Working well with co-hosts and caretakers comes down to three things: give each person the right access in Airbnb, agree in writing who handles what, and make sure everyone hears about each arrival, request and problem without you passing it on by hand. Airbnb's co-host tools cover the access and payouts; a simple routine covers the rest.
Most hosts with more than one home rely on other people: a co-host who handles messages, a caretaker who cleans and hands over keys, a cleaner, a maintenance person. Things go wrong not because people don't care but because someone didn't know: the guest arriving early, the broken tap, the extra mattress.
Co-hosts on Airbnb
Airbnb lets you invite up to 10 co-hosts per listing. Each co-host gets one of three access levels:
| Access level | What they can do |
|---|---|
| Full access | Edit the calendar and pricing, manage listing details, accept or decline requests, manage reservations, write guest reviews, view earnings, and invite co-hosts with limited access |
| Calendar and messaging | Message guests and view (not edit) the calendar |
| Calendar only | View (not edit) the calendar |
All three can receive co-host payouts and message the host and other co-hosts. Full-access co-hosts can't add other full-access co-hosts.
Which level for whom
- A partner or manager who runs the listing with you: full access.
- Someone who answers guests for you: calendar and messaging.
- A caretaker or cleaner who needs to know when guests arrive and leave: calendar only.
Give each person the lowest level that lets them do their job. It keeps settings and pricing in the right hands.
Co-host payouts
The listing owner can set up co-host payouts in Airbnb, as one of:
- the cleaning fee,
- the cleaning fee plus a percentage,
- a percentage of each booking, or
- a fixed amount per booking.
The co-host has 14 days to confirm or decline the proposal. For most stays, Airbnb sends payouts by the end of the business day after check-in. Agree on earnings and expenses before you set it up, so there are no surprises.
Caretakers
Many homes have someone on site or nearby: a caretaker who cleans, hands over keys, fixes small things and knows the neighbourhood. They're often the person guests meet first, and the one who can solve a problem in ten minutes.
A caretaker usually needs to know:
- Who's arriving, when, and how many people.
- Special requests: early check-in, an extra bed, a baby cot, airport pickup.
- Problems reported by guests, as soon as they're reported.
- Who's leaving, when, so cleaning can be planned.
Whether they're a co-host in Airbnb or not, what matters is that this information reaches them, every time, without you forwarding messages at midnight.
Agree who handles what
Write it down once. A simple table is enough:
| Task | Who | Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Answer guest messages | {name} | {name} |
| Check-in and key handover | {caretaker} | {name} |
| Cleaning and laundry | {cleaner} | {caretaker} |
| Small repairs | {caretaker} | {repair person} |
| Refunds, discounts, date changes | {owner} | — |
| Reviews and replies | {name} | {owner} |
Money and changes to bookings usually stay with the owner or a full-access co-host. Everything else can be shared.
Keep everyone informed
For every booking
Send the caretaker a short note when a booking comes in and again the day before arrival:
New booking, Sea Breeze Villa: Sara + 3, arriving Fri 14 Nov around 3 pm, leaving Mon 17 Nov at 11 am. Request: a baby cot.
For every problem
When a guest reports something, the right person should hear about it straight away, with the details:
Sea Breeze Villa: bedroom AC not cooling (guest Sara, checked in today). Can you check it this evening?
At checkout
Sea Breeze Villa: Sara checked out at 10:45. Next guests arrive Wed 2 pm.
These three messages, every time, prevent most of the "nobody told me" moments.
Tell guests who to contact
Guests should never have to guess. In the check-in message, give one main contact and a backup:
For anything during your stay, message me here. For help at the villa, {caretaker} is nearby on {number}.
See the check-in message every guest needs.
A weekly routine
- Monday: share the week's arrivals and departures with your caretaker and cleaner.
- Daily: check that every new guest message has been answered.
- After each stay: ask the caretaker for anything broken or missing, and fix it before the next arrival.
- Monthly: look at your reviews and ratings by category with the team, and agree on one thing to improve.
When you have many homes
The more homes, the more people, and the more important it is that information flows on its own. See running 10+ Airbnb homes without the chaos for systems that scale.
How Prohostings helps
Prohostings lets you add team members per home, such as a caretaker or co-host, and routes guest issues to the right person on WhatsApp, with the details attached. Guest requests that need a decision go to you; problems at a home go to that home's caretaker too. Start with the free listing report.
Sources
FAQ
How many co-hosts can an Airbnb listing have?
Airbnb lets you invite up to 10 co-hosts per listing.
What access levels can Airbnb co-hosts have?
Full access, calendar and messaging access, or calendar access only. Full access covers pricing, reservations, listing details and reviews; the other two are more limited.
How are Airbnb co-hosts paid?
The listing owner can set up co-host payouts in Airbnb: the cleaning fee, the cleaning fee plus a percentage, a percentage, or a fixed amount per booking. The co-host confirms the arrangement.
Does my caretaker need to be an Airbnb co-host?
Not necessarily. A caretaker who cleans and hands over keys may only need to know arrivals, departures and guest requests. Add them as a co-host if they need to see the calendar or message guests.
Who should guests contact during the stay?
One clear contact, written in the check-in message, plus a backup number. Guests shouldn't have to guess who to call.