What To Know About Airbnb Co-Hosting
BY MIKEL HUBBARD
FORMER HGTV PRODUCER | CO-FOUNDER, THE HOST CO |
OWNER, TIMES EIGHT PROPERTY & DESIGN
Have you been looking for someone to take a larger role in managing your Airbnb’s daily upkeep? Whether it be messaging guests with more frequency, keeping an eye close by, or ensuring the place is cleaned on time between stays, many hosts nowadays are turning to a feature that Airbnb calls co-hosting.
Co-hosting allows you as a host to take a large load off your back. A lot of the ins and outs of day-to-day upkeep and menial tasks can be given to another trusted party and you can focus on upscaling your business, planning out larger renovations, and be more available towards your other projects — whether that be in your own home, your listing, or other properties you’re looking to upkeep.
There’s a lot of confusion surrounding co-hosting these days, so we’re here to run you through what it is, what the distinction is between it and using other features like hosting teams, and the pros and cons of using it.
What To Know About Airbnb Co-Hosting
Co-Hosting vs. Hosting Teams
Before we go into the pros and cons of using co-hosting, it’s important to distinguish its function from the most popular comparison between Airbnb hosts: hosting teams. What are they, and what are the differences?
HOSTING TEAMS
Hosting teams are official managers of your property or listing, often signed to a contract listing the amount of money they make and the roles they will and won’t perform. This could still be just a friend or a couple friends, but these ideally should be professionals or property managers with experience.
They are not listed as a host on Airbnb, but they can have access to your transaction history and other deeper functions and analytics about your account, if you provide them access.
CO-HOSTING
Co-hosts, on the other hand, are much more informal — these can be a friend, family member or neighbor you trust to overlook the day-to-day responsibilities of your home. The roles of a co-host are much more flexible, as is the amount of money they make off of every booking. We recommend you figure out a pay schedule very early in the process, and give a co-host a full idea of the roles they will be asked to fill, as well as how the co-host will be reimbursed for any expenses that come up.
They can be listed as a co-host on the Airbnb listing itself, but will not have access to your transaction history or deeper functions.
Roles of a Co-Host:
Firstly, it’s important to note that there is a level of flexibility that comes with a co-host role, and it is up to you to decide if you need this at your specific listing, and what specifically you’d like them to do.
TAKE CARE OF PROBLEMS THAT COME UP.
Whether it be a water pipe bursting that needs a plumber called, or a guest with an emergency that needs someone near the property to respond, co-hosts are the “on call” person typically — although this role can vary greatly to your needs.
ANSWER GUESTS QUICKER AND MONITOR MESSAGES MORE CLOSELY.
Especially if you have another job, are a working parent or are managing several properties, this can be huge in maintaining guest relations and ensuring your guests have a good stay.
UPDATE LISTING PRICING AND AVAILABILITY, MANAGE RESERVATIONS, AND SCREEN INCOMING GUESTS.
On the front end of the platform, co-hosts have many of the same tools that hosts do — they can adjust your availability and pricing on your calendar, and screen guests coming in. They can also write reviews of guests that have left the property, as they usually have a better sense of what happened during their stay if you have them responding to messages.
MAKE YOUR SPACE GUEST READY — REFILL YOUR HOST CO STORE, HIRE CLEANERS, RESTOCK AMENITIES.
The title really says it all here — they can fill in the gaps between stays to make sure your Airbnb is running smoothly day-to-day, so you can focus on the larger projects within the house & property.
When should I hire a co-host?
There are pros and cons to both having a co-host and not. Here are some individuals or scenarios for different short-term rental hosts that we would recommend looking into co-hosting.
IF YOU WORK ANOTHER JOB, ARE A WORKING PARENT, OR OWN MULTIPLE PROPERTIES.
If you’re a traveling nurse or an RN on call, or you have several kids — or properties — to look after, the menial tasks of Airbnb hosting could easily fall through the cracks. Having a person you trust to oversee this will be key for you.
IF YOU DON’T LIVE NEAR YOUR PROPERTY.
If you don’t live near your Airbnb, we always recommend at least having a friend on call nearby to make sure they can visit if there are parties that need to be stopped or emergencies that guests have. However, a full co-host may be a better option, because they can stop by and ensure everything is set up between every stay, and alert you to things you may need to upgrade or fix in your home.
WHEN YOU HAVE CLEANERS THAT NEED ACCESS TO SCHEDULING AND BOOKING INFO.
This specifically has to do with access to info, not paying cleaners to take on other co-hosting responsibilities, but cleaners are often given co-hosting access so they can see when guests are leaving and arriving, and what days are on the schedule for future departures.
When shouldn’t I hire a co-host?
WHEN MONEY IS TIGHT, OR YOU’D PREFER TO KEEP COSTS DOWN.
While hiring a co-host can be a huge weight off your shoulders, it also costs money! Co-hosts will typically expect to be compensated for their work, and depending on the co-host and what you’re asking them to do, it can be 10-30% of your nightly room rate per booking.
WHEN YOU LIVE NEAR OR ON THE PROPERTY AND ARE HAPPY WITH YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM.
If you are renting out your basement or a tiny house on your property, and you have cleaners and time to interact with guests, a co-host probably isn’t necessary in your situation.
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW ANYONE WITH PRIOR AIRBNB EXPERIENCE NEARBY.
Not everyone agrees with this, but we recommend having a co-host only if they have prior experience on Airbnb or in property management. Individuals who haven’t used Airbnb or looked after properties before won’t always know the things to look out for when overviewing your home for issues, or won’t always know what to say to typical guest questions. You can train somebody you know to take over, but we’d recommend they at least have some background in the job they’re going into. You want to make sure your guests are being fully taken care of!
READ: WHAT TO DO IF A GUEST CAUSES DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME
Co-hosting is a flexible job title: see if it fits your situation.
Figure out the specifics of your situation and see if co-hosting is a good fit for your budget, your lifestyle and your property. If you have money and need help in these ways and know somebody to take care of your place, co-hosting could be a big help. If you are tight on money or near enough to your property that you feel comfortable with the way it is, maybe co-hosting isn’t the right move for you.
We’ve listed the five most important people you need to help you successfully run your Airbnb (lawncare, cleaners, etc.) — solidifying those may be in your best interests at the moment instead of a co-host.
Are you an Airbnb co-host? Do you have experience in this field, or something we missed? Let us know in the comments!
And share this article with someone looking into co-hosting!