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Helping Hosts Together: The Abundant Host Interviews LearnAirbnb

Of the many things that Jim Breese (co-founder of LearnAirbnb) and I agree on wholeheartedly, probably the most significant is this:

As hosts, we are in the hospitality industry, not the rental industry.

Just like in many other areas of the new economy—coworking spaces are a prime example—it’s not just about the space.

As hosts, our #1 job is not to provide a bed to sleep in, but to provide an experience. An experience filled with comfort, kindness, luxury—with humanness. We provide an expansive palette for the creation of our guest’s definition of leisure, vacation, business or play—on their terms.

Based in east Los Angeles, Jim has worked with hundreds of hosts over the past 18 months, running LearnAirbnb as a passion project and creating profitable strategies for optimizing Airbnb rental businesses.

In this fireside chat between LearnAirbnb and The Abundant Host, we talk about how to attract your ideal guests, how sites like ours can play a vital role in this new economy, and why it’s important to not overthink hosting (and what you should be thinking about instead).

The Abundant Host: Jim, it’s so great to have you here. Tell us about what people can find over at LearnAirbnb.

Jim: It’s great to be here! LearnAirbnb is a hub for hosts to learn the best practices and tips for them to become successful. I want to help them deliver a 5-star experience to their guests. They’ll learn all the tips and tricks they need to get up to speed.

With webinars and our course, we also focus on a formal kind of education—how can someone go from knowing nothing to being a Superhost? We try to remove that learning curve.

Awesome. Jim, since we’re both in the helping-hosts arena, I wanted to share something I experience sometimes: When I tell people about sites like ours, they think hosts don’t need our help, because the Airbnb site is so intuitive, etc. What’s your perspective?

While Airbnb is great at the basics, the reality is that we’re in the hospitality industry. And most people don’t know a lot about really taking care of other people.

There are hundreds of more guests than hosts—when you hear that, it’s often from guests.

Yes, I agree.

People think: How hard could it be? It depends on what lens you view it through—to some people, this is their lifeline, this is how they bootstrap their startup, this is how they’re able to live their lives.

Right. Jim, just like it isn’t for me, this probably isn’t your first rodeo as an online entrepreneur. Tell us a little about your background.

I started off selling Pixy Stix in second grade! ::laughter:: I was always looking to fill a need that wasn’t being filled: I started a landscaping company and a cleaning business for offices, I worked for five years at a restaurant group, and worked my way up to brand marketer and got to see how big entrepreneurs do it. I started a tea company and I learned a lot about eCommerce and online business, and I started teaching a real estate course.

What was it like starting LearnAirbnb, and do you work directly with Airbnb?

I’ve never reached out to them, but at this point I would like to. It’s getting crazy. However, we can provide more benefit if we keep ourselves separate, because we focus on the host.

When we started, we had received a bunch of inspiration from friends. The businesses I’ve done, they all test you—you really have to put your heart into it and solidify your commitment to make it real. I don’t make a lot of money from this, but I spend the most amount of time on it. I love helping people. It’s more of a passion project than anything.

I completely relate! Jim, are you yourself a host on Airbnb?

I was a host in the early days, and I speak with hosts every day. I almost take on their problems sometimes! Airbnb hosting when I was hosting is not the same as it is today; there are definitely always new programs and new third-party services. So, being in contact with hosts has benefited me a lot.

When you were hosting, what was one of the most serendipitous experiences you had?

We got to meet a lot of kick-ass people around the world. We hosted in L.A., and it’s an international hub, which was a benefit of hosting that I didn’t expect. We didn’t hang out with our guests all the time, but we did spend time with a few. One time, a guest wanted to try the best Indian cuisine in our city and we got to go on this culinary adventure with him.

I never thought that LearnAirbnb would turn into what it is now—you underestimate the impact you’re going to have on people’s lives. I never expected to have a front row seat to that.

How does LearnAirbnb encourage embracing the community culture of Airbnb, of “being at home wherever you are”?

That’s a very noble mission of Airbnb, and honestly that’s the goal of hospitality. You have to define for yourself: What does home feel like. I encourage hosts to be honest and put a dash of their personality into it. If you want your guests to “live like a local,” you need to be true to that expectation. It makes people feel at home when the accommodations are truthfully marketed. Some people prefer granite counters, some don’t mind crashing on a couch… just really tell people what you can offer.

