Interview with an Airbnb host in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia
I had the pleasure to live for a few months in Jakarta, Indonesia. The first apartment I rented was in Jakarta's district Pancoran. I had a fantastic experience there and decided to interview the host.
1. First, let's get to know you a little. Please introduce yourself. Who are you, and what do you do in life?
Hi, my name is Dinta, and I'm a dentist in a dental clinic in South Jakarta. I have a bachelor's degree in dentistry and a master's degree in business administration. I host Airbnb in South Jakarta, Indonesia. I have also become a content creator specializing in parenting on TikTok and run a family clinic business in Bekasi, West Java.
2. How did you come up with the idea to become an Airbnb host? What's your motivation, and how long have you been doing it now?
My brother is the owner of the Airbnb, but he's living in Germany, so I'm the one who manages the apartment. I've been doing it for five years now. The apartment was intended to be used by us privately, but we were not able to use it due to family reasons. Thus, we decided to host it on Airbnb to cover the maintenance cost. We received a lot of positive feedback from daily, monthly, and yearly tenants.
3. What are your thoughts on being an Airbnb host from a business perspective?
Honestly, Airbnb is pretty profitable, it covers all the maintenance costs, and there are a lot of opportunities to grow, maybe renting another apartment or house in the future.
4. What has been the biggest challenge during your hosting journey?
The biggest challenge, of course, was COVID19. When the country was in lockdown, and people worked a lot from home, it significantly affected our occupancy rate.
5. What was the worst and best experience with a guest?
Well, guess what? I crossed paths with my husband on Airbnb! My Airbnb uses a self-check-in system, so I didn't directly meet with the tenant. It's just an ordinary host and owner conversation that just ended there. He said he's a YouTuber (so I pretty much remember him because I stalk his YouTube, but not "stalking, stalking" though, just standard stalking), and he wants to take a video shoot on my apartment, so I remember his face on YouTube. Little did I know that when I wanted to apply for my master's degree, I met him for the first time.
The worst experience in Airbnb is one time I had this guest, the smart lock wouldn't work anymore, and our guest was locked outside :) but we got it covered as the technician came pretty fast.
6. That's amazing! Airbnb should rebrand into a dating app 😂. And good to know that the worst experience was with me 🤠! Anyway, how did you get through the COVID period, and how did it affect your Airbnb business?
During this pandemic season, there were a lot of cancellations, and I only approved long-term leases. The government regulations constantly changing because of the pandemic was another big hurdle.
7. What do you feel makes your Airbnb stand out to guests? What's the secret to your success, so to speak?
I think what stands out is my apartment has its own niche. It's designed for people who want to work from home. A smart desk and 27" curved monitors are available to boost your productivity. Just bring your laptop, keyboard, and mouse then you are ready to do work from home. Healthy living is essential, so a height-adjustable desk will help you balance sitting and standing. Not many apartments in Jakarta offer this much value.
8. That standing desk looks impeccable. Too bad it wasn't there when I rented your apartment. Just another reason to come back, though! What would you recommend to someone starting an Airbnb business in Jakarta?
Just do it! If you have the extra budget, put some effort into designing your apartment. Make something niche in your apartment that cannot be easily copied by someone else. Take 10% of your guest's fee to treat them with local food or give them something extra like essential oils. Always, always listen to your customers' needs and problems and give them the best solution you can. Provide a cleaning service that's nearby. Oh, and you can also install your door with an electric lock, so you don't have to meet with your guest every time they want to rent (if you're busy, this is really handy).
9. Any last takeaways?
I think we're good, thank you.
A big shoutout and thank you to Dinta for doing this interview. Make sure to check out Dintas' listing on Airbnb!
