The Dos And Don'ts Of Negotiating With An Airbnb Host

It's strange to think that less than two decades ago, Airbnb didn't exist. The year 2007 was when its first hosts welcomed people into their home in San Francisco, and the platform has grown extensively since then. Today, there are more than 5 million hosts around the world, and visitors can book Airbnbs everywhere from Argentina to Armenia to Australia. However, controversy is never far away with Airbnb, and it's worth noting that it isn't the only vacation rental platform out there. Finding the perfect place for your next vacation on Airbnb can be a simple experience or a frustrating slog. 

Sometimes, even after all the searching, fine-tuning, and lining up of dates and locations, some things with the booking just don't seem right. Maybe there is an issue with your arrival time, or perhaps the price of the room (or villa or treehouse) is just beyond your budget. In these cases, it's perfectly reasonable — and an acceptable practice — to try to negotiate with your host. Can you check in a little early, perhaps? How about a slight reduction in the room rate, pretty please? There are certain ways that you should ask for some slack from the host and definitely ways that you shouldn't. If you're hoping to do some negotiating with your Airbnb host, take these tips on board before you do.

While this might be a good piece of advice for dealing with an Airbnb host, it is also a good lesson in how to behave in life. Nobody likes dealing with a rude person, even if that person is in a position of power. As the individual paying to rent a property on Airbnb (whether that is a small studio or a private island you can rent), you might feel like you should have the upper hand in negotiations. As such, you might think you can communicate with the host as you please, maybe in a pushy manner that shows that you mean business. After all, it's your money, right? 

Well, no. Rudeness rarely works. Hosts can often have a sixth sense about their customers, and if you come across as the type of visitor who is always nit-picking, complaining, overly forceful, and never satisfied, there is a good chance that the host will want nothing to do with you. As a good rule of thumb, put yourself in their shoes. If someone is cordial with you and someone else is aggressive, who are you more likely to want help? Then why would a host feel any different? Treat them with respect, and they are more likely to cooperate. Politeness is always the way to go.

There's a reason that people use the phrase, "you win some, you lose some." In life, things don't always go our way. Sometimes, you are stuck at every red light when you are in a rush to get to work, your favorite flavor of kombucha is out of stock at the grocery store, or the forecast predicts rain on the day you've planned to picnic with some friends. Negotiating with an Airbnb host is no different. Once in a blue moon, the stars will align, your request will fall on receptive ears, and the host will grant you a better deal for your stay. 

At other times, the host won't budge, whatever tactics you employ. You might even come across some sneaky details that you forgot to check, but you are met with the figurative wall when trying to discuss them. The key is that you have to be prepared for both scenarios. If things aren't going your way, don't get frustrated and vent your angst on the host. Take it in your stride and realize that even if you lose this skirmish, you will live to fight another day.

In addition to being polite, you should be completely clear about what you want. A host will not be able to grant you something if they don't know what exactly that is, so don't assume that your host is a mind-reader. If you need to check in early, don't send them a message that simply says something along the lines, "Is the check-in time of 3 p.m. set in stone?" Such a message will only likely create a defensive wall from your host as they wait for the inevitable request. 

Try this, for instance. "I see that the check-in time is 3 p.m. Is there any way I can check in at 2 p.m., since my flight lands at 12.30 p.m.? Not a problem if not, of course!" Hope that your host responds in a prompt manner, but even if they don't, you should be direct (but polite) in your communication. Don't force the issue, but don't leave any grey areas. As always, communicate with others as you want people to communicate with you.

While it is true that an Airbnb host won't be able to list a property and prosper if they don't have any guests, that does not mean they are beholden to a renter, hanging on the client's every word. While hosts generally are willing to work with guests so that both parties are happy with the stay, the host is not running a charity. The rental is a way for them to make money. Yes, they might meet some good people along the way, but business is business. 

The host is not using Airbnb to boost your happiness quotient or because they have been gripped by a strong sense of altruism. The cold truth is that most hosts use the platform as a business, and while they certainly need custom, they won't be held hostage by customers. Always treat hosts as equals when negotiating, which they are, since you both essentially want the same thing out of the transaction: a rewarding stay.

It is also important to recognize limits and respect the guidelines of the host if you are asking for something out of the ordinary. For instance, if you think you can get a significant discount for a one-night stay, you will most likely be disappointed. This is not a realistic demand, as the host has little incentive to cut the rate of the unit for just one night. You might get a small discount for a one-night stay sandwiched between other bookings, but even then, a significant cut in the rate is highly unlikely. 

And whether you agree with them or not, rules are rules for a reason. When scrolling through a property page, you notice that the host clearly states that no pets are allowed, so don't repeatedly ask if you can bring your toy poodle. Before sending your request, think about what kinds of questions you would perceive as reasonable, and use simple, straightforward common sense when contacting the host.

Airbnb has several filters that help you narrow the search for the type of place you want to book. You can edit the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, see places that only have a hot tub or indoor fireplace, and, of course, limit the choices by price. When searching for a property you intend to book, only choose places with listed prices within your budget. It may sound obvious, but selecting places beyond your budget is an easy mistake to make. 

Once you know your price ceiling and have found a suitable property, you can try to chip away at the price. You can contact the host for a reduction in the room rate, and you may have some luck. But, then again, maybe you won't have success. After all, this isn't an informal market where haggling is the norm. The host is not obligated to even acknowledge the question, and you can't justifiably turn around and tell the host that you are no longer interested because the unit is too expensive. If that was the case, you should never have considered it in the first place. Don't waste everyone's time.

