5 Airbnb Tips I’ve Learned from 100+ Stays (That People Often Miss)
Last updated: June 2026
Over my years of travel, I’ve stayed in all kinds of places (hotels, hostels, short-term rentals), but I most often choose Airbnbs. Hostels are great for short trips, but as I prefer slow-travel, they’re not ideal for longer stays. And compared to hotels, Airbnbs usually offer more space and amenities like kitchens for lower prices. I also prefer Airbnbs for their more local feel. In some of my most memorable stays, my hosts welcomed me with warm conversations and local tips that made me feel at home right away.
But unlike hotels, Airbnb stays often feel less standardized, so finding a good one can take more research. For example, hotels are usually more relaxed about cleaning or small mishaps, but Airbnb rules can differ a lot by host. Some hosts just ask you to tidy up before checkout, while others have long lists of house rules and potential fines (see later tip).
After more than a hundred Airbnb stays – from rural RVs to city highrises, and from quick overnights to multi-month stays – I’ve learned many lessons, including hard ones that cost me money. So here, I share the tips that I now follow, many of which are details that people often miss, to make sure that I’m getting what I paid for and to protect myself as a traveler.
🧭 While You Search
🏡 Tip 1: Check the Amenities List
Don’t assume anything — even the “basics” can vary by country or host.
Hosts are obligated to provide amenities that they list explicitly, but not others (source). For example, in many Airbnbs in Latin America, they actually don't provide soap or shampoo unless they explicitly list that they do, when that's often standard in the US. And if you need a hair dryer or cooking utensils for your trip, definitely check before you book.
Additionally, you can also search in the reviews to check the quality and availability of amenities important to you, though reviews on them are not always available. Some common amenities and keywords that people care about:
Internet speed (use keywords internet, wifi): The majority of hosts, if they list wifi as an amenity, do not list the speed.
Laundry availability (use keywords laundry, washing machine, washer, dryer, drying machine): Hosts might list washer or dryer available but not whether it's in-unit or in the building, free or paid.
Natural light (use keywords window, light, sun): Photos might inflate the amount of sunlight in an apartment.
Convenience, like proximity to public transportation or grocery stores (use keywords metro, subway, bus, grocery, convenience, convenient)
Safety of the neighborhood and building (use keywords safe, secure, neighborhood, street, unsafe)
View from one of my favorite Airbnb stays — a small studio in Honolulu that had the window scenery the listing promised.
🔍 Tip 2: Read the Lowest Reviews
The bad reviews can help you understand whether the faults are legitimate, recent enough to impact you, and matter to you.
For example, I recently stayed in an Airbnb with a relatively low rating from a handful of reviews. But, looking at the worst review, I saw that it was a complaint about cleanliness from several years ago, seemingly from a misunderstanding. It turned out to be one of my favorite recent stays — super clean, huge space, with all the listed amenities and a responsive host.
On the flip side, one of my worst Airbnb experiences was from a listing with a relatively high rating and hundreds of reviews. At first glance, it looked safe. But when I went back and read the lower-rated reviews more carefully, I realized that several guests had described a similar issue to the one I experienced.
📋 Tip 3: Read the Fine Print in House Rules
Strict or easy-to-miss rules can live in the additional house rules section — knowing them upfront can save stress, confusion, and money.
Some listings could include important requirements in the additional house rules section: document deadlines, check-in windows, extra fees, building registration rules, or consequences for certain issues. This is especially important if you're traveling somewhere where Airbnb expectations may differ from what you're used to, but I would check that section every time.
If you know these rules before you book, you can decide that you don’t want to deal with them and go for another listing instead. Or, if you decide to book anyway, you’ll have a clearer record of what the host required and when.
A personal anecdote: My worst Airbnb experience, as I mentioned above, involved a 24-hour passport deadline for building registration that was included in the additional house rules but not clearly reinforced in our message thread. Asking for passports can be common in some countries, including Peru, where this happened. The problem was that by the time the host reminded us, the deadline had already passed, and after we sent the documents, they said building access could not be generated and asked us to cancel the reservation ourselves. Since that experience, I’ve been especially vigilant about any strict or easy-to-miss rules. Here’s my post on this particular experience, with the lessons and booking checks I now use.
👤 Tip 4: New Listing? Check the Host’s History
No reviews doesn’t always mean risky — check their other listings for patterns.
In my experience, looking at a host's other listings can give you a rough sense of what to expect – i.e. if you check out the listings from one host, they tend to be rated similarly. So, it’s unlikely that a new Airbnb from one host would drastically differ in quality from their established listings.
This is anecdotal, but I believe new Airbnbs are usually cheaper than established ones, maybe because lower prices allow them to get the bookings they need to build credibility. So if you find a new Airbnb with no reviews that you like but are worried about its quality, this tip can help you get a sense of that and help you save money.
🧳 Once You’ve Checked In
📸 Tip 5: Inspect Early and Report Quickly
Do a quick walkthrough as soon as you arrive and take pictures of any unexpected damages — it’s your best protection if something’s off.
The pictures can help show that the damage was already present when you arrived and give you leverage if the host tries to fine you for them. It’s even better to send the images immediately through Airbnb chat to your host. Communicating it through Airbnb preemptively keeps the record in the system if you need Airbnb support to sort things out.
Have these tips helped you?
Shoot me a message or leave a comment below, and share any other tips you have when booking Airbnbs!
Interested in travel itineraries?
I had a great time in Peru after dealing with the Airbnb problem :) Check out my Lima travel guides for its Miraflores and Barranco districts, and its Historic Center!
