Airbnb launches co-host marketplace to boost listing supply
Natalie Lung | (TNS) Bloomberg News
Airbnb Inc. launched a new section of its app and website where homeowners can hire fellow hosts to manage their rentals, underscoring a broader push to increase listings and attract more people to the platform.
The idea is that hosts who may not have the time or inclination to be hands-on can pay preapproved “co-hosts” on the platform to help set up or furnish their listings, or manage their bookings and guests. Airbnb has already received applications from would-be co-hosts, whom the company vets based on criteria indicating a strong track record, such as the number of stays they’ve hosted, ratings from guests and low cancellation rates.
A co-host can offer as many as 10 different types of services, with different compensation options that include, say, charging a one-time fee for setting up a listing page, or a percentage of a booking for day-to-day support. The new “co-host network” is launching in 10 countries including the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Spain and Brazil, the company said on Wednesday. It already has 10,000 co-hosts to start, with an average rating of 4.86 out of 5.