Airbnb…some people love it, others hate it. Regardless of what you think, Airbnb is still incredibly popular but it’s not exactly the cheap hotel alternative it once was thanks to cleaning fees, taxes and high prices. Also, with hotels you can use coupon codes and get cash back with Rakuten. But sometimes a hotel just can’t replicate what Airbnb has to offer. Thankfully, there’s several ways to save money on your next Airbnb listing. First we’ll go through how to compare prices. Then we’ll talk about bringing that price down even more. Finally, we’ll talk about how to get even more value back when you book.
The emphasis on this article is on Airbnb since that is the most popular platform but you can also apply a lot of this to Vrbo or direct listings as well.
HiChee
This website is an absolutely amazing tool and it will allow you to check your booking options. This is helpful because many hosts have their listing on multiple platforms. Instead of trying to find everything on your own, HiChee will compare prices for the exact same listing from Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com. You’ll be able to see all the different prices for the property so you can see which platform has the best price.
HiChee is very well thought out as it was clearly designed by someone that uses these home sharing platforms. For example, they have a feature called Magic Search, which allows you to use images from the listing to find even better deals on a rental property. Since some hosts have a private website, this feature can help find it so you can book direct. This can save you a lot of money since the host doesn’t have to split any money with Airbnb or Vrbo. Like I said, someone clearly put a lot of thought into this which is nice. It’s free and it’s easy to use.
But once you find the cheapest platform to book, you’re not done yet. There’s a few ways that you can still bring that price down.
Book either way in advance or at the last minute
Smart hosts adjust their prices based upon supply and demand. There’s a ton of competition many months out so you some hosts may lower their prices to stand out amongst all the other listings. Also, by having more choices, you’ll be able to get the rental that suits your needs instead of having to pick from what’s left if you were to wait. As your travel date gets closer and less listings are available, some hosts may increase the price.
Of course, there reaches the point where a host risks having an empty room and that’s just a waste of money. You could wait until the last minute but this isn’t a recommended strategy and instead more of an option you should consider if you are booking a hotel or vacation rental last minute. This also assumes that the host is smart enough to lower their prices. That’s not always the case but it’s worth checking out.
Book a longer trip
Many listings will automatically include a discount for longer bookings. So if a listing is normally $100 a night, maybe it’ll be $90 a night if you book for a week. However, some people may be staying at an Airbnb even longer than that. The longer you stay, the bigger the discount should be since you are reducing gaps in the host’s calendar. If you don’t see this discount reflected, there is another option.
Ask for a discount
This isn’t for everyone as it requires a bit of chutzpah but if you ask nicely and you make the right case, you might just be able to get a host to give you a discount. If you are looking to stay at a popular destination for just three days, asking for a discount just because will likely annoy the host. Your request to stay may even get denied if you seem like you’ll be a problem. That’s why I don’t recommend this for just any listing. You have to give them a reason why a discount makes sense.
If you’re going to stay for more than a week and you don’t see a discount reflected, then you can highlight to the host that this will reduce any potential gaps in their calendar. For shorter stays, if you see gaps in their calendar, you can ask to fill them. For example, the host has two weeks booked up, followed by two days that are available followed by several days or more booked after that. How many people are really looking for just those two days? Those gaps can be hard to fill and an empty space isn’t going to make any money. You can offer to book those two days thus filling that gap if some sort of discount is offered.
Another thing to look for is new hosts or new listings without reviews. Most people don’t want to be the first person on the dance floor and the same holds true for taking a chance with a new host on Airbnb. You can highlight that you have good reviews and that you will be sure to leave a very detailed review so they get more business in the future. This would be a no-brainer for the host. There are also experienced host that have reviews for other listings but none for their new ones. While some people might be willing to roll the dice given the host’s reviews for other listings, others won’t be willing to risk it. You can try the same strategy.
Please keep in mind that a discount does not mean close to free. There reaches a point where it just doesn’t make sense and that you sound like you’ll be a problem so be realistic. Here’s an example of how to ask for a discount:
Hello,
I am looking to visit Anywhereville with my wife to explore the area and I’m considering an Airbnb instead of a hotel. I saw a couple nice listings and yours stood out. It seems like a very nice place but it’s a little bit out of our budget at the moment. I noticed that (insert issue – gap in calendar, no reviews, etc) so I was hoping that I could (solve the issue – fill gap, leave a detailed review) that would be very beneficial to you. If you agree, I’d be happy to book it right away if you could reduce the total cost to $150. This would fit into our budget for this trip and we’d be happy to show our gratitude by leaving a very nice review for you (can’t hurt to repeat that if it makes sense). We can also be flexible with the check in and check out times if that helps you at all. (sometimes this could make a difference). As you can see, I have stellar reviews from my previous Airbnb stays as I treat every rental like it’s my own home.
I appreciate your time and consideration with this request. We’re really looking forward to this trip and I hope we can stay at your place.
That’s just an example of course but it highlights the important points. It isn’t pushy, it flatters the host a little, it presents a win-win situation and draws attention to your reviews so that the host can be satisfied that you won’t be a problem. If the host is smart, they’ll take your offer. But if not, the worst they can say is no.
Get rewarded for your bookings
So you’ve found the best way to book and you’ve asked for a discount. You’re still not done with the savings. If you are booking with Airbnb, you can earn Delta miles if you go to www.deltaairbnb.com You’ll earn one mile per dollar spent which is in addition to any other points/miles you’ll earn with whatever credit card you use. So while this will not save you any money on the listing itself, it’s still free miles that you can use at some later date.
If you are booking with Vrbo, you can sign up for One Key Rewards which is their free rewards program. You’ll start off earning 2% back on every dollar spent on Vrbo. The details are here: https://www.vrbo.com/welcome-one-key
What’s really nice is that these rewards can not only be used at Vrbo, but Expedia and Hotels.com as well. You can also start using the rewards right away. So even if all you have is $5 in rewards, you can use that off of your next booking.
But wait, there’s more. Unlike Airbnb, Vrbo participates with Rakuten. Right now, you’ll get $10 off per booking with Vrbo if you go through Rakuten. If you haven’t signed up for Rakuten yet, check out our article to find out why it’s one of our favorite ways to save money on travel. If you sign up through our link, you’ll get $30 free when you spend $30.
Hopefully you can employ all of these strategies to save money on your next vacation rental. If we left anything out, please let us know.
Still need help?
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