An Airbnb Virtual Assistant (VA) handles digital tasks (messaging, bookings), a Co-Host shares responsibilities (guest communication, maintenance) with the owner under the Airbnb system, and a Property Manager offers full-service management (marketing, pricing, legal, repairs).
The key differences are how much responsibility each handles, the level of control, and cost: Managers are full-service and charge more. Co-hosts are flexible partners and charge a percentage of the revenue, and VAs focus on digital operations, charging on an hourly basis.
Each of them works with the same goal of reducing the workload from the host’s head and making their work more efficient. But, as a host or property owner, how do you know which is right for your Airbnb business?
We are here to help clear this confusion today. How?
We will be briefing you about each of the models, making a comparison breakdown so you can easily differentiate. There will be our suggestions too on when and why you should choose which one.
How do we know all these? We speak from our experience in the rental and Airbnb industry, as we have provided full-time co-hosting services and Airbnb virtual assistant services for years. We know the everyday pain points of hosts and share our insights to help thousands of others like you.
Stick with us.
What Is an Airbnb Virtual Assistant (Airbnb VA)?
An Airbnb virtual assistant works from a remote location and helps Airbnb hosts, or property owners, with administrative tasks to reduce their workload. Depending on the host’s requirements, an Airbnb VA can handle basic property management tasks full-time, part-time, or on a contractual basis, such as guest communication, coordinating with cleaners, and booking calendar management.
An experienced virtual assistant for Airbnb can support more rental management tasks, such as revenue management, marketing for the listing, price optimization, review management, or dispute management.
However, the VA does not have any access to the host’s Airbnb account and works under the supervision of the host.
A VA can handle 5-15 properties and charge approximately $15-50/hr, or $1,500-$6,000 monthly net, depending on their expertise and level of responsibilities. They are efficient at handling 80% of repetitive work, like inquiries and pricing, without physical presence.
To handle all of these tasks, the VA needs specialized property management skills and in-depth knowledge of the Airbnb platform and the rental industry. They must also be tech-driven to reduce manual workload, work more efficiently, and manage Airbnb properties remotely without compromising guest experience.
Need an Airbnb Virtual
Assistant
Key Responsibilities
- 24/7 Guest Communication & Support: A virtual Airbnb assistant provides 24/7 guest communication and support in the fastest time possible, so guests do not end up booking competitors’ listings. Guests can book with confidence because the VA provides all necessary information and offers full support.
- Booking & Calendar Management: There is no double booking, and guests can also see an updated booking calendar to prevent any conflicts.
- Review Management: The VA checks both positive and negative reviews. By encouraging and replying to positive reviews, the VA makes sure guests feel valued and book again. By addressing negative reviews, the VA assures the guest that the issue has been handled and there are no further complaints, so both Airbnb and the guest find the hosting professionally managed.
- Dispute Handling & Guest Issue Coordination: The VA handles guest disputes professionally and coordinates quickly to resolve any issues during the stay.
- Pricing Updates: Based on the season, trends, location, or demand, the Airbnb VA updates prices either manually or using tools, whichever is feasible.
- Listing Optimization Support: A proper listing, with facilities and amenities highlighted in the description, competitive pricing, and nice photos added of the property, can attract guests and help you stand out in the crowd. A short-term rental VA provides listing optimization support to hosts.
- Airbnb Guidebook: Every property has different house rules, neighbors’ rules, locality regulations, and so on. Airbnb VAs with years of experience support hosts in creating a detailed Airbnb guidebook for guests by mentioning everything about the stay, so guests know what to expect.
Pros of Hiring an Airbnb VA
- VAs cost 50-78% less than on-site managers, which means having a VA is cost-effective. Hosts save $10,000+ yearly per 3 properties at $15/hr for 20 hours weekly because there are no additional office costs, paid leaves, employment benefits, and so on.
- One VA can handle 5-15 listings easily. Expert Airbnb VAs cleverly sync calendars across Guesty tools to cut admin work by 80%. You can scale to 10 properties, adding $3,000-6,000 in monthly revenue without extra hires.
