Why Airbnb’s Low Season is a Great Time to Start Hosting in Auckland

For some aspiring Airbnb hosts, starting out in winter may seem daunting. The stories of dry-spells and a lower return on investment can put many people off the set up until summer comes back around. However, it’s not always as straightforward as it seems. While you may be offering short-term accommodation (a service usually heavily impacted by season), Airbnb is unique to other providers in the industry. The short of the long is that low-season doesn’t affect Airbnb to the extent it does other accommodation providers. Particularly in the case of those starting out hosting on the platform, low-season can be the ideal time to build up your listing’s earning potential. Beginning your Airbnb venture during Auckland’s winter gives you the opportunity to prepare for peak-season and your Airbnb’s future.Here are the reasons why starting out hosting on Airbnb during low-season can be an advantage:

You Can Build Up Your Profile with Outstanding Reviews in Winter, to Get the Best Results in Summer

Airbnb is very much powered by ratings and testimonials. For beginner hosts, these can be hard to generate. To succeed on Airbnb you need to have a number of positive reviews that work to draw potential guests to book your listing. Without any reviews, you may find that guests don’t book your property as often as you thought and even that Airbnb doesn’t rank your listing very high in search results.

You Have a Chance to Get Ahead of the Competition

It’s all too common for people to believe that the demand for short-term accommodation dries up during winter, that there’s no real point in managing a property during the low-season and that it’s not worth the effort. This thought runs true to the Airbnb community as well, leading to many hosts neglecting their listings during this period and many property owners avoiding starting out hosting. For this reason, winter and autumn can be the ideal chance for beginner hosts to start out on the right foot and get ahead of their potential competitors!Those new to hosting on Airbnb should use the low-season as an opportunity to build up their profile and optimise their listing. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm - putting in the effort while others seem to be slacking off will be extremely beneficial to your success on the platform.

Working Through Off-Season as a Beginner Allows you to Charge a Higher Nightly-Rate During Peak-Time

Demand for your property determines how much you’re able to charge. This demand is achieved through outstanding reviews, a strong profile and a history of experience using Airbnb. If you begin hosting during peak-season, it’s entirely likely that you’ll end up missing out on many opportunities to charge a higher nightly rate. Newer listings will usually end up having to undercut their competition through lower rates and other discounts. By working on your portfolio during the off-season, you’ll be able to charge more when an influx of guest requests start coming through towards the end of the year.

People Still Look for Accommodation in Auckland During Off-Season

Unlike other locations, Auckland isn’t primarily a holiday destination. While we do receive a large number of visitors during the holiday season, the amount of tourists and business travellers is steady throughout the year. People visit Auckland for a wide variety of reasons and for the most part, these reasons aren’t dictated by season. Running an Airbnb in Auckland isn’t like running an Airbnb in other destinations. We’re lucky enough to receive visitors from inside New Zealand and around the world at any time. Taking advantage of this will allow you to make the most of your Airbnb listing and generate an income regardless of the season.

You Can Optimise Your Listing for Off-Peak Seasons

The off-season period shouldn’t be something Airbnb hosts are afraid of. Not only are their advantages to starting out during this time, but there are also ways to optimise your listing to get the best results in winter. The blog, optimizemyairbnb.com, suggests implementing a strategy for the slow season. Their tips include:

• Lowering your nightly rate (while keeping it competitive)
• Including the word “Discount” in your title
• Offering discounts for friends or family recommended by your previous guests
• Increasing percentage discounts on long-term stays
• Charging for the property or room only - not the number of people staying
• Reducing your minimum nights requirements

All of these tips work together to draw potential guests to your listing. However, they’re really only necessary if you’ve felt a dramatic fall in guests during the off-season months. Remember that success on Airbnb takes some time and effort. Quality experiences on the platform shouldn’t be compromised for quantity. Working throughout the year to provide positive, authentic experiences will allow you to generate a great return on your investment. A plan of attack for the off-season will result in a steady income, regardless of the time of the year.