I agree. One of my listings is a little goddess sanctuary. I market it that way, and the people who respond and want to stay there are people who resonate with being in that kind of space.

Yes! You can’t expect your house to be marketed to every guest on Airbnb. Pick something and stick with it if you want to attract your ideal guests. For example, if you want to target the business guest, show the printer and fax machine or high-speed Internet. But if you put out a trashy home, you’ll attract trashy guests.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for potential Airbnb hosts?

Realize you’re in the hospitality industry and not the rental industry. There’s an experience that’s expected. Be a human and not a heartless business owner. Don’t act like McDonald’s versus the guest. Treat them like family.

Ask yourself: What do you want to get out of hosting? Do you want to rent out your whole place, just a room or a separate place? If you want to make money, you have to be in a high-demand market. If you want to meet people, you have to be social. Know who you want to benefit. And don’t overthink hosting.

What do you mean by “overthinking hosting”?

People who want to start hosting always say: Oh I’m not ready, I have to take all these pictures down. I hear so many excuses, but they’re just scared to do it. If our mind’s think we can’t, then we can’t. Overthink it, and you’re going to totally self-sabotage yourself.

Jim, what does it mean to you to be an Abundant Host?

I really like this question. To be an Abundant Host is to put everything in your heart into hosting. There’s only one thing that’s infinite or abundant in the world and that is your heart, your human essence. It means showing people the happiness and joy and wisdom of your city. It means delivering an experience that’s one-of-a-kind. When you love what you’re doing, everything is easy and you don’t second guess or doubt things.

Beautiful. What’s the first thing people can do on LearnAirbnb to enhance their hosting experience?

Right away, sign up for our email list—I send out tips every couple of days to hosts. They can read it over time, too. We also offer our hosting calculator, and various videos on hosting. We’re also over on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Thanks, Jim!

—

A special note from me, Amy: Thanks for reading, fellow abundant hosts! This interview was important to me because I believe collaboration trumps competition—and my goal is to make sure you feel as informed and ready as you possibly can on your journey to having a profitable, successful, freedom-filled life as a host. I hope you can feel that here in our community. :)

Be on the lookout for an upcoming collaboration between the two of us, LearnAirbnb and The Abundant Host (read: free goodies for our readers)! To find out when that’s happening, sign up here for my newsletter. Thank you, and have a beautiful day.

Thanks for reading! Have a question that wasn't answered here? If you'd like more specific help, I'd love to work one-on-one with you. Or, if you want to work collaboratively in a group with fellow motivated hosts, find out if the next Abundant Hosting Mastermind group is open. I also wrote a book, Cleaning Up, where I give you the nuts and bolts (and so much more) of finding your perfect turnover assistant, thereby upleveling your profit and success on Airbnb. Have a beautiful day!

Get 5 Stars in Communication & Arrival—Even When You Never Meet Your Guests

Update Oct. 2015: “Arrival” is now also phrased as “Check-In” on Airbnb. They are the same thing! ;)

If you travel a lot, use a lockbox for your guest’s entry/exit, have your turnover assistant greet your guests, or otherwise are not able to meet your guests in person—how do you create a personal connection with them?

How do you make sure they feel confident, safe and satisfied—satisfied enough to write you a raving review filled with 5-stars across the board (particularly in Communication and Arrival)?

In this post, I’ll show you some easy ways to do just that.

I have a confession to make.

I’ve only met one of my guests in person. And yet—

I’ve never received anything other than 5 stars in the two categories that are often thought to be dependent on in-person connection.

(These are real screenshots taken from my personal Airbnb dashboard page on Oct. 21, 2015.)

Recently, I received this raving review—from someone I never met or even chatted on the phone with:

Amy’s condo was in a perfect location. Her space is full of positive energy and charm. Even the water cooler has a smile to help you stay hydrated at altitude. :)

Amy was easy to work with via text and emailed thoughtful instructions and tips for the city ahead of time. She also left them printed for out as well for easy access. Incidentally, she recommended great restaurants.

We felt like guests in a friend’s home. Thanks so much for welcoming us!

