What All Should Be in an Airbnb Description? (12-Item Checklist)

A great Airbnb description has 12 specific elements arranged in 4 paragraphs and stays under 500 characters in its core preview. Most descriptions fail at 8 of 12. This is the checklist top hosts use, in the order each item should appear, with examples for every category.

Here's the answer at a glance:

1. Vibe-setting opening sentence (≤80 chars)
2. Audience signal (who this is built for)
3. Practical hook (1 specific feature that filters good fits)
4. Walking-distance landmark (named, with time)
5. Bed configuration (king/queen/twin and sleeping capacity)
6. Wifi speed (specific number, not "wifi")
7. One trust-building specific (brand, thread count, hot water minutes)
8. Pet / accessibility / quiet hours (if relevant)
9. Self check-in / parking note
10. The honest quirk (the one thing guests should know)
11. Conversational close (not "We hope you enjoy your stay!")
12. Soft CTA / message invitation

Below is each item, why it matters, and how to write it.

Item 1: Vibe-setting opening sentence

Length: 50–80 characters Position: First sentence, no exceptions

Don't open with the property type. Don't open with the location. Open with the experience.

The "good" column gives you something to picture. Pictures convert; descriptions don't.

Item 2: Audience signal

Length: 1 short sentence Position: Paragraph 2, opening line

Tell guests who this is built for. Specific filters work better than "anyone":

• "Built for couples and remote workers who actually use the kitchen."
• "Best for families of 4–6 and dog people."
• "For solo travelers who want quiet, fast wifi, and a really good coffee setup."

This filters out bad-fit guests (which is good — they leave bad reviews) and draws in good fits.

Item 3: Practical hook (one specific feature)

Length: 1 phrase, included in same sentence as Item 2

Pick one feature your target audience will care about and name it specifically.

• For couples → "blackout curtains for the night-owl side"
• For remote workers → "two desks and 200 Mbps wifi"
• For families → "fenced yard and a real crib (not a pack-and-play)"
• For dog owners → "fenced yard, dog bowls, and a beach toy stash"

One specific is more persuasive than five generic claims.

Item 4: Walking-distance landmark

Length: 1 phrase Position: Paragraph 3

Concrete proximity > vague proximity. Always.

• "8 min walk to Pike Place" beats "near the famous market"
• "3.2 miles to the closest grocery" beats "groceries nearby"
• "80 feet to the sand" beats "steps from the beach"

Name an actual place, give an actual number. This builds trust faster than any other single detail.

Item 5: Bed configuration and capacity

Length: 1 short sentence Position: Paragraph 3, after location

Don't make guests hunt for sleep info.

• "Two queens plus a daybed sleep four."
• "One king. The bed itself is worth booking."
• "Bunk room sleeps four kids; primary suite sleeps two adults."

If your beds are unusually nice (real mattresses, real sheets), say so. "Sealy hybrid mattress" beats "comfortable bed."

Item 6: Wifi speed (specific)

Length: Brief mention Position: Paragraph 3

Most listings say "wifi included" — meaningless. State the actual speed.

• "Wifi pulls 200+ Mbps on speed tests"
• "Starlink in the cabin, 100 Mbps even in the woods"
• "Fiber, 500 Mbps down, 250 up"

Remote workers filter for this explicitly. Guests with kids who'll stream count on it. The spec matters; the keyword "wifi" alone doesn't differentiate you.

Item 7: One trust-building specific

Length: 1 short fragment Position: Paragraph 3, woven in

Pick one detail that signals you've actually been there:

• "400-thread cotton sheets"
• "Locally roasted Stumptown beans, replenished every Sunday"
• "Hot water runs about 12 minutes from the propane heater"
• "Bathroom has actual water pressure"
• "Espresso machine is a Breville Bambino, not a Keurig"

Specifics signal a host who pays attention. Generic words ("nice", "quality", "good") signal one who doesn't.

