Cohosting on Airbnb vs Hometime’s local hosts

Weighing up an Airbnb co-host vs a property manager? Compare costs, support, and long-term returns with Hometime’s Airbnb management in Australia.

by Jacqueline Chami

July 9, 2025

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What is an Airbnb cohost, and is that enough?

An Airbnb co-host is someone you trust to help manage your listing. This could be a friend, neighbour, partner, or local contact to help out with cleaning or message guests when you’re away. While this tag-team system can get the job done, does it meet the professional standards to secure 5-star reviews? Does doing a "good enough" job cost you money in lost bookings in the long run?

That’s where this comparison comes in. Whether you’re managing one or multiple listings, this article unpacks the difference between cohosting on Airbnb and partnering with Hometime’s professional local hosts.

This isn’t just about switching helpers. It’s about scaling, earning more, and getting the support your short-term rental (STR) needs.

What Airbnb co-hosts offer

Airbnb’s "add co-host" feature makes it easy to share responsibilities, such as:

setting up the listing,
organising licensing and hosting permits,
listing photography,
styling the property,
setting prices and availability,
responding to guest inquiries,
organising check-ins and check-outs,
handling cleaning, and basic maintenance,
updating the booking calendar, and
overseeing cleaning and restocking.

How to add a co-host on Airbnb

Airbnb co-hosts are often found through word of mouth or added via the Airbnb “Find a co-host” network. By using this online network, you can get to know different co-hosts in your area before inviting one to be your co-host.

Paying your Airbnb co-host

It’s best practice to agree to payment terms before your co-host begins helping you with your property. You can share a part of each booking’s payout with your co-host through Airbnb. There are different co-host payout options on the Airbnb platform to choose from. These include:

sharing with your Airbnb cohost a cleaning fee,
sharing a cleaning fee plus an added percentage per booking,
percentage payouts per booking, or
fixed payment amounts per booking.

Why do people choose Airbnb co-hosts?

Many Airbnb hosts start by leaning on someone they know, whether it’s a friend, neighbour, or partner, to help manage the day-to-day. Here’s why this setup appeals to so many new hosts:

Airbnb co-hosts:

are familiar and affordable,
are great for early-stage hosts managing one property,
are ideal if you want to rent out your property for a few months of the year,
offer local insight and convenience, and
are easy to onboard via the Airbnb platform.

Co-hosts are useful if you live nearby or have a reliable contact who can check on the property. Their flexibility and low cost make them appealing when the goal is to manage everything yourself with some occasional help.

The downsides of cohosting on Airbnb

While casual co-hosting has its perks, it also comes with risks as your goals or guest expectations grow. What works at first can become a source of stress or lost income. Here are the most common issues hosts face with informal co-host arrangements:

No standard training: The service quality depends on the individual.
Reactive model: Co-hosts often respond to problems rather than planning ahead.
No strategic pricing: Casual co-hosts are unlikely to be pricing experts, and manual/static pricing often leaves money on the table.
Scalability issues: One co-host can only do so much. Their time, availability, and proximity will eventually limit your growth.

Many Airbnb co-hosts work part-time or juggle other jobs, so availability might not always match demand. If they go on holiday or get sick, your guest experience may suffer. In short, this setup often depends on goodwill, not guarantees.

Hometime’s local hosts and full-service STR management

Hometime isn’t just an upgrade from a co-host; it’s a reimagining of how short-term rental operations should work.

With professional Airbnb management tailored for Australian homeowners, Hometime combines tech-powered insights with local, human support through its network of dedicated local hosts. Here’s what that looks like:

Revenue-driven pricing

Hometime’s in-house Revenue Managers combine years of internal data with market tools like AirDNA and PriceLabs to update pricing weekly. No guesswork. No over-reliance on Airbnb’s Smart Pricing. Just an actual local strategy tailored to your listing, season, and competitors.

Expert guest management

Hometime’s on-the-ground, local hosts across Australia manage all aspects of the guest experience, including:

initial enquiries and booking communication,
enforcing house rules and vetting with 48-hour review windows,
coordinating check-ins, late arrivals, and emergencies,
managing guest questions during the stay, and
collecting and applying feedback to drive high ratings.