We felt like guests in a friend’s home.

How can you get reviews like this without even meeting your guests (or even talking to them on the phone)?

1) Write a descriptive, authentic personal profile.

On your profile page, make sure you tell your guests how you show up in the world. I distinctly remember the profile of one host I stayed with in Palm Springs who was an actor, and found Airbnb to be the most delightful thing he’s ever discovered. He told the story of how it changed his life in his profile, and it added soul to his listing. I never forgot it.

On my profile, I talk about my business in which I help people live their full selves through self-inquiry and self-expression. Knowing a little bit about my worldview and my work helps people feel more connected to me. As a bonus, it also ends up attracting like-minded people to my place (here’s more on how to do that).

2) Choose the method of communication that works best for you.

I’m definitely not advocating that you don’t communicate with your guests at all. I do think that if you’re not going to meet your guests in person, you should choose a method that you can be consistent and reliable with.

For me, that’s texting. Sure, some people don’t like it—but I always give them the option to call.

Here’s how I phrase it in my personal email, referencing my homemade guides:

During your stay, if you have any questions, please refer to my Airbnb listing description/reservation email, as well as these two guides. If your answer is not there, I am always available at ###-###-#### (text preferred, as I’ll likely see it faster)!

This statement, combined with my first communication being a friendly welcome text, has guests responding via text 98% of the time (which is an actual calculation—one couple out of my first 50 chose to call instead of text me back).

Being an entrepreneur, I’m not always available by phone—I’m often flying, meeting, playing, creating—but texting is the method I can most easily attend to. It takes minutes for me to answer a concern via text message.

Which method works best for you? Email, phone, text? Which method will help you be most responsive to your guests? No matter what it is, if they feel you’re 100% reachable, they’ll thank you for it.

3) Send people detailed information in one place.

I recently stayed at a gorgeous fairytale castle in Venice as a guest on Airbnb. Everything about the stay was wonderful—except one major thing.

The information was completely scattered. One message told me what the door code was. Then another message the host and I chit-chatted. Oh but wait! A few messages later, she told me what the gate code was.

This made getting in and settled really difficult. Sure, the information is all there—but when you’re traveling, you want everything in the same place, instead of standing at the door loading emails and scrolling through messages. And once you’re inside, you want to know how to use things that might have house particulars/quirks to them, too.

Make sure your information is in one place, all together, in one guide. (I give people blueprints for this in my coaching calls!)

4) Check in with guests 1-3 times during their stay—not more.

Guests do want to feel like you actually care that they are in your home—but they also don’t want to feel bothered on their vacation.

Here are the three direct methods of communication I engage in (after an initial detailed email with guides, plus leaving printed guides out for their perusal):

A welcome text, letting them know you’re available if they have trouble arriving.
A text on the morning of their departure, wishing them safe travels with hopes that they enjoyed their time, and a gentle reminder of the check-out time. Often, I include local brunch suggestions based on their dietary preferences and day of the week.
This third direct communication is a maybe, and should be allocated for times when: a package is arriving and you want them to put it inside, some fresh water is being delivered and you want to notify them to bring it in and feel free to drink it, a maintenance repair has to be done and you want to verify this is ok with them, etc. Save this one for necessity—don’t blow it on, “Hope you’re having a great second day, heard it’s sunny out, what’re you up to?”

Follow these rules, in addition to making sure you have detailed guides emailed and printed for them (ask me more about this!)—and you’ll be golden.

Presenting… My New eBook, “Cleaning Up”!

Hi everyone!

We’re now three days out from the public launch of my new book, Cleaning Up: How to Work With a Turnover Assistant to Uplevel Your Profit, Freedom and Success Hosting on Airbnb. The intro pre-order tier has now ended; those of you who ordered early and got the discount will receive the book early, today!

Now, I’m so excited to reveal the cover design to you.

It was designed by Tony Bacigalupo, who is a whiz at Photoshop and funneled my exacting demands into poetry in pixels. :)

With no further adieu… here it is!

(Gah, I love it! It’s so pretty!)

Thank you so much to my early purchasers who gave me faith that this book on turnover assistants (so much more than cleaners!) is needed and useful to Airbnb hosts.

