What Does an Airbnb Management Company Actually Do? The A to Z Checklist
If you own a home that could earn on Airbnb or Vrbo, the question is rarely whether it can make money. It is whether you want a second job running it. A full service management company exists to take that job off your plate. Here is exactly what that should include, so you can compare managers apples to apples.
1. Getting the home ready to book
- A setup list for your home: linens, towels, kitchen basics, safety items like smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and the small touches guests mention in reviews.
- Self check in: a smart lock or lockbox so guests can arrive any time without anyone meeting them.
- Photos that sell: bright, wide, in the right order. The first five photos decide most clicks.
- Local rules and taxes: checking zoning, registering where your city requires it, and making sure lodging taxes are collected and filed.
2. The listing itself
A good manager writes titles and descriptions for how guests actually search. Guests type places and features, like a river, a hot tub or an arena nearby, not clever phrases. Your listing should also go live on more than one platform. Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com each reach different travelers, and a manager should keep all three calendars in sync so you never get double booked.
3. Pricing, every single day
This is where most self managed homes leave the most money on the table. Nightly rates should move with the season, weekends, holidays and local events, and minimum stays should change too, so a two night weekend is not broken up by a one night booking. Just as important are price floors, so a slow week never sells your home far below what it is worth.
4. Guests, from first message to five stars
- Fast replies to inquiries, because response time affects both bookings and search ranking.
- Clear check in instructions sent before arrival.
- A check in on the first morning, so small problems get fixed before they become reviews.
- Checkout instructions, a thank you, and a review for every good guest.
5. Cleaning and turnovers
Every checkout needs a clean, a restock and a quick inspection before the next guest arrives, sometimes within five hours. A manager should schedule cleaners around every booking automatically, use a checklist, and report damage with photos right away so claims can be filed on time.
6. Maintenance
Things break in homes that host hundreds of guests a year. Your manager should have trusted local pros, handle small fixes fast, and bring anything above an agreed amount to you for approval with a quote first.
7. Money and reporting
You should get a monthly statement showing every booking, the platform fees, cleaning, repairs and exactly what was paid to you. If a manager cannot show you that clearly, keep looking.
Questions to ask any manager before you sign
- What percentage do you charge, and is it on booking revenue or on total payout?
- What is billed on top: cleaning, supplies, repairs, setup, marketing?
- Do you mark up repairs or supplies?
- How fast do you answer guests, and who answers at night?
- How long is the agreement, and how do I leave if I am not happy?
- Can I block dates for my own use?
At List & Host, all of the above is included in one 15% fee, guests pay the cleaning fee, and repairs and supplies are passed through at cost with receipts.