Item 8: Pet / accessibility / quiet hours (if relevant)

Length: 1 short sentence each, only if relevant Position: Paragraph 3 or 4

Be explicit about edge cases. Guests who care will pre-select on these; guests who don't will skip past.

• "Dogs welcome — fenced yard, plus dog bed and bowls in the closet."
• "There's a 2-step entry; message me for a video walk-thru if accessibility matters."
• "Quiet hours 10pm–7am — the building enforces this."

Don't apologize. State as fact.

Item 9: Self check-in / parking note

Length: 1 sentence Position: Paragraph 4

The two questions guests ask 60% of the time: "How do I get in?" and "Where do I park?" Pre-empt them.

• "Self check-in via smart lock, code sent the morning of arrival."
• "Street parking is reliable after 6pm. Garage permit available for $25/night."

If your listing doesn't have self check-in, say what to expect. Vague is worse than missing.

Item 10: The honest quirk

Length: 1 fragment Position: Paragraph 4

Every property has one thing that's not perfect. Name it. Honesty converts.

• "The shower has 'character' — old-house plumbing, takes a minute to get hot."
• "There's one squeaky floorboard between the bedroom and bathroom. We've decided it's a feature."
• "The view is of the parking lot. The deck is what makes it worth it."

Hosts who acknowledge a flaw build more trust than hosts who pretend everything's perfect. Guests already assume something will be off; better they hear it from you.

Item 11: Conversational close

Length: 1 sentence Position: Last sentence

Don't end with corporate-speak ("We look forward to welcoming you!"). End like a human.

• "Message me if you're flying in late — happy to leave the lights on."
• "I leave a bottle of local wine for first-time guests."
• "If you need anything, I'm 4 minutes away and answer texts fast."

This is the moment to feel like a host, not a property.

Item 12: Soft CTA / message invitation

Length: Built into Item 11 or as a 1-line addendum

Invite communication. Reduces booking friction.

• "Got questions about the dog policy? Just message — I'll answer same day."
• "Family of 5+? Message before booking, I'll send you the pull-out couch dimensions."

Listings that explicitly invite messages get 20–30% more inquiries, and inquiries convert at 2–4x the rate of cold bookings.

The 4-paragraph layout (visual cheat sheet)

Paragraph 1: Item 1 (one sentence, vibe)

Paragraph 2: Item 2 + Item 3 (audience + hook)

Paragraph 3: Items 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (location, beds, wifi, trust specific, edge cases)

Paragraph 4: Items 9, 10, 11, 12 (logistics, quirk, conversational close, soft CTA)

Total: ~400–500 characters. Under the preview cutoff.

Words to delete from your description right now

These appear in 70%+ of underperforming listings. Cut them on sight:

• Cozy (= small)
• Charming (= dated)
• Spacious (use bed count or sq ft)
• Beautiful / amazing / perfect (says nothing)
• HVAC / 2BR / 2BA (already in card)
• Conveniently located (give the actual landmark)
• All the amenities you need (which ones?)
• Welcome to our home (warm-but-empty filler)

Open your current description in a new tab. Count how many of these you're using. If it's more than 2, you have a 30-minute project that'll lift your conversion 8–15%.

How to score your existing description (out of 12)

Open your listing. For each of the 12 items above, give yourself 1 point if it's clearly present and well-executed.

If you'd rather not stare at your own copy for the third hour in a row, PolishBnB's Airbnb description generator scores all 12 dimensions plus your photos and title in 30 seconds — paste your URL, no account, no credit card. The paid tier ($19) gives you a full rewrite grounded in your actual listing data, not generic AI guesses.

A note on length

Some hosts read this and assume "the longer the better." It's not. Past 500 characters, Airbnb hides the rest behind "Show more" — which 80%+ of guests don't click. Hit all 12 items in a tight 400–500 characters. Anything beyond is for logistics, house rules, and accessibility detail — not for the sales pitch.

Tight, specific, conversational. That's the formula. Every word earns its keep, or it gets cut.