For many years, I’ve loved using Airbnb. It gives you the opportunity to reside in a place with a lot more local character than a hotel. The option to book an entire house or apartment allows visitors to really feel at home on their adventure. I also find there are extremely affordable places to choose from, often with weekly and monthly discounts for long stays.

With all the positive aspects, I can still understand some people’s concerns with using Airbnb. As many are guest rooms, apartments or homes overseen simply by individuals or families rather than a large company, there can be a little less certainty about the quality of the accommodation. There is a need for more careful research apart from just good reviews in order to choose a great place.

As I’ve lived a nomadic life for some time, I have stayed in over 20 Airbnbs around the world, from forest cabins to Mexican bungalows to Korean micro-apartments. As a seasoned guest on this platform, I can provide a lot of essential tips for using Airbnb: namely, how to book a great Airbnb and how to have a safe and pleasant stay.

Disclaimer: These tips are based on my individual experience and research: I am not responsible for any upset, injury, or disappointment from following my advice.

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – if you click a link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Choosing a Great Airbnb

After you have created an Airbnb profile, put in your desired location, dates and number of guests, you can also narrow down your search for your perfect Airbnb in a number of ways. Use the filters icon to personalize your options with things such as amenities, accessibility features and your price range (keep in mind the price initially displayed will not be the final total which will add in the various fees and taxes).

Keep your unique needs in mind: Are you looking to stay somewhere long term/more than a few weeks? Then you may want a place with a well stocked kitchen. Though I always travel with this amazingly versatile electric cooking pot so I can whip up meals no matter where I am, I still want to make sure things like plates and cutlery are provided. Do you plan on renting a car? Make sure there’s parking available. Some amenities you may take for granted in a hotel such as WiFi and air conditioning may not be a given where you’re traveling, so make sure to consider all your necessary preferences in your filtered search.

Consider your privacy needs: Also, under the filters tab, one of the first things you choose is the “Type of Place”: where you can specify if you want a “Room” or an “Entire Place”. The expectation is that a “Room” is a space like a hostel, guest room or anything with shared common spaces. The expectation is for an “Entire Place” to be a completely private dwelling such as your own house or apartment unit. Unfortunately, some hosts advertise an accommodation as an “Entire Place” when it should really be in the “Room” category. If, like me, you really need your privacy during a stay, it’s unpleasant to arrive and find out the kitchen or bathroom are shared with other guests. So, just have a close look at the description if there are any shared spaces you’ll be using in your Airbnb.

Recognize Some Immediate Red Flags

As someone who has stayed in some great and … not so great places, I have come to know what Airbnb red flags to look out for in a listing. Such as:

Only a couple of photos and/or blurry low quality photos. It’s really a must to have high quality photos of all areas of the accommodation to give an accurate representation of where you’re staying.

Any “host canceled” automated messages in the reviews. These automated reviews indicate that a host canceled a guest’s reservation prior to them arriving. I would find it far too stressful to arrive in a new place with the chance of my accommodation canceling without giving me notice!

A description that is unprofessionally written. I have come across some descriptions that were far too “chummy”, such as warning prospective guests not to be “too picky” and I’ve even seen some disparagingly remarking on previous guests!

Long host response time. If you scroll near the bottom of a listing, it will indicate how long it takes the host to respond to booking requests and messages. If this response time is more than 24 hours, this is not a great sign. The host might not be very attentive to questions and concerns you may have during your stay. If the response time is indicated to be more than a few days, that may mean the listing is inactive and just hasn’t been removed from the website yet.

Read the Reviews Carefully

Most people’s instinct may be to pick an Airbnb solely based on good reviews but it’s important to look a little closer than just a high average rating:

Once Again… Keep Your Unique Needs in Mind! A bunch of good reviews about being near all the best bars and nightclubs might not bear much importance to you if you’re looking for a peaceful retreat. As a solo female traveler, I always look for Airbnbs with multiple positive reviews from other female travelers. (i.e. a man stating they felt safe in a neighborhood doesn’t have quite the same weight as a woman stating they felt safe).

