Hosting a property on Airbnb is no longer a simple process. Customers can be finicky, ideal pricing can change on a dime, markets can become flooded and earnings can be difficult to track. The platform’s trying to simplify matters by introducing the Co-Host Network, which allows hosts to hire other hosts to manage properties.
Here’s how it works. Property owners can peruse the network for other hosts and scoop them up into a loving embrace of hospitality. The hired hosts can help with just about anything, including setting up listings, selecting prices and availability, cleaning, maintenance and guest management. It’s a disruption of the blazing-hot “building superintendent” industry.
These hosts for hire must be highly rated and local, with Airbnb saying it has only included hosts with a rating of at least 4.8 and a minimum of ten hosted stays. The would-be co-hosts/employees can set their own service rates on a profile page. The company says it has onboarded over 10,000 people so far, in countries like Australia, Brazil, France, Mexico and the US.
“One of the requests that we had from hosts is that they would really love to be able to find professional, high-quality co-hosts with a great track record in their area whom they can trust. And they can really be completely hands-off,” Judson Coplan, VP of Product Marketing at Airbnb, said to TechCrunch.
While this feature should be a boon for actual people who just need a little bit of help, the phrase “completely hands-off” gives me pause. It seems like it could easily be used by gigantic real estate monoliths that own hundreds and hundreds of properties across the platform.
This isn’t a bad thing, per se, as these mega-hosts are generally considered to be a reliable option for guests. However, this certainly doesn’t help the public perception that Airbnb and its ilk participate in the hollowing out of neighborhoods, turning them into ghost towns. There is, after all, a housing crisis across the country.
In any event, this could be a decent way for some people to make a few extra bucks. Airbnb introduced other stuff besides the Co-Host Network, including a feature for hosts to check out similar listings in an area. As for guests, there’s a new welcome tour in the app for first time users, updated search filters, local payment options and more.
The platform has been busy lately. Earlier this year, Airbnb started a program to provide discounts on EV chargers for hosts. It also now allows the app to display smart lock codes to guests.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/airbnb-now-lets-hosts-hire-other-hosts-to-manage-properties-153748730.html?src=rss
