Does my Airbnb need a Property Manager?

Maybe not. Here’s how to decide if your short-term rental needs professional management.

When Airbnb launched in 2008 with air mattresses in the founders’ San Francisco apartment, direct short-term property rental was virtually unimaginable for most owners: If you had a vacation home you wanted to rent, you contracted with a local property manager. Today, Airbnb has over 5 million hosts who have collectively welcomed more than 2.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country on earth. The US short-term rental market alone reached each $138 billion in 2025. That kind of growth doesn't just attract property owners — it attracts an entire industry of people who want to manage hosts. The number of property management companies grew by over 7,500 in 2024 alone, and the property management software industry has its own explosive growth curve running parallel to it. Both have a vested interest in convincing you that hosting is too complicated to do yourself.

It isn't — for most hosts.

DIY is often the most profitable option for hosts.

Hosting platforms were designed for owner-operators, and the tools available to self-managing hosts today are remarkably good. A property manager makes sense for a specific kind of owner. But if you're reading this newsletter, you're probably not that owner — you're someone who cares about the craft of hosting, which means the tools exist for you to do this well yourself.

The flexibility of the tools provided by platforms like Airbnb to self-managing hosts, however, is so granular and so detailed that many new hosts give up before they need to— they throw in the towel and decide to hire a manager. And for some, that’s absolutely the right move. But it certainly isn’t for many hosts, and I want to parse that out.

Hiring a manager when you don’t need to, because you’re frustrated with an initial learning curve, can easily eat up 25% (or more) of your earnings. And data shows that the best performing properties tend to be owner managed by owners who only own one listing— the vast majority of platform users. An attentive owner who has put in the time to learn the software, and to hone their listing, makes more money. And, I think, offers a more authentic and memorable guest experience than most managers can provide.

When you should self-manage

If you enjoy communicating with guests, and warmly connecting with people, self-management may be a great for for you. You don’t have to meet your guests in person, but you will need to communicate with them during the entire process from booking to check-out. But this communication is very easy to automate, so that responding in real time to a guest’s message is a rare occurrence, especially after you’re hosted a few times.

Self management means you are keeping full control of your listing, your calendar, your reviews, and the relationship you build with your guests— and that personal touch, in my experience, lead to better outcomes: Guests who feel cared for and seen by the owner treat the house with more respect.

Self-management keeps more money in your pocket. Yes, you’ll do some work coordinating cleanings (Though Turno.com makes this very easy), maintenance, and you’ll have to set up your automated messages. But most quality property managers will charge you 20-30% of your nightly take (This percentage should include consumables, like TP, paper towels, and shampoos, etc.)

Most hosting “problems” don’t arise if you have set up your physical space well, written a great listing description that sets accurate expectations for the guest experience, and have a thoughtful messaging sequence. Throrough preparation at the beginning takes more time, but it sets you up to make a lot more money in the long run. This is why I often encourage clients who contact me for full-service management to instead book my set-up package. Many people really don’t need professional management— they just need to start properly. Guidance from an Airbnb mentor (like me) is far less expensive than losing 25% of every booking.

When you should hire a property manager

If you live far from the property, and don’t have a robust local support network, hiring a manager is probably the smart move. A manager who lives within a 20 minute drive of the property can get there quickly if something goes wrong, and will have the experience to fix the problem and finesse the guests.

A high-end property will benefit from a boutique-level manager who offers a high-touch service— handwritten notes, fresh flowers, thoughtful recommendations, and concierge level service. These are managers who add value to your property.

If you have no interest in the hospitality work of hosting, and want to be completely hands-off, especially if the investment aspect of owning a short term rental is in the gradual growth of property value, a competent manager will be the right fit for you.

Or, if you have tried self-managing and it has negatively affected your quality of life, by all means hire a professional. Not everyone is cut out for hospitality work, and being hands-off may be the best for for your mental health.

The third way

For many new hosts, the ideal way to start their short term rental business is with a helping hand. Use a consultant to set up your listing to work well from launch. That consultant can start as an attached co-host, and keep an eye on your communications, be available for questions, and offer a helping hand during those all-important first 6 months. But then you can remove the training wheels and chug merrily along on your own. A mentoring-style co-hosting agreement keeps you in control while you gain expertise.

Budget for the occasional listing audit, rather for than ongoing property management.

There is a real difference between needing a property manager and needing better information. If you reach out to me for help with a property, determining what you need will be my first goal— Most hosts can successfully host on Airbnb alone. They’ll make more money, and create a better experience for their guest. But investing in your education as a new host will make self-management a lot easier in the long run. Please don’t confuse needing a helping hand sometimes with needing someone to take something over completely.

For more information on short term rental set-up and mentorship, please email me or book a session.