HOW TO FIND THE BEST AIRBNB DEALS

Have you ever looked at an Airbnb listing and thought, This looks perfect… but why are the fees doing too much? 😩 Don’t worry—I’ve been there! Whether you’re wondering how to get a discount on Airbnb or just trying to make your next stay cheaper without sacrificing comfort, I’ve got you covered.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we’ll receive a commission if you purchase through our links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

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Over the years, I’ve traveled to 50+ countries, staying in Airbnbs everywhere from beachside bungalows to city apartments.

Along the way, I’ve figured out some real-world strategies to save money while still booking stays I actually want to stay in.

Your choice of accommodation can really make or break your travel budget, so finding the best Airbnb deals is key.

And trust me, it’s not just about searching at the right time—it’s about knowing how to book smarter.

Here’s a sneak peek of what I’ll cover in this article:

• Being flexible with your dates.
• Using cash-back gift cards or credit card perks.
• Booking through airlines for extra discounts.
• Even negotiating directly with hosts!

Sound like what you need? Keep reading for all the details to help you save big on your next Airbnb booking.

Need to pick the PERFECT Airbnb for your next trip? >> Download these top 6 exclusive Airbnb Tips!

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What is the Controversy with Airbnb?: Airbnb Crisis

With Airbnb, you can find affordable options that offer a local and authentic experience, giving you a taste of the destination’s true essence.

However, it’s essential to address the concerns surrounding the “Airbnb crisis.”

Airbnb has led to the displacement of locals as landlords convert their properties into short-term rentals, and certain areas have become overcrowded with tourists, affecting the peace of once-quiet neighborhoods.

To be a responsible traveler, it’s crucial to choose your Airbnb wisely and minimize harm to the local community.

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind:

• Research the destination to see the local perspective on Airbnb and assess its impact. Is it causing more harm than good?
• Avoid city centers plagued by over-tourism. Consider staying in less popular areas to support small businesses.
• Opt for a private room or shared space instead of booking an entire rental, as dedicated Airbnb properties can contribute to displacing locals.

Once you’ve embraced responsible practices, let’s dive into the 8 best ways to get a discount on your next Airbnb!

RELATED ARTICLE: Airbnb Pros and Cons

If the above recommendations don’t match your travel style, simply consider alternative accommodations like hotels or hostels, rather than using Airbnb irresponsibly.

Now, let’s get into these tips so you can find the best Airbnb deals!

RELATED ARTICLE: 14 Common Travel Mistakes (& How to Avoid Them At All Costs!)

1. Have Flexible Dates to Book Your Airbnb Stays

Flexibility is the name of the game when you are looking to spend less money on vacation. This is true when it comes to finding cheap flights, and it also applies to finding a cheap Airbnb.

Let’s say you want to spend a weekend in Mexico City. You enter your destination and then Airbnb will ask you, “When’s your trip?”

You can choose your dates and select “exact dates” but that would not be the best tactic for how to get a discount on Airbnb.

Selecting exact dates can lessen your opportunity for getting a cheaper Airbnb.

When you enter your dates and use the plus-minus option, this adds more variety to your search results.

Having even the slightest bit of flexibility in the days you check in and check out can increase your chances of finding a lower rate on Airbnb.

You can enter your specific dates and still be successful getting a lower rate on your Airbnb with some of our other tactics listed below.

But, if you start off with a more flexible option, you can more easily secure a cheap stay on Airbnb.

Just to be clear, “cheap stay” is not me referring to an underwhelming space with roaches that you can barely turn around in.

When you “See the World, Save a Dollar” you aren’t compromising your experience by spending less money.

Just because a stay is cheap, does not always mean it has no standards. 

When I say “cheap stay,” think cozy Airbnb with a rooftop infinity pool overlooking Kuala Lumpur for only $32 USD per night in Malaysia.

If that sounds oddly specific, it’s because that’s really where we stayed, and that’s the kind of place that I want to help you find, as well. Quality, for less cost.

So let’s get back to your search!

Compared to putting in specific dates, or even putting in specific dates and using the plus-minus feature, selecting “I’m flexible” and “Stay for a weekend” (or whatever duration of time you are able to spend) in a particular month will open you up to more options.

