Adding a co-host on Airbnb: what to hand over and what to keep

At some point most hosts want help. A holiday where you don't want to answer messages, a second job that clashes with check-ins, or simply wanting someone else to handle the 11pm questions. Airbnb's co-host feature is designed for this, but what you hand over, and on what terms, is up to you.

Start with the job, not the person

Before you invite anyone, write down what you want them to do. Common setups:

• Holiday cover. Answering messages and handling problems for a couple of weeks.
• Messaging only. Replying to guests, while you keep pricing and the calendar.
• On-the-ground help. Check-ins, key handovers, emergencies, and coordinating the cleaner.
• Full management. Pricing, calendar, messages and operations.

The job decides the access. A friend covering messages for two weeks needs much less than someone running the listing day to day.

Give the narrowest access that works

Airbnb lets you set permission levels for co-hosts, from calendar access only up to full access. Pick the narrowest level that covers the job. If someone only needs to see bookings and reply to guests, they don't need to edit pricing or payout details. You can always widen access later; it's harder to undo a change someone made with access they didn't need.

Never share your own login as a shortcut. A co-host account gives them their own access, which you can remove at any time without changing your password.

Agree what they decide and what they escalate

Most co-host problems come from unclear authority. Agree up front:

• Can they approve early check-ins and late checkouts, or check with you?
• Can they offer a refund or discount? Up to what amount?
• Who handles damage claims and difficult reviews?
• What counts as urgent enough to call you on holiday?

Writing these down saves a lot of second-guessing. Our posts on early check-in requests and saying no to a guest's request are useful to share so your co-host's answers sound like yours.

Settle payment before the first booking

Agree how they're paid: a percentage of each booking, a fixed fee per stay, or an hourly rate for occasional cover. Airbnb supports splitting payouts with co-hosts in many places, which pays them automatically and keeps the money on the platform. Decide what happens when a guest cancels, and whether cleaning fees are included in any percentage.

Put it in writing, even informally. If you'd like to see what a split does to your own earnings, the payout calculator can model it.

Make sure they have what guests ask for

A co-host is only as good as the information they've got. Share your check-in instructions, house rules, Wi-Fi details, appliance notes and emergency contacts. If it's all in one place, like a house manual or a digital guidebook, they can answer most questions without asking you.

Try it on a short trial first

If you're handing over more than a couple of weeks of cover, start with a trial. Give the co-host a month on the agreed setup, then sit down and go through how it went: messages they weren't sure about, decisions they'd have liked authority for, and anything you'd have handled differently. Adjust the permissions and the written agreement afterwards. A month of real bookings shows you far more than any conversation beforehand about how they'd handle things.

You're still the host

The listing, its reviews and its standing with Airbnb are still yours. Keep reading messages occasionally, check reviews, and look at anything the co-host flags. A good co-host makes hosting lighter; it doesn't mean stepping away from it entirely.

Have an exit plan

Agree a notice period and how upcoming bookings will be handled if either of you wants to stop. Removing a co-host is a single setting, but leaving guests booked next month without anyone to check them in is a much bigger problem.