EP142: This Week in the World of Airbnb

As the trend toward instant bookings continues, the Airbnb platform becomes more user-friendly for guests. But what does that mean for you as a host? The policies around cancellations can be confusing, and hosts who prefer the strict cancellation policy operate under a different set of rules.Hostfully President David Jacoby joins Jasper this week to cover the pros and cons of using Instant Book as Airbnb steers its hosts toward that option. They also chat about the recent incidence of theft in Toronto and Airbnb’s response, as well as the latest news about Airbnb’s growth – which may not be as disruptive as people think!Listen and learn about upcoming home-sharing trade shows and conferences on the west coast and the different types of insurance policies you may want to consider – if you are using platforms other than Airbnb. And if you didn’t catch Airbnb’s April Fool’s joke, David and Jasper will hook you up.Topics CoveredArticle #1: Instant Booking Becomes the Big Metric for Airbnb and Vacation Rentals•Airbnb instant booking availability has grown from 460,000 in the first quarter of 2016 to nearly 1M today•Hosts who use Instant Book may cancel penalty-free three times•All Booking.com listings are instantly bookable•New Airbnb system currently being tested in Italy•Service fees higher for hosts using strict cancellation policy•Instant Book seeks to decrease discrimination on the platformArticle #2: Airbnb Fully Reimburses Man Who Had $21K Worth of Items Stolen by Guests•An iPad and two iPhones were among the stolen items•Airbnb does have insurance, but other platforms do not•Select policies carefully, considering both liability and coverage for contents/damages•Deliberate between replacing your current policy or adding a riderArticle #3: Airbnb’s Growth Soars: Senior Women are Fastest-Rising Demographic of Home-Sharing Hosts•151% growth in Nevada•Despite growth, hospitality industry doing well•Affordability of Airbnb creates additional travel demandArticle #4: Airbnb Might Not Be So Disruptive After All•HomeAway is keeping up•Many hosts list on multiple platforms•Allowing short-term rentals can benefit landlords•Hosts willing to pay extra•Property well-maintained•Less turnoverResources MentionedSmartbnbArticle #1: tnooz.com/article/instant-booking-big-metric-airbnb-vacation-rentalsHumanless Host VideoArticle #2: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/airbnb-update-1.4049429CBIZ InsuranceComet InsuranceProper InsurancePropel InsuranceArticle #3: vegasinc.com/business/2017/apr/03/airbnbs-growth-soars-senior-women-are-fastest-risiArticle #4: barrons.com/articles/airbnb-might-not-be-so-disruptive-after-all-1490993239Jasper’s Airbnb Listing QuizHSDC Trade Fair (Bay Area)Host2Host Conference (Portland)Connect with JasperEmail: [email protected]: @GetPaidForUrPadInstagram: @GetPaidForYourPad Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpadThis episode is sponsored by Aviva IQ. Aviva IQ automates messages to your Airbnb guests. It's also free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.