Property Management or Co-Hosting?

[Sonia592]

Hi there,

I am a little unclear on how best to set up new listings/ properties which I would be managing.

The context of my question is this:

The properties are owned by different owners (one owner may have two properties, another owner may have just one one, etc)

They would like me to create the listing from scratch, rather than do it themselves, with home description, photos, amenities, house rules, payment methods, prices etc; 

I would then manage all enquiries, bookings, reviews and be the key holder, as well as manage cleaning and maintenance.

Income would go to their account, and I would be receive it my commission as cohost/ property manager. 

The owner(s) in question do not currently have an Airbnb account.

What is the best way to do this:

A-  Do I set up their Airbnb account under their name, having been provided with all relevant private details, then create listing(s) for their property(ies), and manage properties as a Co-host

or

B- List their properties under my Airbnb account name, and become property manager?

Thanks in advance for your help

[Lisa723]

Hi, @Sonia592, you can do it either way, but one thing to keep in mind is that the listings and reviews will all be linked to the listing administrator, and stay with that account permanently. So it's important to think about what will happen if either (1) a property is sold to a new owner but you want to continue to host it, or (2) your hosting agreement ends but the owner wants to continue to host it. Another thing that's important to know is that even primary co-hosts are restricted from certain actions, in particular they cannot use the resolution center to send or request money from guests. It's probably in your best interest (though possibly not the owners') to go with B.

[Sonia592]

Hi Lisa thanks very much for your helpful reply. So in short best to + add new listing under my account, which would give me access to all tools to manage bookings on behalf of the owner, and reviews come to me rather than the property owner?

[Lisa723 · Accepted solution]

@Sonia592 that's my opinion. Another thing: reviews of guests now appear as if from the listing admin, even if the co-host actually wrote them. So in the case where the owner is entirely passive, that's another reason it makes more sense for you, not the owner, to be the listing admin. I guess the one caution I would have is to check with your insurer about liability coverage.

[Homestay3]

create listings in their names only and add yourself just as a cohost.

This will not impact anything on your account if anything goes wrong with any of the property.

Just add your %age share in each Airbnb account.

You can also do one thing just keep the passwords with yourself but open airbnb account with owners id.

[Oceano1]

yes

[Lisa75]

your statement

"even primary co-hosts are restricted from certain actions, in particular they cannot use the resolution center to send or request money from guests."

reveals a HUGE problem with airbnb!

why even have someone manage if airbnb doesn't make this possible.  they can't collect for broken items, pet fees etc.  there's a gigantic chunk of money tied up in this and the fact that even a listing manager can't easily start resolutions when a guest cancels and/or wants money back or complains that a place isn't clean.   airbnb has effectively silenced anyone who wants to help an owner manage their properties.  the only way around it is to draw up legal papers on the outside and have the listing manager then re-input all as if they own all listings of each owner (or just one like me who has had years of frustration trying to find someone to help only to find they can't do the most difficult parts i wanted to stop doing and stressing over!). since it's tax time, i strongly suggest all airbnb onwers REALLY figure out how much they make off their airbnb after utilities, internet, cleaners, maintenance etc.  mine came out to an ACTUAL paltry sum of 656.42 more a month than regularly renting out my 4 rental homes.  that means a measley $21.58 a day for all of that stress......i think after 8 years of charting, graphing and raising rents, it's not worth it.

[Heather133]

@Sonia592, I do some of each. It really depends on the property and the extent to which I have control over the quality of every detail of the property. 

[Sonia592]

Thanks Heather. In this case the owners are not based nearby all year around, they would like someone to take on all  responsibilities from their initial set up on airbnb, through to the booking process, meet and greet, guests liaison whilst on vacation etc.

[Marci7]

Hello Heather, do you manage Airbnb properties and if so how did you get started?

[Helen3]

It would be highly unfair to set up the listings in your name, as it gives the hosts no flexibility to move to managing the listing themselves or changing co-hosts without losing their reviews and ratings.

I think/hope any professional co-host would set up the listings they manage in the hosts name and not restrict their clients in this way.

As you know as a co-host of the owner's listing you can do everything you need to manage the listing as the co-host, rather than main host.

[Lisa723]

Well, opinions differ. 🙂 I personally think it would be unfair for the person who has done all the active management and servicing of a listing to lose her reviews if the passive property owner decides to change management. Also, speaking as an active but remote host with a local  co-host, I don't really like that the reviews she writes appear as if written by me, as our styles differ. And it's annoying that she can't send or request money; I always have to do it for her. Inconvenient for me. 

Probably it makes sense for the two people involved to discuss it and mutually decide what they prefer in each case.

[Sonia592]

Absolutely. In all cases, the decision is always a mutual one with even owner and co-host.

I am starting to see that perhaps there is still some work to be done on how the airbnb settings work, co-hosts providing all services should benefit from the reviews reflecting the quality of their work, and owners should still be able to have peace of mind that they can still have control of their page. 

[Lee319]

Good idea Sonia!

I will make that recomendation...

[Ricki1]

Hi Sonia,

Curious as to what you ended up doing with your additional listing?

Thank you,

Ricki