I’ve committed my all to this project for the past few weeks and I hope it helps you have more freedom, earn more money and be more successful hosting on Airbnb.

The book is available through both Gumroad and Paypal, and it drops Oct. 5!

The Abundant Host Goes to Paris! Clink Glasses With Me at the Airbnb Open

One of my core focuses right now is to bring you more community through The Abundant Host. I want us to be able to brainstorm together, to learn from and help each other—so I’m taking actions in Fall 2015 with this in mind.

And on this front, today I have some exciting news for you…

I’ve been invited to the Airbnb Open 2015 in Paris (Nov. 11-14)!

I’ll be there, milling about, taking notes for you from all the best workshops and enjoying myself thoroughly. :)

In addition to being at the conference, I’m hosting a special event just for The Abundant Host community:

Nearby to the Parc de la Villette (the venue for the Airbnb Open) in Paris, I’ll be hosting this meetup on Friday night so we can talk honestly and openly about our challenges, insights, issues and wonderment.

Plus, if you have in-depth questions that you’ve been too shy to ask elsewhere, this is the place to come! You’ll get real, honest answers and resources directly from me.

BONUS: Anyone who comes to the event (and comes up to say hello to me, Amy) will recieve a FREE copy of my book ($14.99 value): Cleaning Up: How to Work With a Turnover Assistant to Uplevel Your Profit, Freedom and Success Hosting on Airbnb. It’s a jam-packed, must-have, awesome read, and I’m excited to share it with you!

Note: This is not an official Airbnb event, and The Abundant Host is not affiliated with or supported by Airbnb.com or any of its partners. That being said… you’re going to have a fabulous time. :)

RSVP now (required, so I know how many of you I can expect!) and I’ll see you there.

The 15 Crucial Things Not to Forget When You Live in the Home You Airbnb

This post is for those of us who rent our entire homes on Airbnb when we travel (let me hear you say heyyyy Ms. Carter? Say heyyy…).

If you live in your home and you’re leaving it up to you to do the cleaning and turnover before your guest arrives and before you head out of town (which you may decide to do whether or not you have a turnover assistant to help you when you’re not around, to save money or for other reasons), here are some things to remember.

Look around your house as if you were a guest.

Is that picture frame a little crooked? Is the soap dish a little scuzzy? When you close the blinds, run your finger over them—find any dust? What about the bedroom window sill? What about your closet doors, your refrigerator handle, your door handles?

If you’ve actually gone ahead and checked these areas, you might be wondering why I’ve hit so many home runs here. It’s because these are the areas we neglect, and that even cleaners neglect.

Make a master turnover checklist for you, the host.

This is a checklist of everything that must be done to turn your post-guest space into a pre-guest space. And when you live in the home that you list on Airbnb, you must include another section for post-you, i.e. a pre-travel checklist for you with regards to everything related to your home and the surrounding areas.

Here are a few crucial, specific things you should do before leaving your place to a guest (some of which I’ve even forgotten in the past):

Have you gotten the mail, and will you be gone long enough that you should leave your mail key for your turnover assistant to retrieve?
Did you remember to put the guest key back in the lockbox if you took it out while you were at home?
Did you turn over your refrigerator, getting rid of food-gone-wild and letting guests know which food they can eat, if any? (This is a big one because often, you might look around and think everything looks perfect because the refrigerator door is closed…)
Are your bikes locked up outside sufficiently well or do you need to bring them in to the garage/balcony?
Are all your welcome notes placed back where they belong (e.g. signs for recycling, signs for how to use things)?
Did you leave extra stock of the essentials should your guests run out (shampoo, soap, toilet paper)?
Did you put away all the personal items you don’t want guests to use (expensive perfume, etc.) and take out guest baskets, if any (I like to put out a “did you forget something?” basket in the bathroom with little combs, razors, tampons, etc.)?
Do you have extra stock of your welcome guides and house info guides in case a guest takes, loses or spills something on them?
Did you make sure all your guest arrival materials are in the right place, including your guides and your guest book?
Are your mirrors all free of splash stains (including toothpaste stains that you might be able to live with while you’re there but guests should not be seeing)?
Have you watered your plants (and made plans for them to be watered while you’re gone)?
Have you sufficiently stocked the local treat you plan to leave for your guests (little chocolates, etc.) so your turnover assistant can find them?
Did you take all your shoes out of the entryway, if you tell guests to take them off there?
Did you remember to leave them closet space and empty hangers?
Did you remember to leave them coat hanging space at the entryway?

