Help Centre

Airbnb: Introduction and FAQ

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Launched in San Francisco in 2008 after its founders rented out an airbed in their spare room, Airbnb now has more than two million listings across 190 countries. The number of guests booking on Airbnb has risen from 21,000 in 2009 and was more than 40 million by 2015. It’s a good time to list on Airbnb because the word from them is that traveller demand presently outstrips accommodation supply.

We have a fantastic two-way integration and full booking integration with Airbnb, enabling SuperControllers to manage their Airbnb listings directly from their SuperControl account.

Our connection with Airbnb means you can:

  • Sync your existing listings with rates and availability only, or create new, full content Airbnb listings using your SuperControl data.
  • Accept live online bookings. Nb. This integration enables Instant Book on AirBnB only.
  • Get your properties directly in front of the 100 million+ guests who book with Airbnb worldwide.

It’s free to list your properties on Airbnb. Depending on how strict your cancellation policy is, Airbnb takes a percentage fee from (+ VAT) of each booking.

FAQs:

What is Instant Book on Airbnb?

When SuperControl is integrated with Airbnb, bookings made on Airbnb are managed on a setting called Instant Book.  With Instant Book, guests confirm their reservation right away without approval from the host/owner. On SuperControl bookings are provisional until you confirm with the guest, but on Airbnb the booking is confirmed and payment is made when the guest makes a booking. Look for the button on your Airbnb listing that says "Instant Book". 

 

Benefits of Instant Book:

  • You do not need to respond to each request.
  • Guests can plan their trip and make a booking instantly.
  • Using Instant Book can positively affect your response rate and so works towards improving your search results placement. 
  • To obtain Superhost status on Airbnb you need a 90% response rate. Instant Book can help you reach that status.

Even if your property is normally set as 'Enquiry Only' on SuperControl, using the full integration with SuperControl and Airbnb will make it Instantly Bookable through Airbnb.

How do I connect multiple Airbnb accounts to my SuperControl?

1. Go to Integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb.

2. Click the link here:

3. Log in to Airbnb using your second account details.

4. When multiple accounts are connected the below will show to make the user aware of where new listings will be created:

5. Click on "Manage Accounts" to set-up an alias if you wish to rename the Airbnb account so it is easier for you to choose what account should be assigned to what property:

6. When multiple accounts are connected, the listing will show which account it is connected to (the highlighted text will either be the user ID or the alias.):

Label your merged Airbnb account with an alias

If you have listed multiple Airbnb accounts in SuperControl you may wish to enter an alias name so you can easily see what properties are synced to what account/alias.

1. Go to Integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb.

2. Click on Manage accounts:

3. Enter you "alias" name. This can be your Airbnb login email for your different accounts.

4. Click Close.

What is included in the Airbnb integration?

Please consult our Channel Manager Overview for a list of all features in this integration here.

What cancellation policy should I choose?

Flexible

  • Guests can cancel until 24 hours before check-in for a full refund, and you won’t be paid
  • If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid for each night they stay, plus 1 additional night

Moderate

  • Guests can cancel until 5 days before check-in for a full refund, and you won’t be paid
  • If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid for each night they stay, plus 1 additional night, plus 50% for all unspent nights

Strict 14 with grace period

  • To receive a full refund, guests must cancel within 48 hours of booking, and the cancellation must occur at least 14 days before check-in
  • If they cancel between 7 and 14 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights
  • If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights

Super Strict 30

  • Guests must cancel at least 30 days before check-in to receive a 50% refund for all nights
  • If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights

Super Strict 60

  • Guests must cancel at least 60 days before check-in to receive a 50% refund for all nights
  • If they cancel after that, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights

Firm

  • To receive a full refund, guests must cancel at least 30 days before check-in
  • If they cancel between 7 and 30 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 50% for all nights
  • If they cancel less than 7 days before check-in, you’ll be paid 100% for all nights
  • Guests can also receive a full refund if they cancel within 48 hours of booking, if the cancellation occurs at least 14 days before check-in

Benefit from this  cancellation policy: Hosts have seen an uplift in conversation of an avg 20% Vs normal strict or superstrict if booking were made with longer lead time (30 days +) 


How to view or change your cancellation policy

If you don’t know which cancellation policy applies to your listing or you want to change it:

  1. Log in to your Airbnb account. 
  2. Go to Your listings and select a listing
  3. Click Booking settings
  4. Next to Policies, click Edit
  5. Under Cancellation policy, select a policy, then click Save

Alternatively, if your listing content is already synced with SuperControl you need to do this from within SuperControl.

