Could short-term letting be a valuable investment for landlords?

If you know a thing or two about the current state of the housing market, you might be tempted to start letting out to guests on Airbnb. Before you take the plunge, we’ve outlined a few things that you should know in our Airbnb host starter guide below.

The soaring popularity of holiday stays

There’s a sky-high demand for short-term holiday lets in the UK. Before you open your new Airbnb to prospective guests, we’d recommend doing some market research. Look up other local stays and try to find the listings with the most reviews.

From there, you can quickly work out your local competitors and get a rough idea of how often they’re booked out. This could also be a useful way to gauge and predict your potential income.

How can landlords gain from short-term lets?

Short-term holiday lets are becoming the favoured accommodation type for many tourists. If you already own property or you’re in the position to invest, you could easily use this blossoming industry to your advantage.

The main benefits of becoming a host on Airbnb include:

  • A straightforward, guaranteed passive income
  • Full use of the Airbnb platform for guest bookings and communications
  • Being paid per guest stay
  • Providing a homelier, more comfortable stay for guests

What are the responsibilities of an Airbnb host?

Before you list your place on Airbnb, you might need to have certain permissions granted. It’s also recommended to leave a supply of basic amenities for guests to use. These include:

  • Toilet paper
  • Towels, bed linen and pillows
  • Hand and body wash
  • Kitchen utensils and cookware

Obtaining a landlord insurance policy might help to protect your property against unexpected damages and unforeseen circumstances, too. If you own multiple rental properties, considering multi-property landlord insurance with Emerald Life can be a cost-effective and convenient solution, providing coverage for all your properties under one policy.

Airbnb clearly lays out its expectations for hosts, mentioning that you should:

  • Be responsive: Answer messages quickly and respond to trip requests within 24 hours
  • Accept requests: If you’re available and there are no problems, welcome new guests
  • Try not to cancel: Cancellations are a huge inconvenience and should be taken seriously
  • Maintain your rating: Your overall rating reflects your level of quality as a host

How does Airbnb impact communities?

Local areas and small businesses can gain immensely from self-catered tourism.

However, if you’re thinking about renting your holiday home to guests on Airbnb, it’s important to think of your community. As a landlord, it’s your responsibility to make sure that local residents can still enjoy a peaceful, comfortable lifestyle while coexisting with visitors.

In picturesque, tourist-heavy areas like Snowdonia, tenants are being evicted by landlords switching to Airbnb. We’d recommend treading carefully wherever possible, and only launching your property as a holiday let if it’s empty or due to be uninhabited in the near future.