Airbnb Co-host works like a virtual assistant for your property management business, always ready to handle tasks.
Just imagine you are on a trip with your family while also managing your property business and two other businesses. Now, a guest is facing a problem with cleaning and starts contacting you while you are enjoying your trip. What would you do at that moment?
This is why hiring a co-host is important. Additionally, choosing the right co-host is even more essential.
For choosing an expert co- host, you need to know some specific terms, such as the right questions to ask and key factors you need to keep in mind while interviewing a co-host.
How can you know which co-host will be suitable for you? We will help you.
In this content, you will find answers to all your questions.
- How to choose the right Airbnb Co-host service?
- What questions should you ask to make a proper decision?
- What criteria should you use to compare co-hosts?
- Understanding the fee models of an Airbnb co-host
- About long-term agreements
This guide will help you choose the best Airbnb Co-host service.
Table of Contents
10 Checklist for Choosing the Right Airbnb Co-Host Service
Before you hire a co-host for yourself, you must check their experience, what services they offer, their portfolio, and what tools they use. Here, note down these 10 checklists that we are talking about in detail so you can better understand what to check in your Airbnb co-host.
1. Experience & Expertise
You should choose an Airbnb co-host who has real experience managing Airbnb listings. They know how to create an impressive listing, write clear descriptions, upload the best features, and keep the calendar updated. Experience also builds trust with guests.
It is important to understand what guests look for and to follow Airbnb rules. Smoothly handling check-ins and check outs, communication, and quick problem-solving are the best ways to meet guest expectations. They must also handle cancellations, pricing rules, refunds, complaints, and review disputes.
A co-host who has managed properties similar to yours can skillfully manage your property. They can set accurate prices, target the right guests, provide proper service, increase reservations, and maintain consistent income.
2. Services Offered
Ask them whether they provide a full hosting service or if they only do some selective tasks.
Some co-hosts accomplish all rental-related tasks; on the other hand, some co-hosts just offer specific tasks. Knowing this helps you understand how much involvement you will need as an owner.
It is a very important question to ask: Do they handle guest communication 24/7 or not?
When a co-host stays active 24/7 and replies to guests within 5 minutes, it demonstrates a high level of professionalism. Proper guest communication, like a quick reply when a guest contacts the co-host for any kind of problem, and the co-host responds fastly and solves that problem, is key.
Another good question is: “Do they manage cleaning, restocking, and turnover?” A good co-host always pays attention to the cleaning processes. They even contact the housekeeper. They also take care of restocking and turnovers, such as toiletries, linens, and kitchen essentials, to maintain guest comfort.
A professional and experienced co-host maintains pricing, calendar management, and bookings. They are able to set accurate prices for every property or house. They have good knowledge about what price is suitable for which type of house based on demand, season, and competition. They also take care of every booking smoothly.
For example, your two guests accidentally swapped their houses due to confusion and are now having trouble recognizing their bookings. This kind of critical issue can be handled by a co-host. So, the co-host you are hiring must have the ability to solve these emergencies calmly and professionally.
3. Communication Quality
Are they quick to respond to messages? You must ask if the co-host you are hiring is a quick replier, because it is very important to maintain good communication and guest satisfaction. It also helps to increase bookings. 24/7 activeness and quick response work like a key to achieving more bookings and better reviews.
Do they communicate clearly and professionally? To communicate with the owner and guest clearly and professionally is an eye-catching quality of a co-host. How they handle every client and guest is very important, as it is directly connected with increasing reservations. It also helps to clear misunderstandings, avoid conflicts, and build long-term trust.
Do they offer regular updates or reporting? A co-host should regularly update you about the booking details, income details, guest feedback, and other rental-related issues. This ensures the owner stays updated and confident in any situation and can track performance easily.
4. Pricing Structure
Before hiring a co-host, you must understand their fee models. An experienced co-host can help explain expenses and allow you to compare options. Here are the fee models:
- Percentage-Based: The co-host takes a percentage of each booking (usually 10%-20%). This model is common for full-service hosting and aligns co-host income with your earnings.
- Fixed Pricing: A fixed amount paid to the co-host regardless of booking numbers. This is suitable for owners who prefer predictable monthly costs.
- Per-Task Fee: You pay for every task the co-host performs. Examples:
- Listing updates (uploading photos, correcting descriptions)
- Cleaning fees
- Any specific service you request
You can also ask them: Are there hidden fees you should know about? Understanding all costs helps avoid misunderstandings later.
5. Reviews & Reputation
A reasonable question is: Do they have solid reviews from other hosts?
A co-host who can show you strong guest reviews and also provide references is trustworthy to hire. Or they can also show you the listings they managed earlier. Then you ask them about their ratings. Does their listing maintain high ratings (like 4.7+ recommended)? You should check all of these to trust a co-host and ensure a better relationship and consistent performance.
