Need to earn money on Airbnb? The most typical method is to rent out a spare room or your complete residence, however you don’t have to personal property to receives a commission.
You too can co-host for other owners, attempt rental arbitrage, clear turnovers, or supply an expertise or service to vacationers.
I’ve interviewed a bunch of short-term rental hosts on The Facet Hustle Present. Zeona McIntyre was incomes $12,000 to $18,000 a month from her personal leases and a co-hosting service, and Richie Matthews grew a rental arbitrage enterprise to 60 models.
Listed below are 9 methods to earn money on Airbnb, actual examples from every, what Airbnb charges, and what to test earlier than you listing.
| Technique to Make Cash on Airbnb | Personal Property? | Actual Instance |
|---|---|---|
| Rent out a spare room | Personal or hire | Coated a mortgage |
| Co-host | No | 20% of reserving charges |
| Rental arbitrage | No (you lease) | 60 models, $700,000 revenue |
| Host an experience | No | $49 per visitor |
| Clean short-term rentals | No | $20 to $50 an hour |
1. Lease Out a Spare Room
Renting out a spare room is the simplest option to begin, since you have already got the area.
Craig Curelop took it additional than most. After shopping for a duplex in Denver, he rented out the highest unit, listed his personal bed room on Airbnb, and slept behind a room divider in the lounge for a 12 months.
The Airbnb revenue greater than coated his mortgage, so he lived there without cost. He additionally met vacationers from everywhere in the world, and a few are nonetheless his mates.
Craig’s recommendation is to explain the area truthfully so no visitor is shocked. Right here’s extra on house hacking.
2. Lease Out Your Complete Residence
When you journey quite a bit or have a second residence, you may hire out the entire place whilst you’re away.
Again in 2014, I talked with Jasper about how a single house he owned was incomes roughly $60,000 a 12 months from short-term Airbnb leases whereas he traveled the world. Right here’s that interview on running a hands-off Airbnb.
Even renting your house for a couple of massive weekends, like a neighborhood pageant or soccer sport, can usher in additional money. Simply test your metropolis’s guidelines first (extra on that below).
3. Turn into an Airbnb Co-Host
Co-hosts run short-term leases for house owners. You may deal with visitor messages, pricing, check-ins, and cleansing crews, all with out proudly owning the property.
Zeona McIntyre constructed a co-hosting service alongside her personal leases. She earns 20% of the reserving charges as a co-host, with no upfront value.
After we spoke, her rentals and co-hosting collectively introduced in $12,000 to $18,000 a month.
Airbnb makes co-hosting straightforward to arrange. The proprietor will pay you a share of every reserving, a hard and fast quantity, the cleansing price, or a combination, and Airbnb sends co-host payouts straight, usually by the end of the business day after check-in.
When you’re a real estate agent, co-hosting is a pure match.
4. Strive Rental Arbitrage
With rental arbitrage, you lease a spot long-term and hire it out short-term, with the owner’s permission. You retain the distinction.
Richie Matthews began with one house in downtown San Diego in 2020. He spent about $4,300 on furnishings and earned it again by Airbnb bookings in six weeks.
His rule of thumb is a 2:1 unfold. If the lease is $2,500 a month, he desires the unit to herald about $5,000. After we spoke, he managed 60 models that introduced in over $2.5 million in income and $700,000 in revenue final 12 months.
Right here’s how he acquired landlords on board with renting out other people’s properties.
There’s actual threat, although. Craig Curelop earned $10,000 to $15,000 in a 12 months of rental arbitrage, then needed to cease when his apartment’s HOA came upon. Learn my full information to rental arbitrage earlier than you signal a lease.
5. Host an Airbnb Expertise
Airbnb Experiences let locals lead excursions, courses, and actions for vacationers. You don’t want a spot to hire out, simply one thing you’re good at.
Michele Mattix runs a guided meditation expertise in Arizona and prices $49 per individual. Meals excursions, cooking courses, photograph walks, and out of doors adventures are different common concepts.
Airbnb relaunched Experiences in 2025 in 650 cities.
