WELKEYS GOODTIP: Renting out your apartment on Airbnb, the owner's checklist

"Renting out my apartment for short-term stays—why not me?" You probably know someone who manages to pay for a great vacation by renting out their apartment on Airbnb. This year, you've decided to take the plunge into short-term rentals yourself. However, renting your apartment on Airbnb, Booking, Wimdu, or other platforms requires a bit of preparation. Seasonal rentals can come with unexpected issues that are very easy to avoid. Here are the points to keep in mind before listing your apartment on Airbnb.

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1. Register your property with the city hall

First and foremost, you must rent legally. Seasonal rentals or "furnished tourist accommodation" are clearly distinct from medium or long-term rentals. These can be rented by the night, week, or month, for periods not exceeding 90 consecutive days. Since the publication of the Airbnb decree, specific legislation for Airbnb-style rentals has come into effect. You must register your property as "furnished tourist accommodation" with your city hall and collect and remit the tourist tax. To do this, simply fill out the furnished tourist accommodation declaration form. If your property is located in a city with more than 200,000 inhabitants, or in the Val-de-Marne, Hauts-de-Seine, or Seine-Saint-Denis departments, you must:

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Obtain a registration number from your city hall and include it on all your listings Exceed no more than 120 days/year for your primary residence Request authorization for a change of use and/or provide financial compensation if it is your secondary residence Declare, collect, and remit the tourist tax‍
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Once you have completed all these steps, you can rent with peace of mind.

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2. Check your amenities

Before listing your property on Airbnb, we recommend checking that all your amenities are in working order. This will prevent you from having an inaccurate listing for your guests. Note that an incorrect list of amenities can lead to bad reviews and sometimes requests for a full or partial refund. Furthermore, you can use this to highlight your pool, jacuzzi, or projector screen. From a practical standpoint, creating a list also provides an inventory of your equipment that you can use between each rental. You can also provide it to your concierge or the management agency to which you have entrusted your keys. Finally, it is the perfect opportunity to take stock of your equipment and get what you are missing before your first Airbnb rental.

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3. Take high-quality photos

Every listing should feature about ten photos, and obviously, the more attractive they are, the more your listing will be viewed. Make sure your interior is tidy and clean to make guests want to stay at your place. Avoid photos that are too dark or of poor quality; your future tenants need to be able to picture themselves in your property for their next stay! At Welkeys, we have chosen to work with a platform of professional photographers. Our partner takes care of capturing high-quality photos in a format large enough to be published on <aux translate="no">Airbnb</aux>, <aux translate="no">Booking.com </aux>and our booking platform, the <aux translate="no">Club Welkeys</aux>.

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4. Set your security deposit amount

To avoid any inconvenience, it is best to put a security deposit system in place. <aux translate="no">Why? </aux>When a deposit is at stake, your guests will automatically be more respectful of your furniture and equipment, which allows you to screen your guests and avoid unpleasant surprises. Some platforms, like Airbnb, already offer a secure deposit system. All deposits must be paid via the platform, and in the event of damage, the host can make a partial or full deduction within 14 days of the checkout date. Other platforms, like Booking.com, have not yet implemented a deposit system. In that case, you can choose to use a <aux translate="no">secure online deposit platform</aux> to rent with peace of mind. Finally, don't forget to keep your receipts or send them to your <aux translate="no">Airbnb concierge service</aux> before listing, as this will save you time in your administrative tasks.

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5. Write your listing

Writing your listing is never an easy task. You need to sell your property while remaining accurate. The goal is not to mislead your guests, so you must find the right balance. The number of rooms, amenities, whether there is an elevator, and the floor level—everything must be included in your listing. This is the reference description your guests will rely on. You must also keep in mind that your guests may come from all over the world and plan to write your listing in at least French and English. The more internationally accessible it is, the more likely you are to get bookings!

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6. Set your price

Before putting your listing online, you must define your nightly rate. To do this, you can conduct a comparative study by looking at the prices of properties similar to yours, and also set the price based on the services you offer (parking space, pool, linens, personalized welcome, cleaning included, etc.). If renting out your property involves additional costs, such as concierge and cleaning fees, remember to factor them into your price so you don't end up losing money. Finally, remember to take into account the booking platform's commission; the price displayed to guests will not necessarily be the amount that ends up in your pocket. Once you have checked off all the steps on your list, you will be ready to start your Airbnb rental journey! Seasonal rental is a market in its own right, so don't hesitate to call on experts in the field to optimize your income. Expert management and concierge services put all their know-how to work for your Airbnb rental!