Hosting tips

Has anyone else started seeing Airbnb enforce the new house-rule setup already?  I already have limits on who much I can add into my “additional information” section, which is now called “requests during the stay” (not rules….).  Also it’s flagging my rental agreement requirement already as a “problem”The bigger issue here is not just rental agreements. Airbnb appears to be moving toward:No separate rental agreements for most stays Much tighter limits on custom house rules (I think they allow TWO) Many important protections being pushed into “Requests,” which are weaker than actual rules Very limited space for custom language Local-rule fields focused mainly on government/HOA fines Restrictions on off-platform verification/registration workflowsFor professionally managed homes, this is a major reduction in host control. Things like pool safety rules, no glass at the pool, guest verification, issue-reporting requirements, visitor restrictions, excessive-cleaning responsibility, and othe

I have NOT changed my House Rules yet in Airbnb. I’ve also noticed that I haven’t been getting bookings from there. I’m wondering if perhaps they have bumped me down in the algorithm because of this (even though it’s still not the 20th yet).I know Airbnb isn’t technically going to “enforce” this change with us until March 1st, but methinks maybe they’re pushing us down in the algorithm until the House Rules in the listing gets updated according to their new standards? I’m just guessing and assuming, which is why I’m curious if anyone else out there has noticed the same thing as me? Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Have any of you not changed your House Rules yet -and- also noticed a dip in bookings?

With the new Airbnb changes coming up, it’s caused me to re-assess my expectations of how guests leave the condition of my property. I’m wondering what are reasonable vs. unreasonable expectations. I have two reasons for this: 1) I want to be in line with industry-standard (which is tough considering vacation rentals vary so greatly with their amenities, size, location, etc.) but I believe there is a general standard and expectation. 2) I believe more now than ever that leaving accurate reviews about guests is important, but I don’t want to leave details in the review that may be “too high” of an expectation on my part as a Host.In my set-up, I have “extras”, such as board games, music records, pack-and-play, and having a pool I have extras such as pool toys, inflatables, goggles, snorkels, sunscreen, and lots of patio furniture.Up until now, I’ve asked guests to please put the outdoor stuff back where they found it because the Cleaner doesn’t get paid to clean/organize outdoors. I wil

We run two pool homes in Murrells Inlet, SC, on Airbnb, Vrbo, Wander and direct, and we’re weighing Booking.com. I keep hearing two things: it brings more bookings, but the guests are rougher, there's nothing like AirCover, and issues and damage claims are a nightmare to sort out. I know Booking now has its free Host Property Insurance and liability coverage, but I’d love real-world experience.For those running whole homes on Booking: How’s guest quality compared to Airbnb and Vrbo? Have you actually filed a damage claim, and how did it go? Which settings made it work for you (request to book, security deposits, cancellation policy)?

I would like to know what others are using in the UK. I have a main house with an annex. Ideally I would like to be able to control 2  different zones.  Previously been advised Inspire can do this but its expensive. Also been advised Hive and Tado but neither are supported by Hospitable. 

Iset up a listing via the Hospitable app with booking.com.  All went smoothly except I have noticed that the set up has included my business profile instrad of my personal profile, so something to watch out for.However booking,com cant pay me.  Their system is not letting me add my bank details.  I dont think its a Hospitable issue, Im asking if anyone else using booking.com is having problems with registering bank details.

I was going to allow pets in my STR during the slower season, but with these new Airbnb changes, I’m seriously questioning it and wondering if it’s worth it.My question is two-prong:A. Do you think you get more bookings allowing pets? B. What rules do you have? What are you doing as far as expectations and rules surrounding pets with the new Airbnb policy changes coming up? For instance, I’ve heard some Hosts have had their rule section flagged where they ask Guests to pick up their dog’s poop.