More options = greater chances to find a cheap stay on Airbnb. 

RELATED ARTICLE: Luxury and Budget-Friendly Options for Where to Stay in Bali

2. Book Longer Stays Than You Need for a Long-Term Stay Discount

Being a working professional in the U.S. often comes with limited paid time off. For this reason, you may need to book shorter stays.

And you may not have the PTO to spend a full week in a destination all at once.

Even with the above being true, it may be worth it to book an Airbnb for a full week anyway. 

Airbnb discounts vary from listing to listing, so it’s worth it to play around with your length of stay settings to see where your best discount lies. But let’s take a look at your Mexico City example.

Suppose you are spending 6 nights in Mexico City, the final Airbnb rate that pops up for this listing is $141.61 (so $23.60 per night including fees). Not bad, but you can do better.

There’s something called a weekly discount on Airbnb, and when you select at least 7 nights of a stay, the discount will populate on your price details.

It’s up to the Airbnb host to set this up, so it may not be available for all stays that you find. But you should be aware of your search possibilities. 

Let’s look back at our Mexico City Airbnb example. You’ve established you’re only staying for 6 nights, but let’s see what happens when you put in a weekly stay at the same listing instead.

After changing the length of stay to 7 nights, the Airbnb weekly discount appears. Like magic it shaves off a few dollars and costs less than your 6 night stay.

The rate went from $23.60 per night to $19.77 per night, including fees. Booking the full week, and only staying your planned 6 nights saves you money. 

Paying a total of $141.61 vs $138.38 is a slight savings in this example, but it’s worth it to check out what savings you can find yourself getting when you book by the week instead of by the day.

If you’re blessed with more PTO than most, or you have a remote “work from anywhere” job, this next tip can be used to your advantage. *Monthly discount has entered the chat.*

If you book a month-long stay or longer period on Airbnb, you may notice yet another discounted rate option.

Take your same Mexico City Airbnb listing, select at least 28 nights, and voilà, your monthly discount appears.

Your total price for the month is now $508.19 which equals a nightly rate of $18.15.

This is even better than your original $23.60 per night rate and your $19.77 per night rate that came with the weekly discount.

3. Book in Advance for Early Bird Discounts

The early bird gets the worm! The earlier you book, the more options you will have, and more opportunity to secure a cheaper stay. 

This is also your best option to find unique properties on Airbnb.

When you book early, you will have more options available to your search, rather than scrambling last minute over Airbnbs that may not meet your requirements.

You can book up to two years in advance on Airbnb. This is useful especially if you are booking a trip for a specific holiday or event that you have in mind.

There is also a feature called “Choose how to pay” when you book your Airbnb. This gives you the option to pay in full right then and there at checkout.

Or you can pay part now, and the rest later. Usually you can pay the remainder as late as one month before check-in. 

Regardless of the amount of money you initially shovel out to book your Airbnb, you’ll need to know how much of it is refundable in case there is a change of plans. 

Thoroughly read the cancellation policies. When you book in advance, you’ll need to know how flexible the booking is. Is it 100% refundable? 

Plans can change, and you’ll need to select the Airbnb listing with the most flexibility on their cancellation policy to avoid losing out on a lot of money.

4. Travel With More People to Split the Cost of the Airbnb Rental

Check to see the maximum number of guests that are permitted in the Airbnb listing. Consider splitting the stay with some of your friends or family that are traveling with you.

As part of their pricing approach, many Airbnb hosts tack on an additional guest fee.

Each additional guest (up to the amount of people their Airbnb can accommodate) is subject to the extra guest cost.

This is not the case for each and every Airbnb listing. The price may remain the same whether you have just one guest or six guests total.

But whether there is an extra guest fee or not, splitting the cost of the Airbnb is bound to save you money that can be spent towards an experience on your trip instead.

5. Use Credit Cards with Travel Credits & Multipliers for Airbnb

A major way to save money on travel is through the use of travel credit cards. If you are going to spend the money anyway (and pay your card off on time!!!) you might as well get rewarded for your expenses. 

Don’t go into debt to travel, but there are many amazing perks of using travel credit cards that can take your travel savings to a new level.

Ideally, you will be using the credit card that has the highest multiplier for every single purchase that you make.

