Build your business

One path to success starts with learning how other experienced Co-Hosts have connected with Hosts and grown their businesses.

John, an experienced Co‑Host in Scottsdale, Arizona, started hosting on Airbnb in 2015 and began co‑hosting five years later. For him, co‑hosting has been an easy way to expand his hosting portfolio without much overhead. He hears from people all the time who want to get started on Airbnb, but can’t buy a property to host. 

John points out that you can start small to learn the ropes of co‑hosting—maybe with a friend, neighbor, or family member as your first clients. This will help you become eligible for experienced co‑hosting, as long as you meet the criteria and have any required licenses.

“If you can build trust with someone who owns a home, co‑hosting is the easiest way to get your feet wet and get started,” he says. 

Though he’s been on Airbnb only a few years, John has been able to establish his business of hosting and co‑hosting properties as his primary source of income. While it can take a lot of organization, hard work, and strong partnership with Hosts, if all goes well “people don’t realize how quickly you can make it all click together,” he says.

Dominic, an experienced Co‑Host in Cornwall, England, started out as a property manager around 2007 and began hosting on Airbnb eight years later. Then a neighbor asked if Dominic could co‑host for them. 

“I was figuring, while I was looking at the app and responding to messages anyway, it would fit fairly well with my lifestyle to be able to manage some others,” he says. “I’ve built a portfolio of properties since then.” 

Dominic emphasizes the importance of being local. “I need to get to know the owners and the property really well, so when I get a question, I already know the answer,” he says. “I know the restaurants, I know the house.” 

The good news? You’re already knowledgeable about your area just by living there. If you can take the time to become familiar with each owner and property, you’ll be able to do the same as Dominic when a guest messages with a question.

When you’re first partnering with a Host, you can decide how much you need to discuss. “If I’m going to be the full management side of it, under my branding, I tend to ask Hosts a lot more questions,” John says.

It’s vital for him to make sure his hosting values align with a Host’s. “What type of Host do you want to be?” he asks potential partners. “Do you want to be all about the experience with all the necessities, like a very well-stocked kitchen? Are you willing to move quickly if something breaks? Do you have a budget if the air conditioning goes out? That’s my standard.” 

John also makes sure that he and the Host agree on expectations when it comes to communicating with guests, updating the pricing and calendar, and general maintenance of both the digital listing and the physical space. 

“I have a pretty intense screening process with homeowners,” he says. “The first step is always, ‘Can I work with this homeowner? Are we going to get along?’ We have to have good communication. That’s number one.” 

He also has a detailed checklist that he sends out to homeowners before they agree to work together. By making sure that Hosts provide special touches in addition to the essentials, he knows he’ll be able to deliver an experience to guests that’s more likely to lead to a five-star review.

As you partner with more Hosts, you’ll need to consider manageable ways to keep track of many aspects of day-to-day operations. For Dominic, this means weekly focus time.

“I set aside a day a week where I know I’m going to work on all the messages I’m going to send out for that week ahead,” he says. “A lot of it can be templated, but I like to add a personal touch.” While he’s at it, he reviews the pricing for the coming weeks: “Being organized and ahead of the game is key.”

Ready to connect with other experienced Co‑Hosts like John and Dominic? Sign up for Slack* when you receive an invitation, and join your local Host Club.

*Slack is not a technological tool and is provided on an optional basis. The experienced Co‑Host services platform reserves the right to withdraw access to an experienced Co‑Host who violates Airbnb policies, and use is also subject to the applicable Slack terms of service and privacy policy.