Are you a full time or part time host?

[Rebecca]

One of the things I love about this community is how varied everyone’s hosting journeys are. For some, hosting is a full time focus, while for others it fits alongside other work and commitments. Both paths bring different experiences, challenges and rewards.

I’m curious to hear from you. Do you consider yourself a full time host, a part time host, or somewhere in between? Has that shaped the way you welcome guests and manage your space?

It would be great to share insights with one another, especially for those who might be considering a change in the way they host.

[Rebecca]

Hi @Jessica4499 👋

You’ve made a good start, especially with those five-star reviews. 😍 Is it hard alongside a full time job? 

Do you get many questions from your guests, or do they mostly keep to themselves?

Hope the last review goes well. Have you got any plans for next season?

[Dinesh87]

Hi @Rebecca,

That’s a thoughtful question. I would describe myself as a full-time host, since hosting is not just an additional income stream but the core of my work. Managing multiple properties requires consistent attention — from guest communication and check-ins to housekeeping, maintenance, and marketing.

That said, I’ve noticed that whether someone is full-time or part-time, what matters most is building systems that keep the guest experience smooth. Full-time hosts may have more time to refine details and scale, while part-time hosts often bring a more personal touch by balancing hosting with other commitments.

In my case, being full-time has allowed me to focus on creating premium, reliable stays that attract repeat guests and long-term bookings, but I always enjoy learning from the diverse approaches other hosts take.

[Rebecca]

Hi @Dinesh87 👋 thanks so much for sharing that. Managing several properties sounds like a lot of work, but I get what you mean about systems making things easier for everyone. It’s interesting how hosting looks different when it’s someone’s main job compared to fitting it in around life.

Do you ever find it tough to switch off from work, or have you found a good way to separate hosting from your own time?

[Ms--Iffat0]

Hello @Rebecca 

Thank you for asking this question.

I’m definitely a part-time host. Hosting isn’t my main focus, but it’s something I genuinely enjoy doing alongside my other responsibilities. Because of that, I like to keep things as straightforward and seamless as possible, for myself and for my guests.
For me, it’s about sharing my home and offering a bit of local perspective, while still maintaining balance with my everyday life. It feels fulfilling without becoming overwhelming, and I think guests value that I’m available and welcoming, but also respectful of their space and independence.

I’d love to hear how other part-time hosts handle the balance too, especially when it comes to fitting hosting around busy schedules.

[Rebecca]

Hi @Ms--Iffat0 👋 Thanks for sharing, that makes sense. Keeping things simple probably helps a lot, especially when you’ve got other things on the go. 

Do you find there are times of year when hosting gets tricky to fit in, or has it settled into a routine for you now?

[Ms--Iffat0]

Hi!

Thanks for asking! I’m still pretty new to it actually, it’s only been about 6 months since I started hosting on Airbnb. So far it’s been a nice learning curve, and I’m still figuring out what feels like a routine. I imagine different times of year might bring their own challenges, but for now I’m just taking it as it comes.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Rebecca 

Good question ! We host 3 nights a week, over the weekends. For us, that is full time hosting. For us, it is a serious business, and we have set 2 nights on either end of a reservation to deep clean, make repairs, etc.  That leaves us a day for personal business and activities. 

[Dolores428]

Hello Rebecca,

I'm a part-time host, anyway I like it and I wish to be more involved in it in future.

[Mary1523]

I probably have a slightly different perspective to others.

I'm a part time host and will always be. Even when I retire, it will be my part time source of income as I do enjoy it. I don't want to be in the hospo industry full time as 1. I think part of the charm of Airbnb how it was originally intended was not for people to 'profit' off it, but to provide a genuine hosting experience. 2. hospo can be exhausting so you need something else to balance that.

I will probably move to a live-in host/rooms host in the future (rather than guests have the entire property to themselves) because I also see in the future, constraints from local laws due to the explosion of short term unconstrained accomodation. For those trying to make some money from a residence that they do reside in, that will probably continue, but in tourist hot spots and where housing affordability is an issue, laws will change and could make it more expensive for self contained accomodation. It's just a matter of time. And which I agree with btw.

We can't have locals priced out of areas that they used to be able to live in because tourism and short stay has overtaken and priced them out.  I've seen many of those 'management' businesses or owners buy previously affordable accomodation, upgrade it because they have the deep pockets to appeal to an airbnb market (which rewards the more luxury you go) and take that stock off the market putting pressure on local housing availability for those that live on local wages, not city/higher incomes. They do it chasing the higher returns of holiday short term let, but at what cost? Local communities lose their vibe and become soulless.

Airbnb democratised and made it much easier to provide holiday properties (it disrupted an existing hliday let market) so you can't pretend it hasn't had an impact in certain locations. I also don't agree with Airbnb trying to grow and grow their housing stock but I applaud moving into experiences and services. Probably should go into swimply.com for pools and tennis courts as well! But regardless, you cannot convince me otherwise, no matter how many surveys airbnb tries to do to position that their platform hasn't had a detrimental affect as the market leader, despite the many positives it has brought as well (which I benefit from I admit).

I went off on a tangent, but full time hosting means making a living off something I'm not sure will survive in it's current form in many areas. Affordability is becoming the #1 issue for many western democracies. It will drive political profound decisions in the future.

As for airbnb, if it returned to it's roots, perhaps charged more for those with multiple listings who have made a business of it, weed out those who consistently provide poor experiences, not penalise budget properties the way the reviews work (ie encourage all types of property, not just drive luxury which drives hosts investment decisions) vs those who are live-in hosts, on-shore the customer service again (get rid of the out sourced model) it will have a better reputation for ethical decisions. As a person who works in brand full time, Airbnb brand whilst big, is not loved. For all these reasons.