Thanks to the rise of Airbnb and other online platforms, renting out your home for short-term lets has never been easier. And if you’ve got Klevio, it’s even more of a breeze. Here are our top tips for earning extra cash from your home — without a key in sight.

If you spend regular spells of time away from home and fancy making some extra cash while you’re out of town, you might consider letting out your home rather than it sitting empty.

With more than 25,000 Airbnb listings in Britain alone, everyone from empty-nesters with spare rooms to people suffering under the strain of high city rents are capitalising on a growing demand by travellers for staying in private homes rather than in more traditional accommodation.

But while the practicalities of renting out your home have never been easier, there remain a number of reasons why people are reluctant to make the jump — one of which is the hassle of giving out physical keys to your temporary guests.

This is where Klevio steps in.

No spare keys equals more spare time

With Klevio, there’s no need to worry about getting spare keys cut or handing over your own sets. All you need to do is share digital keys with your guests and then revoke them at the end of their stay, so they no longer have access to your home. Or you can simply make the keys time-limited so they only work for the period of time you specify.

You don’t even need to meet your guests in person either, saving you more time and effort. Sharing digital keys can be done from your personal dashboard on your Klevio app — all your guests need to do is download the app to their own phone and sign up for a Klevio account and you can send the keys straight to their app.

There are security benefits too. If you’re nervous about letting strangers into your home, you can keep tabs on when — and how often — they’ve been entering, in case you think there’s been some unusual activity. And if you’re too far away to pop in to check everything’s ok, you can let a friend or neighbour in remotely from your phone (or share keys with them too). However, for courtesy we’d always advise giving guests due notice if anyone’s going to be coming in to your home during their stay.

If that’s tempted you to take the plunge, then read on to discover some of our best tips for renting out your home on Airbnb— while enjoying some of the major benefits of Klevio along the way.

• Sell your home in words.When you create a listing for your home, you’ll be asked to describe it in your own words. This isn’t a time to be modest, but honesty is just as important. Our advise is to be descriptive in a way that lets guests imagine themselves in your home, so be sure to outline any quirky or distinctive feature, general layout, amenities, and local attractions too.
• Photos are key. Posting great pics of your home is one of the most important aspects of your listing, so it’s worth putting some effort in to showcase your home in the best way possible. Clean your apartment first, take photos in natural lighting, and remember to add some of your street and the local neighbourhood to give guests a real flavour.
• Respond quickly to enquiries.Every Airbnb host has a response rate based on how quickly and frequently they respond to messages. This rewards hosts that are prompt, and will reassure guests that you’ll be responsive throughout their stay too.
• Tweak your rates for special events. Just as hotels will hike their prices during busy times, you’ve every right to do the same with your home if there’s a big festival or event in your area. Try to be fair though — it won’t gain you any fans if you push your rates too high.
• Offer some words of wisdom. One of the things that guests love most is when hosts provide recommendations for what to do nearby. Know a great local bistro that’s probably not in the guide books? Or an ethnic deli selling exotic spices that you can’t find anywhere else? If you don’t want to let the world know about your local gems, then you could simply write out a list for guests to find when they arrive.
• Leave a little something. First impressions are important, and what better way to make your guests feel at home than by leaving them a little prezzie? Whether it’s a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine, it’s certain to go down a treat.
• Always leave reviews. Leaving a review of your guests is courteous, and shows that you’re a responsible host. Remember, potential guests can see all of your written reviews (both about you and ones you’ve written on guests), so be respectful and detailed, as this gives potential bookers a taste of who you are.
• Have an emergency contact. If you won’t be nearby, it’s a good idea to have someone reachable who can deal with any emergencies or other issues, whether its a clogged sink or Internet problems. An unreachable host is a guest’s worst nightmare and will probably result in a negative review.

So there we have it. We’re sure you’ll have your own ideas for how to make a success of renting out your home, but we hope our own list has given you some inspiration. And if Klevio can play a part too, all the better. Happy renting!

Like the idea of sharing digital keys with guests? Learn more about this feature by going to the app page on the Klevio website.