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How to Start an Airbnb Business without Owning a House

Airbnb is a great way to earn Airbnb passive income without owning property through rental income. It is also possible to make money on Airbnb without owning a house. Every year, people are travelling for vacations and need a place to spend a night. You can help travelers find a place to sleep even if you don’t own property and make money on Airbnb. In this article, we will show you how to make money on Airbnb without owning property. 

What is Airbnb Business?

Airbnb is an online platform that connects people who are looking for rental houses with people offering accommodation in specific locations. Through Airbnb, people can earn a passive income from their property. Unlike in the past when people would book hotels, people are opting for Airbnb since they are cheaper and feels homier than hotels.

How to Start Airbnb Business Without Owning Property

The following are some of the excellent ways on how to how to do Airbnb without owning property.

1. Airbnb Rental Arbitrage

Airbnb Rental Arbitrage is the best way to rent out Airbnb without owning property. This is a business model where you let another person’s property and then rent it out in the short term on Airbnb. However, you need to have an agreement with the property owner. You also need to ensure that you meet all the legalities required.

Pros

  • You don’t need a lot of investment
  • It is less risky than owning a property
  • Fees and taxes are catered for by the property owner

Cons

  • You are liable in case of property damages
  • You need a detailed lease agreement
  • Rent can be high

2. Property Management

One of the ways to make money on Airbnb without owning property is through property management. You need to register as a property manager on the Airbnb website. When guests book a place, you will respond to their messages, inspect properties, communicate with guests, confirm bookings and ensure that the rooms have all the amenities. Property managers for Airbnb earn between 10% and 20% of the booking amount.

Pros

  • Flexible working hours
  • You don’t need to own a property

Cons

  • It can be challenging to manage multiple properties
  • You need to have a certain level of educational qualification

Also read: How to avoid being house poor. 

3. Become an Airbnb Co-host

Becoming an Airbnb co-host is the other way to rent out Airbnb without owning property. Airbnb co-hosts perform the roles of Airbnb property managers in the short term. They are like their assistants. You can become an Airbnb co-host and offer services like booking confirmation, communicating with guests, supervising check-ins and checkouts, restocking Airbnb amenities, and inspecting properties.

Pros

  • Flexible working hours
  • You don’t need a license

Cons

  • Lower earnings compared to Airbnb host
  • Income fluctuation

Also read: How to use debt to make money in real estate.

4. Airbnb Cleaning Services

The other way to make money in the Airbnb business without owning property is by offering cleaning services. One of the most time-consuming jobs of managing an Airbnb is cleaning. You can make money per hour, month, or per property.

You need to find out what are the requirements such as insurance and licensing before you can get started. Some of the expenses involved in this kind of business involve cleaning products and labor.

Pros

  • No shortage of work
  • No educational qualification requirements
  • Low startup costs

Cons

  • You need to do lots of marketing
  • You need to find a reliable team

5. Become Airbnb Photographer

Airbnb photography is a creative way to make money on Airbnb without owning a house. Airbnb owners can hire you to take pictures of their properties before listing them on Airbnb. To get more orders, you can list yourself on freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Instagram.

Pros

  • Flexible working hours
  • You can work on a part-time basis
  • You get a chance to travel and meet new people

Cons

  • You need to do lots of marketing
  • It requires expensive photography equipment

Also read: How to buy assets with debt.

6. Start Airbnb Affiliate 

You can make money on Airbnb without owning a house through an Airbnb affiliate. You don’t need to rent out a home nor use a lot of expenses. You just need to refer people to book Airbnb properties. For every successful referral, you earn a commission of not less than $40. You can do this by placing ads on your website or social media platforms. Airbnb offers an affiliate program and tools that can help you in marketing.

Pros

  • You don’t need large startup capital
  • Can earn you high returns

Cons

  • You need to have a website
  • You need to have SEO skills

7. Airbnb House Sitting

Airbnb house sitting has become a common way to make money on Airbnb without owning property. House sitters get to stay in the host’s house for free when the host travels. Airbnb house sitters are responsible for ensuring that the house stays in good shape and taking care of pets.

Pros

  • You get to travel and meet new people
  • You get to live in people’s houses for free

Cons

  • Airbnb house-sitting jobs are challenging to find

Summary of How to Start Airbnb without Owning Property

Making money on Airbnb without owning property is possible. Most of these ways don’t require you to invest lots of money. You can help property managers make money from their Airbnb businesses and pay you. When deciding what job to pick, consider your skills, abilities, and efforts.

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