While hotels are a popular and fun place to stay on your travels, there is another awesome accommodation that’s transformed the way people travel! The website Airbnb.com connects property owners with short-term renters around the world. It can be a great option instead of a hotel if you’re the type that prefers an apartment or house. So how do you find the best Airbnb? Join us for our 8 most important Airbnb tips as you start your search!
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8 Tips For Finding the Best Airbnb
1. Be Flexible with Dates
The first of our Airbnb tips has to do with the dates of your travel. How long do you have for your vacation? If possible, we recommend booking your trip around the cheapest flights and the best Airbnb deal.
Doing this as opposed to locking in your dates first will help you secure a nicer place for less money. When searching for an Airbnb you will find that your dream rental may only be available at select times. By playing around with the dates you can also see if they have a weekly or monthly discount!
2. Shoot For the Moon
Have you found the best Airbnb ever but it’s a bit out of your price range? Don’t give up! One of the sweetest features of Airbnb is that you can actually message the hosts. Honestly, you’d be surprised how many are willing to negotiate!
A lot of the time (especially in off-season) they would rather rent the place to someone than have it sitting idle. Now don’t be rude or expect it to be hundreds of dollars off… But all we’re saying is it doesn’t hurt to ask! Sometimes the host may even have other properties in the area that may be more in your budget.
3. Check the Reviews
Another important step in finding the best Airbnb is reading the reviews. Sounds obvious right? While it may be, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of this! We can’t tell you the number of times we thought we found an amazing deal or apartment only to read about some not-so-amazing experiences from other travelers.
Another thing to identify is the number of reviews a property has. If an Airbnb has zero or only a handful of reviews to its name then you might want to skip it.
On the other hand, if it has hundreds of reviews but a slightly lower score it could still be a great pick. We tend to lean towards staying at 4.7 stars (out of 5) or above when traveling. Below are some things to look out for when scanning Airbnb reviews.
- Cleanliness
- Communication with Host
- Check-in/Check out Process
- Wifi Connection
- Amenities
- Location
4. Best Airbnb Location
Location, Location, Location!! This is a major key to finding the best Airbnb wherever you’re traveling in the world. Our favorite way to check the location is by utilizing the map view on the Airbnb app.
If there is a specific area you want to stay in make sure you zoom ALL THE WAY in on it. By doing this you’ll see that even more places pop up that you would’ve otherwise missed.
You can filter the price so the map view only shows places in your budget. Even with the map being a great tool, it’s still sometimes hard to tell exactly how far away the property is from your destination’s main attractions. This is where you’ll want to go into the listing, read the description, and sift through reviews to learn more about it.
5. Scan the Photos
One of our favorite Airbnb tips and things to do while searching is looking at the photos. It should come as no surprise that good and bad photos can make or break a listing!
Does it have a view? How do the inside and exterior look? What is the bedroom and living room situation? All of these are things to consider when scanning through the photos.
With that said, don’t simply skip over an Airbnb if it has low-quality pictures or just a small number of images. We’ve thought places looked subpar initially, only to look into the reviews and see they were actually amazing finds!
Sometimes a host may just not have updated their listing in a while. They could also have a bad camera or not be as tech-savvy as other hosts. Don’t rule a place out immediately by the photos, but still utilize them when finding the best Airbnb.
6. Amenities
Amenities are important when looking for accommodations, whether it be a hotel, apartment, or luxury resort. It’s often the first thing we check, and a super important step to recognize while learning how to find an Airbnb.
Now what amenities you need completely depends on what type of trip you desire, or what type of traveler you are. If you work remotely like us then having a strong wifi connection is always a must when finding the best Airbnb. Also, if we’re in a destination where food is expensive to eat out we will usually opt for a place with a kitchen.
One of our best Airbnb tips is not to just assume a place has the amenities you’re used to! Scan the photos, read the description and reviews, and message the host with questions. Below are some of the things we look for when searching Airbnb’s ourselves.
- Wifi
- Washer
- Kitchen
- Grill
- TV
- AC/Heat
7. Watch Out for Extra Fees
Unfortunately, like almost every other type of accommodation, there are some taxes and fees to watch out for with Airbnb. It’s such a bummer to think you’ve found a great deal, only to get to the last page and see it’s way more expensive!
Taxes may vary depending on what country or city you’re staying in. Other common add ons to watch out for are cleaning or service fees. Sometimes these will be upwards of $100 especially if it’s a large house or the host hires a cleaning company. Regardless, make sure you factor these extras in when finding the best Airbnb.
8. Leave in Good Standing
Now that you know how to find an Airbnb there is one more thing to mention… Just like you’ll get to leave a review for the property, the host will get to leave one for you, too! After check out the host will come to check on their place and give you a review score before you are allowed to review them.
Keep in mind neither party can see the other review until both are done. For this reason, it’s essential that you clean up after yourself. Take out the trash, strip the sheets, and leave the towels in a nice pile. Your own review score can help you score deals in the future when you’re finding the best Airbnb!
Have any questions about finding accommodations or want to share more of the best Airbnb tips? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
Where in the world are we? Follow our daily adventures on Instagram @nothingfamiliar!
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