I go in detail about all this and so much more in my book:

Cleaning Up: How to Work With a Turnover Assistant to Uplevel Your Profit, Freedom and Success Hosting on Airbnb.

Grab it here! It’s a hefty, jam-packed, must-have, best-selling, compound-adjective, amazing read—and I’m excited to share it with you.

Want more info before you buy? Get a sneak peek into my book and find out if this book is for you (or not)!

Breaking News! Meet The Abundant Host In-Person Tomorrow (Sept. 24) in NYC

Hi there!

First, I want to say thank you for being here and reading my work. I truly appreciate you!

One of my current focuses is expanding and connecting the community here at The Abundant Host, and some of the ways I’m doing that are:

You can now comment on all blog posts! This was disabled before (re: spam), but now with a Disqus account, anyone can comment, share and connect.
I’m entertaining the idea of building a masterclass forum for Airbnb hosts who really want to uplevel their game—what do you think of this? Let me know!
I’m going to be hosting and participating in some meetups so we can all get together and connect in-person.

The very first one I’ll be participating in is this meetup in SoHo, Manhattan! It starts at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 24. I had a bit of trouble getting the exact address, but if you have the same trouble, shoot me a tweet or comment below this post and I’ll let you know!

This is an official Airbnb meetup, and Airbnb has invited me to speak at it! You’ll hear a little more about me on-stage, and then I’ll be there the whole time to mix and mingle.

Note: The Abundant Host in no way represents or is affiliated with Airbnb. This is important because I’m dedicated to providing you with unbiased, high-quality articles, tips and stories for life!

Will I see you there? Let me know below in the comments, or on Twitter / Facebook!

Is Airbnb Taking Out Taxes For You? Here’s What Every Host Should Know

If you live in a certain city in the U.S., Airbnb may automatically be taking out taxes for you—but if you talk to a host in another city, you might find they’re not having taxes taken out at all.

Why the discrepancy?

According to Airbnb:

In areas that Airbnb has made agreements with governments to collect and remit local taxes on behalf of hosts, applicable local taxes are calculated and collected from guests at the time of booking. No action is needed from the host. This doesn’t change which taxes are due, but automating the process makes tax collection easier for all parties involved.

If occupancy tax is being collected for your area, it appears as a line item on your listing’s public page. You can confirm if your jurisdiction is included by looking for occupancy tax details in Manage Listing > Location, underneath the Address section. If your jurisdiction is included, it will display there.

The Abundant Host has rounded up exactly where Airbnb is currently collecting and remitting taxes (as of the date of this post).

Here’s what we’ve got, straight from Airbnb:

Chicago, IL

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Chicago, IL will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Chicago Hotel Accommodation Tax: 4.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 29 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit CityofChicago.org.

District of Columbia

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in the District of Columbia will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

DC Sales Tax on Hotels (transient accommodations): 14.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 90 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit DC.gov.

India

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in the Country of India will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

India Service Tax: 14% of the listing price including any cleaning fee, less a 40% abatement. Airbnb is required, as an aggregator, to collect and remit service tax on behalf of Airbnb hosts.For detailed information, visit India’s government website.

Malibu, Calif.

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Malibu, CA will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Malibu Transient Occupancy Tax: 12% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit MalibuCity.org.

Multnomah County and Portland, Oregon

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in the State of Oregon, Multnomah County and/or the City of Portland will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Oregon Transient Lodging Tax: 1% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. 1% is the State imposed tax rate only. For detailed information, visit Oregon.gov.
Multnomah County Transient Lodging Tax: 11.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. 11.5% is the maximum Transient Lodging Tax for listings in Multnomah County (excluding the State level tax). For example, for Portland listings that are also located in Multnomah County, the Portland Transient Lodging Tax is 6% and the Multnomah County Transient Lodging Tax is 5.5%. For detailed information, visit PortlandOregon.gov.
Portland Transient Lodging Tax: 6% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter

North Carolina

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in the State of North Carolina will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

North Carolina Sales Tax: 6.75-7.5% of the listing price including any cleaning and guest fees for reservations less than 90 nights. The State imposes both a statewide 4.75% tax and a local 2-2.75% tax, which varies by county. For detailed information, visit North Carolina’s website.
City and/or County Occupancy Tax: All locally imposed occupancy taxes will be collected on reservations in North Carolina. The tax varies by city and county. It is typically 1-8% of the listing price including any cleaning and guest fees for reservations less than 90 nights.

