Congratulations, you have an airbnb and now you want to run it from a distance.

In running an Airbnb long distance you must do the following

• Hire a dependable Cleaner
• Hire a dependable Repair Person
• Be able to Stock up on supplies
• Install Smart Locks (and other technology)
• and have a back up plan

How Do I Hire a Dependable Cleaner for My Airbnb?

We’re going to assume you at least have been to the city in which you have an airbnb 🙂

Good Hosts know that the cleanliness will make or break their listing. This is going to take you a little bit of time to find a cleaner. Interview a few cleaners in your area in which you have an Airbnb – the closer the better. You can look in your nickle savers – or Craigslist. You don’t want someone from another town. You are looking for a cleaner that has her/his own business of cleaning and does not work for a big conglomerate – you want to be able to establish the rules and let them know what you need.

Hire them to clean your Airbnb and inspect it thoroughly. Did they pay attention to details; does everything shine? Key point here; unless you want them as an employee – you are looking for someone who is already licensed and treat them as a contractor. When you find that person, treat them like gold. Did you find two of them? Lucky you if you did – split the work between them then so you always have a spare in emergencies.

Pay them timely so you will be their number one client.

I’m going to be honest – it’s hard to find the ideal person – you need to plan for cleaners who promote to something else, or just lose interest or move on.

And now I’m going to contradict what I just stated above. While the ideal is an independent Cleaner, you may not be able to find one, which leaves you no alternative but to use a professional cleaning company. Take your checklist and discuss it in detail so both of you are in complete understanding of what needs to be done – and make sure they can meet your deadline of cleaning between checkouts and check-ins.

How Do I Hire a Dependable Repair Person for my Airbnb?

Hiring a repair person is similar to hiring a cleaner; you will have to check them out by hiring them. Do you need your doors rehung? Are holes in the wall repaired? Look in Nickle ads and craigslist and hire them. But better yet; check out Homedepot or your local Lowes or equivalent (early in the morning) and you will see contractors walking in. Speak with them. Do they do small repairs? Do they work on the side? Who do they recommend?

You want to find your repair person BEFORE you leave town. When you find them treat them like gold (similar to your cleaner) pay them on time – and don’t haggle – penny pinchers get left with pennies.

Talk with them and ask if they can respond to a call that needs immediate response? What do they say? Most contractors/repair people are booked up…if you pay that day will they consider you? That is the main way to get their immediate response; pay right away.

Do not forget to have a list of

• Electricians
• Backup contractors/repair people
• Plumbers (very important)
• Pool cleaners (if relevant)
• Pest control
• Yard person
• Heat and Air

Interview these people and evaluate their work BEFORE you need them. What is their response time? Do they have any 24-hr services?

How Do I Handle Supplies Long Distance?

To handle supplies when you are out of town you will have to work in conjunction with your cleaning person(s). You can have the supplies sent to their house and then they bring them and stock at the Airbnb or you have the supplies sent directly to the Airbnb property.

Since you don’t have control of when UPS or USPS deliver these supplies; it might be best to work with your Cleaner to bring the supplies from their home when they arrive (compensate them accordingly). If you have it shipped to your Airbnb then you may have the issue of the guest getting a shipment and not knowing what to do with it. And after all – you don’t expect them to manage your supplies.

How Do I Greet Guests From Long Distance?

Since you are obviously not there; that can be tricky to make a guest feel welcome.

There are three ways to greet your guest. The first is by making sure you use the messaging system supplied by Airbnb (or other technology. The second important point is a keyless smart entry so you can send them the access number and no one has to give them a key or unlock the door for them. The third is a lockbox with a key inside – as a back up.

My recommendation would be the keyless smartphone entry and have a lockbox with the key someplace (other than the door – where they would only find it if you told them where it is at) so if there is a technology issue – they would have a back up to a key in an emergency.

Have a Backup Plan to Longdistance Airbnb

Always have a backup plan, especially if you are long-distance.

Your cleaner has Pneumonia (covid?) then use your second cleaner – pay them a little extra if they have to move their schedule around. You want to aim for having your property top-notch before your guest arrives.

The same is true with plumbers, handypersons, landscapers, and the like. While most issues may not require immediate rectifying; you will definitely need a backup for cleaning, repairs, and plumbing.

How Do I Hire a Property Manager for an Airbnb?

Let’s say none of the above sounds good to you – then consider hiring a property manager. They can make the arrangements; handle your bookings – schedule the cleanings etc.

A property manager can be found in several different ways. Ideally, it would be from a referral from another Host you trust (in your Airbnb area). However, if you do not know anyone then you will have to do your own search by going online and finding property managers in your area or speaking with real estate agents for referrals. NOTE: you are not looking for just any ol’ property manager – you are looking for one that specializes in Airbnb. Ask that question – do they have other clients that are Airbnb hosts? They will generally charge from 10 to 20% of the revenue.