airbnb-etiquette-tips0316-1200x550px

Should I put my apartment on Airbnb this holiday?

Lifestyle
6 years ago
2 minutes

To Airbnb or not to Airbnb, that is the question. If you’re going away during the Christmas holiday and leaving behind your cherished apartment, listing it on Airbnb has probably crossed your mind. And so it should have – leaving a beautiful, well-furnished apartment empty for weeks on end is simply a waste.

It’s a real shame for a perfectly good apartment to go unused while holidaymakers sit in bland hotel rooms around the corner, attempting to conjure some Christmas spirit with the little inspiration they have. But more importantly, it’s a shame that they should be paying for a hotel room, when they could be paying you.

Earning a little extra income is definitely the biggest item in the ‘pros’ column when it comes to choosing whether or not renting out your apartment on Airbnb is for you. In fact, Airbnb  suggest on their website that you could potentially earn $3,376 a month for renting out a two bed place in Melbourne. This figure is just a guideline and the actual amount you make will depend on a number of things, including the size, location and attractiveness of your home.

So, what are the cons of Airbnbing (yes, it’s a verb now) your place? Well, the idea of your esteemed guests (completely random people) going through your personal belongings, or worse, breaking them, springs to mind. But Airbnb has an excellent insurance policy so if you’re worried about damage to your belongings or even your property itself, you needn’t be.

The company’s ‘Host Guarantee’ provides up to AUD $1,000,000 of coverage in case property damage occurs, and the ‘Host Protection Insurance’ provides liability coverage for up to AUD $1,000,000 for every listing. And should anything happen, there’s 24/7 host support available.

If you have valuables or private belongings that you’d really rather no one saw or touched, you could always lock away in a room in the apartment. Or you could pack up a box or two and put them fully out of reach at a self storage facility like Wilson Storage, offering you absolute peace of mind.

If you can bear the idea of strangers making themselves at home in your apartment this Christmas, creating an Airbnb listing is a good way to make some extra cash for doing not very much at all.

Read our article about Airbnb’s very own apartment development.

Image: travelandleisure.com