Editor’s Note: How to Save Money on Airbnb was originally published January 2019 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

If you are actively pursuing your Adventure Travel bucket list like we are, then you know exploring the world can be truly amazing! But though the reward is immeasurable, the costs of traveling can sometimes be something of a hinderance. That’s why we’re constantly scouring the internet for travel hacks that give me the best value for my money.

One of the best money-saving techniques we often use when traveling is looking at places to stay on Airbnb. We love Airbnb for multiple reasons. But probably one of the biggest reasons is that we can save money on some of the best Airbnbs in the U.S. compared to hotels in a similar location. Plus, with a few extra travel hacks, we have developed a strategy to help anyone save even more money on Airbnb! Check out these 11 travel hacks that could save you hundreds of dollars on your next Airbnb booking!

1) Use an Airbnb Coupon Code

Sadly, Airbnb has stopped giving out Coupon Codes for Guests.  Before February 26, 2021, the easiest way to save money on Airbnb was to use a first-time coupon code. Essentially by accepting the Airbnb Coupon Code, you were immediately given $55 (USD) off your very first Airbnb booking! It was a great way to save money on Airbnb while testing out the numerous options they had to offer. 

Now, though they don’t offer new promos, some of you may still be able to save money.  See, according to Airbnb, “If you were sent a coupon prior to the shutdown of the program, you will be able to use the coupon on any booking made prior to the expiration of the coupon.”

So, log on to your account and see if you have pending coupons or credits. All you have to do is log on, click on your profile in the top right, select ACCOUNT, and then Referral Credit & Coupon. If you have a credit from a promotion waiting for you, USE IT before they cancel them entirely.

2) Book Early

Like with any sort of travel, whether you are trying to find a cheap flight or cheap lodging, timing can be crucial. Sometimes we wait too long to find a place to stay when travelling to a popular location or a specific event and it costs us. So don’t make that mistake. Booking early can really help you save money on Airbnb! Plus, we found that you can often find cooler locations in a more centralized spot if you start checking earlier before they book up. For example, we found a great Airbnb deal in Munich for Oktoberfest in 2017 near the festival grounds just by looking at places a few months earlier.

3) Try To Be Flexible With Your Travel Dates

Flexibility is often one of the biggest keys to travel hacking. If you are trying to save money on Airbnb, then being flexible with your dates can often help. Obviously, weekends may be a bit more expensive. But if you can stay mid-week in a desired location, you can possibly save some extra money on your place of choice. When you find a desired location, look at the host’s calendar and see the prices for different days before booking.

4) Save Money on Airbnb by Staying Longer

We can see it in your face right now, did they say staying longer would save money on Airbnb? They must be crazy!

Well, we are a bit crazy, but seriously, you may also consider trying to extend your stay.

See, many hosts on Airbnb will offer discounts for longer stays. For example, as seen in the picture above, it is actually $6.00 cheaper to book 7 nights versus just 6 at an Airbnb we found in San Diego, California.

So read all of the offers listed to see if adding a day may help you save money on the property. In general, we have found that many Airbnb properties offer anywhere from 10%-30% off depending on whether you are looking at weekly or monthly stays.

5) Pay Attention To The Extra Fees

One of the biggest mistakes we personally make is overlooking the extra fees involved with travelling. A place on Airbnb may have a great initial price but then with extra fees like cleaning or a service fee, you can get nickel and dimed up to a price you may not like. Therefore, look at the total price with fees and see if that matches your budget. Also look for places that don’t charge extra per person. The good thing about Airbnb is that all fees must be presented up front, so you won’t be surprised.

6) Search Better

Taking your time to really search better can save you money on Airbnb. It is easy to just search the city center for a place to stay. However, with a little research, you can find an awesome place that may be just outside of your desired location. For example, with a little research Darcee & I found a penthouse suite in Edinburgh, Scotland for $51 a night. The only issue was that was 1.5 miles away from the city center. But in our research, we realized it was an easy 5-minute walk to a public bus. So, every day, as our host Trevor put it, we were “whisked to Holyrood Palace and the Parliament buildings, to the city center, or down to the waterfront to visit bustling Leith, Ocean Terminal shopping mall, or the world-famous Royal Yacht Britannia” by bus.