6. Provide a Service on Airbnb
Airbnb now lets visitors guide providers throughout their keep, too. At launch, the classes included chefs, catering, ready meals, pictures, massages, spa remedies, private coaching, hair, nails, and make-up.
When you already do considered one of these domestically, it’s one other option to attain vacationers who’re able to spend. Airbnb sometimes takes a 15% price on service bookings.
7. Clear Brief-Time period Leases
Each Airbnb must be cleaned between visitors, and loads of hosts would relatively pay somebody to do it.
Sam Zuo, who earned near $200,000 from rental arbitrage in 2019, ran his leases from abroad with native cleansing crews in place. That’s the type of host who wants a dependable cleaner.
Cleansing gigs will pay anyplace from $20 to $50 an hour, relying on the place you reside. Upon getting regular hosts, you may rent assist and develop it right into a enterprise. Listed below are extra cleaning business ideas.
8. {Photograph} or Furnish Listings
Nice photographs and a well-designed area assist listings guide extra nights at increased costs.
Sam really useful hiring an expert photographer as a substitute of utilizing your cellphone. When you’ve got a superb digicam, that’s a gig you may supply to native hosts. And you probably have a watch for design, new hosts like Richie need assistance furnishing and organising models.
9. Construct a Distinctive Keep
Distinctive stays like cabins, tiny houses, and glamping tents can command excessive nightly charges.
Garrett Brown turned 10 acres of rural land into Cameron Ranch Glamping, with nightly charges of $400 or extra. After we spoke, it introduced in over $100,000 a 12 months whereas he saved a full-time job. Apparently, about 80% of his bookings got here straight by his personal web site, not Airbnb.
Right here’s how Garrett constructed his glamping business, plus extra methods to make money on land.
How A lot Does Airbnb Cost Hosts?
Airbnb prices a service fee on every reserving. Right here’s the way it works for many US hosts:
- Break up price: Most hosts on this construction pay 3%, and visitors pay the remainder. Airbnb is phasing this feature out.
- Single price: Most hosts pay 15.5%, deducted from the payout, and visitors pay no service price. That is obligatory for many hosts, together with anybody who makes use of property administration software program.
- Experiences: Sometimes a 20% price.
- Providers: Sometimes a 15% price, with a $6 minimal.
Earlier than You Record: Legal guidelines, Leases, and HOAs
Airbnb generally is a nice aspect hustle, however a couple of issues can shut you down quick:
- Native legal guidelines. Many cities require a allow or registration, restrict what number of nights you may hire, or ban short-term leases in some areas. Verify your metropolis’s guidelines and occupancy taxes first.
- Your lease. By no means sublet with out written permission out of your landlord. Richie signed a company lease with the constructing’s approval.
- Your HOA. As Craig discovered, an HOA can finish a rental arbitrage enterprise in a single day.
- Insurance coverage. Discuss to your insurance coverage agent about short-term rental protection earlier than your first visitor arrives.
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Incessantly Requested Questions
How a lot cash are you able to make on Airbnb?
It is determined by your location, your area, and what number of nights you guide. Craig Curelop coated his complete mortgage renting out one bed room, and Zeona McIntyre was incomes $12,000 to $18,000 a month from her leases and co-hosting once we spoke.
Are you able to earn money on Airbnb with out proudly owning property?
Sure. You’ll be able to co-host for different house owners, attempt rental arbitrage together with your landlord’s permission, clear turnovers, or host an Airbnb Expertise or service.
How a lot does Airbnb take from hosts?
Most hosts now pay a single price of about 15.5% of every reserving. Hosts nonetheless on the split-fee construction often pay 3%, with visitors paying the remainder. Experiences sometimes carry a 20% price.
How do Airbnb co-hosts receives a commission?
The itemizing proprietor units up co-host payouts in Airbnb. Co-hosts can earn a share of every reserving, a hard and fast quantity, the cleansing price, or a combination, and payouts often arrive the enterprise day after check-in.
Is internet hosting on Airbnb value it?
It may be, particularly if you have already got the area. Simply test your metropolis’s short-term rental guidelines, your lease or HOA, and your insurance coverage earlier than you listing.