Oakland, Calif.

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Oakland, CA will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Oakland Transient Occupancy Tax: 14% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit Oakland’s FAQ page.

Palo Alto, Calif.

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Palo Alto, CA will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Palo Alto Transient Occupancy Tax: 14% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit CityofPaloAlto.org.

Philadelphia

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Philadelphia, PA will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Philadelphia Hotel Room Rental Tax: 8.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. 8.5% is the tax rate imposed by the City and County of Philadelphia (the tax jurisdictions are one and the same). For detailed information, visit Phila.gov.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Phoenix, AZ will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Phoenix Hotel/Motel Tax: 3% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 29 nights and shorter.
Phoenix Transaction Privilege (Sales) Tax: 2% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for all reservations. For detailed information, visit Phoenix.gov.

Rhode Island

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in Rhode Island will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

Rhode Island Sales Tax: 7% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit RI.gov.
Rhode Island Local Hotel Tax: 1% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter.
Rhode Island Statewide Hotel Tax: 5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter on rentals of private rooms or shared rooms only. Rentals of an entire home or apartment are excluded from this tax.

San Diego

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in San Diego, CA will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

San Diego Transient Occupancy Tax: 10.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter.
San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment: 0.55% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit SanDiego.gov.

San Francisco

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in San Francisco, CA will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

San Francisco Transient Occupancy Tax: 14% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 29 nights and shorter. 14% is the tax rate imposed by the City and County of San Francisco (the tax jurisdictions are one and the same). For detailed information, visit SFtreasurer.org.

San Jose, Calif.

Guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in San Jose, CA will pay the following taxes as part of their reservation:

San Jose Transient Occupancy Tax: 10% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 30 nights and shorter. For detailed information, visit SanJoseCa.gov.

Now what?

If you decide to raise your prices to make up the difference, make sure you communicate with your guests in your listing description that taxes are the reason. We’ve got tons of posts to help you with guest communication and listing strategy, such as:

Enjoy browsing around, and I’ll talk to you soon!

The Evolution of the Mini-Fridge Comes to Airbnb: An In-Depth Interview with HonorTab’s Founder

If you’re a like-minded and aligned company, product or service and would like to sponsor The Abundant Host through a multitude of avenues including sidebar advertising, posts and more, head here!

When Luke Tillman-Young first contacted me, he sent me a story of a problem he had as an Airbnb guest, and how he built his company to solve it. And that’s what made me take notice of the awesome business he built to help Airbnb hosts.

It’s called HonorTab, and it brings the mini-fridge concept to Airbnb. No more heading out in the middle of the night for a snack—HonorTab lets you grab a snack right where you are and pay for it on your laptop or mobile device.

Luke is a genuine, fabulous guy, and I’m happy to have had the pleasure of interviewing him. Enjoy!

The Abundant Host: For people who don’t know about HonorTab, tell us how it works, and how it can help people who want to become Abundant Hosts.

Luke: HonorTab provides a platform for hosts to offer luxury amenities to their guests. Guests can open a tab at their Airbnb by entering a unique code provided to them by their host (we have stickers, labels and fridge magnets for that). At any point during their stay, or when they leave, guests can close out their tab and pay for items that they used around the rental such as snacks, toiletries, and other items listed on the tab.

How did you come up with this idea?

My wife and I stayed at an Airbnb in Santa Monica. After a trip (brief though ours was), we were hungry and thirsty and wanted to relax for a bit. The host had water bottles in the fridge, and we were grateful for those, but I found myself wishing there was something more substantial at hand.

We made a quick trip to the local Whole Foods and picked up some drinks and snacks for the weekend, but I just kept thinking about how nice it would have been to have stuff available in the apartment when we got there. I’d have been willing to pay at least a few dollars for a soda or a beer, had it been handy.