7) Negotiate With The Host

One of the interesting factors about Airbnb is that the room prices are set by the individual hosts. So, you may not have to necessarily accept the initial price. If you are lucky, you might be able to haggle with a host and save on Airbnb. Here are the steps to successfully negotiate with your host:

• Do not click the red Book button. Instead, scroll to the bottom of the listing and click Contact Host.
• Here is where you can easily send a quick message to your host.
  • Share in your email any positive reviews you have on Airbnb from previous stays
  • Share how long you are planning on staying & why you feel their location is ideal for your travel adventure. Remember in general, many hosts offer discounts for longer stay and it will be noted. However, let’s say they only offer that for a 7 day stay and you’re staying for 6. Ask your host if they would be willing to give you the 7-day rate for your 6 days.
  • We usually check out multiple Airbnb locations and may send a counteroffer to several people. But if there is a place you really like, give them an idea of what you can possibly afford. Also share with them what nearby places are offering to see if they are willing to match those lower prices.
  • We like to look for places with zero or few reviews. I have found that places with zero or few reviews are often the best bet in order to save money on Airbnb. This is because they may be new or just a bit farther from the tourist areas. But reviews are very important to Airbnb hosts as they allow them to be found more effectively and can ultimately equal more visitors. Therefore, tell them that you will write a review for them after your stay in exchange for a discount.
  • If you don’t have a price point of nearby places, then just give them a price point 20 – 30% lower than their asking rate.
  • Ask them, if that price point sounds good to them, to “Send a Special Offer.” Special Offers allow the host to set a custom price for a guest who has sent a booking inquiry. A special offer is for those who are ready to confirm a reservation because it is only valid for 24 hours. Therefore, hosts may be more willing to offer you a deal if they know you are not just a looky-loo.

8) Search For Discounted Airbnb Gift Cards

One of the easiest ways to save money on Airbnb is to buy gift cards at a discounted rate. We have had some success finding Airbnb gift cards for sale for anything from 3% to up to 20% off. It is actually rather easy to just check when you start your travel planning. Several websites we use will even email us when Airbnb gift cards become available at a certain price we want or when they go on sale.

When looking for discounted Airbnb gift cards, we immediately search Raise! They make it easy to buy gift cards online at a discount so you can save on a wide variety of brands, retailers, and restaurants. In general, we save around 3% or more off an Airbnb gift card.

Another thing we like is that many of their gift cards are actually e-gift cards. So, once we purchase them, we can immediately use it to save money on Airbnb! Plus, you can join Raise today & get $5 to spend on any discounted gift card you want by CLICKING HERE!

HOT TIP: If you use Ebates, also known as Rakuten, login to your account before using Raise. Currently, users get 1% cash back on all Raise purchases through Ebates. So, you not only save on Raise but get an additional rebate. If you have never used Ebates, you can join for free and also get a $10 Welcome Bonus by Clicking Here!

9) Redeem Your Points For An Airbnb Gift Card

If you have a credit card that allows you to collect rewards points, you may be able to redeem them for an Airbnb gift card. For example, with American Express membership rewards, you can redeem $100 Airbnb Gift Cards for 10,000 points. Or if you have Chase Rewards, you can get a $25 Airbnb gift card for 2,500 points. So, make sure you are earning your rewards points on every purchase so you can snag a gift card.

However, if you are like Eric, you don’t use credit cards so earning memberships rewards may not be an option.  But don’t fret because, you can still find fun ways to earn points to redeem for gift cards. Personally, we participate in rewards points websites like MyPoints where we collect reward points by participating in miscellaneous free activities or making online purchases from certain retailers.

Now you can’t necessarily use your points on either of these sites for an Airbnb gift card directly. But we personally use our points for Visa Gift Cards or a Paypal redemption. Then we can easily use that cash redemption to purchase our Airbnb stay.

10) Refer Others To Become an Airbnb Host

So, we all know by now that there is no Airbnb affiliate program or even a simple referral system for earning on stays.  However, there is still a truly simple way to earn money on Airbnb.  The most popular way now is to invite anyone and everyone to become an Airbnb host.

After you introduce a friend to the Airbnb Host Program, then they’ll get an extra $10 after completing their first booking. But then you too will earn $220 for the one-time referral.

11) Search Outside Of Airbnb

In reality, sometimes Airbnb just isn’t the best priced option on a specific property you found. But in our research, we’ve found that often a host is renting out their space on Airbnb and using other booking services as well. This is even more of a probability if the Airbnb listing is a popular named place with tons of reviews. Therefore, we will often try searching for the Airbnb place we like on another site like Booking.com just to see if the price is lower.

So, as you can see, with a few simple and easy to use travel hacks, anyone save money Airbnb! Which one of these 11 travel hacks have you used to save money on Airbnb? Have you ever even stayed in an Airbnb? If so, did you love it? Let us know all about your personal Airbnb experiences in the comments below!

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