How To Offer Free Parking for Airbnb Guests and Make It Profitable?

It's no secret that short-term or shared accommodation is one of the most popular trends in hospitality right now. Airbnb is unquestionably the clear winner in this category, with its offering evolving from simply providing a place to stay to allowing the sharing of entire homes or apartments, often with unique features and amenities. This evolution creates a new set of business requirements for hosts, who must decide what services to provide in order to stand out from the crowd and compete with other properties offered on the same platform. One interesting way to do that is by offering free parking. But how can it possibly be profitable? Keep reading because we'll reveal you how free parking can be an excellent strategy to earn more money on Airbnb.

Step up your Airbnb game

As a host, you want to make your guests feel welcome and comfortable during their stay. One way to accomplish that is by providing free parking spaces for them. If you are considering including parking as part of your Airbnb service, we have some good news: adding this amenity to your property might be the simplest way to increase your Airbnb income and attract more guests. It’s not just a nice gesture—it can actually help you earn more money through increased occupancy and higher ratings. 

So, let's take a look at what you need to do to provide parking for your guests, as well as the positive effects it will have on your accommodation rental business's profitability.

Organize parking on the property

So, you've enabled the free parking option for your Airbnb listing, and that's a terrific start! However, now you must also ensure your guests can park in front of your accommodation. But how can you be certain that no one else will take advantage of the parking reserved exclusively for your guests? Don't worry, there are several innovative parking solutions available to assist you in protecting each of your allotted parking places. 

To make your job simpler, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular parking barriers on the market, so you can quickly choose a suitable parking management solution. The barriers featured are mostly simple to install and composed of robust, quality materials. Some of them have useful extras such as an obstruction detection system, vandal protection, auto closure, and digital key sharing. 

So, if you want to guarantee that your visitors have their own designated spot in front of your accommodation while also safeguarding it from unlawful usage by others, these choices may be just up your alley.

Now, let's examine how organized parking can increase the profitability of your Airbnb property so that your investment in parking protection is worthwhile.

Make money out of free parking

The Global Pandemic has had a significant impact on the travel industry, forcing many people to change their travel habits. One of the most significant changes has been in the way people travel for leisure. Many people who would have previously relied on public transportation such as a plane, train, or bus are now driving themselves to their destinations. This means that more people than ever before are traveling by car, which is great news for Airbnb hosts who provide free parking as an amenity. 

Despite being a seemingly small thing, providing free parking can actually make a big difference in your profits—and not only because it will help draw more people to your listing; it can even affect whether your listing will appear on a search list at all. According to a recent Airbnb study,  visitors often filter their search results to uncover the top ten features, and free parking ranks fourth on this list. That implies that if you don't provide free parking, your ad may not appear as often as you would like when a person searches for accommodation at your destination. 

But that's just the tip of the iceberg; there are several more reasons why including free parking on your Airbnb listing might be beneficial. Let's get into the specifics!

Boost your overall occupancy rate 

Free parking is a great way to boost your occupancy rate. It will also allow you to compete with other listings that may provide similar amenities but charge for parking.

When booking travel accommodation online free parking is one of the most searched-for amenities, so making it available free of charge will have a significant impact on your overall occupancy rate. Providing free parking will not only help you,  as a host to attract more guests, but it will also encourage them to stay longer.

When people are faced with the prospect of paying for parking, they may decide that it isn't worth the cost and choose another place to stay. This can result in fewer guests coming through your doors and ultimately less revenue for you as a business owner.

Increase your accommodation price

We have determined that the free parking perk is one of the most popular amenities that travelers look for when booking a rental unit. But did you know that whether or not you provide free parking affects your listing price?

According to  Airbnb research, listings that offer free parking amenities have higher prices than those that did not. While adding a parking fee as an extra charge may discourage travelers, many potential guests are ready to pay more for accommodation that includes parking as a part of a package because they see parking as an added value. Isn't it fascinating how human psychology works at times?  

This means that offering free parking can help increase your chances of getting booked—and at a higher price! It will give you a significant competitive advantage in high-traffic neighborhoods. San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Boston, in particular, are among the top cities where listings with free parking are priced higher than those without. If your listing doesn't offer free parking amenities, you're losing out on potential revenue.

Improve the guest experience

The way you treat your guests can make or break their vacation and it all starts with the basics. Your accommodation should be a place where people feel safe and secure—and one of the simplest ways for you to make an impression on your guests and improve their experience at your accommodation is by offering free parking.

When you offer free parking, it shows that you care about the comfort and convenience of your guests and that's something that will make them feel appreciated and welcome in your place. 

Guests will be impressed by your hospitality, especially if they've just driven in from a long distance. This enables them to relax and enjoy their time without worrying about finding a place to park their car.

Get better reviews  

If you're a host or the owner of an accommodation business, you know how difficult it is to get those five-star reviews. You don't always have time to focus on the little things that really matter.

Great reviews are important because they help you build trust with potential guests who look at our listings online. No matter where you advertise your accommodation—on Airbnb, Booking, TripAdvisor, or elsewhere—your reviews impact your ranking as well as how popular your listing becomes. They can be a make-or-break factor in terms of attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.

A free parking space is an important factor that influences the reviews of your accommodation. The accommodations that offer free parking have received better reviews. It helps you create a strong bond with your guest and increase their satisfaction. It’s as simple as that! 

Increase customer loyalty

We all know that going on a vacation is all about unwinding and having fun, and what better way to do it than not having to worry about where your car is parked?  Free parking is an opportunity to stand out and give your customers more value. It's also good business sense: most people will return to an accommodation that provides free parking—which means more bookings for you!

Free parking can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty by reducing the stress of finding a parking space, paying for it, or worrying about getting towed away while they're out enjoying themselves during their stay. By providing free parking at your accommodation, you have given your customers one less thing to worry about, which is exactly what everyone wants on vacation.

Customers who become loyal to you are more likely to return and tell their friends. When their friends have a similar positive experience, they will tell their friends. That is how word-of-mouth marketing works.

Stand out from the competition

To summarize, if your property has enough space to accommodate guest parking, you're sitting on an excellent revenue source. It’s a fantastic idea for you as a host to boost the occupancy rate and increase the revenue. By giving guests their own parking spot, you can better tailor the experience to their needs. You also give them the freedom to come and go as they please, resulting in a more enjoyable overall experience for them during their stay. It makes people more likely to book your place because it shows you're willing to go above and beyond what's expected of a host. Finally, caring for your guests is essential to being a good host. What's the bottom line? Free parking is a great perk to offer your guests, but it shouldn't become the focal point of your listing. Rather, think of it as icing on the cake.