Co-hosting: has anyone started by managing someone else's property?

Category: Getting Started

By: James Wu

Posted: 2025-12-02T10:56:50.954Z

I want to get into STR hosting but I don't own property and I'm not ready for rental arbitrage. I keep hearing about "co-hosting" where you manage someone else's Airbnb for a percentage. Has anyone actually done this? How did you find your first property owner? What percentage do you charge? And is it a viable way to learn the business before investing in your own property?

Reply by Grace Kim:

I co-hosted for 18 months before getting my own property. Best decision I could have made. Here's how I did it: **Finding owners:** I posted on local Facebook groups and Nextdoor saying "Experienced host offering Airbnb co-hosting services" (I had hosted my own spare room for 6 months so I wasn't completely lying). My first client was a neighbor who had a vacation home an hour away that was sitting empty. **Commission:** I started at 20% of gross revenue. Industry standard is 15-25%. If you're doing EVERYTHING (messaging, pricing, cleaning coordination, restocking, maintenance), 20-25% is fair. **What I learned:** Everything. Pricing strategy, guest communication, cleaning logistics, handling emergencies, dealing with bad reviews. All without risking my own capital. By the time I bought my own property, I had a playbook. **Tools I used:** Hospitable (https://hospitable.com) for messaging automation and PriceLabs (https://pricelabs.co) for pricing. The owner paid for both since they're property expenses.

Reply by Olivia Laurent:

Co-hosting is great but set CLEAR expectations in writing. I had a handshake deal with a property owner and it went sideways when they disagreed about a $400 repair I authorized. Always have a co-hosting agreement that covers: - Your commission percentage and when it's paid - Who authorizes expenses (and up to what amount without approval) - Who handles maintenance emergencies - Cancellation terms (30-60 day notice) - What happens if the property sells There are template agreements online. Protect yourself.

Reply by Camille Dubois:

I'll add: CoHost Market (https://cohostmarket.com) is a platform specifically designed for connecting property owners with co-hosts. It's basically the marketplace for this. Might be easier than cold-calling neighbors. Also, Airbnb now has an official co-host feature where the property owner can add you and you get your own dashboard. It's still in beta in some markets but it legitimizes the relationship.