Advice on managing accounts for multiple properties and listings

Answered!
Maarten-/-Rachna0
Level 3
Captain Cook, HI

Advice on managing accounts for multiple properties and listings

Hi fellow Airbnb hosts!  I would appreciate your advice and experience in how to manage accounts with multiple listings. 

 

Here is my situation: I have a house ("House 1") with my partner that I manage using "Account 1". I do all of the hosting management for our house, which has multiple listings that are linked to each other (to manage multiple configurations and units that can be rented together or separately).  I use Account 1 to communicate with guests for these listings, and this is also our personal account for traveling as guests ourselves.    We've worked very hard to attain superhost status since we started!  Now, my mom and I co-own a separate house ("House 2"), which we're going to host on Airbnb, and again, I will do all of the hosting management duties and communication with guests.   This house will also have a couple of linked listings (different units/configurations).

 

What is the best way to create accounts, so that each house has its own payout bank account, its own tax reports and so that I can manage the communications for both properties and their multiple listings most efficiently?  I don't want to have to login to multiple accounts, and I would like to get all messages to one inbox and see all the listings on one multi-calendar, if possible.  But I would like to be easily able to share the calendars separately with cleaners, which may or may not be the same people for both properties.  I would like only my phone number to be visible to guests of both properties, as my partner or my mom would not know how to answer guest questions. 

 

Option A:  Add House 2's listings to Account 1.  This will allow me to manage all the listings from one account, and my superhost status in Account 1 will be visible to people who book House 2.  My question is if I can separate payout bank accounts, separate guest refund bank accounts, and have multiple taxpayers and separate tax reporting (since each house is owned by different entities).  I have heard that guest refunds for all listings in one airbnb account can only come from one bank account and if this is the case, this option does not work for me.

 

Option B: Create Account 2 for House 2.  I don't like having to login to 2 accounts, so this is also not a good option.

 

Option C: Create Account 2 for House 2, which is the owner of House 2.  Then invite Account 2 to be a property manager for House 1.  This means that I only have to login to Account 2 to manage both properties, but House 2 does not benefit from Account 1 superhost status. 

 

Option 😧 Like Option C, but in reverse-- Create Account 2 for House 2, and invite Account 1 to be a property manager for House 2.  I would use Account 1 to manage both properties, but does my superhost status show up for people who view House 2?  

 

Option E:  Have 3 accounts-- Account 1 owns House 1, Account 2 owns House 2, and both Account 1 and Account 2 will invite Account 3 to be a property manager.  Then I would use Account 3 to manage both properties.  

 

I started to create a separate account, but I didn't get very far, since airbnb seems to want different phone numbers for each account.   Could you help me understand what is the best way of setting up accounts based on your experience and what the tradeoffs are?  For example, are there any management features that are not available to co-hosts versus owners?  Is it true that only one bank account can issue a refund per account, and that you can't designate a particular account to use for a particular listing?   Thanks in advance!

 

Top Answer
Maarten-/-Rachna0
Level 3
Captain Cook, HI

I am updating this thread with what we finally decided to do after much trial and error. 

- We chose option C -- We made two accounts, one for each property so that the reviews and account will be independent for each property since they each have a different set of owners (it is unfortunate that my previous superhost status can't transfer with me to the new property)
- Account 1 invited Account 2 to be a co-host, and so now I can use Account 2 to see all of the messages in one inbox and all listings in one multi-calendar for both properties using Account 2. I can be in full control of property 2 settings, but I have a limited view of property 1 (I can do most things but can't see financial/payout/tax details).
- Those 2 accounts could have  invited a third account to be a co-host, but the co-host would have a limited view of both properties, and we figured that was less desirable than having full controls over at least one property.
- The TEAM feature does not work!  Account 2 can not be an owner of a property *and* also a member of Account 1's team at the same time. When Account 1 invited Account 2 to be a team member, all listings added under Account 2 were attached to Account 1, and not to Account 2. It also seems that once you are on a team with one account, you can't also be on a team with another account (I am not 100% certain about this). 

There is no explanation about this on the Airbnb pages for the Teams or Co-Host features, but many thanks @Tripter--Charles-0  in this thread who helped to clarify: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Account-Owner-vs-Listing-Admin-vs-Team-Member-vs-Co-host...

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4 Replies 4
Maarten-/-Rachna0
Level 3
Captain Cook, HI

I have a follow up question to my question that might be simpler to answer.  Can one account be a listing owner and also be a team member of another account?  I used Account 1 to invite Account 2 to be a team member, and then I found that all listings I added in Account 2 actually became owned by Account 1.  That is not what I want.  I'd like to both be a listing owner for one property and a property manager for another property.  Or if I can be assured that I can use one account to have separate payout bank accounts, separate guest refund bank accounts and separate tax reporting, I can just use one account for both properties to simplify my life.  I have read all the FAQs about Team Members and co-hosts, and I can't find the answers to my questions, so I am hoping someone in the community can lend some advice.  Thank you!

Maarten-/-Rachna0
Level 3
Captain Cook, HI

I am updating this thread with what we finally decided to do after much trial and error. 

- We chose option C -- We made two accounts, one for each property so that the reviews and account will be independent for each property since they each have a different set of owners (it is unfortunate that my previous superhost status can't transfer with me to the new property)
- Account 1 invited Account 2 to be a co-host, and so now I can use Account 2 to see all of the messages in one inbox and all listings in one multi-calendar for both properties using Account 2. I can be in full control of property 2 settings, but I have a limited view of property 1 (I can do most things but can't see financial/payout/tax details).
- Those 2 accounts could have  invited a third account to be a co-host, but the co-host would have a limited view of both properties, and we figured that was less desirable than having full controls over at least one property.
- The TEAM feature does not work!  Account 2 can not be an owner of a property *and* also a member of Account 1's team at the same time. When Account 1 invited Account 2 to be a team member, all listings added under Account 2 were attached to Account 1, and not to Account 2. It also seems that once you are on a team with one account, you can't also be on a team with another account (I am not 100% certain about this). 

There is no explanation about this on the Airbnb pages for the Teams or Co-Host features, but many thanks @Tripter--Charles-0  in this thread who helped to clarify: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Account-Owner-vs-Listing-Admin-vs-Team-Member-vs-Co-host...

@Maarten-/-Rachna0 I am just starting out as a property manager and have some questions. Your post is more thorough than most and it seems that you have things well figured out.  Looking for advice for my situation.

 

I have just listed a property on AirBnB using my personal account. The property is owned by an LLC (that I am not a part of). Should I put in my personal tax info and my bank account for payout and then distribute to the owners or should I use their tax info and their bank account and wait for them to pay me?  

 

Do you see any other better solutions? My concern is that if I take any other clients on, I wouldn't be able to add them to the same account  if the financials are in the LLCs name.

 

Please advise.

 

@Moira135 I am in the same situation and wondering if you figured out a solution?

 

Thanks!