1. In SuperControl go to Properties>Edit>Airbnb data> Go.

2. Under the Booking settings tab select your cancellation policy from the dropdown and click Save.


Note: Changes to your cancellation policy will only be applied to future reservations, and won't affect any pending or confirmed reservations

The image below demonstrates, for example, the timeline for the Moderate policy:

Airbnb business verification for Super Strict cancellation policy

If you are using this cancellation policy, please follow the links below to get your account verified

This is a compulsory step Airbnb has put in place and it is important to verify your account as soon as possible.

** You must log into your Airbnb account - this process cannot be completed within SuperControl.** 

Nb: We strongly recommend that either the legal representative or business owner listed in the Business Account Verification flow verifies the Airbnb account.

How do I complete these two verification steps?

You’ll be able to select a Super Strict cancellation policy after you complete two verification steps related to your Airbnb account:

1. To verify your business account, follow these instructions (log into your Airbnb account to view): https://www.airbnb.com/hosting?bavi=1

2.To verify your identity as a representative of a business, follow these instructions: https://www.airbnb.com/account-verification. When you have logged into Airbnb you will see this screen: 

Q. When I try to complete the Business Verification Process, I get a request to enter my Registration number, but I am a small business owner and do not have a Registration number. I can't proceed without entering something in this field. What should I do?

A: If you are a small business owner without a Registration number, you can still complete this process and access our Super Strict policies by taking the following steps:

  • On the page that requests a Registration number, click "Back."
  • From the resulting page, select the "No, that doesn't sound like me" option.
  • Follow the flow to verify your identity.

Q. I never had to go through this process before in order to select Super Strict cancellation policies. Why do I have to do this now?

A. For safety and security purposes, Airbnb is asking all our software connected hosts to take additional verification steps for Airbnb accounts at this time. This is an essential process to help ensure that Airbnb can securely partner with your sotware provider. Nb:  We strongly recommend that either the legal representative or business owner listed in the Business Account Verification flow verifies the Airbnb account.

Q. Will I have to do this every time I want to select the Super Strict cancellation policy for a new listing moving forward?

A. No, you only need to complete this type of account verification once. After you have successfully verified your account, you can select the Super Strict cancellation policies within your software program for any listings that you send to Airbnb.

Q. I’ve already verified my identity with Airbnb. Why do I have to do this again?

A. We’re asking software connected hosts to take additional steps to securely verify their identities on Airbnb. This is to help ensure that only legitimate businesses can access our Super Strict cancellation policies.

Q. Can’t you just bypass this requirement for me?

A. We [Airbnb] are happy to walk you through the step-by-step verification process, so that you understand it and can ask questions along the way. However, our team cannot override this requirement, which has been implemented within the highest level of our Trust and Safety workflow.

Q. I don’t want to share this type of information with Airbnb. Can I still create new listings and continue hosting?

A. Absolutely. You are welcome to create new listings and to continue to host, but any new listings will only be eligible for one of our more traditional cancellation policies (flexible, moderate, or strict).

Q. When I click the Business Account Verification link from the email I was sent, it just takes me to my Airbnb dashboard. Is there anything else I need to do?

A. If you’ve already completed the process of Business Account Verification, or if you have started but not completed the process, you may not see the intended automated pop-up when you click the link contained in the email.

