Switching from in-home hosting to full-time bnb

[Amanda37]

My husband and I have been hosting in our condo for 5 years. We usually host our spare bedroom while we are home and have hosted our full space when out of town. An internship is uprooting us from Arizona to Utah for one year, however. We are currently Superhosts and want to keep up with our outstanding hospitality as hosts from afar. I will admit I am a control-freak who is fearful of handing our space to a property manager. Has anyone done this transition and do you have tips on how to make the transition smooth for hosts and guests? Should I entrust friends and family with property management or should I hire a professional? Thank you, Airbnb community, for your time and dedication to providing outstanding hospitality to guests across the globe to spread peace, love, unity, and respect through the Airbnb cultural exchange. 

[Sarah977]

@Amanda37 Your concerns about hosting in your absence are, I think, well-founded and important. I've never even been brave enough to rent out my whole house when I go on holiday- I shudder at the thought after reading some of the horror stories posted on these forums.

If it were me, if I had a friend or family member who I felt was up to the task, and had all the diverse and myriad skills required, I'd use them rather than a property management company, simply because they would be more likely to actually care what kind of reviews you got and have an personal interest in making sure that your property is well-cared for. If there's a property management company in your area that has rave reviews from other hosts who use them, then that would probably be fine as well.

[Amanda37]

Thank you Sarah! I am definitely going to shop and try to incorporate my potential person to help before I move. Summer in Arizona is slow, for obvious reasons, but I’ll maybe decrease my price just to check the system beforehand. 

[Ryan741]

@Amanda37 Hi Amanda - I currently have 2 of my own vacation rentals in Phoenix.  I have been managing for about 5 years and am now branching out as a Cohost.  I am native to AZ and know the city and state very well.  I also work in the software business, so very good at using metric data to track market rates and  increase occupancy.  If you are still in need of someone to manage your condo feel free to contact me.  Thanks - Ryan

[Amanda37]

Thank you @Ryan741 ! My nephew agreed to help and has helped out with our last three guests. We also have a few other people helping when he gets busy with school and sports (he’s in high school). I appreciate it so much and wish you the best of luck with your property management business!