas where none of have been set. They can help guide imprudent hosts and bring them in line with regulations designed to help monitor their operations and ensure that safety and security measures are met.

Today we speak with Megan McCrea, the President of the Nashville Area Short Term Rental Association. She has plenty of experience with short-term legislation and how advocacy works. In this episode, Megan shares her experiences as a host as well as shares advice on how hosts and owners can work together and take part in local conversations and make a positive difference in short-term regulation.

Topics covered:

*The history of regulations in Nashville

*Why she got into the short-term rental business

*What ‘advocacy’ really means and why more hosts aren't involved

*How to get involved if there isn't a local organization

*What is at risk if host communities fail to activate

*Why it’s important to connect with local businesses

Website: NASTRA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nastra2016/

Rent Responsibly:

Website: https://rentresponsibly.org/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/880967662054010

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad

Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad

Airbnb News Facebook Group

Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes

Click here to Subscribe via Stitcher (Android users)

If you like the show, please consider leaving the show a review in iTunes or Stitcher. A couple minutes of your time can help the show immensely! Thanks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.