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Airbnb co-hosting is a great way to make money and get involved in real estate without the risk of owning property. Hosts have the opportunity to link up with other entrepreneurs who are looking for an opportunity to share the burden of work and responsibility that comes with being a host.
The best part about this side hustle? Co-hosts don’t need any experience or even own their own home!
Airbnb hosting can be a lot of fun but also a lot of work, especially during peak seasons. That’s why some hosts hire co-hosts to help them out with the work, as well as to put together (and implement) a marketing strategy.
But what exactly is co-hosting on Airbnb?
Airbnb hosts can add co-hosts to their listings to help them out with the workload. It can be a friend, neighbor, family member, or a hired worker. A co-host typically helps prepare the space for guests, create the listing, message the guests, restock supplies, and clean and maintain the house.
If you’re interested in either hiring or becoming a co-host, you’ve come to the right place. This article will cover everything you need to know about co-hosting on Airbnb, including what a co-host is and what the typical jobs the co-host helps out with. Let’s get started!
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Table of Contents
What Is Co-Hosting?
A co-host is someone that the host knows that helps them with the listing. Typically, it’s someone they know well or someone they’ve hired for that specific role. In fact, many co-hosting businesses are are beginning to enter the short term rental market as well.
The host and co-host will work together to take care of the listing and the guests who come to stay. Typically, hosts will add a co-host to a listing if they need extra help preparing and cleaning the listing and dealing with bookings.
The two will discuss guidelines or write up a contract, including who’s responsible for what jobs, how much income the co-host will get from the reservations, and how the host will reimburse the co-host for certain expenses.
What Can a Co-Host Do?
From maintenance to preparation, the jobs of a co-host can greatly differ depending on the situation. Each co-host is different, and many will tell the host what they want to do. Co-hosts can help with the listing, the guests, or both.
Let’s take a look at what co-hosts typically help with.
Prepare the Space for Guests
One of the main things that co-hosts can help with is preparing a house to be ready for guests. If the house is a first-time listing on Airbnb, the host needs to do a lot of work. Co-hosts can help alleviate some of the stress.
As a co-host, you can rearrange furniture, do some cleaning and recommend some repairs that the host should do. You can also pick up essential items such as toilet paper, towels, and dishes.
One of the more important things co-hosts can help out with is to create a house manual for the guests, for which we have some free welcome and check-in templates here.
Create the Property Listing
If you’re setting up a house on the Airbnb site, you’ll need to create a listing.
Co-hosts can help with this. As a co-host, you can take photos of all of the rooms and upload them. You can also write the description for the accommodation and collaborate with the host to write the house rules and come up with a reasonable nightly price.
Manage the Guest Reservations
Airbnb Co-hosts can also help manage reservations. The host will receive a lot of reservation requests and the co-host can help lessen the burden by accepting or declining some of the requests.
Doing this will be especially helpful during high traffic months such as summer. Sometimes, having two people monitoring the requests will make it easier and less stressful.
Message the Guests and Coordinate Arrival/Departure Times
Another thing that an Airbnb co-host can do is message the guests. They’ll be able to discuss when the guests are arriving and coordinate checkout times.
Co-hosts can also answer any questions that the guests may have and get to know them a bit before their arrival.
Welcome the Guests When They Arrive
While some hosts go by the no-contact philosophy, others like to greet their guests in person. This job is something that the co-host can help with.
Whenever the host can’t be there, the co-host can greet the guests when they arrive and make sure they have everything they need. They can also give the guests a tour of the house and answer any last-minute questions they might have.
Handle Restocking, Cleaning, and Maintaining
One of the bigger jobs that an Airbnb co-host can help with is restocking items during or after an occupant. They can pick up basic supplies like soap, toilet paper, and towels.
The co-host can also clean the space and perform light maintenance. During a guest’s stay, the co-host can also help them with any issues such as leaky faucets or slow wifi.
How Much Does a Co-Host Make?
The price can depend on the host and how much the co-host helps out with. It can also depend on how big the house is and the location.
Furthermore, some co-hosts are there part-time for light chores, while others do most of the heavy lifting. On average, co-hosts will earn 10-30% of the listing price per night. However, co-hosts that do the majority of the work will earn more than 40%.
At this rate, with a property that has an average of 70% occupancy and rents for $150/night, a co-host can make between $315-$1,250/mo. Many co-hosts will manage multiple properties.
How Do I Find a Co-Host?
The easiest way to find a co-host is to ask a family member. They’ll be a good option since you can trust them and already know their capabilities.
If you don’t have a family member to ask, you can also hire someone through a professional management company, such as Vacasa who have years of experience helping hosts manage their property.
The benefit of going with an option like this is that you’ll be working with professionals. The company will also take care of the hard stuff, so you can sit back and relax. However, property management companies will be a bit more expensive.
Another option is to post an ad on a job forum or an Airbnb forum. You may get a lot of responses, so you’ll also have to watch out for scammers.
Read more about property management companies for short term rentals here.
How To Add a Co-Host to Your Listing
Once you’ve found a co-host, you’ll need to add them to your listing. You can do this in three simple steps:
- Go to the listings page. Click on the listing you want to add a co-host.
- Click on co-hosts. Then, click the invite friend option.
- Enter your co-hosts email and then click invite.
How Do I Become a Co-Host on Airbnb?
There are a few ways to become an Airbnb co-host. Let’s take a look.
- Ask hosts you already know if they need help. Perhaps you have a big contact list, or you’re a seasoned Airbnb guest. If you know a few Airbnb hosts, it won’t hurt to ask them if they need a co-host.
- Get to know local hosts by staying at local Airbnbs. If you don’t know many hosts, stay at a few local Airbnbs and get to know some people. Even if a host doesn’t need a co-host, they may know someone who does.
- Search job-boards. Another easy way to find a gig is to search job boards. Use a filter and search for Airbnb co-host jobs. You’d be surprised at how many people post hosting ads on job boards.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide has helped you learn all that you need to know about co-hosting on Airbnb.
Co-hosts can perform lots of tasks to help the host out. They’ll typically make 10-30% of the nightly income; more than 40% if they do the bulk of the work.
You can find co-hosts by asking family friends, hiring from a property management company, or posting ads on job boards.
If you’re interested in learning more about hosting, check out The Entrepreneurial Airbnb Hosting Guide by Rick Wong (Amazon). It’s a great step-by-step guide to help you get started.
