If you own a rental business, you know just how much work it takes to keep it running smoothly.

From marketing your listings to responding to inquiries, you’ll always have things to keep you occupied. Plus, it doesn’t help that the rental industry is constantly evolving, and new trends crop up all the time.

The best way to make sense of it all while still growing and adapting your rental business? Get involved in the community!

Joining the Airbnb community gives you access to a wealth of valuable tips and resources, as well as the chance to connect with like-minded hosts who can offer support and advice.

Utilizing the Airbnb Community

Let’s take a look at some of the ways the Airbnb community can help you grow your rental business:

Leveraging Networking Opportunities

If you’re new to Airbnb, networking is a great way to get a head start on your rental business. Talk to other hosts and exchange ideas on how to make the most of your rental. You’ll get real insights from people you trust who can help you get off the ground quickly.

And if you ever find yourself stuck in a tricky situation, chances are someone else in the community has gone through something similar and can share their experience. Simply connecting with other hosts will help you feel much more supported and confident as you progress with your rental journey.

Staying Up-to-Date With Industry News

Staying up-to-date is an essential part of running a successful rental business. The last thing you want is to miss out on a key industry development that could affect your business.

The Airbnb forum is the ideal place for getting the latest scoop on trends and industry news. Whether you need updates on new regulations or changes to the Airbnb platform, you can count on your fellow hosts to keep you in the know.

Brainstorming New Ideas

When you’re part of a community, you open yourself to new ideas and perspectives. Try discussing your rental business challenges with other hosts and brainstorming for fresh ideas. Often, you’ll be surprised at the clever solutions that come up as a result.

For example, take a look at this thread on the Airbnb Forum where a host discussed their challenges with guests leaving poor ratings and received helpful advice from other hosts.

From using QR code generators for Google Map QR codes to creating a welcome booklet with local recommendations, the community came together and offered creative solutions to this host’s problem.

Forming Partnerships

You’ll find many remote property owners in the community who are looking for help in managing their properties. This could be an ideal opportunity to form partnerships, swap services, or even become a co-host.

As a co-host, you could gain access to properties in different cities and regions — which could help you expand your rental business. Plus, sharing the workload with a partner may make your work more manageable.

But remember to do your due diligence when entering into any agreements. Read up on co-hosting protocols to ensure that you fully understand the responsibilities of each party involved.

Profiting from Your Interactions

In addition to networking opportunities and brainstorming sessions, you can also monetize your membership in the community. If you sell products or services that may be of interest to fellow hosts, you can take advantage of the community to promote them. Just keep it subtle and respectful — you don’t want to come off as pushy or spammy.

For example, if you’re a photographer, you could offer to take professional photos of hosts who need to spruce up their listings. But, be tactful in your approach, and do not forget that the community is intended to be a place of support and learning, not a marketplace.

Finding Good recommendations

As a rental owner, you’ll inevitably come across situations where you’ll need to find a reliable cleaner, handyman, or other service providers. The community is an excellent resource for finding honest reviews and feedback from people who have worked with these service providers.

You can browse through the many threads and posts on the forum to find recommendations from hosts who have had positive experiences with certain services.

Additionally, you can also reach out directly to fellow hosts and ask them for referrals. Of course, use your judgment when taking someone’s advice, and remember to vet the service provider thoroughly before hiring them for a job.

Maintaining Motivation

Being part of the community can be incredibly inspiring and motivating. You’ll gain access to countless success stories from fellow hosts and find the motivation to keep moving forward with your rental business.

You’ll also be able to participate in discussions, share experiences, and learn from the success of others. When you’re part of a community that’s filled with energy and support, it can be difficult to feel unmotivated or stuck.

So, take advantage of all the support you have from your fellow Airbnb hosts — it can be a powerful source of motivation and inspiration.

Making Real-World Changes

Collective strength can often carry more sway than individual efforts. As a single rental owner, you may feel powerless in the face of policy and regulation changes. But, when you join forces with other hosts, your collective voice will become louder and more likely to make real-world changes that have a far-reaching impact.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic’s regulation changes, Airbnb hosts come together to lobby for more financial relief and protection for all impacted hosts.

And thanks to their efforts, Airbnb decided to commit $250 million in support of all the impacted hosts. This goes to show the power that can be achieved when members of a community join forces and take a stand.

Getting local wisdom

Yes, the Airbnb community is global, but you can also find tons of local knowledge within it. You can use the forum to ask questions about local laws and rental regulations in your area or inquire about off-the-beaten-path attractions that will make your guests’ stays more memorable.

Having access to this local expertise can be incredibly valuable, especially if you are just starting out. You can tap into the collective wisdom of others and gain a better understanding of the dynamics within your region, which can make a huge difference when it comes to the success of your rental business.

