Airbnb rentals are becoming the choice of many property investors in recent years, replacing traditional rentals as the optimal rental strategy in many US real estate markets. In this category of our Investor Blogs, you will find everything you need to know about how to buy and manage the most profitable Airbnb rental properties in the US housing market. From top locations for short-term rentals based on Mashvisor’s investment property calculator, through tips and hints for Airbnb hosts on how to raise their rental income, occupancy rate, and return on investment, to local legal regulations related to vacation home rentals. This is your comprehensive guide on excelling in the Airbnb rentals business, even as a first-time real estate investor.
If you’ve been considering using your rental property as a short-term rental, you must be wondering, “How much can I rent my house for on Airbnb?”
Table of Contents
- How Does Airbnb Renting Work?
- How Much Can I Make on Airbnb?
- What Factors Affect Airbnb Income?
- How to Maximize Airbnb Rental Income
Many variables influence the return on investment you can earn from your Airbnb rentals. They include your location, property type, occupancy rate, number of guests you can host, and the number of nights the rental is available for booking.
However, you can still use Airbnb market-level and property-level data to determine how much income you can make from your vacation rental. It is data you can get readily available on the Mashvisor platform.
In today’s blog post, we’ll be looking at Airbnb statistics and data from all over the world to help you determine how much you can make on average as an Airbnb host. We will help you determine “how much can I rent my house for on Airbnb.”
First things first:
How Does Airbnb Renting Work?
Airbnb is a short-term renting platform that allows individual property owners or hosts to offer their houses or rooms to guests as alternative accommodation to hotels. Anyone can access the Airbnb platform via the company’s website or mobile app.
Unlike traditional rental properties, where rental payments are made monthly or yearly, short-term rentals are paid nightly or weekly. The frequency can also be longer if the guest is staying for a while. It can also depend on the agreement between the host and the guest.
Also, tenants in traditional rentals can stay as long as stated in the lease agreement, usually six months or a year. On the other hand, Airbnb rental properties host guests for a minimum of one night and for as long as they desire.
If you choose to become an Airbnb host, you must register as a host on their platform and provide your location, number of rooms, square footage, amenities, and other details. Airbnb releases the payments to the host once a guest has checked into their property. The platform also takes a 3% host fee and a little less than 14% service fee per booking.
If a guest desires to book a house in your area, they simply search on the Airbnb platform and see your house among other competitors. If they love your house, they can book immediately or send an inquiry.
The platform also comes with a rating feature where your guests rate your services. The rating system is essential in helping you build your credibility as a host. The more positive reviews you have, the higher your property ranks on search results.
Related: What Are Airbnb Monthly Rentals and How to Invest in One?
How Much Can I Make on Airbnb?
Homeowners and property investors have found Airbnb rentals to be an excellent source of passive income. In fact, some business owners have turned Airbnb hosting into a full-time job.
So, how much does an Airbnb house owner make? According to Airbnb’s data in 2021, a host on the platform can make an average of $9,600 every year. More research states that an Airbnb host can expect to make an average of $924 every month.
However, remember that it isn’t assured you’ll earn the same amount. As stated before, your Airbnb earnings depend on your location, property type and quality, occupancy rate, and many other factors that we’ll be looking at in a while. Also, don’t forget that you’ll need to pay property taxes, as well as other expenses from your income.
The best way to estimate your Airbnb rental earnings is to look at your local housing market’s average gross revenues. You can do it by adding all the income made by hosts in your local market and dividing the result by the total number of Airbnb listings. It will give you a rough estimate of how much average income you’ll make as an Airbnb host.
What Factors Affect Airbnb Income?
The national average Airbnb rental income isn’t guaranteed. There are many different factors that influence the maximum or minimum amount you can earn as an Airbnb host.
As we promised, it’s now time to expound on some of the factors that affect Airbnb income.
Location
Let’s imagine you’ve invested in a log cabin with a view of the sea and within walking distance of basic amenities and services. Of course, you can expect to make more from this property than an ordinary rental property further away from the sea and without direct access to amenities and services.
Location determines how much you can make from your vacation rental house. Lucrative Airbnb rental properties are located in high-performing areas, such as:
- Tourist hotspots
- Business hubs where professionals travel for work
- Near colleges and universities
The above areas tend to receive high Airbnb occupancy rates since the guests are mainly there for a short period.
It also helps when your rental is accessible via public transport so that your guests have an easy time checking in and out. For example, if your guest wants to travel early in the morning for business, they’ll probably want to access the airport easily.
Location is one of the most important considerations when investing in Airbnb rentals and any house, for that matter. It’s usually the priority for the guests looking to book your Airbnb. Always put the needs of your target clients first.
Seasonality
Airbnb bookings fluctuate depending on the season. Bookings will be high during the peak season when most families are going on vacation and visiting their loved ones. The off-peak season tends to be slower, and the market remains dormant for a while.
