What the Feature Is
Airbnb describes co-hosts as people you invite to help with your listing: "family members, friends, neighbors, or a trusted person you've hired to help with the logistics." A co-host works inside your listing on your account. They do not get their own copy of it, and the listing's reviews stay with the listing.
This page is about Airbnb's tool. If you are deciding between hiring a co-host and handing the whole operation to a manager, read co-host vs full-service management, which compares the two arrangements.
Setting It up, Step by Step
- Decide the job first. Write down what the person will do: answer guests, set prices, manage the calendar, or just see when to clean.
- Invite them from the listing. For homes, Airbnb says the listing owner or a co-host with full access can add a co-host.
- Pick a permission level. Airbnb offers three (see the table below). You can change it any time.
- Set up payouts, if any. Only the listing owner can set up or edit a co-host's payouts.
- Wait for confirmation. The co-host has 14 days to confirm or decline a payout arrangement, and changes apply only to bookings that start after they confirm.
You can add up to 10 co-hosts per listing.
The Three Permission Levels
| Level | What Airbnb says the co-host can do |
|---|---|
| Full access | Message guests and update the calendar; manage the listing, including pricing and other details; manage reservations, including accepting and declining requests |
| Calendar and messaging | Message guests and view, but not edit, the calendar |
| Calendar only | View, but not edit, the calendar |
A practical New England setup might look like this: a hired co-host with full access who handles pricing and guests, a cleaner with calendar-only access who can see turnovers, and a neighbor near the lake with calendar and messaging access who can answer a guest's question about the dock or the woodstove.
How Co-Host Payouts Work
Airbnb gives the owner four payout options:
- the cleaning fee;
- the cleaning fee plus a percentage of each booking;
- a percentage of each booking;
- a fixed amount per booking.
Airbnb calculates the co-host's share from the host's earnings on each booking and the option you choose. For most stays, payouts are typically processed by the end of the business day after the guest's scheduled check-in.
Tax detail. Airbnb says listing owners receive a tax document on the full booking amount, and co-hosts receive one for what they are paid. The co-host's share does not reduce the amount reported for you, so keep records of what you paid out and talk to your tax preparer. See Airbnb tax basics for homeowners.
What Stays with the Owner
Some things a co-host can never take over, whatever their permission level:
- Payout method and taxpayer information. Airbnb says co-hosts cannot view or change the owner's or another co-host's payout method or taxpayer info.
- Co-host payouts. Only the owner sets or edits them.
- Your local obligations. Town permits, state lodging tax registration and insurance are still yours. See managing a home on Airbnb for the rest of the owner's setup.
The Co-Host Network
Airbnb also runs a Co-Host Network that matches owners with experienced co-hosts. Its help center lists the United States among the countries where it operates. To join, Airbnb says a co-host must have:
- hosted 10 or more stays, or 3 or more stays totaling 100 or more nights, in the past 12 months;
- an average guest rating of 4.8 or higher;
- a cancellation rate under 3%, with exceptions for certain valid reasons.
To appear in search, co-hosts must keep review ratings of 4.7 or higher, and Airbnb asks them to keep a response rate over 90% for new inquiries within 24 hours.
These are platform screens, not a license or an inspection of how someone runs a house in winter. Interview anyone you find there as you would any contractor: who cleans, who answers a no-heat call at night, and how close they live to your home.
Put the Agreement in Writing
Airbnb's payout settings record a split, not a contract. Before you invite anyone, agree in writing on:
- the exact tasks and the permission level that matches them;
- who hires, pays and supervises cleaners;
- repair approvals: what the co-host can authorize and above what amount they must ask;
- how damage claims and guest complaints are handled;
- snow removal, heating checks and freeze protection for winter;
- how either side ends the arrangement, and what happens to future bookings.
Co-Hosting with New England Host Co
New England Host Co offers co-hosting as a separate product, chosen instead of full-service management. The exact split of work is agreed with each owner, so ask us. Start at the owner hub or call (978) 672-4578.
FAQ
How Many Co-Hosts Can I Add to an Airbnb Listing?
Up to 10 per listing, according to Airbnb's help center as of October 2026.
Can a Co-Host Change My Payout Method?
No. Airbnb says co-hosts cannot view or change the owner's payout method or taxpayer info, and only the owner can set up or edit co-host payouts.
Who Gets the Tax Form When a Co-Host Is Paid Through Airbnb?
Both. Airbnb says the owner receives a tax document on the full booking amount and the co-host receives one for what they were paid.
Is Someone from the Co-Host Network Vetted by Airbnb?
They have met Airbnb's experience, rating and cancellation thresholds. That is a performance screen, so still check references and how they handle in-person problems.
