6 Tips to Find the Best Airbnb

As vacation season is right around the corner, it’s time to start looking for accommodation. There are many options that you can choose from, which makes this a bit more difficult.

If you want a hotel room in Orange County, California, see more info here. If hotels aren’t really your thing, we suggest that you use Airbnb, where you can find great and affordable accommodation.

To help you find exactly what you’re looking for, we’ve prepared a list of 6 tips for how to find the best Airbnb.

1.    Create a Checklist and Match It to The Filters.

Figuring out what you need is always the first step, but also the most important one.

Do you want to have the entire place to yourself, or you’re okay with staying in a shared home? How many people are coming along? Is one bedroom enough? Do you want some outdoor space? Do you need a kitchen or a kitchenette will do?

Once you have a checklist, it’s time to use the search filters, as this will save you lots of time. The most important ones to set are the location, the dates (if you know the exact ones), the number of guests, and the type of place (entire place, private room, or shared room).

You can also set a price range, the number of bedrooms, the amenities you’d like to have, the languages your host must speak, and whether you want the accommodation to be pet-friendly.

2.    Pictures Aren’t Always an Accurate Representation.

When you go to Airbnb, you’ll notice that some accommodations have professional-looking photos, while others don’t. Some hosts can afford to have a professional photographer take pictures. But don’t let any of this fool you – photos aren’t always reliable and can mislead you in both directions.

Just because someone has ordinary photos doesn’t mean the accommodation is bad. On the other hand, professional photographers know how to bring out the best in a place, which can also mislead you.

For that reason, it’s best to look at the reviews and see what other people say about the place. Always be open-minded about these things.

3.    Read the Reviews.

This tip is probably the most important one, as reading the reviews will give you a much better idea of what the host and the accommodation are like.

As we’ve already said, the photos can sometimes mislead you, which is when reviews come in handy. But there are also other things you should pay attention to, such as the hospitality and communication with the owners, the cleanliness of the place, and its location.

However, don’t forget that not everyone has the same standards. If just one person complained about the cleanliness of the place while others were satisfied, the place is likely to be completely fine. But, if there are tens or hundreds of people saying the same thing, they might be right.

4.    Check the House Rules.

If you scroll down the listing page, you’ll notice there’s a section called “Things to know.” This section outlines what kind of behavior is allowed in the accommodation.

For instance, house rules state whether you’re expected to wash your own dishes or take out the trash, or if you’re allowed to do photoshoots in the apartment.

No pet policy, check-in hours, no parties, and no smoking are also very important to read as you don’t want to miss something important and then not be able to check in.

Don’t forget to click on the “Show more” button below the listed rules, as some of them are not visible before you click there.

5.    Know Your Host.

Knowing who your host is may not be the most important thing to everyone, but some people find this information useful. Each rental is managed by either an individual, a developer, or a managed company.

While an individual only rents one to two properties, a developer rents multiple accommodations and has made a business doing short-term rentals. Some developers offer a high-quality service, but there is no guarantee this will always be the case.

A managed company, on the other hand, manages the property for its owner. As some owners travel a lot and or work long hours, they are often unable to provide the service on their own. These rentals are a great option if you’re not looking for the authentic feeling you get when you communicate directly with the owner.

6.    Consider Airbnb Plus.

Airbnb Plus is a collection of Airbnb listings with exceptional design and great hospitality. These rentals are even better than Superhosts, as the conditions to apply for Airbnb Plus are:

• The listing must be either a private room with a private bathroom or an entire place
• An average rating of at least 4.8 over the past year for the host
• No cancellations except those of extenuating circumstances
• 95% of accepted booking requests over the past year

This doesn’t mean other rentals are not as good. It simply means you’ll spend less time searching for the perfect accommodation.

How do you feel about these tips and do you have any valuable ones to add? If you do, write them down in the comments section below.