The mistakes of the first year: what hosts would do differently in hindsight

Where these points come from

The points that follow come from first-hand accounts in the Airbnb host community and from compilations of what hosts would do differently in hindsight. They are other people’s observations, not our own figures — we mark that, because the difference matters.

What stands out is how little of it has to do with money. Most retrospectives name not «costed it too low» but questions of drawing boundaries and of communication.

Mistake one: setting no boundaries

The point that appears most often and most clearly in first-hand accounts: letting a guest pressure you. One host describes his greatest beginner’s mistake as letting a guest bully him. Another puts the lesson more briefly: a guest’s problem does not have to become your problem.

Behind it lies an understandable confusion. Good hosting means being reliable — not giving in to every demand. A guest who asks for a refund after departure because they did not like the neighbourhood has no entitlement to one. Anyone giving in to avoid a poor review will get both: the refund and the review.

In practice: decide before the first booking where the line runs — on refunds, on late departures, on extra guests. Anyone deciding case by case is deciding under pressure.

Mistake two: house rules too late or too vague

When guests disregard house rules — smoking indoors, moving furniture — it costs time and money for repair or replacement. Experienced hosts stress: rules on noise, gatherings and parking belong communicated before arrival and on arrival, not first in a dispute.

The second part of the mistake is the wording. «Please be considerate» is not a rule but a wish — and unenforceable in a dispute. «No events, no additional guests, quiet between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.» is a rule.

A practical point that is often missing: rules visible before booking work differently from rules in the arrival message. Anyone learning only after booking that pets are not allowed cancels — and a guest cancellation is better than a host cancellation, but worse than one that was never needed.

Mistake three: not managing expectations

Experienced hosts name it as the core point: set expectations early, because every flat is different — unlike a hotel chain, where a standard can be expected. One example cited consistently: if guests have to climb stairs, that belongs before arrival, so that there is no unpleasant surprise.

This is the mistake almost everyone makes, and it works insidiously: a listing that shows the flat at its best and leaves out the drawbacks raises the views and lowers the rating. The sub-category «accuracy of the listing» counts for Guest Favourites — and it measures exactly that gap.

What helps: naming expressly the two or three things that might bother guests. Fourth floor without a lift. Street noise with the window open. No parking space. Anyone who reads that and books anyway does not then complain about it.

Mistake four: not preparing the flat for guests

Experienced hosts recommend preparing for mess rather than lamenting it: stain-resistant textiles, protective treatment, removable covers, more waste bins than you need yourself.

The thinking behind it is sober: anyone letting a flat to changing people will have stains. The question is not how to prevent them but how to deal with them in twenty minutes. A pale fabric cover without a removable outer layer is a decision you pay for on every booking.

Also mentioned: a doorbell with a camera, which has helped on several occasions. With condominium ownership that is a question for the association and for data protection — recording communal areas is not automatically permissible. It differs from property to property and has to be settled with the managing agent.

Mistake five: setting the cleaning fee wrongly

Here one figure is worth having, and it surprises: 45 per cent of active listings worldwide charge no cleaning fee, and Airbnb expressly recommends that hosts keep it low or dispense with it entirely.

One host describes the change concretely: starting at USD 89 a night plus a USD 40 cleaning fee, later switching to a single nightly rate of USD 129 to 139 with no separate fee. A side effect is also reported: guests leave the flat cleaner when no cleaning fee is charged.

The mechanism is plausible. A high cleaning fee weighs disproportionately on short stays — over two nights it amounts to half a nightly rate and worsens the conversion rate. And it creates an expectation: anyone paying expects a service and measures more closely.

Conversely: with properties that have high cleaning costs and long stays, a separate fee can make sense. It is a calculation, not a rule.