How to set up an Airbnb rental

Before furnishing the property, understand the requirements that apply where you operate. Depending on the property and location, these may include municipal licensing or registration, zoning, condominium or strata rules, insurance and tax requirements.

Take care of these details first. Then you can begin preparing the property knowing that the foundations of the business are in place.

Do you know, without checking, which rules apply to your property today?

We have always furnished our properties with a simple question in mind:

Would I live here myself?

Walk through the property as though you were arriving for the first time. Where will you put your suitcase? Is there good light beside the bed? Is there somewhere comfortable to sit? Can you prepare a proper meal? Are there enough towels, hangers, glasses and dishes for the number of people staying?

A well-prepared property is made up of hundreds of these small considerations. Taken together, they create a stay that feels easy and comfortable.

Walking through your own property as a guest, what would you quietly wish were different?

Good photographs and an accurate description help guests understand exactly what they are booking.

Show the property as it really is. Include the rooms and features a guest will want to see, and write the description with the questions they are likely to have in mind.

An accurate listing does something important: it helps the right guest choose the right property.

Does your listing describe the stay a guest will actually have, or the one you hope they imagine?

Look at comparable properties in your market, consider the season and understand what your own property offers.

When a property is new, you may choose an introductory rate while you establish the listing and begin welcoming guests. As you gain experience, your pricing can evolve with demand, seasonality and the value of the stay you provide.

Price is something to manage, rather than set once and forget.

When did you last revisit your pricing against what your stay is genuinely worth?

Write down exactly what needs to happen between one guest leaving and the next arriving.

Cleaning is only part of a turnover. Linens need attention. Supplies need restocking. Appliances, lighting and WiFi need checking. Maintenance issues need to be noticed. The property needs a final walk-through before it is ready for the next arrival.

A written checklist creates consistency, particularly as the number of stays grows or other people become involved in preparing the property.

Our own turnover checklist eventually grew to 100 points. It is included in The Guest Before the Rest, along with the fit-up checklist we use when preparing a property.

Could someone else deliver your turnover to your standard tomorrow, without you there?