Things to Look for in a Short Stay Listing Before You Book

The best way to ensure you won’t be disappointed with your short stay rental is to manage your expectations and know exactly what you want to get out of your rental.

Location Location

You can use interactive map to instantly filter out places outside your ideal stay zone. Much like a hotel, you need to do research on what part of town you would like to stay in, but once you have a couple ideas based on what you want to see and do; and how you plan to get around, the app can take it from there. The handy map tool allows you to zoom in on certain areas, easily comparing rates in different parts of town, highlighting great places. 

The Fine Print

Some places have low rates but huge security deposits, which could tie up your available credit or cash while traveling. When you’re comparing prices of different places, make sure to check the extra fees to avoid potential shell shock. Almost all places have a cleaning fee, security deposit (which you get back if all goes smoothly), extra fees for additional people over a certain number, and if you’re staying for a week or more, may even offer a slight discount. These vary widely from place to place and can make a big difference in the total end price. 

Use Reviews

Especially when you’re just getting started, a confidence boost is everything. While a place may appear truly perfect, if it’s lacking reviews in general- or has a mixed bag, it’s safer to give things a pass- at least on your first Airbnb stays. When there are hundreds of positive reviews and only one bad apple review, it’s fair to assume it could be the person and not the place, just FYI. 

Chat Hosts

If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact the host. They want you to have a great stay, and you want to make sure you don’t have buyers remorse. Communication with the host ensures “what you see is what you get”, while also providing great insights. Hosts can be very generous to offer help arranging tours, meals and other excursions. Messaging with the host before booking is also a great way to get a feel for their “vibe”. Some people come off instantly uptight- and that may not work for you. 

Wifi, Check?

The reviews can be gems. Look, it’s 2020, everyone wants and needs good wifi these days. It doesn’t matter whether it’s for work, pleasure or just making friends jealous on Instagram, it’s a necessity. By reading through guest reviews and complete property descriptions you may see that a great looking spot has slow wifi. While this may not be a deterrent to some, it can be a game changer for those who rely on speedy connections- even for Netflix. 

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

At the end of the day, you’re staying in someone else’s home. Even if that means nothing to you- you get reviewed too. If given a list of house rules: such as no pets, no parties, no smoking, no shoes in house.. you should follow them. If the rules don’t suit you, try and find a place that has different rules. If you disobey rules, you’ll get a bad review, which will make it very hard to be accepted to rent other places.