I have to admit that, for a while, I’ve been dragging my feet about using AirBnb. But last month, I decided to give it a try. Or felt I probably needed to in order to make my trip work.

I signed up for a travel conference in Washington, D.C., and my budget at the time was pretty tight. It turned out to be too tight for conference hotel room rates.

I still wanted to go to this event, so I created an account with AirBnb and browsed through their Washington, D.C. area listings. I scrutinized their locations and rental reviews. I figured to take a chance and put in for a reservation at a private apartment. It was a 10-minute walk from the conference’s location, at a price that was about that was about $100 to $200 less than all of the special conference rate hotels I was looking at. And it continuously got a high ranking from previous renters.

 

 

My request got approved, and so I went.

Now with my initial AirBnB stay complete, I did some thinking about my experience, which turned out to be fine. I came up with these suggested tips to share if you’re looking to do the same.

Think about what you comfortable with. Along with searching by location, searches for rentals on AirBnb can be broken down into subcategories such as type of setup. Rental types can go from homes and private apartments to rooms in the renter’s home and even untraditional lodging (like a poolhouse). While being in tune with what you can afford can be important, you also want to feel okay about where you’re staying. Although a room rental would have saved me about half of what I paid, I felt more secure about having my own place.

Fully read descriptions. Along with having photos of the property, AirBnb listers provide a description of what their rental looks like and what is being offered with it. Fully read and re-read this section, in order to make sure you know what you’re getting when booking a potential reservation. Make sure the listing has what you probably want or need. Is there Wi-Fi? Will bath towels be provided; do I need to bring toiletries? Does it have a kitchen area; it is stocked with housewares? Is a grocery store or public transportation nearby? Can you park a car there? Also, note your booking will include added on fees such as for cleaning and complying with local business tax laws.

 

 

Learn about access. One query to keep in mind with an AirBnb rental is how you’ll be let inside. Again, that’s where asking questions –and fully going over the listing – comes into play (AirBnb listers can be messaged through AirBnb.com). Confirm how you will access your dwelling. Will you have a key or combination number, and do you have to do anything else? In my experience, my keys were to be left in a lockbox on the outside door. The combination was given in my instruction booklet, and I tested it sans keys to be sure. At first, I dreaded the thought of not having the keys in my possession, but I grew to be fine with the lockbox. It meant I didn’t have to worry about losing this only set while I was out.

Look after the place. When you’re used to a hotel’s creature comforts, an AirBnb can be different. As in, who’ll be keeping your room nice and tidy? It’s best to remember that, during your stay, you probably will be responsible for making your bed and hanging up bathroom towels. Also with your kitchen area, you’ll probably be responsible for buying and making your own meals (or having to go out to eat). Of course, this can leave the dishwashing duties up to you. And guess who might have to take out the garbage.

Stay in contact. An AirBnb property lister should provide a phone number to reach him/her – or his/her representative – that should lead to a reasonable response time. Naturally, if you have an issue upon arrival or while there, you want to text and/or call the owner right away. Save it to your phone before arriving; confirm if they take texts. Texts can serve as a communication log for any problems, asking on-site questions, and also clarifying any issues. Initially, my rental had a plumbing issue, so I texted the property owner’s assistant ASAP. I later used my saved texts to remind my lister about what we agreed to (a price break for the inconvenience).

Be an ideal house guest. Regardless of your setup, do remember that you’re a guest in someone else’s home. Follow the golden housekeeping rule: treat this place as though you’d like yours to be treated. Tidy up loose ends before leaving. Put away items you’ve taken out. Even neatly folding and placing your used bed sheets on top of the bed is a kind gesture. Also, AirBnb gives about 14 days to list a rental review, so remember to leave your comments (as they will leave feedback about you in turn).

 

Have you used AirBnb before? What would you suggest?