- Remote hosts, with the help of a VA, manage 90% of digital work, like pricing and reviews, from anywhere.
- VAs from agencies like STR Assistance rotate shifts and provide 24/7 support. VAs never leave guests unanswered. Hosts see 30% more bookings from fast support.
Cons of an Airbnb VA
One of the disadvantages of an Airbnb VA can be that they do not stay present on-site. They operate fully remote, so whenever there is an emergency, the VA can not present immediately, but again, they arrange everything accordingly and keep emergency contacts to handle any situations.
What Is an Airbnb Co-Host?
An Airbnb co-host works like a partner with the host by handling administrative daily tasks, revenue management, and core important rental business tasks to scale and grow. The host invites a co-host to the Airbnb account and sets specific permissions, granting full or partial access to the listing’s administrative tools.
Some hosts leave the entire hosting responsibilities to the co-host if the host does not have much time to handle the property. In return, the co-host charges a percentage of the revenue monthly, approximately 10-25% of the revenue.
Co-hosts manage end-to-end operations, such as guest welcomes, cleaning coordination, and maintenance for 5-10 listings, boosting occupancy by 25-40%.
To handle the rental management tasks and work on Airbnb or other rental platforms, the co-host must be knowledgeable about the platforms, tools, legalities, the rental business, and their own limitations to work with the hosts.
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Co-Host
Key Responsibilities
- Guest Communication: A co-host can help with communicating with the guests, clearing their queries, even before they book a property. Also, provide the necessary information or support for the guest’s needs.
- Check-in and Check-out Coordination: Guests want hassle-free check-ins, and some guests want no-interruption check-ins, too. For this, the co-host arranges smart locks and sends the guest a message with instructions about the keys or the lock system. Also, they send a reminder before check-out so the guest can make the necessary preparations.
Cleaner & Maintenance Coordination: To make a property guest-ready and cleaned each time a guest enters, a co-host maintains a strict turnover schedule with the cleaning team through proper Airbnb cleaning management. - Pricing & Availability Management: Double booking is a host’s nightmare, and it can have a negative impact on the listing. Availability management of the property is another important factor. A co-host handles all of these, so your booking calendar stays updated.
- For dynamic pricing optimization, the co-host checks competitor pricing, the property type, location, available amenities, trends, and seasonality to set the best price. Also, they may offer discounts or increase nightly rates strategically to generate good revenue.
- Property Readiness: A co-host may physically check the property and ensure all the supplies are available, or inspect remotely. For this, the cleaners may send videos or reports to the host. They also inspect for any damages, missing items, or maintenance issues and coordinate quick fixes so the guest has a smooth experience from the moment they arrive.
Pros of an Airbnb Co-Host
- The co-host can work on-site, someone can be from your local, your family or friend, or from any agency. If the co-host is local, they can handle urgent issues faster and provide on-ground support when needed. With the growing demand for remote setup, co-hosts are also flexible to work remotely, which entirely depends on the hosts.
- The host can invite a co-host directly through Airbnb and set specific permissions, giving full or partial access to the listing’s tools while staying in control.
Cons of an Airbnb Co-Host
Hosts need to share the percentage of the revenue with the co-host as they handle diverse responsibilities. Also, the quality can vary from a new co-host to an experienced and expert one. If you can not find the right one, this may impact your Airbnb business.
What is an Airbnb Property Manager?
An Airbnb property manager runs full short-term rental (STR) operations for property owners, or hosts. For this, these professionals charge 25-40% of revenue.
The core benefit of having property managers is that they oversee everything: creating optimized listings, dynamic pricing, guest communication, cleaning/maintenance coordination, revenue tracking, and legal compliance, like taxes/permits. They ensure 24/7 support and handle multi-channel sync (Airbnb/Vrbo).