For example, hotel rooms and Airbnb rentals experience 100% occupancy during the first week of summer. During this season, an Airbnb host can charge the highest possible daily rates and ensure they maximize them.
Keep in mind that it’s not only summer that’s profitable. Many people also love traveling during the Easter and Christmas holidays, which are also profitable for Airbnb hosts.
Amenities
According to a recent study by Airbnb, 97% of Americans prioritize property amenities. For example, many Airbnb guests will prefer staying in a house with a swimming pool to one without. They’ll also opt to stay at a property that’s pet-friendly and also comes with free parking.
As much as you offer the amenity, don’t forget to consider its functionality. For example, including a coffee maker or a set of wine glasses will allow you to provide a better overall experience for your guests.
Also, consider the practicality of the amenities. If your town offers great views, you can include a bicycle for your guests to enjoy riding in the afternoon or during sunset. You can also include a local guide to help your guests know what to see, where to visit, and what local foods to try.
Your main goal is to ensure that you not only increase your profits but also get positive reviews from your guests and, ultimately, more bookings. Put yourself in your guests’ shoes and offer them what you’d love provided to you.
How to Maximize Airbnb Rental Income
While some Airbnb guests simply want a place to lay their heads and continue with their journey the next day, some are actually looking for a unique experience. Offering such experiences is an excellent way of boosting your Airbnb rental income.
That said, here are some unique ways to help you boost your Airbnb revenue:
Price Strategically
Your Airbnb rental property only generates income by receiving enough bookings. Your daily rates are one of the essential factors that determine your occupancy rate. Potential guests will run to cheaper competitors if your prices are too high. If it’s too low, you’ll barely break even and likely fail to make significant profits for the business to make financial sense.
Your guests will respond well to a transparent and dynamic pricing strategy. They will appreciate getting value for their money. Don’t overprice your vacation rental. Avoid turning away prospective customers.
A good pricing strategy always begins with research and due diligence. Research how much your local competitors charge and what amenities they offer. If you notice consistent amenities and services, it probably means they’re meeting market demand.
Ensure you offer the same amenities and services in your Airbnb rental and then charge slightly higher or lower than your competitors. The price should be reasonable so that your target customers don’t feel short-changed if they look at your competitors’ prices and amenities.
Also, come up with a dynamic pricing strategy. We’ve already seen that seasonality is one of the core factors that determine your Airbnb income. One of the gravest mistakes beginner Airbnb investors make is setting one constant rate for all seasons.
You can capitalize on seasonality by charging higher rates when the demand and occupancy rates are high. Similarly, bring the prices down once the market has cooled down to encourage more bookings.
An optimized pricing strategy is one of the keys to making consistent returns all year round.
Offer More Services
Again, guests value experience more than anything else and would love to get value for their money. If you live in or near your Airbnb rental, you can maximize your time and offer more services to your guests. Provide a customizable experience that will allow you to increase your rates.
Here are some ideas for you to consider:
- Local tours
- Homemade meals
- Equipment for rent, such as a bicycle
Such creative ways will help you receive excellent ratings and reviews from your guests, allowing you to take your marketing efforts to the next level. The key here is to look for ways to boost customer experience, increase your rental rates, and gain new customers.
Stay on Top of Marketing
Savvy and experienced real estate investors know that it’s not wise to rely on just one platform to market your rental. You must market aggressively if you want to maximize your Airbnb rental income. You want to get your rental in front of as many eyes as you can. Make sure to demonstrate what you can offer and why they should book with you.
They can be extremely helpful, especially during low seasons. You can choose to market your house on one social media channel or use a combination of several.
The best thing about the popularity of social media is that digital marketing is now accessible and inexpensive. Many people across the world log into at least one social media platform daily. So, why not take advantage of the accessibility of social media and get the word out there?
Here are a few ideas to help you market your Airbnb rental:
- Open an Instagram account for your Airbnb rental, hire a professional photographer to take high-quality photos of your house, and post the pictures along with a captivating caption to encourage guests to book.
- Open a Facebook page and regularly upload posts with details on what you offer and why guests should book your property.
- Market your short-term rental on Twitter using the relevant hashtags to ensure your post is seen by more users.
No matter the social media strategy you choose to follow, ensure all your posts include the link to the actual Airbnb listing. You want to guide more people to book your short-term rental. You can also use paid promotion ads to market the rental.
Airbnb hosts can leverage the popularity and broad reach of social media platforms to promote their rental property listings.
Conclusion
This comprehensive guide will help answer your question if you’ve been wondering, “How much can I rent my house for on Airbnb?” On average, an Airbnb host can make $9,600 annually and $924 per month. This figure isn’t guaranteed since it depends on various factors, such as location, amenities, and seasons.
Regardless of which stage you’re in your real estate investing journey, ensure you walk with Mashvisor, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced investor. It is an online real estate platform designed to provide real estate investors with accurate and reliable Airbnb data and analytics to help them make smart business decisions.
Mashvisor has helped many investors buy lucrative real estate investment properties; you shouldn’t be left out.
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