This way, you are maximizing the amount of points/miles you are earning on everything you spend money on.

This includes Airbnb purchases! 

When you pay for your Airbnb with certain credit cards, you can earn extra cash-back/points/miles.

Airbnbs typically code under the “travel” category and there are many cards that have extra multipliers, bonuses, or credits related to travel.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a travel credit card with a $95 annual fee that gives you 2x points on travel-related purchases.

You’ll be earning 2x points on your Airbnb booking since this falls into the travel category. 

Those points can later be redeemed for future forms of travel (including future Airbnbs) or statement credits.

The points earned can also be used to transfer to other travel partners. (This is our personal favorite way to maximize points).

In doing so, some of these credit cards ultimately pay YOU to use their card with the value of the perks and bonuses that they offer.

This makes the annual fees more than worth it. 

RELATED ARTICLE: Is Staying at Waldorf Astoria Platte Island Worth It?

6. Purchase Cash Back Airbnb Gift Cards Through TopCashBack Airbnb

Another great way to save money on your Airbnb is through a site called Top Cash Back.

As the name implies, you can earn different percentages of cashback on the purchases you make on the site. 

You can earn 4.5% cash back (percentages vary) on an Airbnb gift card that you purchase through Top Cash Back.

Basically, you create a free account. Then confirm your email address.

Once that is complete, you will need to search “top gift cards” on the Top Cash Back website and select the Top Gift Cards icon in the search results.

Then you will be brought to the Top Gift Cards page, where you can select “Get Cashback Now.”

You can now enter “Airbnb” into the search or click right onto the Airbnb icon if it is readily visible for you.

You’re now able to select the value of your Airbnb gift card, up to $250 per gift card.

Complete your order by filling out your contact and payment details.

You’ll then be brought to the confirmation screen that shows the amount you paid and the amount of cashback you will be getting.

You’ll receive a series of emails confirming the transaction, linking to the gift card, and confirming the cashback is credited to your Top Cash Back account.

That second email containing your Airbnb gift card will include the gift card number that you can copy and paste into your Airbnb account.

Simply click your Airbnb profile button, and under “Referrals & Credits” you can click into “gift cards” to redeem your gift card by entering the coupon code into the blank pin line.

So let’s say you purchased a $250 Airbnb gift card, you will get $11.25 cash back credit (based on the 4.5% cash back example) on your Top Cash Back account that can be withdrawn using Paypal, a virtual prepaid visa card, and other gift card options through your Top Cash Back account.

For the same $250 Airbnb gift card, you’re ultimately only spending $238.75. The good news is that sometimes these cash back percentages are even higher.

Just a quick note on the “Referrals & Credits” section on Airbnb: 

• There used to be a referral program that allowed you to get Airbnb credit each time you referred your friend to join Airbnb. 
• But this hasn’t been the case in the last couple of years as the Airbnb referral program has ended.
• The only referral program is the Refer a Host program where you can earn $200 for every new host you refer.

The Top CashBack Airbnb method is a great way to get a cheaper Airbnb.

7. Book Through An Airline for Special Offer

If you’re a Delta SkyMiles Member, you can earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on qualifying Airbnb stays.

The Delta SkyMiles membership is free to sign up.

Just be sure to book your Airbnb through delta.com/airbnb and enter your SkyMiles number prior to booking each stay.

The Delta SkyMiles Airbnb Partnership program is an exciting way to earn miles that have no expiration date and can be used towards future flights with Delta Air Lines.

RELATED ARTICLE: Is Spirit Airlines Safe?: 3 Things to Know Before You Fly

8. Ask Airbnb Host for Discounted Rate

Can you do that?

Of course you can.

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want! But still, mind your manners.

Let’s answer the burning question of how to ask Airbnb host for discount!

This is a great step towards getting a cheaper Airbnb. 

It is common to ask for a discount on Airbnb, and ultimately up to the discretion of the host whether or not they will provide a discount.

Before booking an Airbnb, communicate with the host.

At the bottom of the listing, you will find a “Contact Host” button.

Click into it and select “Message Host” to fill out the contact form. 

You’ll want to start with a nice greeting.

Mention you are looking to stay at their Airbnb during xyz dates.

Then continue to express your interest by asking for more specific details such as the gym equipment, pool access, wifi speed, etc. 