Once you’re directed to your Airbnb dashboard via the link, you may see a banner with a pink button that says, “add business account.” Clicking that button should allow you to initiate the process of verifying your business account. If you don’t see the “add business account” link, another way to check your business account verification status is to navigate to the following page: Airbnb Homepage → Profile circle in upper right-hand corner → Account → Settings.

Under “Company Account” you’ll see a detailed form to fill out. If it’s already complete, it’s likely you’ve already submitted the form - but you’re welcome to submit again just in case. If the form has been partially filled out, please complete and submit it.

How do I allocate amenities to Airbnb?

You need to allocate at least five amenities for each property in order for the listing to work. When you first see the list of amenities, the list will all show as none available like this:

In order to show them with green ticks to show that they are available, follow these steps:

Step 1 - To add all amenities into SuperControl click "add them now":

This will now populate all of these amenities into SuperControl.

Step 2 - Once completed you need to tick what amenities are associated with the property. Please note, these are labelled as "amenities" in SuperControl.

At the top of the page on the grey menu bar select "Search variables"

Under the heading "Airbnb" tick the amenities that apply to this property:

NB. You will need at least 5 amenities for the listing to validate.

Then Save at the bottom of the page.

Step 3 - Navigate back to your Airbnb listing page by going to Integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb - click the property reference number; then go to the Amenities tab.

You will now see the relevant amenities are ticked:

What are Airbnb Accessibility Amenities?

Airbnb has recognised it wasn't effectively designed for people with disabilities. In humbling conversations with travellers with disabilities and advocacy groups, they listened to stories, gained perspective, and learned how to do better.  Airbnb quickly learned that their previous solution — a single “wheelchair accessible” option to filter for accessible homes — failed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Guests weren’t getting the information they needed to find the right homes, nor the confidence that the home they selected would actually be accessible for them.

To help address this problem, Airbnb has been working on a new “accessibility needs” feature. In collaboration with their community, they've identified a set of features that can make a home a better fit for people with disabilities. These features include step-free entry to rooms, entryways that are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair, and more.

We now have these listed in SuperControl allowing you to enable the accessibility amenities that apply to your properties:

1. Add the amenities that apply to your properties by going to Properties > Amenities > Add/edit amenities.

2. Once added go back to Properties > Amenities > Add/edit amenities. Click "Map Airbnb" next to each amenity and map accordingly:

3. Click Save.

4. Now go to Properties > Edit > select property > Amenities > Go.

5. Tick the variables that are relevant for your chosen property and click Save.

How do I add photos to my Airbnb listing?

When you first start your set-up for the Airbnb integration you may not have any photos added to your property in SuperControl.  

Step 1 - To upload photos go to Properties > Edit > select "Photos" next to your selected property and Go:

Step 2 Click Upload photos.
In the pop-up window either use the Add Files button to browse to the folder with the photos to be uploaded. Or drag the image onto empty space.

Step 3 - Navigate back to your Airbnb listing page by going to Integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb and click the property reference number to take you back to your listing set-up page:

Step 4 - Click on the properties you wish to enable for Airbnb and Save.

What is the Airbnb 'Booking' Settings Tab?

Within your Airbnb data page (Properties > Edit > Airbnb data > Go), you have a button called "Booking settings". In here you can specify the following:

  • Guest requirements
  • Pre-booking message
  • House rules
  • Details about your home
How do I de-activate a property from Airbnb?

Go to Integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb.
Here you can use the toggle slider to turn the connection on and/or off as required.

The property in the screenshot below is connected and the integration is active.

The listing needed to be temporarily taken off Airbnb.
The connection is still there and can be re-activated at any point, but right now the property is no longer forwarding any data to Airbnb. The property will be snoozed (not being visible to guests) on Airbnb.

How do I take a guest payment on a booking from Airbnb?

1. When a guest places a booking on Airbnb, the card details and payment are processed directly through Airbnb.

2. Depending on your chosen cancellation policy, Airbnb will pay you the funds near the guests’ arrival date. For more exact information on when you will be paid, you should contact Airbnb.

3. The amount you will be paid by Airbnb is the rental price minus the commission that Airbnb takes.

How can I uplift my prices on Airbnb?

