The vacation rental industry—and Airbnb, specifically—is becoming increasingly popular as a way to make money. With over 7.7 million active listings and 5 million Airbnb hosts worldwide, just about everyone knows someone who owns an Airbnb property.
That being said, owning an Airbnb isn’t for everyone. Not only do you have to own your own property, but you have to put in a lot of time and effort to create and manage a successful business.
Luckily, you don’t have to own a house to have your slice of the pie. If you can’t afford a property, or simply aren’t interested in purchasing one, there are many other creative ways of making money with Airbnb.
In this post, we’re sharing 13 ideas for how to make money with Airbnb without owning property.
Disclaimer: Lodgify is an Airbnb Preferred+ Software Partner. This post, including any claims or statements within, is solely from Lodgify and is not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, authorized, or sponsored by Airbnb in any way.
Don’t see the form to download our Airbnb business plan? Click here.
Can you make money on Airbnb without owning a property?
Absolutely! There are numerous ways to make money on Airbnb without owning property. These options can be excellent side hustles to provide supplemental income or can even constitute full-time businesses.
Keep reading to learn more!
Why you should start an Airbnb business without owning property
If you already own a property or are interested in purchasing one as an investment, renting it out on Airbnb can provide an excellent source of income. However, it’s not the only way to make money on Airbnb.
In fact, some people actually prefer the options for opening an Airbnb business without owning a house thanks to the following benefits:
- Lower investment: Secure a slice of the lucrative Airbnb pie without actually having to secure a mortgage and buy your own property.
- Lower risk: The more is at stake, the higher the risk. Being an Airbnb owner isn’t as easy as it seems. The idea that running an Airbnb is a part-time job is a myth—it takes a long time and a lot of effort and investment to turn your Airbnb into a successful business.
- Easier management: If you want to boost your income by starting a business as a side hustle, there are other, much more manageable and accessible ways to tap into the Airbnb market than renting out your own property.
Let’s take a look at some of those ways now.
How to make money with Airbnb without owning property
Don’t own a house? No problem. Here are some ideas for how to get in the Airbnb business without owning property.
1. Start an Airbnb cleaning service
This may not be the most glamorous job, but it’s in high demand: Every Airbnb needs regular cleaning during turnover. Many hosts simply don’t have the time or capacity to do this themselves.
As a cleaning service provider, you will likely be expected to sign an Airbnb cleaning contract, which ensures both you and the property owner know what’s expected. More experienced hosts may also have a standard property appearance checklist to guide cleaners in the finer details of how they like the property to appear for each new guest.
2. Offer an Airbnb experience
Through Airbnb experiences, you are able to offer an activity you love to give visitors some local flavor. For example, you might host a cooking class, yoga (with dogs), a craft activity, a well-being experience, or a city tour.
The experiences have to meet certain criteria, and you can manage the bookings and payments through Airbnb.
3. Offer an Airbnb upsell service
You could also partner with local Airbnb hosts to offer Airbnb upsell services their guests may be interested in. Many hosts simply don’t have the capacity or time to provide these services themselves.
Potential upsell services include food delivery, home-cooked dinners, fresh-cut flowers, fitness classes, massages, and more.
4. Become an Airbnb consultant
Think you’d have a knack for managing Airbnbs and want to put it to use? Consider becoming an Airbnb consultant. An Airbnb consultant’s role is essentially to help Airbnb hosts improve their business, which could involve tasks such as:
- Developing their brand and marketing strategy
- Implementing new technologies
- Maximizing their bookings
- Buying and selling properties
- Identifying pain points and finding solutions
Keep in mind that most Airbnb consultants choose a specialization, such as marketing or luxury Airbnb consultancy, to help them stand out from the competition. So, think about your specific skill set and area of expertise.
5. Offer Airbnb marketing services
Successful Airbnb hosting requires a lot of time marketing the property to make sure it stands out among a sea of online competitors. So, if you’re a digital marketing or social media expert, you could offer to promote the host’s property online to help them draw potential clients.
In other words, you would identify the client’s unique selling proposition and the audience they want to reach and work out a vacation rental marketing plan targeted to their needs. This could include publishing regular blog posts, search engine optimization for the client’s website pages, and promoting the rental on social media channels.
6. Become an Airbnb photographer
It’s no secret that Airbnbs need professional photos for their listings to stand out. High-quality photos that show off the Airbnb’s amenities and make good use of lighting, angles, and even storytelling can be a major differentiator.
