How to get your property Airbnb-ready in 7 days

Going from an empty or tenanted property to a live, bookable Airbnb listing in seven days is entirely achievable - if you know the steps. Here's the process we follow for every new property we onboard.

Before anything else, confirm your compliance position. This means checking your mortgage terms (some standard residential mortgages restrict short-let), your buildings insurance (many policies exclude short-let), and local authority requirements including licensing in applicable areas.

You'll also need a valid Gas Safety Certificate, an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated E or above.

Professional photography is the single highest-ROI investment you can make in your listing. Properties with professional photos consistently outperform those with phone photos by 30-50% on both clicks and conversion.

Prepare the property as if for a show home - clear clutter, add fresh towels, make the beds with hotel-quality linens, add simple decorative touches. The shoot itself takes two to three hours.

A high-performing listing title and description takes skill. Focus on unique selling points (views, location, amenities), use clear and specific language, and front-load the most important information. Set competitive pricing based on comparable properties in your area.

Title best practices:

Publish your listing across all channels simultaneously. The first few reviews are the most important for the algorithm - so make sure the property is immaculate and the guest experience is flawless from day one.