Don’t automatically count out places with no reviews: I’ve had plenty of trips where my budget made my Airbnb options very limited. Sometimes I would come across a place that looked rather nice but I was nervous to book because there were no reviews. Luckily, I looked a little closer at the listing: click on an Airbnb host’s profile to see if they have reviews from other properties. Sometimes Airbnb hosts have more than one listing. While positive reviews of a different place is not a guarantee that the one you’re looking at will be of the same quality, it gives at least some indication of the care and professionalism of the host. I’ve booked a couple of my best Airbnb experiences at places with no reviews because I saw the host had many great reviews of their other properties.

Tips for Booking Your Airbnb

You’ve carefully read the description and the reviews; I know it’s tempting to book BUT: before pressing the “Reserve” button, press the “Contact” button to communicate with your host first!

Make sure there aren’t any hidden fees: I don’t believe hosts are supposed to do this but nevertheless it has happened that some will try to charge you a separate fee after you’ve arrived for amenities that should be included such as hot water or WiFi. So, I always ask if there are any additional fees not shown in the Airbnb final price.

Make sure (to the best of your ability) that there aren’t any legality issues with the property: Some places have strict housing laws related to Airbnbs as some cities require special permits for short term rentals. I would ask the host, if the property is a part of a larger unit such as an apartment building or gated community “Will there be any problem with letting security or a doorman know that I am looking for my Airbnb?” If the host wants you to keep hush hush about it, I would look elsewhere. I wouldn’t want to get mixed up in any illegal practices.

Confirm that the address is correct: Once you officially book your Airbnb, you are given the exact address and the pinned location on a map. Sometimes, particularly outside of North America, the location is not 100% correct. For example, South Korean addresses notoriously don’t work well with Google maps. One time, I booked an Airbnb in Mexico and was wise to message my host a picture of the location I was given on the Airbnb website. He informed me that it was way off and kindly provided me a picture of the correct location on a map.

A slight aside: do your due diligence as a traveler and always research a location before traveling, whether you’re going to a foreign country or even just a new city. Consider: Are there any travel advisories for this location? Are there any dangerous areas I need to be aware of? Are there any laws different from my home? (Especially with regards to recreational drugs and/or alcohol. Don’t assume that something legal in your hometown is legal everywhere.)

Tips for Staying Safe at Your Airbnb

You’ve arrived! Well… almost… there are just a few things you should do when you get to your Airbnb to ensure you have a safe and pleasant stay:

Look for hidden cameras: Yeah, we’ll start with the most unpleasant one… unfortunately some people have discovered hidden spy cameras in their accommodations (not just in Airbnbs but average hotel chains as well). It can obviously be difficult to spot these tiny cameras but one method is to turn off all the lights in a room and carefully search with a flashlight (such as that on a smartphone) for the reflection of any tiny camera lenses (on things like alarm clocks and smoke detectors). Alternatively, you can just use a hidden camera detector.

Make sure all the locks work and check for damages: Make sure you feel safe and secure by checking that the locks on the doors function properly. To feel extra secure, a lot of travelers stand by these nifty portable door locks to keep out intruders. You also want to do a quick check if there are any damages to the property. If something is particularly conspicuous, such as a hole in the wall, I may even take a photo of it as evidence. You don’t want to be unfairly charged for damages when you check out!

Stay healthy and disinfect surfaces: Maybe I’m just a germaphobe but even if a place seems cleaned well, I do a quick disinfecting wipe down of surfaces like doorknobs, toilets and counter tops. These travel friendly wipes are great for sensitive skin and disinfect without bleach or alcohol.

Last but not least, be a considerate Airbnb guest: follow any house rules provided by your host, respect quiet hours, abide by the check in and check out times, and although you’ll likely pay a cleaning fee… don’t leave the place an absolute mess. Remember that it’s not just you who gives a rating to your host, guests receive a review as well. So if you plan on using Airbnb again in the future, you risk not being approved to book your next accommodation if you have bad reviews!

Thank you for reading my tips for using Airbnb! If you found this advice helpful, share this article or pin it on Pinterest using the icons below! I have traveled to many exciting places while working remotely as a voice actor and Airbnb allows me to carefully choose my perfect little home wherever I am in the world. If you’d like to learn about some of my packing essentials as a frequent traveler, check out my digital nomad packing list!