How far ahead should your Airbnb calendar be open?

Every Airbnb listing has a setting for how far into the future guests can book. Most hosts leave it on whatever the default was when they signed up and never think about it again. It's worth a few minutes, because the right window depends on your market, how you price, and how settled your own plans are.

The case for opening far ahead

Some guests plan a long way out. Families booking school holidays, people coming for weddings, groups organising a big trip, and anyone visiting for an event that's fixed a year in advance. If your calendar only opens three months ahead, those guests book somewhere else before they ever see you.

In markets with strong seasonal peaks, like the seaside in summer or ski areas in winter, the best weeks often go months ahead. A longer window gives you a shot at them.

The case against

The risk is pricing. A date eleven months away is priced on a guess. If you set it too low and a guest snaps it up, you're stuck with that rate when the date comes round and demand turns out higher. Cancelling to fix it isn't a real option; our post on cancelling a guest's booking covers why it hurts more than it helps.

Your own plans matter too. If you might use the place yourself, renovate, or stop hosting, an open calendar a year out commits you to guests you may later have to let down.

A sensible default for small hosts

For most hosts with one or two listings, three to six months is a comfortable window. It's long enough to catch most planned trips and short enough that you can set prices with some idea of demand.

Open further if:

• Your area has a peak season that books early and you know roughly what those weeks are worth.
• You've hosted for a year or more and have last year's bookings to price from.
• Your plans for the property are settled.

Keep it shorter if you're new, your plans are uncertain, or you'd rather adjust prices often than commit to them early.

If you open far ahead, price high

The usual approach for distant dates is to set them on the high side and come down as the date approaches if they haven't booked. An early planner who's set on your place will often pay a bit more for certainty. If they don't, you've lost nothing, because you can always lower the price later. You can't raise it once it's booked.

Our post on whether you need dynamic pricing covers when it's worth letting software manage this, and when a few calendar reminders are enough.

Block what you already know

Before widening the window, go through the months you're about to open and block:

• Dates you'll use the property yourself.
• Planned maintenance or a deep clean that needs a few clear days.
• Anything that would make the place unpleasant to stay in, like scheduled building work next door.

Then mark local events, holidays and festivals and price those dates separately. These are the dates early planners book first, and the ones most often underpriced.

Revisit it each season

Your window doesn't have to stay fixed. Many hosts open a longer window in the run-up to their peak season to catch early bookers, then pull it back in the quieter months. Set a reminder at the start of each season to look at what's booked, what's open, and whether the far-off prices still make sense. If you're also looking at how long guests can stay, our guide to minimum stays is a useful next read.