Just make sure you’re not asking about anything that can be easily discovered by reading through the listing itself.

Once you set the stage, and receive a response, you can now ask for a special offer. Express gratitude for the (hopefully quick) response.

Mention that you’re really interested in staying there, but it is a bit more than what you are able to spend right now. 

If you’re looking at new listings that do not have many reviews, the property owner may be more lenient in giving you an Airbnb discount code.

You could even ask for a reduction in the cleaning fee or other service fees to get a lower price.

Really, ask for what you want!

Especially if there are high cleaning fees AND strict rules about cleaning the accommodation yourself, ask for something that sounds more reasonable.

You’ll be surprised at how often Airbnb hosts are open to such discussions, especially if you present your case respectfully.

Get a little more personal and let them know why you are coming to town: perhaps for a friend’s wedding or to visit a specific local attraction.

Assure them that you’ll be a respectful guest. (It helps if you have good past reviews, too.)

Then what’s the worst that can happen?

They tell you no. But guess what?

You’re sending these same messages to several Airbnb hosts.

This will increase your chances of getting the best deal on your Airbnb stay.

So don’t be shy!

Advocate for what you want, and you just might end up with a more agreeable arrangement. 

After all, it never hurts to ask, and you never know what kind of savings you might unlock simply by speaking up and asking the Airbnb host.

Remember to send messages to Airbnb hosts with positive reviews!

The listing details are basically a highlight reel of all the best features the place has to offer.

But it’s even better to see a lot of good reviews, and to consider what the bad reviews entail.

In the case of a new listing with little to no reviews, take into consideration the host’s responses to your messages.

Were they speedy replies with great detail and welcoming tone?

Or did their message leave you feeling uncomfortable with their property?

What’s more important than a discount is your comfortability and safety.

Keep those at the forefront!

The best way to secure a discount this way is by asking for a last-minute discount during the low season.

Want to know the BEST Destinations for Off-Season Travel? >> Check out this EXCLUSIVE travel guide!

The majority of Airbnb hosts are not likely to grant a discount when there is plenty of time left for them to confirm a booking with another high-paying customer (and an extra-high paying customer if you are looking to book during high season).

So if you are booking last minute, this tactic works best. Just make sure that after you receive the discount from the host, you book the offer with them immediately. And don’t forget to thank the Airbnb host, once again.

Also, be a great guest! You should limit asking for special favors such as early check in, or late check out. Don’t bring more people than what is permitted to the property, and follow the house rules.

RELATED ARTICLE: Should You Use a VPN for Travel While Abroad?

FAQs: How to Get Cheaper Airbnb

How do I get low prices on Airbnb?

To get low prices on Airbnb, consider the following strategies: Be flexible with your travel dates, search in less popular neighborhoods, filter your search by price range, and sort by Price: Low to High.

Does Airbnb get cheaper closer to date?

Airbnb hosts may reduce their rates to fill unbooked dates, especially during the off-peak season or for last-minute bookings. This is not always the case, but possible.

How do I get Airbnb coupons?

The easiest way to get Airbnb coupon codes is by creating an Airbnb account and signing up for their email list. They occasionally send coupon codes out in their newsletters.

Why does Airbnb have so many fees?

Airbnb charges fees to cover operational costs and enhance the unique experiences offered compared to traditional hotels. These fees support customer support, safety measures, and cleaning services.

How to get a discount on Airbnb?

One way to get a discount on Airbnb is to ask the host directly. Polite and respectful communication is key for how to get a cheaper Airbnb.

Is it common to ask for a discount on Airbnb?

Yes, it is common for guests to ask for a discount on Airbnb. Hosts have the discretion to accept or decline such requests.

Final Thoughts: How to Get a Discount on Airbnb

So there you have it: 8 ways to find the BEST Airbnb deals.

You now know how to get a cheaper Airbnb and it’s time to make your travel dreams a reality while keeping your wallet happy!

Remember, the key is to be strategic, flexible, and proactive with your approach.

From searching for hidden gems in less popular areas to communicating with hosts and negotiating fees, every little effort can add up to significant savings.

But our journey doesn’t end here. I have a special gift just for you.

Sign up for our free checklist on how to pick the perfect Airbnb below!