How do I get my first bookings on a new Airbnb listing?

A brand-new listing has no star rating. Airbnb only shows the average rating once at least three guests have reviewed it (opens in a new tab), so your first guests decide on photos, price and description alone. This page sticks to what Airbnb publishes about new listings, read on Nov 4, 2026. HostCalmly is not affiliated with Airbnb, and nothing below can promise a booking. It's a list of the settings Airbnb describes, what each one costs you and how to use it.

Use the new listing promotion, with the numbers in front of you

Airbnb's discounts article (opens in a new tab) describes a new listing promotion of 20% off your first 3 bookings. Airbnb's new listing promotion page (opens in a new tab) says it runs until the listing gets 3 guest reviews or 10 bookings, whichever comes first, and that a reservation booked with the discount keeps it, even if you reach 3 reviews before that guest arrives. If your dashboard shows a different limit, go by what it shows.

The promotion page adds the details that matter for setup:

• Eligibility. The listing needs fewer than 3 reviews, and Smart Pricing has to be off.
• What guests see. The discount shows as a line in the price breakdown and as a strikethrough price in search results and on the listing page. Airbnb notes the strikethrough may not show in every region.
• Opting out. There's no commitment, and you can turn it off at any time. The discounts article says you manage discounts in your calendar under Pricing.
• Combining. The promotion page says it doesn't combine with other discounts and takes precedence when several apply. The help article says only one discount from that group applies per reservation, apart from the top-rated guest discount. Check the price breakdown on a test date to see what a guest would actually pay.

Airbnb's promotion page reports that, in its own 2025 data, listings using the promotion got more reviews in their first three months. That's Airbnb's figure, and it says results vary by listing and market.

Run the discount before you switch it on. Hypothetical example: a $150 nightly rate for 3 nights is $450. At 20% off, the guest pays $360 for the nights, a $90 difference, before Airbnb's service fee and before your cleaning fee. Put the discounted price into the Airbnb fee calculator and compare the payout with your break-even rate. If the discounted stay loses money after cleaning, lower the cleaning cost or skip the promotion.

Price against similar listings

Airbnb's search article (opens in a new tab) says search looks at the total price before taxes, including fees and discounts, and compares it with similar listings in the area. During setup, Airbnb suggests a starting price (opens in a new tab) based on location, amenities and similar nearby listings, and you can compare similar listings after you publish.

You have two ways to set the price:

• Set it yourself. Required if you want the new listing promotion, since it needs Smart Pricing off.
• Smart Pricing. Airbnb's Smart Pricing article (opens in a new tab) says it moves your nightly price up or down with demand inside a minimum and maximum you set. Discounts can push the guest's price below your minimum, so set the floor with that in mind.

Because search weighs the total price, a high cleaning fee raises what a short stay costs the guest. Check the total a guest sees for a 2-night stay, not just the nightly rate.

Turn on Instant Book and decide on guest requirements

Airbnb's Instant Book article (opens in a new tab) says guests can filter search for listings they can book instantly, and that Instant Book helps your response rate, which can improve your placement in search. To turn it on from a desktop, go to Listings, pick the listing, open Booking settings under the Listing editor, switch Instant Book on and save.

Airbnb's booking settings article (opens in a new tab) lists what you can add once Instant Book is on:

• Good track record. Only guests who have completed a stay without incidents or bad reviews can book instantly. It narrows the pool, because a guest who is new to Airbnb can't meet it.
• Pre-booking message. Questions the guest answers when they book.
• Manual review of your first bookings. The same article says new hosts can choose to review their first few bookings by hand.

If you're uncomfortable with an Instant Book reservation, Airbnb says you can cancel, but fees or other consequences may apply. Read what happens when a host cancels before you rely on that.

Pick a cancellation policy you can live with

Airbnb's cancellation policy article (opens in a new tab) lists four standard policies for stays under 28 nights:

All four also give a full refund within 24 hours of booking if the booking was made at least 7 days before check-in. Airbnb's search article doesn't name cancellation policy as a ranking factor, so don't expect a looser policy to move you up. Choose based on how easily you could rebook a date that cancels.

Keep the calendar open and answer fast

The search article says more open dates make a listing more likely to match a search, and that responding quickly, declining fewer requests and reducing booking restrictions all help. Airbnb asks hosts to respond within 24 hours (opens in a new tab) and measures your response rate over the past 30 days.

• Open the calendar at least a few months ahead, so long-planned trips can find you.
• Check your minimum stay. Long minimums on a new listing block short trips that could bring your first reviews. See minimum stays and gap nights.
• Turn on app notifications so a request doesn't sit overnight.

Make the listing complete

Airbnb's listing tips (opens in a new tab) say setup only offers a short list of amenities, and that you can add the rest from nearly 150 options after you publish. Guests filter by amenities, so a missing checkbox can hide you from a search. Airbnb names nine that guests often search for: Wi-Fi, pool, hot tub, kitchen, TV or cable, air conditioning, washer and dryer, free parking and self check-in.

Before you call the listing finished:

• Every amenity you actually have is checked, and nothing you don't have
• Photos of every space guests can use, so Airbnb's photo tour can sort them by room (see listing photos that sell the beds and bath)
• A short title that leads with your standout feature (how to write the title and description)
• All 7 standard house rules set, including guest count, pets and events (house rules examples)
• Self check-in details and a tested backup entry (self check-in guide)
• Safety devices and any exterior camera disclosed

Airbnb's host ground rules (opens in a new tab) say content that misrepresents the listing or misleads guests breaks its policy. A complete listing is an accurate one.

Earn the first reviews within Airbnb's rules

Guests and hosts have 14 days after checkout (opens in a new tab) to review each other. Reviews post when both have submitted or the window closes.

Airbnb's review policy (opens in a new tab) sets the limits. A review must be based on a real reservation. You can't offer anything of value for one, such as a discount, a refund or a positive review in return, and you can't pressure a guest about their review. Breaking the policy can get the review removed and the listing or account restricted.

What you can do:

1. Get the basics right for the first stays. Our first guests guide covers what to have in place, including a test night yourself.
2. Send clear messages at each step. Booking, check-in and checkout messages answer questions before they turn into complaints. The guest message tool writes them for you.
3. Review the guest promptly. Airbnb's reviews article for hosts (opens in a new tab) says reviewing your guest is one way to remind them to review you.
4. Reply to the reviews you get. See how to respond to Airbnb reviews.

Once the reviews arrive, how Airbnb search ranking works and Guest favorite and Superhost explain what Airbnb looks at next.