Selling my Airbnb

[Chris1323]

I am selling my house and will be closing in about two weeks. The property has Airbnb reservations until December 2024, and the new owners are interested in continuing to offer it as a short-term rental. What is the best way to transfer the existing reservations and ensure a smooth transition? Should the new owners create their own Airbnb listing so I can direct future guests to register through their link?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Chris1323 according to the rules you will have to cancel and take the penalties. Did you not know you were selling up? 

[Elena4354]

Hi @Chris1323, according to Airbnb's policy, it is not possible to transfer a listing to another account. New owners must create a new listing in their own account, and all previous reviews will remain on your profile.

If you cancel upcoming reservations, you will be charged cancellation fees and this will negatively impact your account.

You can do the following:

Close your listing to new reservations.

Add the new owner as a co-host to your listing and add their payout method to your account. This way, the new owner will be able to take care of all upcoming reservations and receive payouts.

In the meantime, the new owner can create their own listing and start receiving reservations for available dates.

Once the last reservation in your account is complete, you can remove the listing from your account.

Kind regards.

Elena. 

[Alicia753]

Hi Chris,

Unfortunately, Airbnb does not allow for the direct transfer of listings and bookings between accounts. To ensure a smooth transition, the best approach is for the new owner to set up their own Airbnb account and create a new listing for the property.

Regarding the existing reservations, here are a few recommended steps to effectively manage the transition:

• Add a Cohost: Incorporate the new owner into the hosting process by adding them as a cohost. This integration will help them become acquainted with the property’s operational needs and guest interactions.
• Update Payout Method: Adjust the payout preferences on your Airbnb account to ensure that future earnings are directed to the new owner, corresponding to any bookings post-transition.
• Unlist the Property: Temporarily unlist the property to remove it from search results on Airbnb. This action helps manage bookings until all current reservations are completed. Once these are fulfilled, you can deactivate the property on your account.

We hope these steps facilitate a seamless handover of responsibilities. 

Warm regards,

Upfish management