Unsurprisingly, most hosts simply don’t have the equipment (or knowhow) to accomplish this. Enter your Airbnb photography business! If you like photography and already have a suitable camera, this could be a relatively easy way to start making money with Airbnb.
How to become an Airbnb host without owning property
If it’s hosting itself you’re interested in, don’t worry: We have some ideas for how to become an Airbnb host without owning property as well.
7. Become a co-host
Can you be an Airbnb host without owning property? Absolutely!
One of the easiest ways to do this is by becoming an Airbnb co-host. This essentially entails finding an existing Airbnb host who needs some help. They provide the property, and you assist with hosting duties such as guest communications, managing turnover, and writing guest reviews.
While you won’t make as much money as you would if you were the only host, this is a great way to avoid having to own property and also gain experience as a host.
8. Rent out a spare bedroom
If your obstacle to becoming an Airbnb host is that you don’t own an additional property to rent out, but you do own the home you live in, remember that Airbnb allows you to rent out individual bedrooms. In fact, that’s how Airbnb got started—as a way for people with spare bedrooms to make some extra cash.
Keep in mind that this will involve sharing your personal space with Airbnb guests. However, that also means that it’s easier to coordinate with guests and manage turnover!
How to rent out Airbnb without owning property
If what attracts you about the Airbnb business is the actual process of renting out a vacation property, we have some ideas for you as well. Let’s take a look at how to rent out an Airbnb without owning property.
9. Become a property manager
Becoming a vacation rental property manager is one of the best ways to start an Airbnb business without owning property. After all, you essentially take over the owner’s responsibilities in managing their property, giving you all the same challenges and rewards (without requiring you to own property).
As an Airbnb property manager, you will need to know the Airbnb business inside and out. Your job will be to manage daily operations and maximize bookings for the owner, requiring you to manage tasks like guest communications, turnover, and marketing.
Requirements to become a vacation rental property manager vary by state. But depending on your location, you might not need a specific degree or license to get started. Check out our guide to short-term rental property management to learn more.
10. Join a vacation rental franchise
If you like the idea of becoming a property manager but are overwhelmed at the thought of starting your own business from scratch, another option is to join a vacation rental franchise.
A vacation rental franchise is a business model that provides property managers with the structure, systems, and resources to start their own business while maintaining the brand of the overarching franchise. While vacation rental franchises require you to pay a fee and give you less control, they also significantly reduce the risks associated with starting your own business.
How to invest in Airbnb without owning property
Want to make money with Airbnb through investments? We have some ideas for that, too.
11. Buy Airbnb stock
We’re going back to basics here. The easiest way to invest in Airbnb without owning property is literally to invest in Airbnb. And by that we mean, of course, to buy stock in the company.
Airbnb stock has been publicly traded since 2020 and is listed on Nasdaq as ABNB. Although its stock isn’t cheap ($164 as of April 2024), its value is only expected to increase. Projections put it at:
- $200 by the end of 2024
- $250 by the middle of 2026
- $300 within the year of 2027
12. Invest in someone else’s business
Another way to invest in Airbnb without being a homeowner is simply to invest in someone else’s Airbnb.
Before you write this off, know that you don’t necessarily need to be an investor by trade to invest in a business. The tricky part will be finding an Airbnb business to invest in. However, if you happen to know of someone just getting started or can meet someone by networking, they’ll certainly be happy to accept your investment—however much it is.
How to start an Airbnb without owning property
Finally, if what you really want is to run a traditional Airbnb business, we have one last idea for how to start an Airbnb without owning property first.
13. Get financing
We know—if you could get financing to purchase a property, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article in the first place. But many people mistakenly assume they won’t qualify for a mortgage, or that the process is just too complicated.
The truth is that there are numerous options to finance vacation rental properties, from loans to private lenders. What’s more, mortgage rates are expected to start decreasing in 2024, so it may be a good time to invest.
This is all to say that if you really want to rent out your own Airbnb, you shouldn’t write it off without first looking into your options.
Now is the time to join the industry
The industry is set to continue growing, and now is a great time to get your foot in the door. Now that you know how to start an Airbnb business without owning a house, what are you waiting for?
Be creative, keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities, and don’t be afraid to reach out to local hosts for potential collaborations!
Don’t see the form to download our Airbnb business plan? Click here.
Disclaimer: Lodgify is an Airbnb Preferred+ Software Partner. This post, including any claims or statements within, is solely from Lodgify and is not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, authorized, or sponsored by Airbnb in any way.
