Airbnb property management guide for hosts

What is Airbnb property management?

Airbnb property management is a service designed to handle the day-to-day operations of running a short-term rental property.

How much work is managing an Airbnb? That depends on the size of your property, the systems you put in place, and the tools that you have at your disposal. Dedicated Airbnb property management companies can help with all of the above. 

Should you invest in a professional Airbnb manager?

Effective Airbnb property management enhances guest experiences and maximises bookings. The best Airbnb management companies can take care of almost everything: pricing optimisation, guest communication, cleaning and maintenance and booking management.

But that’s not to say that this is the right choice for every Airbnb host.

In this guide we’ll learn what partial and full service Airbnb management looks like, how to find someone to manage your Airbnb, and how much it costs for this Airbnb management. We’ll also learn the best property management software for Airbnb self-management.

Why hosts should consider Airbnb property management services

There are a number of compelling reasons to make the most of Airbnb property management services, although handing control of your Airbnb over to a third-party service provider won’t be the right decision for every host.

In terms of the perks, capitalising on Airbnb property management services can:

Save time

Time is money. Unfortunately Airbnb management can soak up a lot of it, and often on rather low value tasks like cleaning and guest comms. By delegating this work to a professional management company you win back your time, which you can then use for higher value tasks, Airbnb-related or otherwise.

Enhance the guest experience

The best Airbnb property management companies enhance the experience of your guests in a wealth of ways. They keep your property sparkling. They are efficient and effective communicators. They add little touches that show the guest you care. The result: better reviews and more bookings.

Improve operational efficiency

By engaging with an Airbnb property management service, you can convert all of the work involved in managing your Airbnb into a single Airbnb management fee. This can seriously enhance the operational efficiency of your property by handing much of the admin and running around over to the service provider.

Airbnb property management software: Must-have features

Should I pay someone to manage my Airbnb? Or should I do it myself? If you choose the right Airbnb property management software, you can retain control over your property and make more money, while still realising most, if not all, of the benefits above.

Here are a few key features that you should look for in the best property management software.

Multi-channel integration

The best tools will link to more than just Airbnb. A smart channel manager will allow you to connect with all manner of OTAs, including Vrbo, Expedia and Booking.com, and control your listings, rates and availability across all of them from a single screen.

Automated booking management

Efficient Airbnb management is made so much simpler with automation. As soon as an Airbnb booking arrives, the best tools will automatically block out the relevant dates across all your other listings, and will automatically send out all the relevant confirmation and introduction messages.

Smart pricing & revenue management

What should you charge at different times of the year? While Airbnb has a Smart Pricing feature, the platform has an incentive to suggest lower rates to hosts, as that will result in more total bookings. But the best management software will have its own dynamic pricing tools that allow you to better optimise revenue and occupancy.

Guest communication automation

Guest comms can be a laborious, time-consuming element of Airbnb hosting. The best tools will offer all manner of communication automation, including pre-scheduled messages, chatbot support and pre-designed email templates.

Housekeeping & maintenance scheduling

The more autonomy your cleaning and maintenance staff enjoy, the less you’ll need to manage them. That’s why quality tools will feature task automation for these teams, where work can be delegated and logged.

Choosing the right property management software for your Airbnb

What do quality Airbnb management tools look like? The best tend to have the following things in common.

Compatibility with multiple booking platforms

Why stop at Airbnb? Plenty of other platforms are out there – Vrbo, Expedia, Booking.com – and you should be able to connect your tool to whichever you choose.

Pricing model

Tools tend to either charge a flat fee, or take a percentage of your earnings. A (reasonably priced) flat fee model will generally be better than the percentage model, particularly if you end up earning plenty of bookings.

Ease of use and integration with other tools

The best Airbnb property management tools will seamlessly integrate with all manner of other tools: your accounting software, your property management system (PMS), your customer relationship management (CRM) system and more. There are also all-in-one systems like Little Hotelier that largely remove the need for all these tools (while still allowing you to integrate with them).

Scalability for hosts with multiple properties

If you’re an ambitious property owner, you’ll want a tool that can grow with your business – look for a cloud-based tool that offers upgradable subscription tiers.

Customer support and user reviews

The process of implementing and learning a new system can feel overwhelming, so you should choose a well-reviewed tool that comes with 24/7 support from a team of real humans.

Little Hotelier has given me more freedom because I have the app on my phone. I can pick up any of the bookings and manage it remotely. We can relax, take a step back, and let Little Hotelier run our business.

Elaine Milne,

Owner

Calder House

Read more

Best Airbnb property management software in the market

The best Airbnb property management tools act like a team of assistants that take care of the low value busywork for you, while offering up insights that can make your business better.

They allow you to retain the earnings and the control that would otherwise be handed to a third-party Airbnb management company, while minimising the work of self-management.

So, if you’re considering taking care of your Airbnb yourself, and want to do it in the most efficient and effective way possible, look no further than Little Hotelier.