EP142: This Week in the World of Airbnb - a podcast by Jasper Ribbers

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 Covered
Article #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 platform
Article #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 rider
Article #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 demand
Article #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 turnover

Resources Mentioned
Smartbnb
Article #1: tnooz.com/article/instant-booking-big-metric-airbnb-vacation-rentals
Humanless Host Video
Article #2: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/airbnb-update-1.4049429
CBIZ Insurance
Comet Insurance
Proper Insurance
Propel Insurance
Article #3: vegasinc.com/business/2017/apr/03/airbnbs-growth-soars-senior-women-are-fastest-risi
Article #4: barrons.com/articles/airbnb-might-not-be-so-disruptive-after-all-1490993239
Jasper’s Airbnb Listing Quiz
HSDC Trade Fair (Bay Area)
Host2Host Conference (Portland)

Connect with Jasper
Email: jasper@getpaidforyourpad.com
Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad
Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad
Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad

This episode is sponsored by Aviva IQ. Aviva IQ automates messages to your Airbnb guests. It's also free!

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