That got me thinking. As I’m a software developer, it quickly formed into a real idea for an honor-based mini-bar type system for Airbnbs. It could allow guests to have a stocked fridge or pantry available, prices set by the host, and an app or website to make it all clean and simple.

When we got back from our weekend away, I got to work, and I’ve spent the past almost-year developing HonorTab.

The entire process is designed to be so simple that I can show it to you in less than 15 seconds:

Awesome! Luke, what is the intention and deep personal mission of your company?

To make people’s vacations better. Americans don’t vacation nearly enough, so when we do decide to spend some money on ourselves, we shouldn’t have to deal with small distractions. When my wife and I vacation, we often end up having to take time away from our vacation to figure out how to get items that we left at home. Besides, like most people, the first thing we end up doing is going shopping for some basic necessities like snacks and drinks.

Personally, I like to have a couple of things available that I can snack on when I first arrive at a place, because more often than not, I’m tired from traveling and I may not be in the mood to go hunt for a nice restaurant just yet. Sometimes it’s nice to be lazy. And it seems counter-intuitive to go on a vacation to relax, but feel like you have to go out and stay busy the whole time. HonorTab literally puts the last B back in Airbnb, and stays true to their original mission.

What was it like starting your business, getting investment (if any), and working with Airbnb (if you do)?

HonorTab is fully funded out of my pocket at this point. HonorTab was an easy company to start because I didn’t have to go through the lengthy validation process that most other businesses have to go through. I started HonorTab because I was hungry at my Airbnb and there was no immediate way for the host to provide me with food without them losing money. I set out to solve that problem, and HonorTab was born.

Luke, are you yourself a host on Airbnb?

I am not an AirBnB host, but I am a very frequent Airbnb guest. It sounds counterintuitive but I really think that the best chance HonorTab has of surviving is to make sure guests don’t feel like they are getting nickel-and-dimed, and instead feel as though they are being offered amenities that they would expect to find in a fancy, expensive hotel. I’ve designed HonorTab to be guest-centric and to be so easy and intuitive that the process seems entirely natural. I do work very closely with a number of Airbnb hosts, to make sure they are having a good time, too.

How does HonorTab encourage embracing the community culture of Airbnb, of “being at home wherever you are”?

One of the few things that hotels get right is that you will never actually go hungry, or feel stressed about finding your way around. Most decent hotels have personal concierge service that will direct you towards the nearest vegan restaurant or call a taxi for you. Amenities like that make your vacation feel even more awesome. Just coming back from a day-trip to your hotel is like treating yourself to something wonderful.

HonorTab’s goal is to bridge that gap between the offerings of a 5-star luxury hotel and your typical Airbnb. Part of the allure of staying at an Airbnb is the uniqueness of each accommodation; no two places are the same. I think HonorTab is a great addition to that uniqueness because each HonorTab will be completely different and reflect the identity of the host, and hopefully have a positive impact on the guest.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for potential Airbnb hosts?

Take care of your guests and they’ll love you forever. One of the cool things about HonorTab is that you can generate coupon codes that you can then share with your guests. So for instance if you wanted to give your guest a $5 coupon to spend on some snacks from the HonorTab that would definitely go a long way. Remember, people are seldom mad when they are full.

Ha, very true! To you, what does it mean to be an Abundant Host?

The thing that stands out to me from each one of my great hosts has been their genuine kindness and concern for my well-being. At their cores, both Airbnb and HonorTab exist to make money, that is just the fundamental truth, but what makes a company great are its people. When you add an element of genuine care, something great happens. Airbnb has successfully fostered this through so many Abundant Hosts, and it’s that type of genuine goodness that I hope to bring to HonorTab.

Beautiful. Ok Luke, what’s the number one first thing people can do on your website to enhance their hosting experience?

The first thing I encourage HonorTab hosts to do is to request swag. Every new HonorTab host can request a free package that contains fridge magnets, tags and small stickers for individual items which can all be used to make it clear and easy for your guests to find your HonorTab and to identify the items in your home are available to purchase.

