Our new Airbnb

Discussion in 'Airbnb & Short Term Letting' started by jodes, 8th Feb, 2017.

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  1. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

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    IMO its all about expectations being formed and met.

    Start with expectations - What did you tell them ? What didnt you tell them ?
    What did they find ? Why ?
     
  2. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    Quick update- we've had 3 more reviews all 5 stars (but still only 4.5 average thanks to old mate who gave us 3 :)

    And update on occupancy - we keep getting last minute bookings to fill our gaps so since we opened in early Feb to now we've been occupied every night except one (which we probably could have filled but we have a 2 night minimum).

    It continues to be a learning curve and stressful at times (including guests who booked at 9.30am and wanted to check in at 11am and we didn't have a cleaner.. my fault for not updating our calendar) but it's also enjoyable and a source of pride when we get good ratings!
     
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  3. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Person wants to check in at 11am... best to push back. Its too early and hotels don't offer 11am checkins, so stand your ground. Set a checkin time to be sometime in the afternoon... you could allow them to drop bags as an alternative, if you like. They might appreciate that option.
     
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  4. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    @Gockie we did try that- the problem was we weren't able to get a cleaner in until 5pm that night so even if we held our ground we would be letting them in to a dirty apartment. So we decided to let them in at 11am, with a clean at 5pm and I waived their cleaning fee. At these early stages when reviews are so important (and we are trying to wash ourselves of the 3 star), I'm trying to do everything we can to get a good rating.

    It's funny, we had this two day gap and on the morning of the start of it, I was in the bathroom at work drying my hair and thinking to myself, "it really wouldn't be good if we got a booking today, I better block out that space"- then I got to my phone and what do you know, we had a booking!
    The good news is, I had made those two days at quite a high price to try and deter people from booking so even with the waived cleaning fee, we are still much better off financially than with no booking at all.
     
  5. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Fair enough. Your next thing to do would be to get onto airtasker asking for a cleaner asap. You'll get somebody.
     
  6. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    I did think that! But then we had to deal with key issues etc etc. Let me say, I didn't get much work done that morning!!
     
  7. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Ok, so how do you do keys normally? How did the guests get in? Sounds like you need a key solution.
     
  8. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    Hi @Gockie We have a key solution- both our cleaners have keys plus my mum and sister. Plus the set that goes for the guests. Guests collect the keys from the lockbox for the security gate (which is in our postbox) then another set in a lockbox by the door. Do you have a suggestion for where we could keep a bonus set of keys for a situation like this?
     
  9. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    That sounds very complicated. I'd like it if you could streamline it to 1 step. You don't want people who might have travelled half way around the world to be frustrated. Can you make the lock box at your postbox and lock box by the door and combine into 1 step? Makes it a lot easier and less likely to stuff up. I also give guests 2 sets of keys.
     
  10. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    I'll just say on the point of making it easy. My West Ryde unit had this system where you had to 1. Enter the building with a building key. 2. Once inside, at the front door of the unit use 2 nearly identical keys, put each into their respective keyholes and turn them both at the same time to open the front door of the unit. This required people to separate the keys (so you couldnt just have them both on the same keyring) so they could turn them at the same time in different keyholes. And once in, you'd put the keys back together on the one keychain so you don't lose them. Let me say... it was always extremely tedious.

    And never easy for first time users of this door. The keys were very similar, nearly identical, each key would fit both the locks but only turn in one lock. And... short term rental people are often only trying to figure out how to open the door after having travelled a while. Not a good mix. And it was also really bad if you are carrying anything like shopping, which is quite often.

    What I did was replace the second keyed door handle with just a regular door handle, no need for a second front door key. So it was so much simpler.

    That makes me happy.
    So... keep it simple.

    A lot of people don't have English as their first language... try to break down any barriers you can.
     
    Last edited: 24th Feb, 2017
  11. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for that @Gockie! Agreed it is slightly complicated but we didn't want to have the keys to the front door in the post box (albeit in the lockbox) - and therefore have compromised slightly on ease of check in for security (especially with us being away). We try to put a positive spin on it though and call it a "treasure hunt" - so far no complaints or even questions on how to get in (knock on wood) but we will see how we go :)
     
  12. teetotal

    teetotal Well-Known Member

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  13. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    I've been in an Airbnb which had an electronic card system which could be set and monitored remotely. I collected the card from one place; when we lost one card they reset the code and reissued the card. So really just like many hotels except managed away from the site.
     
  14. teetotal

    teetotal Well-Known Member

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    It really is the way going forward. Electronic locking system will take away that need to manage key handling process, especially with listings that are for full apartment/house.
     
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  15. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    One of my early guests marked me down for a few things. It's the only review that has been negative and the only one I have responded to. He was a mean spirited little man and even his wife told me he was a bit of a whinger. Interestingly, I see that you can now search the reviews according to the highest and lowest. This was my low point and my response:

    Firstly Scott and family are very friendly and helpful in everyway possible but my main concerns were threefold. 1. We did not know the property was directly over the flight path of Sydney airport and you get the most rude awakening from 5am daily and then most of the day as well. 2. The apartment quite honestly was a fire trap with a wooden staircase for access that had piles of combustible material under it, no fire extinguishers anywhere on the floor of the apartment and no fire escape either. 3. The windows were almost falling out and in very poor repair as was the surrounding area of the windows with big holes to the outside stuffed with paper. My delay in writing is due to the extended holiday we had only returning yesterday.


    April 2013 ·
    [​IMG]
    Response from Scott:
    Wow, my first negative review. And I thought Terry and I got on famously. I feel a bit silly now making them such a nice dinner and having a few drinks with Terry and trying so hard to make sure they had a good stay. 1. Wrong. Sydney has a curfew and planes can’t land or take-off till 6am. The apartment is not under a flight path, but having an airport in the middle of a city means there are planes in the sky. 2. Nonsense. There are thousands and thousands of buildings in every city in the world where first floor apartments have only one staircase. Our property conforms to all local regulations. 3. Wrong again. Of the 5 windows in the apartment, one is inoperable and has a temporary repair. It’s an old building.
    Anyway, Terry complained to me about his prior accommodation (dust on a light shade), the company where he got his rental car (that I helped him return), the beer in Sydney and goodness knows what else, so maybe I got off lightly. I hope they enjoyed the rest of their trip and would suggest that next time they travel Terry spends more money and stays in accommodation more suited to him – I would suggest 5 star.
     
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  16. teetotal

    teetotal Well-Known Member

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    Hahaha. Terry was a whinger then, dust on a light shade is hilarious!!:D:p
     
  17. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    I've had a guest complain about some dust on top of the fridge....
    I think we need a contest of the pettiest complaints.
     
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  18. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    I've had (on a previous listing and thankfully in the private feedback):
    - single hair in the bath tub
    - no salt and pepper to put on my pizza
    - non stick pans cause cancer

    Thankfully since our last update we have received some more 5 star reviews so 6 x 5 star reviews and still our 1 x 3 star review.. unfortunately we are still at a 4.5 and will be for quite some time !!
     
  19. teetotal

    teetotal Well-Known Member

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    2nd one is a valid point though. No compromise with anything Pizza.:cool:
     
  20. jodes

    jodes Well-Known Member

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    No salt and pepper is valid but do you really put salt and pepper on your pizza? :)