With the new upcoming Airbnb policy changes, this has caused me to re-assess my risks and liabilities. Up until now, I haven’t required Rental Agreements (with liability waiver clause inside). I realize this has been foolish, especially considering I have hot tubs and a pool. I have two STRs.I’m curious if rental agreements are an industry-common thing to do for short term rentals?Have you gotten push-back from guests?If so, how did you handle it?How are you going to handle this on Airbnb?

anyone else utilize QuickBooks without being a Mogul subscriber?  I am on the pro subscription and recently started quick books, of course you can not intergrade together unless you are a mogul subscriber.  I however find no issues.  seems to work pretty seamless as long as you are connected to your business checking.  What is the true benefit of Mogul to connect? 

Quick poll for the group, because I'm really curious. How many of you pay for an AI subscription like Claude or ChatGPT? I'm on the $200/month plan because I run most of my businesses through AI now: guest messaging drafts, pricing analysis, owner statements, my website, and a lot of the busywork in between. It's become the best money I spend each month. But I don't know if that's normal or if I'm way out on the end of the curve. So: 1. Paid plan. Which one, and what do you mostly use it for?2. Free version only. Is it good enough for what you need?3. Don't use AI at all, outside of Hospitable's built-in AI features. If you're in group 3, I'd love to hear why. Is it trust, time to learn it, cost, or you just haven't needed it? And if you're paying, what's the one thing it does for your hosting that you wouldn't give up?

Who has an STR VA or small VA team you personally use and would recommend? I have 5 properties and already automate most guest messaging through Hospitable. I need reservation approvals, 24/7 maintenance/emergency response, vendor sourcing and dispatch, cleaner/vendor coordination, and follow-through. Marketing/social media experience would be a bonus. I'm not looking for full property management. Please only recommend someone you personally use or have used.

I have been trying to set my lowest price on a weekend different to weekdays.  For some reason this isnt happening, even when I select different days

Sharing my “Before Checkout” list, which passed AirBNB’s 11/20/2026 policy update. Double-check all rooms for personal items. Leave dirty towels in the designated hampers. Leave dirty linens on the bed.  Place dishes used during your stay in the dishwasher. Pods are under the kitchen sink. Trash/recyclables must be bagged and placed in the designated bins. Trash bags are under the kitchen sink. Switch off lights, appliances, thermostat, and gameroom mini split.I moved my information regarding “Lock up at checkout” under the “Rules” section and added the following:Ensure all doors/windows are locked, including the detached gameroom. Leave the keys on the designated hooks - living room above guest book.I intend to elaborate using hospitable messaging (e.g., “the property has 4 designated bins, including two indoor kitchen bins and three outdoor (bear-proof) bins near the driveway” and “starting a load of towels is not required but greatly appreciated”). Note: I acknowledge that this is j

Curious to see what other operators out there are using for damage waiver protection for their homes. We have used Truvi the past two years and we have seen their process change alot lately. They used to be known for replacing damaged linens and towels, etc...but any damaged linen, towel, bedding, etc that we have reported lately they have declined it saying its normal use. Even after being washed, time stamped, and before and afters. We have been declined every time lately.Are there any operators that are satisfied with alternative companies?

👉 Priced too High? Too Low?👉 Not knowing your value?👉 Not knowing the market? I want to hear your opinion!

Has anyone found that removing the photo tour has been helpful for bookings? If so, how do you “undo” the photo tour once it’s set up? I’ve noticed if you put photos into “additional photos” section, you can’t rearrange the order from there. 

For multiple weeks now my Hospitable calendar has been BLOCKED starting in June 2026 although my Hospitable calendar setting has the booking window set to 24 months.  After reporting via the “smarty” AI bot, I finally got a response from a human and they told me they pushed a sync, to wait a bit and check.  I waited 48 hours - still had the issue and let the support rep know.  They escalated to engineering and closed my ticket!!  So not way to follow-up via “smarty”.   After escalating to a human again, I got a message the next day that they are “working on it” and said it had something to do with the new VRBO connection and the old VRBO connection.  I asked for the ticket to remain open until the issue was closed.  (seriously, what software support department just closes tickets when the issue is still open and impacting a subscriber’s business?).   So it’s been a week - got an update yesterday that they are “still working on it”.  I asked for an ETA and what level this defect was cla