You can add an uplift to all new listings by going to integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb then click on the Settings button:

Select your uplift in the Uplift field of the Rates section (this will save automatically when edited):

**IMPORTANT** Adding an uplift here will NOT apply to existing listings – this will only affect any new listings you create.

To add an uplift to existing listings, the following steps must be completed on a property by property basis.

Step 1 – Go to Properties > Edit > Web details (for the relevant property) > Airbnb data > click on the Rates box.

You can then add your uplift for the listing in the Uplift field and click Save at the bottom right of the page to update:

How do I correspond with guests who booked on Airbnb?

You can now schedule emails to be sent to a guest directly from SuperControl into their Airbnb login! Emails such as Welcome messages or arrival instructions etc. When they reply it will directly feed back into SuperControl - keeping all correspondence in one place.

If an Airbnb guest requires an ad hoc reply you should respond directly from Airbnb. This is because you can only schedule automated emails to the Airbnb messaging service in SuperControl.


See more information here.

Why are my properties not displaying in searches on Airbnb?

The reason they may not appear online is because you still haven't published them from your Airbnb account.

To publish them you need to log into your Airbnb account and select each property you wish to publish on the below link.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/sync

How do we collect security deposit on an Airbnb booking?

The security deposit never really gets "taken" with Airbnb. It's just a value that is set aside to be able to be claimed against via the Resolution Centre in Airbnb should you need to.

What is the Airbnb 'Default Price'?

If a guest does a non-dated search on Airbnb, you can now specify the base price that you would like to display. Within your Airbnb data page (Properties > Edit > Airbnb data > Go) click on Rates.

If left at 0, then we will use your lowest price for one night.

What is the Airbnb 'Send Availability' setting?

You can set an individual minimum / maximum number of days for Airbnb bookings, which are differing from the other channels and/or website bookings.
This can be set up individually for each property.

To set an individual days range, go to Properties > Edit > Web details >> Airbnb data to the right of the property > Availability tab.

You can choose to have a different minimum stay on Airbnb than to other channels or your website.

Example:
- the property has a minimum of 2 nights set up in the price planner
- you would prefer to have guests stay a minimum of 4 nights, when they book via Airbnb

Using this option provides opportunity to do so.

Please note:
As per the tool tip (click onto the small i in a circle to the left of the option), the minimum number of nights selected here cannot be lower than what has been set up in the price planner. It can only be either the same amount of days or more.

How to I block dates on Airbnb

You can block dates just on Airbnb and leave them open for direct bookings or other channels.

Go to Properties > Edit > Web details >> Airbnb data to the right of the property > Availability tab

At the bottom of this tab there is a button labeled "Block dates".

If you have already blocked dates there will be a note to indicate how many.

Click on the button to open a calendar popup.  To block or unblock dates just click on the days.  Red days are blocked and white are available.

Is there an easy way to filter my Airbnb listing searches in SuperControl?

If you have 6 or more properties, you will see additional filters in the channel manager under Integrations > Channel Manager > International > Airbnb to find a specific property or group of properties.

You can filter for individual properties using the Property Name, Property Code and Listing ID fields (framed in red).

The Status, lets you filter your properties by Enabled and Disabled

If you are listing your properties with more than just one Airbnb account, there is the option to filter the properties connected to the individual Airbnb accounts.

The last option lets you filter by integration Stage.
This can be handy when connecting a larger number of properties.

The option Publish listing will give a list of all connected properties. Regardless, if they are live, or if they have been disabled.

If I make a change to my listing (content feed only) or pricing, how long will it take to feed through to Airbnb?

Airbnb has made changes to the connection which allow all changes now to be forwarded from SuperControl to Airbnb straight away.

How do I change my sync level for Airbnb connections?

1. Go to Integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb.

2. Click onto the small cog for the Listing management.

3. Click the option Update sync.

4. Change the current integration to the desired one and click Save

Please note:
The Save button only becomes available, when a change has actually been made

How do I achieve SuperHost Status?

