Anyone who owns a home has wondered whether it’s worth the time and effort to list your home on Airbnb. Here are 25 things you have to do before and after listing your home.
Research
Learn about occupancy requirements
Obtain necessary permits
Check with your HOA or co-op
Decide how much of your property to rent and when to rent it
Sorting out finances
Look at other homes listed in your area to benchmark price
Calculate your break-even and profit margins
Make a plan for paying taxes
Does your homeowners’ insurance cover short-term rentals? Secure additional or different insurance if not
Don’t count on vacation rental income when refinancing a mortgage loan
Getting your place rental-ready
Complete as many upgrades as possible
Consider security
Make the rental area as nice as possible: clean, attractive
Preparing to post
Read and commit to hosting standards
Take pictures
Write your headline and description
Decide on any rules for guests
Create a guest binder
Stock up on bulk supplies
Arrange for cleaning
Figure out entry and exit
List your home
After the listing
Respond quickly to questions
Screen guests
Pay attention to reviews
Be an attentive (but not hovering) host