Property managers often have a team for handling administrative rental tasks, or more specialized areas like marketing, or handling a direct booking website, social presence, and so on. This is a one-and-all package system, best for the host who has multiple listings and is looking forward to expanding the rental business.
Key Responsibilities
- End-to-end Property Operations: A property manager handles the full operations of the property from start to finish. They manage daily tasks and coordinate teams. Also, set up the listing. Hosts do not need to be involved.
- Cleaning & Maintenance: To keep the property guest-ready at all times, the property manager coordinates cleaners, maintenance staff, and repair services. They schedule turnovers and manage deep cleans.
- Guest Communication: A property manager manages all guest communication before and after booking. They respond to queries, confirm reservations, send check-in instructions, resolve complaints, and handle reviews professionally to protect the listing’s reputation.
- Compliance & Local Regulations: Regulations are getting stricter in many areas, and non-compliance can lead to penalties or listing removal. A property manager ensures the property follows local laws, permits, taxes, guest ID requirements, and other necessary documentation based on city or country rules.
- Pricing & Revenue Management: A property manager monitors local market demand, competitor pricing, seasonality, and trends to optimize nightly rates. They adjust prices strategically, offer discounts when needed, and apply dynamic pricing systems to maximize occupancy and revenue.
- Airbnb Marketing: To improve listing performance, a property manager focuses on marketing and optimization. This includes improving listing titles and descriptions, updating photos, working on SEO, maintaining response rate, and using Airbnb content marketing strategies to increase visibility and bookings.
- Financials & Compliance: A property manager tracks income and expenses, provides owner reports, and manages financial operations. They also ensure tax-related documentation and compliance reporting are handled correctly, especially in cities where STR taxes and reporting rules are mandatory.
Pros of a Property Manager
- A fully hands-off solution means you do not need to hire different experts, such as someone to market and boost the listing performance, or someone else to create a business strategy, or handle guests. Property managers, maybe with a team, handle all of these.
- Best for multiple, luxury, or high-touch properties because you won’t be able to do everything alone. Nor can you hire different people and hire another one to supervise the VAs.
- Instead, the property manager, with strategic thinking and expertise, can handle luxury properties and generate higher revenue.
Cons of a Property Manager
- High management fees (20%–40%).
- Less flexibility.
- Often, long-term contracts.
Airbnb VA vs Co-Host vs Property Manager: Side-by-Side Comparison
Virtual assistants (VAs) let you run a no-property arbitrage model starting around $2,000/month. You can hire them through job hunting platforms like LinkedIn or Upwork. You can outsource up to 80% of admin work (messages, pricing, cleaners, scheduling). There is no need to risk your Airbnb profile, since they work inside your existing systems.
Co-hosts are different from the Airbnb VAs. Co-hosts charge exclusive payouts like automatic revenue splits. But in the future, you may need these professionals more, especially with the likely 2026 compliance rules, such as guest ID logging. In high-demand markets, a strong co-hosting service can reduce bad reviews by 30%.
Full property managers handle everything, including taxes, insurance, and compliance. These premium services come with premium fees. They make the most for $100k+ portfolios.
Feature | Airbnb VA | Airbnb Co-Host | Property Manager |
Cost | Low | Medium (% based) | High (% + fees) |
Level of control | High (host-led) | Shared | Low (manager-led) |
Physical presence | Remote only | Remote or local | Local/on-site |
Scalability | High | Medium–High | High (costly) |
Best for host type | Remote + hands-on host | The host needs support | Fully hands-off host |
Contract flexibility | Very flexible | Moderate | Less flexible |
Which Option Is Best for You?
If you are involved in your rental business but doing everything alone, then an Airbnb virtual assistant is the best and most affordable option for you. For those who are busy with other stuff, or have multiple listings co-host can help by getting involved in your Airbnb account. And those who have luxurious property and not only focus on getting bookings, but also expanding, marketing, and so on, property managers should be the only choice.
