Questions to ask a potential Airbnb property management company

When reaching out to property managers who can manage your Airbnb or short-term rental you'll quickly realize there aren't nearly as many short-term rental management companies as there are long-term tenant rental companies.

Most of the standard property managers understand short-term rentals but don't have the systems and processes to switch to short-term rentals. 

Below is a list of questions to ask on your first call with an Airbnb property management company.

1. What Airbnb management services do you manage?

Reason for asking: Some Airbnb management companies will market themselves as property managers for Airbnb but they only handle booking requests and ongoing guest communication. You want to find out if the Airbnb management company assists in setting up the property, ordering the right fixtures and furnishings, taking photographs, handling any maintenance requests, and coordinating cleaning and turnover service (including supply ordering). If the company only manages a subset of these services then you'll not truly be a passive short-term property owner. 

2. How did you get into managing Airbnb properties?

Reason for asking: If the owner or manager has managed their own properties then they have learned to build systems and processes firsthand. 

3. How many properties do you manage?

Reason for asking: You don't want to be their first co-hosted property. Growing from managing your own properties to co-hosting other investors' properties requires different systems and processes. 

4. Who owns the Airbnb listing?

Reason for asking: As the Airbnb listing becomes mature with positive reviews and SuperHost status the value of the listing continues to grow. Repeat guests will often look to book the same property on a return work trip and the Airbnb search algorithm begins to rank your listing over newer or not a quality run listing.

Some Airbnb property managers create their own listing for your property and therefore they own the listing while others tap into your listing and via permissions on the Airbnb account, allow you to manage the property. There isn't a right or wrong, but you want to understand who owns the Airbnb listing should you decide to part ways in the future and then make certain that the contractual agreement aligns with that understanding. 

5. What type of insurance do you carry and what happens if a guest makes a claim?

Reason for asking: A knowledgable Airbnb management company will have the proper insurance set up and be able to advise you on the insurance you need versus what the Airbnb Host insurance covers. While it is very rare that a guest makes a claim, separating personal from business liability and having the right insurance in place is critical. 

5. Should I convert my regular rental to an Airbnb?

Reason for asking: The co-host won't be able to make that decision without doing extensive research. Ideally, the Airbnb property manager will outline their process and the data that will be used to make a qualified recommendation. 

When it comes to converting your regular rental to an Airbnb property manager, be sure you have a list of questions ready!