The Golden Rules of Being A Good Airbnb Guest
If you’re a considerate traveller (which I’m sure you are), it is surely important to you to make a good impression when visiting a country. One excellent way to achieve that is to be on your best behaviour when staying in someone else’s home – whether it’s an Airbnb, a guesthouse or other privately-run accommodation.
Additionally, if you’re a user of Airbnb, it’s beneficial that hosts leave good reviews about you a guest, so that you have no issues when booking a new accommodation.
For these reasons, I’ve come up with the Golden Rules of Being a Good Airbnb Guest!
Contents
As I consider myself a thoughtful individual, I already had my own ideas about what makes a good Airbnb guest. However, I thought it best to contact some experts. Namely, my former Airbnb hosts!
Insight from the Hosts
Krste
Krste hosted us in Ohrid, Macedonia, the city renowned for once having 365 churches which has been known as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans”. Patio & Lake View ⭐️ Old Town Stylish & Central is a stylish studio with large windows and a wooden terrace offering a view over the Old Town. A 5 minute walk from the property through the winding backstreets brings you to the glittering waterfront.
Krste was a great host with perfect communication and even went the extra mile by providing us with a helpful list of local recommendations. I remember Viva Ksantika restaurant being a particular highlight – make sure you go if you visit Ohrid – and be sure to try their beans. A host for over 10 years, Krste sure knows his stuff! He gave us his two cents on what helps him out as a host.
Communication is key in all relationships. Our former host particularly noted that it’s important to provide information on “approximately time of arrival, total number and names of the people coming and updates on changes”.
He also notes that he appreciates “when guests write upon arriving” as there is a self-check process and he wants to “to know if everything went smoothly”.
I think we can all agree that a good general pointer is “taking care of the place as an own home” (as long as you’re not this guy) and “reporting any issues instantly”.
Daniela
Our second host contributor is the wonderful Daniela who we stayed with in Pëllumbas, Albania (only 30 mins from Tirana). We rented the absolutely gorgeous Hidden Cottage – a DIY Cabin in the Countryside with a couple of friends. As it was October, the trees and hedgerows were overflowing with delicious ripe fruit and we fully capitalized on her incredibly well appointed kitchen. What is more enjoyable than cooking with friends?
Daniela noted that she had ” no negative experience at all [with guests]” perhaps attributed to the location as “nature lovers are always the best” – a sentiment I can heartily agree with 🙂
Observing the rules, especially relating to the capacity limit, is something particularly important to her “however should anyone wish to exceed it, this should be discussed and agreed in advance”. In my personal experience, hosts are generally flexible and accommodating to requests.
Another notable point is that “any concerns from the guests should be discussed in private, before being displaced in a public review”. This is something I totally agree with: if there is a problem or something missing, it gives chance for the host to correct it. We, for instance, have requested additional kitchen utensils from past hosts and they have always obliged! This is much more productive than writing in the review “kitchen not well equipped” as the issue is sorted out straight away and everyone is happy.
Hopelessly Nomantic’s Comments
In addition to the hosts’ points above, we are sure to communicate check-out time in the case of self check-out, being mindful that there may be new guests coming that day. We also confirm that the key has been safely put back in the box (I imagine some people forget).
Make sure you don’t leave all your washing up; cleaners of rental apartments are not expected to do the dishes. If we’re not in a rush, we also take the trash out and strip the beds. I wouldn’t say this is necessary but at least it’s one less job for the cleaner and takes little effort. Bear in mind that rules vary between apartments, so make sure you check the app.
The Golden Rules
- Be respectful; you’re staying in someone’s property
- Communication is key! It’s particularly helpful to keep hosts updated on:
- Estimated time of arrival
- Total number of guests
- Any changes to the above
- Confirmation of arrival, if self-check in
- Checkout time (if they have a key box, I always confirm when I’ve put the key back for their peace of mind)
- Notify host promptly of issues e.g. if something breaks, is missing or any other problems
So, that brings us to the end! Nothing complicated here but a bit of mindfulness goes a long way to ensuring you leave a good impression on your hosts.
I wish you all safe travels this summer and beyond! If you have any thoughts on these guidelines, let me know in the comments belowor write to me on Facebook (Hopelessly Nomantic), Instagram (Hopelessly_Nomantic) or Twitter (HopelesNomantic).