Choose an Airbnb VA If:
- You want affordability and scalability
- You manage multiple listings
- You’re a remote or international host
Choose a Co-Host If:
- You want shared responsibility
- You prefer Airbnb-native access
- You need moderate local support
Choose a Property Manager If:
- You want a completely hands-off solution
- You own a single or
- luxury property
- Budget is not a concern
Cost Comparison Breakdown
Airbnb VAs are always an affordable option as they charge hourly or on a project basis. This does not drop the quality, because you can hire overseas in a budget range both qualified and experienced virtual assistants for your rental business. On average, VAs from philippines charges lowest at $5.
On the contrary, co-hosts take a percentage of your revenue lowest from 10% to highest 30% or more, based on the level of their responsibilities.
Whereas, property managers also charge a percentage of the revenue, but higher than the co-host, as property managers handle more responsibilities and are more professional in their work.
Role | Pricing Model | Average Rates | Monthly Cost (20 hrs/wk or equiv.) | Annual Cost per Property |
Airbnb VA | Hourly | $5-35/hr (Philippines $5-12; U.S. $15-35) | $400-1,400 ($800-2,000 full-time retainer) | $4,800-16,800 (5-15% equiv.) |
Co-Host | % Revenue (post-Airbnb fee) | 10-30% (avg. 20%) | $733 ($44k/yr x 20%) | $4,400-13,200 |
Property Manager | % Revenue | 20-40% (STR avg. 25-30%) + setup $500 | $917-1,467 ($44k x 25-40%) | $8,800-17,600 + extras |
Can You Combine These Roles?
Today, Airbnb or other short-term rental platforms are no longer about listing your property only and getting guests. Hosts or property owners are more focused on expanding the rental business, many taking it as a full-time and only revenue-generating business. For this, a host who wants to stay involved may make his team of VAs, with a co-host. Others may fully give the authority to a property manager and just enjoy the revenue.
There can be a combination of remote VAs and a physically present co-host. This is best for the owners who are not present at their property. These types of hybrid setups help to save money and are much more flexible and feasible options over traditional management.
1. Airbnb VA + Local Cleaner: A VA handles guest messaging, calendar, and pricing remotely, while a local cleaner manages turnovers and reports issues. Best for budget-friendly operations with reliable cleaning.
2. VA + Co-Host Hybrid Model: A VA manages all online tasks (messages, pricing, scheduling), and the co-host handles in-person support, inspections, and emergency issues. Best for owners who live far from the property.
3. Co-Host + Local Maintenance Person: The co-host manages guests and operations, while a maintenance person handles repairs and urgent fixes quickly. Best for high-touch properties with frequent issues.
4. Property Manager + VA Support: A property manager runs everything, but VAs are used as subcontractors for admin work like messaging and pricing. Best for scaling portfolios while keeping costs lower.
5. VA + Co-Host + Cleaner (Full Hybrid Team): VA manages the backend, the co-host handles on-ground tasks, and the cleaner ensures consistent turnovers. Best for maximizing flexibility, reducing costs, and maintaining high guest satisfaction.
Build Your Airbnb Team Without Hiring a Property Manager
STR Assistance helps you combine VAs, co-hosts, and cleaners into one smooth Airbnb operation.
Conclusion
An Airbnb Virtual Assistant (VA) takes care of the online tasks like guest messages and booking management. A Co-Host works as a partner with the owner, helping with guest support and property-related tasks through Airbnb’s co-host system. A Property Manager provides full-service management, handling everything from marketing and pricing to repairs and legal compliance.
Which one to choose depends on what type of service you need, and what your budget range is.
But the most important point is choosing the right and trusted one with experience. Otherwise,, instead of helping you, your rental business can get messed up. An inexperienced or inexpert VA or co-host may not be able to handle your guests properly. What will you do then?
That’s why you should contact us, STR Assistance, as we have a proven record of working with hosts and making their lives easier. We have a virtual assistant for Airbnb, or co-hosting services. Take a quick look at our website and check the testimonials. Once you’re convinced, give us a call or reach out to us to discuss your concerns and find a solution for how we can help you.