Now and then, you find the perfect place on Airbnb. The kind of place that has the ideal location, the correct number of rooms and bathrooms, all the amenities you want, and even free parking. Imagine that?! However, there is one little niggling issue, and that is the price. Yes, you know you shouldn't go above your price ceiling, but this place really does check all the boxes, and you'll never find something like it again. 

Stop right there. It's not worth holding out for that one property in the hope that you will get a discount or a deal, even if you've received nothing but positive reviews. Sometimes, while you are dilly-dallying, someone else willing to pay the going rate might book it, and you might find yourself stuck with nowhere to stay. It's important to always have options, maybe a handful of suitable places for if the dream falls through. As we all know in our travels, anything can happen.

Just as the host rents out their property as a business, so Airbnb functions as a commercial entity. The company makes its money not by adverts on its site or by offering its own properties for guests to stay in but by charging fees for its services. The fees range from 3% to 16%, depending on the type of property being listed. For example, hotels and serviced apartments pay fees at the top end of that range. The fees pay for Airbnb's staff, covering everything from customer support to website design, payments, and more. 

Essentially, the renter pays that fee, and guests can see what part of the final payment is taken up by Airbnb's service charges. The host has no control over setting this fee (it's just part of the process of using Airbnb), and it isn't money the host gets to keep. Asking the host to remove that fee is naive, because the host just can't do it. This would be akin to the host urging Airbnb to offer its services for free, which is not going to happen.

Renting out a property for one- or two-night stays on a consistent basis can be taxing. Hosts must juggle communicating with new guests, frequently cleaning the unit, ensuring check-in and check-out run smoothly, and tracking the calendar to see if empty days get filled. A much easier arrangement for hosts is to have fewer guests that stay for longer. This might help to ensure greater occupancy rates — one of the most desired outcomes in hospitality — and with less turnover of guests, hosts will have to worry about cleaning and communication less often. In these cases, it isn't unusual for guests to receive a little discount for a longer stay. 

Airbnb has set up its platform so hosts can reduce their rates if a guest decides to book for a week, a month, or whatever window of time they think is worthy of a discount. The host can choose how much discount they want to give, but any reduction of 10% or more of the total will be displayed in the final price. If you are getting a price cut in your booking, it is disrespectful to go cap in hand, asking for even more money off. Take the initial discount as a big enough victory.

Cleaning fees at Airbnb properties vary wildly. Some hosts will charge higher fees as a way to encourage long-term stays or as a way to suggest the importance of the unit's cleanliness. Others will omit a cleaning fee altogether and simply fold any cleaning costs into the overall room rate. Some renters are put off by high cleaning fees, especially if it comes to more than one night's rental of the unit. The cleaning fee is usually displayed after you choose dates and press the reserve button on a booking — the breakdown of the total cost will appear on the next screen. 

If you balk at the amount of a cleaning fee, contact the host and see if they might cut some of it if you offer to help with the clean-up. Suggest things like stripping the beds, doing the dishes, and taking out the trash if these aren't already required. Simple measures like these mean that the cleaner will have to spend less time (and so charge less) cleaning. You might not always be successful, but it is worth a try.

You might be familiar with an old saying, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." However, this isn't always the case. For some people, the squeaky wheel is irritating, a grating sound that they just want to stop by any means necessary. In the case of Airbnb negotiations, a squeaky wheel guest would be one who is constantly requesting things, even after they have secured a booking. These people are likely to turn a host off, creating a bad atmosphere before you've even turned up. 

You might think you are just doing due diligence, crossing all your t's and dotting all your i's, but hounding a host with an endless deluge of questions can be incredibly vexing. And if the host blocks you, think of the fallout. Imagine finding the perfect property only for the host to cease all communications with you because you are annoying beyond belief. That's one way to ruin a vacation.

This is a risky option — like staying at an Airbnb with no reviews — and might leave you with egg on your face. But if you have flexibility and like to take a chance, finding a property a day or two before your trip can bring unexpected benefits. If you find a place that is available at the very last minute, you can try messaging the host and asking whether they can offer you a deal on the rate if you book it. 

Some hosts will be amenable to such an idea, willing to drop the rate to fill the room at the last minute rather than leave it unused, preferring some revenue over none. Of course, booking at the last minute generally means less choice and potentially higher prices, but those are the risks you take. Still, there's nothing wrong with spontaneity, right?

Once you've confirmed the booking, the transaction is complete. All that's left is for you to take your trip, check in, and enjoy the property you so diligently researched. Confirming a booking is your way of saying that you are happy with the property (or at least happy to pay to stay there), from the rooms and beds to the facilities and the price. That last bit is important; after completing an Airbnb reservation, you should never ask for a discount. Any reduction in price should have been arranged before the booking was finished and your credit card was charged. 

To seek a price reduction past this point is like going to a store to return something and ask if you can have the same item for cheaper. That's just not how business works. It's also insulting to the host because it puts them in an awkward position and signals that you might be the kind of guest who is never satisfied.

Airbnb bakes fees into the equation when it tallies up the total cost of a booking. Some guests have found a potential way to save money during booking — to communicate with a host independently outside of Airbnb. This allows them to pay the host directly, save on fees, and maybe even receive a slight cut in the rate since the host might also be saving on fees that it pays. 

Not only is that a dubious practice (Airbnb has done the heavy lifting of marketing the property on its platform, so it deserves a few crumbs of financial recognition), but it is flat-out banned by the company. Airbnb expressly prohibits hosts from dealing with guests offline. For both hosts and guests, the problem with not doing everything by the book is that if something goes wrong, neither will enjoy the protection offered by Airbnb. That is, after all, one of the reasons why you pay the fees in the first place.