How to Get an Airbnb Discount – Tips & Insider Tricks

Smart travellers understand that there are plenty of discounts to be found if you know where to look and how to ask. How to get Airbnb discount?  From booking hacks to lesser-known features on the site, here are tips and tricks to save you hundreds on your next stay.

Long Term Stays on Booking.com – Get your discount automatically.

There are usually auto-generated weekly and monthly discounts for Airbnb hosts. Staying seven nights or more will grant you 10-20% off per night, and your stay for a month can save you 30-50%. Even if you don’t want to stay that long, look at booking longer stays so you can get those discounted rates. When you choose eligible dates, the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Travel during Off-Peak Seasons

Airbnb bargains are a matter of timing. There a high and low seasons for the destinations. Prices can increase/decrease quite significantly between these periods. Beach resorts are much cheaper in the winter, and ski resorts in the summer. Ditching school holidays, bank holidays, and big local events will drop the cost by 40% or more. Find out when the quiet times are at your destination for the biggest savings.

Use Airbnb Coupons and Referral Credits

New customers are offered a large first booking discount from referral programmes. Ask your friends who use Airbnb for their referral link; they usually grant you something like £25-35 off your first stay. You and your friend both receive credit.

Find current Airbnb promo codes by visiting sites such as RetailMeNot and HotUKDeals. Though rarer than in years past, occasional seasonal sales may also include percentage or fixed-sum discounts off bookings.

Email campaignsAirbnb also operates email campaigns that are focused on a country and contain special discounts for users who have already used them. Turn on email notifications and look out for deals that match your search directly to your inbox.

Book Early or Last-Minute

Optimal pricing is available from two booking windows, either far in advance or very last minute. Booking 6 to 12 months in advance is also a way of locking in a lower rate before demand starts to pick up again. Hosts are competitively priced initially to win early bookings.

On the other hand, if three days before the arrival dates, units are still unsold, prices are often cut. Hosts discount their rates rather than forfeit income. It’s a bit of a gamble, but it can save you a bundle if you’re a traveller who enjoys going with the flow.

Look for Airbnb Plus or Superhost Properties

On the flipside, Airbnb Plus listings and Superhosts can occasionally provide better value. These high-end hosts are full and busy with well-priced and good-quality service. Their weekly and monthly discounts tend to be higher than those of normal listings.

Superhosts are perfectly aware that it’s the glowing reviews and return bookings that matter, rather than squeezing the highest possible rate out of each night. Many are priced sensibly to retain their status and bragging rights.

Consider Entire Home Alternatives

Sharing an entire property with other travellers or booking a private room in a shared home is dramatically cheaper than renting an entire apartment. If you’re solo or have just one travel buddy, private rooms in local houses offer authentic experiences for a fraction of the cost.

Filters enable you to filter your search for private or shared rooms. Quite a few hosts are happy to provide fantastic local knowledge and hospitality, meaning their value extends beyond simply accommodation.

Use Price Comparison and Monitoring Tools

 Browser extensions, such as Honey, will automatically look for coupon codes that may be applied at checkout. Although there are a few Airbnb-specific codes, it doesn’t hurt to check with virtually no effort. Use Airbnb’s wishlist function to set up price alerts. Bookmark the properties you like, and Airbnb will tell you if they fall in price or if there are special deals from those hosts. Compare Airbnb to hotels on third-party sites like Trivago or Booking.com. Occasionally, traditional accommodation offers better value for money, and this research will strengthen your negotiating stance when you message hosts.

Avoid Additional Fees

Choose a property with a reasonable cleaning fee and service charge. These charges add multiple dollars to the total price. Sort your results by “total price” rather than by nightly rate to get a more accurate comparison of the real costs.

Reserve your lodging closer to city centres to avoid high transfer charges. The savings on transportation often make up for the slightly higher nightly rates.

Final Thoughts

It’s about applying a few tactics to save money. Long-term booking in the off-season, be polite when you talk to your host, and take advantage of referral credits. Best savings unlocked with flexible dates and types of accommodations.

Don’t expect the cheapest option to give you the best bang for your buck. Weigh the desirability of location, amenities, and reliability of hosts against cost. A three-star property for an extra $20 a night in the heart of the city may well be cheaper in the end than a one-star property way out in the suburbs that requires a $15 taxi ride, each way, every day.