Once owners decide they no longer want to manage their Airbnb alone, they usually find two kinds of help: a large property management company with dozens or hundreds of listings, or an independent co-host who works with a small number of homes. Both will take the daily work off your hands. The way they do it, what they charge, and how much of your listing you still control are quite different, and choosing well depends on what matters most to you.
What a property management company does
A management company typically takes over the whole operation. It often lists your home on its own account, sets prices with software across its portfolio, and handles guests through a support team or a messaging service. For owners who want to hand everything over and rarely be involved, that can be appealing.
The trade off is distance. Your home is one of many, the person answering your guest at 2 a.m. may change from week to week, and fees in Vancouver commonly run around 20 to 30 percent of booking revenue, sometimes with additional charges on top. Contracts can also be harder to leave, and the most important point is often missed: the listing usually belongs to the company, not to you. If you part ways, you cannot take its reviews with you, and your home starts again on a new listing with no review history at all.
What a co-host does
A co-host works on your listing alongside you. On Airbnb, a co-host is added to the owner’s own listing, so the listing, its reviews and its guest history stay yours. The co-host handles the day to day work, from pricing and guest messages to cleaning, turnovers and compliance, but you keep ownership and full visibility.
For me, co-hosting means one person who knows your home by name, answers your guests personally, and reviews your pricing every week based on what is happening in Vancouver. You can read what owners say about working this way on my Happy Clients page.
Side by side
| Property management company | Local co-host | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the listing and reviews | Often the company | You |
| Who answers your guests | A rotating team or messaging service | Usually the co-host personally |
| Pricing | Portfolio software | Reviewed for your home every week |
| Typical fees in Vancouver | Around 20 to 30% of revenue, plus extras | Lower; mine is a $50 monthly fee plus a commission starting at 16% |
| Your involvement | Minimal | A flexible collaboration: you always know what is happening in your home, and feedback flows instantly both ways, as involved as you want to be |
| Leaving | Can be harder if the listing is theirs | Simpler, since the listing stays yours |
Which one suits you?
A management company can suit you if you own several units, want a single company to deal with, and do not mind a more standardized approach. A local co-host usually suits owners of one home, especially their own principal residence, who care about how guests are treated, want to keep their listing and reviews, and prefer a direct relationship with the person running it.
Whichever you choose, remember that in Vancouver the licence and its legal responsibility stay with the owner. A co-host or a manager can carry the paperwork, but neither can make an ineligible home eligible.
Eight questions to ask before you sign
- Who answers a guest at 2 a.m., and how fast?
- Who books the cleaners and checks their work?
- How much can you spend on repairs before asking me?
- How is your fee calculated, and what else could I be charged?
- What will my monthly statement show me?
- Who tracks my licence and registration renewals?
- Who owns the listing, its reviews and the guest history?
- How do I end the agreement, and what happens to my listing?
A good co-host or manager will answer all eight clearly and in writing. Ask me too, and see what my service includes.
Common questions
What is the difference between an Airbnb co-host and a property manager?
A co-host works on your own listing, so you keep ownership of it and its reviews. A property manager often runs the home on its own account and system, with less direct involvement from you.
How much does an Airbnb co-host cost in Vancouver?
Fees vary by provider and by home. Large management companies commonly charge around 20 to 30 percent of revenue; I charge a flat $50 monthly listing fee plus a commission starting at 16%.
Can a co-host get my licence for me?
A co-host can prepare and guide the paperwork, but the licence is in the owner’s name and the home must be the owner’s principal residence.
Talk it through
If you are weighing your options, a free 30 minute Property Review is a simple way to see how I would run your home and what it could earn, with no commitment.
