Your professional hosting quick-start checklist

Growing numbers of property managers, hoteliers, and other hospitality entrepreneurs are building or expanding their businesses on Airbnb. Our tools and features make it easier than ever to manage listings and reservations at scale, either within our simple interface or using integrated software.

Ready to get started with professional hosting? Airbnb is here to help every step of the way. Use this simple checklist to track your progress as you get up and running.

Sign up for a new Airbnb account. Create a business account on Airbnb using a professional email address that guests can use to reach you.

Set up your business profile to fit your brand. Use your company name or main account owner’s name. For the profile photo, upload a company logo or a team or personal photo.

Describe your business. Use the Describe Yourself field to tell Airbnb guests about your business. This description will appear on all listings.

Verify your account as a business account. To comply with anti-money laundering regulations, we must collect and verify certain types of host information.

Add a payout method. Add your preferred way for us to pay you. Learn more

Add your taxpayer information. If you appear to have U.S.-sourced income, or in certain other cases, we must collect certain taxpayer information from you. Learn more

Set up your API-connected software. Grant your property management system or channel manager permission to manage your Airbnb account. If you don’t utilize API-connected software, go to the next step. Learn more

Publish your listings. On your connected software, choose up to 30 listings and they’ll automatically appear on Airbnb. Each should have 20+ nights available over the next 3 months. Learn more

Set up your listings for success. Write listing titles that set each place apart, list all amenities, and upload high-quality photos. Learn more

Include clear, concise house rules. Guests must agree to your house rules to complete a booking. Learn more

Pick a cancellation policy. We recommend flexible or moderate. Learn more

Choose a fee option. Our host-only fee option helps you offer guests predictable, competitive prices. Learn more

Guests accept terms. In order to book, a guest must agree to Airbnb’s Terms of Service and your house rules, and indicate the number of guests.

Guests book your property. Airbnb receives payment from the guest and sends you an email notification. The listing is updated in your software. The reservation appears on your Airbnb reservations page.

Airbnb pays you. On the payout date (usually within 24 hours of guests’ arrival), Airbnb pays you the reservation funds minus the host service fee. You can always check transaction status here. Learn more

More about reservation changes: To confirm a reservation change, both host and guest must approve it on Airbnb. Learn more

More about host cancellations: Host cancellations can incur blocked calendar dates, fees, and other consequences. Learn more

Security deposit claims: Security deposit claims must be initiated promptly through our Resolution Center. Learn more

Track performance. Use your performance dashboard to track and compare your listings’ performance across business metrics. Learn more

Build your team. You can host listings with other team members without sharing the same account or private information. Learn more

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.