Travel

11 Money-saving Tricks for Airbnb You Probably Don’t Know

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Book the same Airbnb for an entire week

If you’re thinking of staying at an Airbnb for three or four nights, and then booking a different home for another three or four nights in the same city, just choose one. “Most Airbnb hosts offer discounts on weekly or monthly stays (sometimes as much as 30 percent). So if you were thinking of staying for five nights, consider extending your trip to seven nights to see if the total price drops,” says Theresa Boehl, editor at BeachDeals.com. We promise you whatever neighborhood you forgo staying in will still welcome you as a visitor, imbiber, or hiker.

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Refer others to earn free money on the site

An oft-overlooked but easy way to get credits for your next Airbnb: invite your friends ( or those third cousins who are conveniently all looking for digs for the same destination wedding) to use Airbnb and you can get a credit in your account when they make their first reservation. You can learn more about referral terms here, but the basic breakdown is $20 when they complete a reservation, and $75 if they host on Airbnb. The person you refer also gets a $40 credit.

Repeat guest? Let the host know

If you loved a property and are planning another visit, don’t be shy about telling your host. “They may offer a price break, add an extra food item in the fridge, or perhaps be more open to giving secret tips about area attraction discounts,” says Josie Schneider and Conrad Knutsen, of Housesittingtravel.com and frequent Airbnb users. “At a repeat stay in Paris, the host provided us with a subway card, topped off with enough money on it to get us around for the length of our stay.” Also, if a friend or family member previously stayed at an Airbnb you’re booking, be sure to drop that info in a message.

Use the “Pay Less Up Front” payment option

Book now, pay for part of your trip later. The new feature allows you to pay for a portion of your trip when you book (typically 50 percent of the full price), and the rest around the time of your actual travel dates. Note: This option isn’t available for bookings in Brazil, China, and India.

Try negotiating with the host

“Most travelers just accept the listed Airbnb rates at face value without realizing that hosts are often very open to negotiating,” says Eric Anthony, a deals expert at HoustonOnTheCheap.com. Some hosts won’t reply or flat-out refuse, but you may find some willing to barter. You’ll likely have more leverage if you’re booking a multi-week stay or are visiting during the area’s off-peak season. For extended stays, scan the listing’s description for discounted rates or see if monthly rates are listed for a specific property in your search results.

Reserve last-minute or far in advance

Both can have their perks—just ask Michael Rozenblit, Airbnb host and co-founder of theworldwasherefirst.com. “If you’re quite specific about the type of Airbnb you’re after, then it’s best to book well in advance,” Rozenblit says. “Many of the best places get booked out quickly, particularly in peak season and cities where there are limited number of hosts.” Alternatively, postponing bookings until the holy-crap-the-Chicago-Cubs-game-is-next-week moment can pay off. “As a host, we often put our prices down a week or two before if we haven’t got any bookings to encourage people to book our place. We also usually heavily discount our room for midweek bookings so if you have flexibility that can be a great way to save money,” Rozenblit says.

Book with a new host

Perhaps a tip best reserved for the brave, booking with Airbnb newbies can prove fruitful for both parties. “Reach out to Airbnb hosts who are new to the platform and haven’t gotten any reviews yet,” Boehl says. “If they’re not already offering an introductory discount, you can ask them to bring down the price. Most are so desperate to get those initial reviews that they’ll have no problem offering the space to you for less.”

Don’t leave your Airbnb without taking some pictures

Getting slammed with extra cleaning fees is no fun, especially if you’re not culpable. Instead, follow the lead of style and travel blogger Chelsea Henriquez: “I always snap a couple of shots of the place as it was left, in case the owner wants to dispute additional cleaning charges. It’s happened to a group of friends and me that the property owner considered the place to be left too messy and charged us additionally, and since we didn’t have any images to prove the contrary we had to pay up.”

Reserve a single room instead of a full apartment or home

If you prioritize staying in the city center or a specific neighborhood over staying on the outskirts of town, a room may be the way to go. “Don’t be scared to get a private room instead of an entire apartment, if you don’t have to,” says Kathleen Connell of BluewaterNomad.com. “Make friends while you are traveling. No one knows the city better than the person already living there.”

Reserve an Airbnb "Experience"

Airbnb has launched a robust catalog of what it calls Experiences, ranging from cooking classes to horseback riding, which can be less than booking through traditional tour groups or vendors. When you book, read the full description carefully, as some hosts offer days-long immersions, while others provide single-day activities. Using the “types” button, select if you want the former or the latter (which last at least two hours).

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