Everyone knows Airbnb primarily as a website to search for places to stay. This leads to the assumption that in order to make money with Airbnb one needs to own property. This is not the case. In this post, I cover ways to make money on Airbnb without owning property.
As an Airbnb Associate, I earn when you book through links on my site. Thank you for your support.
Let’s dive right in.
Host an Airbnb Online Experience
The coronavirus hit the globe in early 2020. This had a disastrous impact on travel. Airbnb and hosts lost bookings faster than one could say ‘Jack Sprat’. Even my Cosy Garden Cottage lost bookings.
No-one could travel. But that didn’t stop Airbnb. They found a way to bring travel into the living room with online experiences.
This is a new way to make money on Airbnb without owning property. All you need to get going is a good internet connection a few pictures and you are all set. You’ll be hosting an experience from your living room to living rooms around the world.
How to create an Airbnb online experience
How it works is you’ll need to join Airbnb as an ‘experience host’, which you can do here. Create your idea for an online experience. Spend the time to write up an experience that people would really want to book.
You’ll be hosting your experience through Airbnb’s Zoom. Get to know how Zoom works and build up a level of confidence. I would suggest perfecting your experience before hosting your first one. Try it out on your friends and family and get some constructive feedback. If you are going to be walking around during your experience test the limits of your internet connection. You don’t want your connection to drop halfway through.
Ideas for an online experience are only limited by your imagination. I have seen listings for tours around wine farms, how to make coffee, how to take pictures with a cell phone, how to cook a number of different things, magicians, clowns, the list goes on and on.
One of the online experiences we tried was Wonders of Wine Making From Our Vineyard. Stefan was a compelling host with a passion for wine and Bulgaria. He left us wanting to visit Bulgaria afterwards. You can book the experience with Stephan here.
Host an Airbnb Experience
Hosting an Airbnb Experience is another way to make money with Airbnb without owning property. This is almost exactly the same as hosting an online experience except you will be meeting with your guests face to face.
The intention of the face to face experience is to bring out those hidden gems that travellers wouldn’t ordinarily find in a published guidebook. The groups are much smaller too giving a more personal feel to the event.
The most successful experiences are those where the host is sharing their passion. Think about your passions, are they something you could share with your guests?
How to create an Airbnb experience
Once you have your idea you can start creating your Airbnb experience here.
Practice your experience before hosting for the first time. Think about what you are going to provide to your guests to enhance their experience. Maybe a cup of coffee before the start? What should your guests bring with them for their comfort? If you are going to be hosting in the sun a hat might be useful. Get some feedback from friends and family on a dry run of your experience.
The possibilities for a face-to-face experience are endless. I have seen experiences for tours around local restaurants, hiking with a local, Pilates in the park, urban farming you name it.
One of the local experiences we have tried is Explore Urban Gardening With A Farmer. Ashleigh and Negin had a wealth of knowledge about urban farming. I wanted to rush home and immediately start my own urban farm. You can book this experience with Ashleigh and Negin here.
Become an Airbnb Co-Host
Becoming an Airbnb Co-Host is another way to make money on Airbnb with no money to start. But what is an Airbnb Co-Host?
A Co-host is someone who helps the host to manage their Airbnb property. The host loads a second person as a Co-host on their listing. The Co-host then has access to manage the listing through the portal like the host. The only thing the co-host can’t see is the host earnings. A Co-host can be loaded for multiple properties owned by different hosts.
Co-host duties can include everything there is to run a short-term rental. Duties can include:
- Managing the calendar and bookings,
- Welcoming guests and communicating with them during their stay to making sure they have everything they need,
- Managing the changeover between guests which can either mean doing the cleaning and changing yourself or managing the cleaning company who will do the cleaning,
- Maintenance tasks on the property which can include plumbing and electrical maintenance or replacing things that get damaged or broken by guests.
The next question is how much does a Co-host earn on Airbnb? There is no fixed answer to this question. A co-host’s earnings can range from 5% right up to 50% of the listing turnover. The potential earnings for a co-host are directly related to how much they are willing to do for the host. The more tasks they take-on the higher the percentage earnings will be. The other direct link to the co-host potential earnings is in their power of negotiation with the host.
How to become an Airbnb co-host
So how does one become a co-host? There are numerous answers to this question. The most common answer as an individual is to start off managing an Airbnb listing for a friend or family member. Once you know the ropes you will then be able to ask them for a great review and build up your portfolio.
To build up your portfolio you can offer your co-hosting services at host meet-ups. Facebook is also an excellent place to find potential clients. There are numerous Airbnb host Facebook groups. Find one relevant to your area and offer your services there.
Over time you’ll build up your portfolio and be making money on Airbnb without owning a property. A side hustle could become your full-time income with Airbnb without having had any money to start.
Become an Airbnb Associate
Becoming an Airbnb Associate is the easiest of all the options to earn money on Airbnb without owning property. It is as easy as clicking join and agreeing to the terms and conditions. The catch? To earn good money through this program is a lot harder.
Let’s start with what the program is all about. As an Airbnb Associate, you get paid a to promote Airbnb products either stays or experiences. You can share these links with your audience. If your audience books an experience or accommodation through your link you will earn a percentage of the Airbnb service fee. Sounds like the numerous affiliate programs that are out there right?
Creating these links is very easy and there are a number of options to choose from. You can create specific links for your stays and experiences that you have tried. You can create a link for a general location. A link to your favourites on Airbnb whether they are places and experiences you have tried or want to try. Or a general search box. Here is an example of a general link that I have created to share.
Don’t forget your disclosure: As as Airbnb Associate, I earn when you book through this link. Thank you for your support.
So how much can you earn as an Airbnb Associate? As an associate, you earn a percentage of the Airbnb service fee when someone books a stay or experience through one of your links. 30% of the service fee for a stay and 25% of the service fee for on experience.
As you can see this is an easy option to make money on Airbnb with no money to start. But to make good money on Airbnb with this option is all about how much traffic you can generate.
Invite People To Join Airbnb
The final method of earning money through Airbnb without owning property is to invite people to join Airbnb.
The first of these methods is to invite someone to join Airbnb as a traveller. With this method, you won’t actually earn hard cash. You will earn Airbnb travel credit/coupon that you can use towards your next stay. There is an incentive for the person joining to join through your link too. They will also earn travel credit if they join through your invitation. So if you are not part of Airbnb and you want to get an Airbnb promo code towards your next trip/experience please join here.
The next option for invites is if you are a member of Airbnb already. You know someone that has a talent and you think they would make an excellent experience host. You can invite them to create an experience on Airbnb through your own experience link. Do you have a talent you think you can share? Join here. As an Airbnb associate, I will be happy to help you promote your new experience. 25 invites
Finally, if you are an Airbnb listing host with a property. Airbnb provides you with an option to invite other hosts to list their space on Airbnb. The idea is that as an experienced host you will be able to share your tips and tricks about being a host. So do you have a space you would like to list? List your space here and I’ll be happy to help you set-up and promote your listing.
The income one can earn through the Airbnb invitation programs are capped. The amount of travel credit that can be earned from inviting friends to join Airbnb is capped at USD 5000. Inviting friends to host an experience or list a space are each capped to 25 invitations.
Although one won’t make a career from the Airbnb invitations, they are still valid ways to make money with Airbnb without owning property.
Final Note On Ways To Make Money On Airbnb Without Owning Property
These are clever ways to make money with Airbnb without owning property. None of them requires much capital input. In fact, if you already have a phone or laptop and an internet connection then there is no capital input required at all!
So if you feel you need a side hustle that will provide a little extra cash join Airbnb and get going.