What is Airbnb?

Airbnb is an online platform that allows you to book accommodations in someone else’s apartment or home.  It’s grown considerably since its launch in 2008, now hosting upwards of 10 million listings. While its primary focus is on short-term accommodations, you can also book experiences on the site as well.

1. Have Realistic Expectations

Always remember that this is not a hotel. While some Airbnb listings are hosted by people who rent multiple units and this is their main occupation, in most cases you will be renting someone’s home (or a room in their home). As such, you should not expect the same amenities or level of service that you would get at a hotel. The trade-off is that you will generally get more space at a lower price.  

Note: Airbnb now has Airbnb Plus listings on top of regular listings.  Airbnb Plus listings will offer you the amenities of a hotel room…but it comes at a price. These listings will always be more expensive than regular listings.

2. Book Well in Advance

You will have the most choice for the least price when you book far in advance. We recommend trying to book your accommodations at least six months or more in advance for popular locations. For example, we travel often to Paris. When I book a year or so in advance, I can find a cute small flat for less than $60 USD a night. If I wait to book three months or less in advance, the same size and quality of the flat will easily be double that price. Even worse, if all the small flats are rented, moving to a larger space can easily triple that price.

3. Nervous? Book with a Superhost

If you are new to Airbnb, the thought of booking with them can be scary. What if the room is dirty? What if they cancel on you at the last minute?  What if the apartment doesn’t look like the pictures?

If you are nervous, book with a Superhost. These are experienced hosts who give a higher level of hospitality and have great reviews from past guests. Airbnb reviews its Superhosts four times a year to ensure they are maintaining their standards.

4. Read the Reviews

There is a lot that you can tell from the reviews on the site:

• • Make sure you read recent reviews

If they haven’t hosted anyone in the past 3 months and are not a Superhost, it’s   probably risky to book with them if you are travelling a long distance.

• • Make sure you read the negative reviews

Positive reviews are helpful, but make sure you have also read the negative reviews to  understand what might go wrong. All hosts will have some negative reviews, but a good host will have very minor complaints that they address quickly.

• • Look for how many times they’ve cancelled someone’s reservation

The last thing you need when you are travelling to a new place is to have your reservation cancelled at the last minute. If, when reviewing listings, you see cancellations in the past few months, I’d recommend looking for another listing.

• • Look for comments about host communication

A good host is very responsive and answers quickly when there is an issue. Airbnb guests will always mention if a host is quick to respond and is helpful so that other future guests know what to expect.  

• • Look for information on the location

Guests will usually mention the specific things they like about the location. This often includes how safe the neighbourhood feels, how close you are to public transportation, shops that are within walking distance, and good restaurants in the area. This can be very helpful when deciding which place to book.

5. Check the Cancellation Policy

Things can go wrong. It’s important that you check the cancellation policy to understand timelines that will allow you to get a refund if you need it. The most common cancellation policies you will see are:

• • Flexible: You can cancel up to 14 days prior to your stay and get a full refund. After that, you can cancel up to 24 hours and you will get your money back, less the service fee.

• • Moderate: You can cancel up to 14 days prior to your stay and get a full refund. After that, you can cancel up to 5 days in advance and you will get your money back, less the service fee. If you cancel less than 5 days before your booking, the first night is not refundable, but you can get a 50% refund for the remainder of the nights.

• • Strict: You can cancel up to 48 hours after placing the booking as long as it is still at least 14 days before you arrive. After that, you can cancel up to 7 days in advance and you will get a 50% refund of the nightly rate.  If you cancel less than 7 days in advance, there is no refund.

Unless you really love a place and there are really excellent reviews, I would not recommend booking a spot that has a strict cancellation policy. Most of the listings have a moderate policy. These policies can change so be sure to check the Airbnb site for more information.

6. Watch the Cleaning Fees

Sometimes the cost per night is very affordable but the host charges extraordinary cleaning fees. As a result, another listing that has a higher nightly rate could end up being cheaper if they have a much lower cleaning fee… making that listing the better deal. Always look at the total cost with the cleaning fee included before finalizing your booking.

7. Take Time to Review the Photos

Are the photos for the listing clear? Do they show the interior of the apartment or room?  If it’s important to you, do they show the view from the windows? 

If they show a lot of pictures of the neighbourhood, but almost no pictures of the interior of the flat or the room, don’t book it. If the interior is nice, they will have pictures posted. If not, they are probably hiding something.

As well, are the photos Airbnb Verified? It’s not a deal-breaker if they aren’t verified as long as the pictures are clear and there are lots of them. However, verified pictures mean that Airbnb sent a photographer in to take the pictures and they fairly represent what the apartment or room actually looks like.

8. Self Check-In vs Host Check-In

There are drawbacks and benefits to both. You’ll want to choose which one suits your needs.  

If you are arriving late at night, looking for a place that offers self check-in is probably the better choice than asking a host to meet you at 1am.  

On the other hand, if you are arriving at a decent time, would like the host to show you how to use the amenities in the apartment and provide you with some local recommendations for the neighbourhood, then host check-in may be the better option.

9. Google Street View

Once you book your spot, you will receive the actual address. We recommend that you use google street view to get a sense of what the neighbourhood looks like and to help you recognize the building and/or front door when you arrive. As well, if you are really unhappy with the look of the neighbourhood, you can cancel any listing within 48 hours and get a full refund.  Once the refund is processed, you can book with a different host.