Superhost status can be achieved every quarter based on criteria over the past 12 months. Host must achieve a minimum 4.8 average rating on all properties, 90% response rate, less than 1% cancellations by host and a minimum of 10 stays over this period. Until the end of 2021, given the exceptional circumstances only the minimum 4.8 rating and 90% response rate are required to achieve Superhost Status

 

How do I charge for pets?

Airbnb have introduced the ability for you to charge pet fees to your bookings.

Airbnb have certain limitations around Pet fees that come from SuperControl. These are as follows: 

  • If your listing is set to Pets allowed, Airbnb will always allow 0-5 pets to be selected when the guest is making a booking. If you only allow a certain number of pets, or a specific type of pet i.e. only 1 small dog, then Airbnb recommend adding this in text to your listing description.
  • Pets fees are charged per stay and not per number of pets selected. 

To set up an Airbnb pet fee in SuperControl follow these steps:

1. Go to Integrations> Channel Manager> International> Airbnb. Click the property reference of the property you want to add a fee to.

Full content integration
Rates and Availability only integration

As your content is being controlled in Airbnb you must make sure you have set Pets allowed in Airbnb before sending a pet fee from SuperControl otherwise it will not work.

If your listings are Rates & Availability only, go to the Rates tab and under select "Pets Allowed"

3. You can now either choose to enter a new custom value for your pet fee, or you can assign a booking extra you have already  set up in SuperControl under Properties > Booking extras.

In this example there is already a booking extras set-up, called "Dog".

If entering a custom value just type the amount in:

Remember to click save!

This will update Airbnb almost instantly so you can go and take a look on your listing.

Please note that the Pet fee is not itemised separately in the price shown to the guest by Airbnb. It's included in the overall price.

You can check your pet fee by going to the listing of your property on Airbnb.
First choose a number of guests and no pets, take note of the price, then go back to add a pet and see how the price has been changed.

2. If your listings are full content from SuperControl, go to the Booking settings tab and under House Rules select "Pets Allowed".

Full content users will also see the saved pet fee is shown under the "Rates" tab as well so that all of your fee related items on Airbnb are shown in one place, which you can edit from here, too, if you so wish.

How do I set-up Multilingual descriptions?

If you only have your description written in English and a guest was viewing your listing from a different country, Google Translate will automatically translate all text.
This could mean the description may actually not be word for word how you may want it to be read in their language. You can add your descriptions in as many different languages as required though.
Select the language from the drop down and add the description. When the guest in that specific country is viewing it, they will see your version over the translated one.

1. Go to Properties > Edit > Web details >> Aribnb data to the right of the property > Go > select the Description tab.
By default, English is selected as the description language.

2. Select the language you want to add the description for.

Please note:
All languages that don't contain a description are showing in light grey. Whereas the ones for which a description has been added, shows in black.

3. Add the description and click Save.

I wish to turn off instant book, how do I do this?

The Integration with SuperControl and Airbnb is Instant Book, and it cannot be switched off.

If you want to avoid getting bookings at certain dates, the best way would be to close availability in the Airbnb channel manager in SuperControl, which will feed through to Airbnb and make the dates unavailable

I have a listing that has not been getting any bookings for a while what do I do?

We would advise to remove the listing, follow the optomising guide and re-add your listing.

Why are my prices different on the Airbnb Host Calendar?

The calendar in your Airbnb login will not show the prices you have set up in your SuperControl price planner.
Once the connection between SuperControl and Airbnb has been established, the internal Airbnb calendar plays no role in what price is being shown to the guests on the Airbnb website when they are looking at your property.
If you want to check, if the guest is seeing the correct prices, you can go to Integrations > Channel manager > International > Airbnb and click this icon. It will forward you directly to your listing on Airbnb.

Is there a difference between an 'Agency' listing and an 'Owner' Listing?

After consideration Airbnb has decided to not make a distinction between Agency and Owner Listings, especially in search results.