This local support makes sure issues are resolved quickly and professionally. Hometime’s local hosts know their areas inside out and are equipped with professional cleaning staff and reliable maintenance contacts.

Optimised property listings

From property styling and photography to SEO-optimised copy, your listing is refined by Hometime’s professional travel writers, stylists and photographers. Properties that follow Hometime’s Optimal Listing Standards (OLS) see up to 24% more bookings. Hometime conducts ongoing listing performance reviews and makes adjustments based on guest feedback and booking trends.

Direct access to the online portal

With Hometime, you will have direct access to everything through the Homeowner Portal, including:

viewing bookings across platforms,
tracking earnings and occupancy,
downloading financial statements,
blocking out dates or messaging your local host, and
accessing contract and insurance documentation.
Consistent operations

Behind every five-star guest experience is a system which runs smoothly everytime. Hometime’s local hosts follow consistent, professional processes to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, from cleaning to key handovers and restocking supplies. Here's how it works:

standardised cleaning protocols with checklists,
local cleaners who meet Hometime’s standards of cleanliness,
on-demand maintenance coordination,
secure key management and guest handover procedures, and
inventory management and restocking support.

With over 40 local hosts in key cities, Hometime combines national support with local care, backed by systems, processes, and experience.

Airbnb co-hosts vs Hometime’s local hosts: key differences

Feature	Airbnb co-hosts	Hometime local hosts
Cost	You have the flexibility to choose which type of payout to share with your co-host, whether it’s a cleaning fee, fixed payout or other.	Hometime’s STR management fees cover an all-inclusive service-based model, including cleaning, revenue and guest management.
Scalability	Co-hosts are best for single-property hosts, as they have a more limited reach and lack of resources.	Hometime is ideal for homeowners managing multiple properties or scaling across locations.
Pricing strategy	Airbnb’s Smart Pricing feature automatically adjusts your listing’s nightly price based on local demand.	Hometime’s revenue specialists combine years of internal data with external pricing tools like AirDNA and PriceLabs to estimate your earning potential and maximise your occupancy and revenue.
Cleaning oversight	You and your co-host are responsible for hiring professional cleaners and providing the same standard of cleanliness for every stay.	Hometime’s local hosts hire professional cleaners who clean the property to Hometime’s standards every time.
Guest vetting	Airbnb conducts background checks based on the guest’s name and date of birth, checking the person’s identity against public records. However, there may be gaps in public record searches depending on how online records are maintained. It’s at the discretion of the Airbnb host and co-host to provide questionnaires and get to know their guests.	Hometime has a structured 48-hour review window to check prospective guests before they stay at the property. The local host will make sure your guests have read and agreed with the ‘house rules’ for your property. First-time bookers will also be required to complete a 3DS security check where they enter a confirmation pin sent to their phone when using card details for Hometime’s direct booking platform. This prevents the risk of fraudulent transactions.
Support coverage	With co-hosts often juggling other familial or work commitments, their availability may not always be consistent.	As a national property manager with the on-the-ground support of your local host, Hometime provides 24/7 support.
Tech access	The Airbnb dashboard allows homeowners to track their performance and compare their property to similar listings in the area. This includes conversion rates, occupancy, quality and hosting progress. Hosts can also communicate with their co-hosts on this platform.	The comprehensive Homeowner Portal provides you with complete access to financial reports, booking insights, messaging, and performance data. You can also contact your local lost through the portal.
Channel visibility	While Airbnb hosts can also list properties on other platforms to maximise visibility, this requires extra time, effort and coordination — something many co-hosts or DIY hosts may struggle to keep up with.	Hometime lists properties across various booking platforms, including Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and Hometime’s direct platform to increase exposure.
Onboarding process	Airbnb hosts can create a listing in just a few steps and make changes at any time. They receive 1:1 support from experienced hosts throughout the process.	Hometime provides structured, multi-step onboarding with professional photos, property assessment, and revenue forecasting.

Level up your property portfolio with the help of Hometime

A good co-host may have helped you get started. But if your goals include growing, earning more, or removing stress, it’s time for something more reliable.

Hometime doesn’t just help you host, they turn your Airbnb into a performance asset. Book a chat with our helpful team at Hometime today. With over 3500 properties managed since 2016 you can count on our all-inclusive property management service.

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