This is John, I have recently finished reading Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, two Untied States Navy Seals who taught me about taking ownership for mistakes and failures. It is hard to do it. In life and in your hosting journey, it is crucial to take a look at the person in the mirror - this is everything for personal and professional growth.

Tim is going to share an experience that he had to take ownership of, an experience that literally broke his heart - a guest could not check in past midnight. He is going to explain how he handled it. Best of all, the guest left pleased and has even referred friends that have booked for future stays! We will teach you the mindset on how to turn a bad situation around by doing the right thing by the guest, always. This is called Extreme Ownership.

In this podcast:

• Tim goes over the worst situation he has been in with a guest, why it was his fault, and how he took ownership and turned it around

• Why having a Plan B is important

• The mindset of Extreme Ownership and how you can use it in your hosting journey

For more information on Extreme Ownership, you can visit https://echelonfront.com/extreme-ownership/

Want to know more, need more help or have an idea for a podcast episode? Reach out to us at [email protected]. Join our owner community on facebook (we love to connect with other hosts!)

Listen to our latest podcast and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and RSS. Please rate, review, and subscribe - all support helps us grow our community.

Why the age old wisdom of more beds, more heads, more revenue is sometimes wrong. How many guests can you host in your airbnb without sacrificing the quality of your guest experience?

“Be very thoughtful about what your maximum number of guests is going to be, do not just instantly think more beds equals more heads, equals more revenue. I will tell you from experience this equation does not always work.”

Visit our blog and see the transcript here.

Highlights:

• How Tim’s mistake of thinking more beds, more heads, more revenues held back his potential and how changing that thought process helped him maximize revenue while reducing the risk of wear and tear

• Too many guests in too small of a space – the impact on Air Conditioning Units, Pools, and other factors to consider

• What is the maximum number of guests you can host and still maintain the quality of the guest experience?

• How many guests should you host in your airbnb space?

• The right number of guests may be less than you think - dining table rule, how many guests can you accommodate at your dining room table?

• Should you charge people for additional guests?

Want to know more, need more help or have an idea for a podcast episode? Reach out to us at [email protected]. Join our owner community on facebook (we love to connect with other hosts!)

John and Tim discuss house rules for vacation rentals. This is the perfect episode to hear if you are a new host or new to self-managing vacation rentals and need to know quickly what house rules to include.

Here is our house rules template --->

https://vacationhomehelp.com/blog/vacation-rental-house-rules/

Key highlights:

• Why set house rules for your vacation rental

• Smoking and pet rules

• Why detail matters and why being vague can hurt your communication with guests

• Checkout times and late checkout penalties

• Parking rules

• Checkout procedure

• Rules for the air conditioner

• Providing the 'why' to the guest

Please rate review and subscribe!

Join our growing community!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vacationhomehelp

Subscribe to our mailing list

https://vacationhomehelp.com/podcast/

Sponsor? We review sponsorship opportunities twice per month, you can email us at [email protected]

Protect yourself against damages from Airbnb guests. John and Tim explain 'what to know' about security deposits on the major platforms Airbnb and VRBO.

• Does Airbnb and VRBO actually collect security deposit money from guests?

• What is an authorization hold?

• How to collect a refundable security deposit off platform

See an example of an email template you can use to collect a security deposit off platform here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Vq-DDXrmke_LfLpHMlfSJGvoOIaSDc5c?usp=sharing

Want to know more, need more help or have an idea for a podcast episode? Reach out to us at [email protected]

John and Tim discuss what to think about when writing or editing your property description on Airbnb or VRBO.

• Show and tell

• How to organize photos and captions

• Letting your best features shine

• How to incorporate house rules

• and much much more...

Here is a link to Tim's property listing on Airbnb if you need guidance --->

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/51826559

Today, John and Tim interview special guest Tammy LaVarro, Founder of Dream Vacation Interiors.

Tammy discusses her experiences and secrets:

• How to maximize rental ROI with great design

• Trends in vacation rental furniture and design

• Advice to vacation rental owners and airbnb hosts from a designer

• Making 'Instagram' worthy moments for your vacation rental guests

• How to think about and approach vacation rental design and furnishings

• What quality furniture means to vacation rentals

You can see Tammy's portfolio and connect with her by visiting her website, dreamvacationinteriors.com

You can see Tammy's work in Tim's own rental (awesome Toy Story Land Room - its got an etch and sketch TV!) maybe you want to book your dates for your next Disney family vacation? :) here --> storeybook.com

Want to join the Level Up Community? Please visit our blog at vacationhomehelp.com and subscribe for updates, free templates, and an invite to our exclusive facebook group where hosts can connect and share.

Need a vacation rental cleaner that gets it?! Visit vacationhomehelp.com and be matched with a rockstar airbnb cleaner!

John and Tim from Level Up discuss vacation rental safety essentials.

• The essentials like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and first aid kits

• Smart locks and keyless entry - do not set yourself up for failure with keys!

• Noise monitoring

• Cameras and surveillance - what is appropriate and safe and what is not.

• Have a pool? Make sure it is safe.

• Alarm systems in vacation rentals

Guests now more than ever are asking hosts about safety. After all, who wants to travel somewhere and not feel safe?

Need a new vacation rental cleaning company? Try the Vacation Home Help platform.

See Tim's Rental here ---> storeybook.com

John gives his 7 tips on what owners and hosts need to know heading into Summer 2022:

• Do not buy a generic rental - buy something that is unique - one of a kind

• Bidding wars - do not overpay for a property

• Do not rely on bad data

• Research regulations

• Think outside the box

• Do a purge - get rid of unnecessary or bad quality inventory in your rental - its hurting your brand and reputation

• Be smarter about your pricing strategy to not leave money on the table

This episode of level up is brought to you by Vacation Home Help - the fastest growing airbnb cleaning service in Florida.

John and Tim discuss what new government actions mean to you as an Airbnb host

• Disney vs Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Disney's special tax treatment and what it means for property taxes on vacation rentals and airbnbs (April 2022)

• Atlanta restricts Airbnbs to residents and caps the number of units to 2 (Updated April 2022)

• More Airbnb News and Updates and preview of our next interview with a vacation rental design expert

Please join our growing community at levelupbnb.io

Need a new vacation rental cleaning solution? Visit our sponsor at vacationhomehelp.com

John and Tim discuss alternatives to Airbnb

• VRBO

• Your own website helps guests book direct and avoid the middle man

• Booking.com? Is it worth using

• Facebook to generate bookings and guest loyalty

Level up your airbnb hosting skills by subscribing to the Level Up Podcast.

Join Our Facebook Community for more free tips, shared experiences, and templates

https://www.facebook.com/groups/277693517788423/

On our next episode we will discuss changes to Airbnbs rebooking and refund policy.

Need a vacation rental cleaner? Vacation Home Help can help you with your on the ground cleaning needs!

Check out Tim's rental here ---> storeybook.com