Dany Papineau nailed down what it takes to be a successful Airbnb host—a feat that was no simple task. It took a year of "rookie mistakes" and $40,000 in guest damages to his home, but he eventually compiled a list of expert tricks of the trade. Hosting actually worked out so well for Mr. Papineau that he stopped acting to host multiple properties full-time and create Airbnb Secrets, an online class to turn beginners into Airbnb pros and help longtime hosts maximize their revenue.