How Much Does Airbnb Property Management Cost?
Airbnb has become an incredibly popular way for property owners to generate income from their homes or investment properties. By listing your property on Airbnb, you can potentially earn thousands of dollars per month in rental income. However, managing an Airbnb property yourself can be extremely time-consuming. This is why many hosts turn to professional Airbnb property management companies to handle all aspects of renting out their properties on Airbnb.
But “How Much Does Airbnb Property Management Cost?” In this article, we’ll break down the typical fees charged by Airbnb management companies so you can decide if it’s worth the investment for your rental property.
What Does an Airbnb Management Company Do?
Before we dive into costs, let’s first look at what exactly an Airbnb management company does for hosts:
Listing Optimization & Management
A management company will professionally photograph and list your property on Airbnb and other rental sites. They’ll write compelling listing descriptions, highlight your property’s best features, and make sure your listing stays updated and looks great.
Pricing Strategy
Knowing how to price your rental competitively is crucial. An experienced management company will set optimal nightly, weekly, and monthly rates to maximize your occupancy and revenue. They’ll also adjust pricing seasonally or for special events happening in your area.
Booking Management
The management company handles all booking inquiries, vetting guests, blocking dates, sending check-in instructions, and collecting payment from guests on your behalf. This also includes addressing any last-minute guest issues.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Between guest stays, the company will have a cleaning team come to refresh the property. They may also conduct routine maintenance and repairs to keep your property in tip-top shape.
Guest Communications
During a guest’s stay, the management team serves as the main point of contact for any questions or issues that come up. This allows you to step away while still providing excellent service.
Compliance & Reporting
The management ensures your property remains in compliance with all local short-term rental regulations. You’ll also receive detailed accounting reports on your occupancy, revenue, expenses, and payouts.
Airbnb Management Fees & Costs
The exact fees charged by an Airbnb management company can vary depending on your market, the size of your property, and the services you require. However, their fees generally fall into three main categories:
Management Fee
This base monthly fee covers the core management services like listing your property, managing bookings, communicating with guests, etc. Typical fees range from 15-35% of your monthly rental revenue.
So for example, if your property earned $5,000 in bookings in a month, you’d pay a management fee of $750 – $1,750. The percentage may decrease as your revenue increases.
Is the Cost of Airbnb Management Worth It?
Whether or not the cost of using an Airbnb management company makes sense depends largely on your scenario. Here are some pros and cons to weigh:
Potential Benefits
- Generates more rental income since experienced teams maximize occupancy and revenue.
- Saves you time so you can focus on other endeavors instead of day-to-day rental management.
- Access to a professional team with the staff and systems needed to run a successful rental business. This includes amenities and technology individual hosts may lack.
- Peace of mind knowing your property and guests are being taken care of by a seasoned management team.
- Consistent high-quality experience for guests when managed by professionals. This can lead to better reviews and higher rankings on Airbnb.
Potential Drawbacks
- Management fees cut into your profit – typically 15-35% of revenue goes to the management company.
- Potentially less control over how your property is run day-to-day.
- Management companies prefer longer rental terms which may limit flexibility.
- Locked into a contract for a certain period, with penalties if you leave early.
- Still responsible for costs of repairs, taxes, mortgages, etc. Management fee only covers the service provided.
As you can see, Airbnb property management simplifies the hosting process but also chips away at your rental income. Run the numbers for your specific situation to see if the convenience is worth the cost.
Ways to Reduce Airbnb Management Costs
If you want professional help but are concerned about the management fees, here are a few tips to reduce costs:
- Shop around to negotiate the lowest rates possible. Get quotes from multiple companies.
- Start slowly with key services like listing help and cleaner scheduling. Later you can add on as-needed guest communication or maintenance help during busier periods.
- See if you can pay flat monthly fees rather than percentages, especially once your rental is established and requires less hands-on management.
- Offer discounted rates if you sign a longer 6 or 12-month management contract to incentivize lower fees.
- Manage it yourself but hire cleaners and photographers separately on an as-needed basis to partially outsource tasks.
Is DIY Airbnb Management an Option?
While professional management takes the work off your plate, some savvy hosts do opt to manage their Airbnbs themselves. This gives you full control and allows you to pocket 100% of your rental earnings (minus Airbnb’s fees).
DIY Airbnb management can work well if:
- You only rent out your primary home occasionally when out of town.
- You have ample time and availability to devote.
- Your property is nearby for easy access.
- Your rental unit is relatively low maintenance.
- You already have good systems, cleaners, and photographers in place.
But be prepared to handle all guest communication, cleaning, restocking, maintenance, pricing adjustments, and more yourself. And you’ll need to keep calendar openings updated across multiple platforms.
Conclusion
Managing short-term rentals like Airbnb can be extremely lucrative, but also time-consuming for hosts. Hiring a professional management company simplifies operations in exchange for 15-35% of your rental revenue. While this may seem steep, keep in mind that good managers have the experience to maximize your bookings and earnings potential. And nothing is more costly than vacancy.
For many busy hosts, the round-the-clock work of self-managing quickly burns out, making the costs of hiring help well worth it. Still, costs can add up. Carefully analyze your specific needs, rental income potential, and existing time commitments to decide if outsourcing Airbnb management is your best path forward.