There is no advantage to listing as an agency, and there are still many long time Airbnb users who prefer to use private hosts rather than professionals organisations.

You will need to make it clear to the guest that your listing is an owner listing by adding this information in the profile description.

How do I enable a live lookup from Airbnb to eliminate a caching delay for availability updates?

When you cancel a booking for example, there is a 15 minute delay whilst the data is cached and sent to Airbnb.

To eliminate this delay entirely you just need to click the button below on the main AirBnB integration page in SC (the same place as you turn on messaging for an account):




Once there you want to click the 'Authorise' button in the 'Booking Webhooks' column:


 

Note: You need to make sure that you're logged out in Airbnb or logged into the right account as it follows the same process as first connecting.  You will click authorise and then will need to grant access in Airbnb which will then redirect back to SuperControl.

How do I add a discount?

It is possible to forward discounts that have been set up for your properties in SuperControl to Airbnb.
For more information about how to set up discounts, please see this help centre article.

1. Go to Properties > Edit > Web details  -> Airbnb data to the right of the property > Go Se;ect the Rates tab.
2. Tick the box after Send discounts.

How to Optimise your Listing on Airbnb

Within your Airbnb data page (Properties > Edit > Airbnb data > Go), you will find a button called "Booking settings". These settings allow you to specify the following:

  • Guest requirements
  • Pre-booking message
  • House rules
  • Details about your home

These settings are useful during the booking process to help ensure the guest's expectations of your property match the property in reality, and make sure guests are clear about your house rules.

1. Be specific

Make your listing content as comprehensive as possible. Owner listings typically out-perform those added by agencies because of attention to detail. Tick every amenity that applies to your holiday rental, don’t miss anything out. If there is a box you can tick, make sure you do. It’s worth setting a reminder to check your settings regularly to see if Airbnb has added any new ones since you initially set your property up.

2. List all of your properties

The major players know how many properties you have in your portfolio, and owners and companies that add them all to their channel rank higher.

3. Add your prices way in advance

Make sure you add your prices at least 12-18 months in advance. Don’t get too hung up about what you should be charging, the further ahead you set your prices, the more flexible you can be. Set them high to start with, then adjust them as those dates get closer.  The worst that could happen is that someone books and pays a premium price.

4. Don’t cancel!

Canceling bookings has a detrimental affect on your listings. Aim to have a cancellation rate that is lower than 10% to help your holiday rentals’ performance on Airbnb. In an ideal world it would be 0%.

5. Ask guests to review their stay

As well as building trust and providing proof, the number of reviews your holiday rental has affects where it appears in searches. Use auto emails in your SuperControl account to send guests review requests on departure.

Give these a go and you will see results. Remember, advertising on Airbnb gets your self-catering properties seen by a much wider audience. Once you have secured bookings via the channel you can build relationships with the guests, and stay in touch to encourage them to return – booking direct with you next time.

Reviving listings

Breathe New Life into Your Airbnb Listings with SuperControl

Maintaining consistent visibility on Airbnb can sometimes prove challenging. This is especially true for listings that, for one reason or another, begin to underperform. Recognising this hurdle faced by many property owners and managers, SuperControl has taken a proactive step forward.

Introducing Airbnb listing revival

Our dedicated behind the scenes tool, specifically designed for such listings, offers a straightforward yet effective approach. By strategically deleting and then recreating these listings, we can significantly enhance their search ranking and overall visibility on Airbnb. This method helps refresh the listing's presence, ensuring it doesn't get lost in the crowd.

Hands-off, Worry-free Process

One of the prime advantages of the Airbnb listing revival? It's entirely hands-off for you. Our team will oversee the entire process. This process happens automatically, meaning we’ll delete then reinstate listings that are underperforming. So, not only do you get an optimised listing on Airbnb, but you don’t need to worry about having to manage this process yourself.

Please note: Your listings will only qualify for revival IF:

  •  Your listing content in SuperControl is up to date with Airbnb's recent content updates and minimum content requirements.
  • You haven't received a booking on your Airbnb listing before and its been 180 days