How can I prevent the Co-host from cheating?

[Bogdan100]

Greetings,

I am not a Airbnb Host yet, but I want to open a small camping with about 10 small(2 person) vacation houses to rent. Since I work abroad and don’t have time to run the business, I was thinking about a partnership with a co-host that would manage the property for me. 
My question is, how can I prevent him from booking guests by himself, cashing the money straight into his pocket, without me knowing?

Thank you in advance for your replies! 🙏

[Sarah977]

@Bogdan100  The same way you find anyone you are going to employ- references, recommendations, work history, etc. Or use someone you know and trust.

But why do you want to open this Airbnb business, if you don't want to have any actual involvement in it? I hope you aren't under the false impression that it's "easy money".

[Bogdan100]

Thank you, I was thinking that maybe there are some systems to track when a property is used, like smart door locks, or something like this. 
I’m sure it’s not easy money, but I want to do this in a very popular area full of tourists, as an investment. 

[Anonymous]

@Bogdan100 Aside from being the owner of the properties, what kind of roles do you plan to take in the hosting? As in, would you be actively involved in managing the listings, calendars, and pricing, vetting and corresponding with guests, delegating cleaning and maintenance duties, furnishing the units, handling damage claims and payment/refund disputes, taxes and regulatory requirements ? Or  are you just looking for a contract with a  management company to operate the whole scope of  the operation from their own portfolio? 

[Bogdan100]

My work keeps me away for 4 months in a row and then I get 1-2 months vacation at home, so 80% of the time I couldn’t do any of the required activities related to the property, so I will need to hire someone to take care of everything, and that’s why I am asking this question, to see if anyone has any tips on how to check the honesty of the person I leave in charge of my business, since there’s nobody I can trust that would be available to do this or be there.  

[Helen3]

It's simple you find a co-host, set up the listing and then add them as co-host. You can then see exactly who is booking your property. @Bogdan100 

Obviously you need to take up references, check the reviews the co-hosts have for their own listings and listings they manage, have a contract with the co-host and regularly check your listings so you can see what bookings are coming in, how much income generated etc.

You can set up in your listing for the co-hosts commission to come out automatically when a booking takes place.

Do read up on Airbnb's information on their website on co-hosting.

[Lorna170]

@Bogdan100  You would probably be better off with a real partner in the business who is local.  I did not start hosting from a distance until I had several years vacationing in the area and had found reliable people to work with.  Good luck!