Property Management

[Louise1478]

If the property Management company setup the listing, does it belong to them or to you. 

[Helen3]

You should never let your property manager set your listing up under their profile.

if you let them set it up the listing all the reviews and ratings @Louise1478 

set up your own listing and add the property manager as a cohost

[Joan2709]

@Louise1478 

Yes...as @Helen3 points out, this is a common tactic used by large property management companies. Unfortunately, many new Hosts are not aware of this and if the arrangement doesn't work out and the contract is terminated, all reviews stay with the property managment company and you will have to create a new listing and start from scratch. These says sometimes you can't even do that easily, as Airbnb has been cracking down on "duplicate listings."

If the property management company will not allow you to setup the listing with them as Co-Host, then I would strongly advise against using them. Just type the name of the company you are considering in the search the community box and you'll see why. Most have a dismal track record and poor guest review ratings.

[Sonia1912]

Beware of allowing management companies and the like from creating your listing for you. New airbnb owners should create the listing and then add these companies as a co-host. Otherwise you will lose the reviews if you move or use another company because they will create it with their own email address and essentially you will be locked out.

Having this issue with Guestable. They are refusing to share ANY data on OUR listings, including financial data - we are supposed to 'trust them'. If we move, we'll lose our reviews and have to start from scratch.  So essentially we made the investments and might as well be working for them. They have all the power. Airbnb won't help you either.

NEW HOSTS - KEEP THE POWER IN YOUR OWN HANDS, NOT THESE SHADY COMPANIES. 

[Sophia699]

Hello @Louise1478,

If the property management company set up the listing with their Airbnb account. They unfortunately own it. 

Although many hosts want a "transfer listing" system, I do not think Airbnb will ever add it because the reviews attached would not be relevant to a new management company or owner. 

When starting a short term rental, I would make sure all listings are starting on your personal account with the property management as cohost. Payouts can still be directed accordingly but you have ownership of the listing. 

To add to this, and even more importantly, a lot of areas are requiring short term rental permits and applications when starting an Airbnb. Unfortunately, most new hosts pay the property management company to go through the permitting process for them. Therefore, if/when you leave the property management team, you lose all the permits in their name as well. 

This is especially important to note in areas with tons of restrictions and waitlists for short term rental permits. 

So all in all, everything should be on your account, everything should be in your name... ALWAYS. 

[Sophia699]

To add, I run a property management business and have no problem cohosting from an owner account. It does not change anything about the way I operate my business. If a property manager is denying you because you want to create a listing on your account, find someone else!