Many of us love traveling, but safety and security are usually a concern in the back of our minds especially if we are traveling with our family.  So how do we stay safe and secure when we are traveling? J. teaches us what red flags to look for when reserving and staying with Airbnb. With a few extra steps any problem can often be prevented and in turn, keep you safer and more secure.  If you have thought about operating your own Airbnb tune in to find out what you need to be on the lookout for, how to be a responsive host and tools that J. offers to help you succeed.  

Massey is a full-time Real Estate Investor, Entrepreneur, Popular Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Coach & All-Around Problem Solver. Cashflow Diary is a short-term rental hospitality training company. We show people how to build their own short-term rental business (without needing to buy or own any property) so they can thrive financially. Heralded as the most advanced short-term rental training in the industry, Cashflow Diary enjoys creating content and communities that are solely focused on developing individuals into powerful business owners. Founded by J. Massey, Cashflow Diary exists to create short-term rental entrepreneurs. No matter your passion, he believes that running a hospitality business will change people’s lives…

Prior to entering the sharing economy, J. taught real estate strategies based on his years of experience. He owned hundreds of units, raised tens of millions of dollars, and even owned cell phone towers. He was all but “retired” at the age of 38 when one of his students asked what he knew about short-term rentals – the answer at the time was, “not very much.” He started looking into the model and was astounded at the opportunities it presented. J. now runs a 34 unit short-term rental business, and they create more profit faster than any other strategy he has seen before. That means that you too will now have a business that creates more profits to invest into whatever is most important to you—your family, your business, your future, and your community.

The bottom line is that because short-term rental businesses provide a financial safety net, you can take more risks, develop advanced business skills, and do more of what you’re passionate about.

Show Notes:

• [00:35] - Chris shares an article from Allie Conti about her Airbnb problems and struggles. 
• [03:06] - As Allie digs into this particular host and their listings she finds out that this listing is actually being rented out by multiple people.  
• [04:18] - Common scams the renter is at risk of with Airbnb.
• [04:38] - If you don’t know what you don’t know you wouldn’t know that you have an opportunity to discover this ahead of time.  
• [05:05] - The number one concern of people is safety and security.  
• [06:59] - Message the host right after the check out time the day you plan to arrive so they have a chance to respond to your inquiry.  Tell them when you are planning to arrive and ask if everything will be ready for your arrival. 
• [07:37] - If you don’t get a response then you would call and involve Airbnb directly. 
• [10:00] - Usually if you contact the renter by 12:30 PM they will know if something needs to be replaced or if they need longer for a maintenance issue.   
• [11:09] - Hosts that are less communicative and responsive to their listings get pushed down in the search results.  Those who are more responsive are more likely to have their search results near the top.  
• [11:39] - Keep your conversations inside the Airbnb platform. 
• [14:20] - If the host needs to move you ask for a link to the listing.  It needs to be on the Airbnb platform that you made your original reservation on.  Then you can verify it with Airbnb.   
• [16:44] - Most plumbing issues can not be resolved in one day.  
• [17:39] - Every listing can have a unique cancellation policy.  
• [20:20] - On the operators’ side there is a predictable pattern to those who have less than honest intentions.  
• [21:33] - If the property is substantially different when you arrive, you have to document the differences with pictures and videos and contact Airbnb. 
• [23:08] - If you know your arrival time is late all these preventive measures are extremely important before the cutoff time which is usually around 10 PM. 
• [23:43] - Read the listings. Don’t just look at the photos.  
• [24:21] - If you are suspicious of a place take a screenshot of any of the photos and do a Google image search.  It will tell you if the image is used frequently.  
• [26:57] - The biggest abuse for operators is with pet situations, but often they could suggest a better location for you and your pet.  
• [27:56] - Hosts need to know how many people are actually staying on the property for safety and security purposes. 
• [30:48] - Hosts know what bed bugs look like.  Renters will try to submit blurry photos of insects.  
• [33:39] - It is very common to say I couldn’t get in or I never stayed at a property.  Then the operator has to prove you stayed there with electronic door locks, key codes and other expert features.  
• [34:14] - If hosts know how to do proper screening checks on the front end most everything is preventable.  
• [37:02] - If you calculate the dollar per night per square foot of your hotel room, you will see how much you are paying for how little you are getting in exchange. 
• [37:31] When you choose to stay at a hotel you are choosing to eat out which is an additional cost. 
• [38:04] With Airbnb properties you often have a full kitchen or at least a kitchenette.  
• [39:27] The demand for a different experience is high.  
• [40:11]  J. has a tool on his website to figure out how many units you need to have to retire. 

Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. 

Links and Resources:

• Podcast Web Page
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• whatismyipaddress.com
• Easy Prey on Instagram
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• Easy Prey on LinkedIn
• Easy Prey on YouTube
• Easy Prey on Pinterest
• Cashflow Diary Website
• Cashflow Diary Podcast
• J. Massey on Facebook
• J. Massey on LinkedIn
• J. Massey on Twitter
• J. Massey on Pinterest
• J. Massey on YouTube
• Allie Conti’s Article
• How Many Units do You Need to Retire