6. Technology & Tools
To gain bookings, a co-host must use smart technology and tools. Smart technology and tools always help to manage guests smoothly. Smart tools like dynamic pricing and automated messaging help to set prices according to demand, quickly respond to guests, and increase bookings. Ask them: Do they use smart tools like dynamic pricing or automated messaging?
You can also inquire: Do they use apps to coordinate cleaning and maintenance? It is meaningful to ask because using apps can be helpful and reduce errors to maintain cleaning and maintenance more expertly.
In addition, “Do they offer check-in solutions?” is also a good question. Check-in solutions (smart locks, key safes, etc.) can make guests feel safe and secure, which will help to increase reservations and reduce key-related issues.
7. Availability & Reliability
Are they available during peak seasons and emergencies? The co-host must be available during peak seasons (holidays, New Year, traveling seasons, festivals). Since people travel more in this season and prices are usually higher, being available is really beneficial for maximizing income.
Do they have backup team members if someone is unavailable? There should always be a backup team for every co-host because 24/7 availability is one of the most crucial priorities of a co-host.
Can they handle last-minute issues quickly? Last-minute issues are common, and though a co-host always tries to be alert, when an emergency arises, the co-host must handle it cleverly and professionally.
8. Local Knowledge
Do they understand local laws, regulations, and Airbnb rules? A professional co-host has knowledge of every detail of local laws, regulations, and Airbnb rules. This ensures the property operates legally, avoids fines, and prevents breaking any Airbnb rules.
Are they familiar with the neighborhood to answer guest questions? Moreover, they should know the local areas, transport options, and other facilities to answer guest questions. In this way, the co-host can provide accurate information and guide the guests properly.
An additional question you can ask them is: Can they recommend local services and support? This improves guest experience and satisfaction.
9. Professional Standards
Guests are always attracted to unique standards. Every co-host has their own standards of work. A good co-host should have clear cleaning and maintenance standards to keep the house neat so that guests can stay comfortably. Regular inspection, quick repairs, and cleaning help maintain high ratings and positive guest reviews.
A good co-host should be careful about turnover after every stay. Turnover includes deep cleaning, linen changes, restocking essentials, checking appliances, and preparing the home for the next guest. Guests are always satisfied with those co-hosts who always take care of all of these things. You have to ask: Do they follow a structured turnover checklist?
An owner should ask a co-host: Are they insured or bonded for extra protection? Sometimes, co-hosts offer extra protection for any damage, accident, or sudden issue, which allows owners to be more relaxed and also shows professionalism.
10. Understanding Airbnb’s Policies
Each and every Airbnb rule and regulation must be understood by the co-host. Just to understand is not enough; they have to maintain everything according to those regulations. An Airbnb co-host has to understand the policies related to bookings, cleaning, payments, guest communication, cancellations, safety standards, etc.
A good and professional co-host never breaks these policies. When a co-host maintains all the policies of Airbnb, it becomes easy for both the owner and the guest to communicate with the co-host.
Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Co-Host
Now the question is, how will you know which co-host is better and more experienced?
You can ask them some important questions while interviewing a co-host.The following questions will help you to choose an expert co-host:
- How many years of experience do you have as an Airbnb Co-host?
- How many properties are you currently managing?
- Do you offer 24/7 service?
- How do you manage booking schedules?
- Can you share any reviews or references from property owners you have worked with?
- Do you handle all cleaning-related problems?
- Do you have a cleaning team?
- Do you handle emergency issues or last-minute problems?
- What is your co-host fee structure?
- Are there any extra costs for cleaning or emergencies?
- When and how do you take payment?
- Will you optimize my listing (photos, description)?
- Do you use dynamic pricing tools?
- Do you apply strategies to increase bookings?
- How do you manage guest damages and claims?
- How will you communicate updates with me (weekly, monthly, or after bookings)?
Conclusion
It is important to choose the right Airbnb co-host, and it is also highly beneficial for any owner.
A good co-host takes care of your property management business, handles emergencies, optimizes listings, maintains proper calendars, and ensures guest satisfaction. A professional co-host also ensures guests are happy, keeps the property organized, and maximizes bookings and revenue.
But choosing the right one is the most important for any host, and today we have shared the checklists and questions you can ask a co-host to check their credibility. We are working with tons of hosts and have a team of co-hosts. From the experience, we know what can be a host’s pain points and what qualities a co-host should have.
The first thing is to check their experience, and if they have a portfolio of previous work, then it becomes easier to check their expertise. However, the co-host should be flexible to use tools to make the work more efficient.
We have given you a set of questions. So before you sit for an interview, do not forget to note down the questions and ask the co-hosts.
