Sound Familiar?
Pesky Problem
Your guests have damaged valuable items in your Airbnb.
At long last, the inevitable text popped up on your phone. Along with a gushing apology and a willingness to pay for the damage, your latest round of guests just let you know they accidentally broke a valuable item during their stay. Has this happened to you? (Maybe without the apology or forthcoming payment?)
This is never a fun moment, for you or for your guests. But just like in any home, living and its corresponding messes happen in Airbnbs. Once the dust has settled, the question becomes, regardless of price, how easy is this thing to replace?
Let's Try This
Bite-Size Solution
Every item in your Airbnb should be replaceable (or dispensable).
There are two golden rules to outfitting your Airbnb. Here’s the first one. (We’ll talk about the second rule next week.) Every item you put in your Airbnb should be replaceable. Or if it’s not replaceable, it must be dispensable. That is you must be genuinely comfortable with the very small (but very real) possibility of it getting ruined.
We know, that feels like a pretty restrictive stance to take. But a little discretion upfront can save you a bunch of anxiety, frustration, or heartache later. Believe us, good guests never want to damage any part of a host’s Airbnb. They know how much effort and love you’ve put into it. But accidents do happen, and no guest wants to be the one who broke a beloved memento or family heirloom. (That puts a serious damper on a vacation real quick.)
5 Minutes
Here's Your First Step
Walk through your Airbnb and round up any precious items.
Your first step is to walk through your Airbnb and do a quick audit. What items are precious to you? Remember, these may not be the most expensive amenities. It might not be cheap, but it’s definitely easy to replace a flat screen TV. Instead, ask yourself: what is sentimental or irreplaceable, items that would be devastating to lose? Round up those pieces and take them with you. Your guests will be the first to appreciate the low-stakes space where they can truly relax.
P.S. Wondering what the second golden rule is? Find out here!