It is possible to host your personal home on Airbnb during your next vacation or out of town assignment. In fact, this is one of the easiest ways to gain experience with STRs if you want to test the waters but aren’t sure about taking the plunge. I also recommend this practice to co-host and management wannabes and you can read more about it here.

Lock a Space

It’s important to designate a large closet or small room in your home and add a lock. There you can store valuables, and just general "clutter" personal to your family that doesn't add value to your listing photos or the guest experience.

Consider BNB Specific Decor

If you plan to host your home frequently or for extended periods of time, consider using an alternate set of couch pillows, throws, or staging items, and lock yours away. In some cases, your family is more likely to ruin the nice new couch pillows and staging decor you purchased for photos than a guest would be! If you feel some staging items in your home need freshening up for photos and hosting, pack them away when you return to keep them in pristine condition between guests.

Depersonalize and Declutter

While you may not need to remove all of your family photos, I recommend stacking and packing as many personal items as you can in your locked space. This is a great time to do that decluttering you’ve always dreamed of! Consider this your opportunity to declutter! Nothing bums me out like new listing photos filled with clutter. This is your chance to be free! Clean up and declutter. 

Plan Ahead

I list my personal home on Airbnb because I travel so frequently. But truth be told, I don’t open dates for booking every time I travel. It takes quite a bit of planning to exit a lived-in home. Make sure you plan in advance and set aside the needed time to prep the house before your trip.

Clean in Advance

I choose to hire a professional cleaner to clean my home after I’ve left for my trip, and BEFORE my guests arrive. Because most Airbnb guests are graciously clean and conscientious, I’m confident I can handle the laundry and cleaning upon my return. It’s much more helpful for me to hire a cleaner BEFORE the guests arrive. Rushing to meticulously clean your personal home while preparing for a big trip is not always feasible so I recommend making the investment in cleaning on the front end. 

Set Expectations

However you choose to prep your home for guests, it’s important to communicate openly about what they should expect. Let guests know this is your personal home. Is there food in the pantry? Let guests know in advance so they don’t assume it was overlooked. Leaving condiments in the fridge? Let them know. Setting expectations and ensuring guests aren’t surprised goes a long way.