And on the off chance you don’t find a host group relevant to your area, then you can always create one yourself and invite other Airbnb hosts to join. This can be a great way to build your own local community, making it easy for you to benefit from and contribute to it.

The community also holds occasional local meetups to allow hosts in different cities to connect face-to-face. These events enable attendees to find out more about the local market, network with other hosts and even find referral partners. You can often find these meetups listed on the Airbnb website under the community center tab. You can filter these listings by region or keyword to locate relevant events nearby.

Developing your Professional Credibility

Having a good reputation can often open doors to new possibilities. One way to ensure you have this is by establishing yourself as a dependable source of helpful information and guidance. Those who offer assistance with no expectation of something in return are frequently the ones that reap the biggest rewards.

By taking part in conversations and offering advice on community forums, you can build up your credibility and yield better search results. People will come to see you as an expert and may even turn to you for guidance. This practice can be a valuable way to grow your network and strengthen relationships with other members of the community.

Tips for Leveraging the Airbnb Community

Getting the most out of the community is all about how you use it. Here are some tips that can help you maximize your time in the community and grow your rental business:

Browse the forum

If you are looking for answers to specific questions, try searching the forum first before posting a new thread. You may find that the answer you need is already listed in the archives. This will save you time and help you get to the solution faster.

Participate thoughtfully

Just like how life coaching turns into success only when coaching questions are crafted with some thought, the same goes for any online community, at least if you want to get the best out of it. Frame your questions or queries with maximum accuracy and detail, and you’ll receive meaningful responses.

Engage in the discussions

Actively participating is the only way to make the most out of any online community. Don’t just be a passive bystander who reads through the threads. Start conversations, share your thoughts and experiences, and, if you can offer advice to others. This will help you grow your network, gain valuable insight, and establish yourself as a respected community member.

Thank members for their help

Whether it is a simple ‘thank you’ or a more detailed response, be sure to show appreciation for the help and support you receive from other members of the community. This will make them feel appreciated and encourage them to continue helping and engaging with you.

Follow the etiquette of the community

Every community has its own set of guidelines and etiquette. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules of the Community before you join in on the conversation. Doing so will ensure that you don’t come off as disrespectful or careless and maintain the good spirit of the community.

Be courteous

Remember, you are talking to real people with their own experiences and opinions. Even if you don’t agree with someone, remain polite and gracious. Respect everyone’s opinion and never make personal attacks. Being courteous and considerate will help you build strong relationships with your peers.

Make your answers useful

Solidify your position as an expert in the community by making sure that your answers are helpful and accurate. Whenever you get the opportunity, offer detailed and practical advice relevant to others and include links to authoritative sources to back up your claims. Doing this will ensure that your answers are of real value to other community members.

How to Join the Airbnb Community?

Now that you know the importance of engaging with the community, here is how you can join in on the conversation.

Step #1: Sign up for an Airbnb account.

The first step is to sign up for an Airbnb account. If you don’t already have an account, you can create one for free. It takes less than a few minutes, and all you need is a valid phone number and email address.

Step #2: Accept the anti-discrimination policy.

Once your account has been set up, you will need to accept the Airbnb anti-discrimination policy. This is a crucial step for maintaining a safe and respectful atmosphere in the community.

Step #3: Start exploring the community.

Most community forums send out a welcome email once you’ve joined. This email serves as a guide to get you familiar with the community and how it works. But unfortunately, Airbnb doesn’t have a dedicated welcome email. So, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the community by exploring different threads or searching for specific topics.

Step #4: Participate actively in discussions.

Now that you know your way around, it’s time to start participating in the conversations. You can join existing discussions or create new threads if you have questions or topics to discuss. As long as you are polite and follow the community guidelines, your contributions will be welcomed by other members of the community.

These steps will help you to get started on your journey of becoming an active member of the community. Just remember to follow the above tips and you’ll be well on your way to making meaningful connections with fellow renters and hosts.

Harness the Power of the Airbnb Community

The community is brimming with knowledgeable hosts who are more than happy to lend a helping hand. Whether you need assistance setting up your listings, handling reviews, or understanding Airbnb policies, you can count on the community for support. So, if you want to take your rental business to the next level, don’t hesitate to take advantage of this invaluable resource!

Spend more time getting to know your fellow hosts and the community at large by automating some of your repetitive tasks.

iGMS software specializes in automating rental management systems and processes, freeing up dozens of hours every month. Its core tools and features enhance co-hosting.

• Managing multiple accounts and listings on the major vacation rental platforms
• Using the unified inbox to organize your messages into a single feed and automated templates and triggered messaging to improve guest communication
• Automating the process of guest reviews creation and send-outs
• Managing direct bookings using a direct booking management toolkit
• Creating essential reports on your business results and tracking metrics with the Dashboard feature
• Receiving payouts and creating invoices by connecting your Stripe account to iGMS
• Sharing daily schedules with your team and auto-assigning tasks.