Negotiate
Hosts advertise their properties on Airbnb because of the wide reach, but that comes with a fee. According to Kyle Kroeger, founder and editor-in-chief of ViaTravelers, hosts are often willing to negotiate with travelers to get around this charge.
“If you’re booking a longer stay or traveling off-season, reaching out to the host to ask whether they’ll adjust the rate can lead to meaningful savings,” he said. “Many hosts are willing to lower prices when they don’t have to pay high platform fees.”
Book on a different platform
Many hosts use property management companies to handle their bookings, meaning the listing can be found on other sites for a more affordable rate. This allows the hosts to avoid paying commission to Airbnb.
To find the listing on other platforms, Hospitable Product Director Andrew Schorr said to look for clues in the listing, such as a brand name or a watermark in the photos.
“You can also use Google Travel, which compares listings from a range of sources including direct booking sites,” he said. “Because Google doesn’t take a commission, the price you see is often the most competitive.”
Plan well in advance
Often used in the vacation rental industry, dynamic pricing automatically adjusts nightly rates based on real-time events in the area and peak travel times. Although it increases the price based on demand, there’s a way to make it work in your favor according to David Ciccarelli, CEO of Lake.com.
“If you’re booking an Airbnb for an event, such as a music concert or festival that was just announced, book your accommodations before the dynamic pricing tools kick in to avoid seeing a surge in the daily rate,” he said. “You can save as much as 50%.”
Ciccarelli also said flexibility is key, and adjusting travel dates to mid-week if possible can save you big bucks.
Extend your stay
The number of nights you book impacts nightly pricing. To get the best deal, Ciccarelli said there is a magic number to hit the sweet spot.
“Book six or seven days — never five or eight — as many hosts use a type of promotion called ‘Length of Stay’ promotion that is set for one week, defined by either six nights or seven days,” he said.
Ciccarelli said depending on how aggressive the host is with their promotion, this tactic can easily save travelers 10% or more.
Content Creator Brooke Bunch may be reached at brooke_bunch@yahoo.com.
About the Author