Please bring back the color coding for reservations on the calendar so we can easily identify which platform each booking came from.Previously, Airbnb bookings were displayed in red, Vrbo bookings in dark blue, and Booking.com reservations in light blue. This was extremely helpful when managing bookings across multiple platforms.Color coding is especially important when counting the number of booked nights for reporting and calculating the city tax payable per night. Without the different colors, it becomes difficult and time-consuming to distinguish reservations by platform, honestly, it’s quite straining on the eyes when reviewing the calendar.Please restore the original platform-specific colors. This feature makes calendar management, reporting, and tax calculations much more efficient and less prone to errors. Thank you!

Is anyone still using webhooks or are you migrating over to MCP / AI agent connections?  I just want a simple webhook connection to a google sheets table LOL but then I keep hearing MCP MCP MCP AI AI AI AI Agents and buildathon. Like WTF 🤣 

Hi everyone,Airbnb’s new house rules policy applies to bookings made on or after November 20 (or 2/28 per today’s townhall). It limits separate rental agreements and restricts how hosts collect guest ID and other information. A lot of professional hosts are asking Airbnb to reconsider, and I’m helping pull the real-world stories together so they can be presented to Airbnb leadership through the government relations team that I work with 2x per month. They’ve committed to bringing these statements into the official executive channels based on what we do together.Airbnb listens to specifics far more than to general complaints. If this policy affects how you run your rentals safely, I’d like to hear from you.Please email me at airbnbpolicy@apluswprojects.com with:Your name, general market (city or county and state), and number of listings How you use rental agreements or guest verification today, and why Any real incident a rental agreement, ID check, or house rule helped prevent or resol

The wi fi porter which is an integration from Hospitable seems to no be banned by air bnb. What is the work around for this. Obviously collecting e mail is a vital component to building a direct booking business. 

Hi all! has anyone used the Earnings Protection on Airbnb? We had a water incident at a property that will take a few weeks to resolve, unfortunately. It will impact several bookings so I’m looking into this. I would love any input. Thanks!!

Hey all,we’ve created a new app that integrates with your Roku TV (or stick or box) and turns it into a Homescreen. It is fully customizable and includes interactive guide books, local recommendations, house rules and check out info.What we can also do - remotely turn the TV on and open the screen before check in based on your reservation calendar (phase 2 of beta testing).Here is a quick introduction video: For phase 1 we really need some beta testers to install our app, check out our portal and give us vital feedback on what works and what doesn’t, what you love and what you don’t.All you need:- One or more Roku TVs​​​​​ and check ins in the next few weeks. - An appetite for trying out cool new things.What you get:- Access to our beta test system- 3 free months once we go live with the appLet me know if you’re interested. The hospitable community gets dibs on the access :)Cheers,Thomas

I’m looking for advice from fellow hosts who have managed to set themselves up with a Google Business profile. Especially if you’ve got multiple STRs and have gotten them all to show up on Google Maps individually.Did you set up a separate “business” for each location? Or is it kind of like Burger King, where there’s one master profile with numerous franchise locations? Did Google give you much trouble in setting up a place that’s not a walk-in retail location? What kind of verification did you need to do? In my initial attempt at setting up a first location, I’m being asked to submit a video that shows street signage and access to areas that are off-limits to the public. Did it affect how your places show up on Google Vacation Rentals (positively or negatively)? Can you give a link to your profile for me to study?

I’m starting a co-hosting business in the Sacramento / Placer County area and upgraded to Mogul for the Property Manager Marketplace. I haven’t had any owner inquiries yet.For those who’ve gotten referrals through Hospitable:How long after you set up your Marketplace profile did the first inquiry arrive? Did anything in your profile make a difference, such as service area, pricing, tiers or reviews? Did the leads come from owners already on Hospitable, or from elsewhere?And for anyone whose clients came from somewhere else, where did they come from? Direct outreach, local groups, or referrals from cleaners and realtors?