Part of the Short-Term Rental Management Guide, step 3: decide
What the Service Includes
Under full-service management, guest communication is made up of four parts, described here exactly as they are offered:
| Part | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Guest messaging and support | Questions before booking, during the stay and in between |
| Booking confirmations | Confirming the reservation once a guest books |
| Reminders | Messages ahead of arrival and departure |
| Post-stay follow-up and review management | The message after checkout and the review process that follows |
It is one part of a single package, not a separate service with its own price.
Before the Booking
Many guests message before they book, and the questions for New England homes are often practical:
- Can a regular car get up the driveway in February?
- Is the lake swimmable from the property, or is there a beach nearby?
- Are dogs allowed, and is the yard fenced?
- How far is it to the lifts, the hospital, the college or the highway?
- Is there a workspace and fast enough internet for a week of remote work?
Clear, honest answers here prevent the wrong guest from booking and help the right one commit. The listing should answer most of these on its own; see listing optimization for how.
From Booking to Arrival
After a guest books, the messages change from selling to preparing. A typical sequence for a New England home looks like this:
- Booking confirmation. The guest knows the stay is set and what happens next.
- Pre-arrival reminder. Check-in time, how to get in, where to park, and the things that are specific to the house.
- Season-specific notes. In winter that can mean the town's parking rules during snow, whether the driveway has been cleared, and how the heat works. In summer it can mean dock and boat rules, beach access and what to do with trash and recycling if pickup is not weekly.
- Checkout reminder. What to do before leaving, so the turnover can start on time.
Airbnb's own messaging tools support this kind of schedule. Its Help Center explains that hosts can schedule quick replies to send automatically around triggers such as a new reservation, check-in or checkout, and can skip, customize or send them early, with a full timeline of messages for each reservation (as of October 2026). Scheduled messages handle the routine. The questions guests actually ask still need a person reading them.
During the Stay
Support during the stay is where most of the value lies, and also where it is easiest to overpromise. What the service includes is guest messaging and support. New England Host Co does not publish response times, and this page does not claim any.
Typical mid-stay questions in this region include the hot tub, the thermostat, the wood stove, a tripped breaker, the Wi-Fi password, a missing item, and what to do after a storm. When a question turns out to be a maintenance issue, the job moves to maintenance coordination, which works with local vendors.
A good guidebook cuts down on routine questions. For what to include, see the best items for an Airbnb guidebook.
After Checkout: Follow-Up and Reviews
Post-stay follow-up and review management close the loop. On Airbnb, both the guest and the host are prompted to review on the day of checkout, and both have 14 days after checkout to submit. Reviews are published once both have submitted or when the 14 days end, whichever comes first (as of October 2026).
The follow-up message thanks the guest and invites a review. Review management also covers the host's side: reviewing the guest, and reading what guests say so the next stay improves. For the habits that lead to strong reviews, read the best ways to earn 5-star guest reviews.
Keeping Messages on the Platform
Airbnb's Off-Platform and Fee Transparency Policy says hosts may not encourage guests to move bookings off Airbnb, may not include links that take people off the platform in listings or messages, and may not use the messaging system to solicit email addresses or other contact channels after booking. For Airbnb bookings, that means guest communication stays inside Airbnb's messaging. Other platforms have their own rules for their own bookings.
What You, the Owner, Still Decide
You set the house rules that messages enforce, you decide whether pets are allowed, and you share the quirks of the house that only you know. Owner support is responsive; if there is anything you want to hear about from guest conversations, say so at the start.
Getting Started
Guest communication is part of full-service management, one package with listing, pricing, housekeeping and inspection after every stay, and maintenance coordination. If you are still deciding whether to rent at all, start with Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb in New England. To talk about your home, call (978) 672-4578 or use the contact form.
FAQ
Who Answers Guest Messages?
Under full-service management, New England Host Co handles guest messaging and support, including booking confirmations, reminders and post-stay follow-up.
How Fast Are Guest Messages Answered?
The company does not publish a response time, so this page does not state one. If timing matters to you, ask us directly.
Will Guests Have My Phone Number?
Under full-service management, guest messaging and support are handled by the company. On Airbnb, communication stays within Airbnb's messaging, in line with Airbnb's off-platform policy.
Does Review Management Mean You Can Remove Bad Reviews?
No. Review management covers the post-stay follow-up, reviewing guests and learning from what they say. Removal of reviews is decided by each platform under its own policies.