One other piece of advice for new hosts is this: Don’t make your HonorTab boring. One of the biggest challenges that I am currently facing with HonorTab is sparking the creativity of the hosts to use HonorTab to enhance the experiences of the guests. Guests can get cans of Coco-Cola and Doritos almost anywhere.

I completely agree. That’s awesome.

Consider including some higher-quality items as well, things they may not have seen before, or things that are unique to your area. Make your guests feel pampered and curious. And don’t forget that HonorTab can be used for more than just snacks. Put together a basket of frequently-forgotten bathroom items, or maybe services that you could offer as well.

Thanks so much for chatting! How can our readers find you?

HonorTab is our main site, and we also have a blog. And we’re on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Guest Perspective: Stocking Useless Kitchenware and Lame Art at Your Airbnb? Yes, Your Guests Notice

In addition to being a host, I travel often and am also frequently in the guest role. This post is part of my Guest Perspective Series. Enjoy the love, insight, snark, and fair warnings!

I’m staying at an Airbnb in Toronto for a conference. There are five of us total, and last night we wanted to host a dinner party for our newly married friends.

We were planning to prepare some stir-fried veggies, rice and a salad. Nothing huge.

And yet.

Instead of a single good chef’s knife, we found three tiny dull paring knives and two dull steak knives. After much hunting, we finally dug up a wok and then had to clean it, because it was grimy and dusty. And when we wanted to pour wine, well… read on.

My girl friend, while attempting to chop fibrous vegetables with a sad, sad paring knife, said: “You can use this as fodder for your site.”

Yes, I think I will. (more…)

How to Find Your Ideal Houseturnover Assistant (Sneak Peek Into My New Book!)

Hi everyone! I’ve been super happy writing this book for you on finding, hiring, training, managing and keeping your super awesome houseturnover assistant. (Update: I’ve now found the official title of the book!)

Your success, freedom and profitability through Airbnb is directly affected by the quality of work your turnover assistant does.

I’m doing a promotion in which the first 25 people who pre-order my book will get it for $8.99, I wanted to show you just a bit of what you’ll learn in the book, so you know what you’re getting.

Here are only 23 of the things you’ll learn in my new book:

Why you should not use the word “cleaner” as your main word in ads—and what to use instead!
Paid Services vs. Craigslist and looking for your own—the pros and cons, the best (and worst) ones out there
A sample ad that you can modify and use to find your awesome helper
Instead of looking for your helper, how to have your helper find YOU
The ideal demographic (age, job, etc) to look for in turnover assistants
The importance of vulnerability in your post and communication—how to access it and show it authentically
Specific phrases to use to make sure your place is treated with reverence
Pricing: Should you price by hour? By job? By results? Here’s how the experts do it!
How to communicate your Airbnb goals so your turnover assistant can understand and support you
Crafting houseturnover as a “high profile” job—beautifying for guests, creating an experience for your guests, and the language to use to prove you want your guests to have a meaningful experience
Setting expectations for responsiveness that you expect a message back within a few hours; and make sure to message immediately when getting a request (24 hours)
How to make a checklist template for your turnover assistant so he/she knows exactly what you expect
How to make sure you give them a tour of your house in a safe way (hint: they’ll also need to feel safe too!)
Documents you MUST have your cleaner sign!
How to do a test clean training (this one’s a big one)!
The questions your assistant should be asking after your training.
How to make your master guide for turnovers
Unique ideas for getting your assistant comfortable with how you want your guest experience your listing.
How to deal with cleaning products and other products (light bulbs, etc.)—do you buy them or your assistant?
How to handle additional tasks: emergency lock-out availability; getting new things for guests if something’s been forgotten or a light goes out, etc
Entrusting your assistant with other activities (getting your mail, checking on your locked-up bicycles, etc.)
The number one thing your assistant should send you while she’s in your house cleaning!
How to leave reviews for guests you never meet (and therefore you never know how they leave the place)—the #1 thing you should be having your assistant do so you can give accurate reviews!

This is only some of what’s included in my book on Finding, Hiring, Training, Managing and Keeping your ideal turnover assistant.

Our pre-orderers will receive the book on Oct. 2. All orders place after Sept. 30 will receive the book on Oct. 5.

(If you’re still wondering if the book is for you, check out my section on Who This Book is For and Not For in this post.) Thanks!