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Being an Airbnb host is quite special… But being an Airbnb host in London is something on another level. London is the Airbnb city by excellence, with more than 65’000 listings and an average of 12’900 bookings a day. So how do you survive in this host anthill?
#1 London hosts should be competitive
Basically, everybody is short-letting around you including your neighbors and even your beloved grandma. So take a look at the below articles make sure your property is worth every penny. Once your first happy guests leave great reviews, you will be able to increase your pricing slightly. Just note that the average price per night for a one bedroom flat is £130 and for a two-bedroom flat is £170. So don’t list your one bedroom studio for £300 a night even if you think your Michael Jackson’s posters look awesome – they do but they won’t get you any bookings. Advertising your flat on Instagram could be a great idea to stand out! You can also read our 6 tips to stand out from the crowd here!
#2 London hosts should be very precise
Since there are more than 65,000 listings, if every one of them is called “the beautiful London flat” you will hardly get bookings. Your listing name should describe the area you ‘re living in but still mention some popular neighborhood like “The Hyde Park Light House” or the “The Notting Hill Westbourne Getaway”. Now you should include amazing pictures of your flat to match the title and write a detailed description. For instance, a detail that you usually miss (or hide) is the fact that there is no elevator and trust us, this will cost you a very bad review. Keep your listing fresh, so if your elevator is not working anymore you can specify it. Keeping your listing fresh also means changing the name during a big event like “the Notting Hill Carnival Gem”. The more accurate and detailed your listing is, the more bookings you will get because you will stand out from the crowd of London hosts.
Check out our Photoshoot Case Study and our Photoshoot tips to become a pro!
#3 London hosts should play the London card
If your guests are booking a flat in London it’s for some specific reasons and enjoying the rain is not one. You don’t need to replace your MJ poster by one of the Queen but remove it totally (sorry) and adopt the British style. You can provide tea and coffee and British mugs and Walkers’ Shortbread, you can have a little flag or something branded somewhere else.
#4 London hosts should be preventive host
London is the best city in the world except for two things: the weather and the rubbish. The rules regarding the trash and the restrictions in the common areas are not easy at all. So try to be very clear with your guests by providing an Airbnb House Manual. Also, you should inform your neighbors that you will have some guests so that they will have a good reason to be angry at you when the trash will be out on Wednesday and not on Thursday, or they will probably also be Airbnb host and advise you on the rules to give.
Get preventive and check out our Airbnb Manual Review!
At City Relay we manage more than 300 flats in London and we know all the tips and tricks to stand out from the competition! Becoming a host is quick and easy, simply click the button below and fill out your details to view your property’s earning potential!
