Set up a seasonal maintenance calendar. It's a lifesaver for staying on top of your property needs and avoiding those middle-of-the-night emergency calls from guests.
Find reliable local pros for cleaning and maintenance. They'll become your best allies, and you'll reclaim hours of your life while building relationships that pay off when you need urgent help.
Invest in preventative upkeep before things break—your property value stays protected, and guests consistently leave those five-star reviews when everything works smoothly during their stay.
When it comes to rental property maintenance, an Airbnb host has three main options: DIY maintenance, hiring a property management company, or working with trusted professionals in their area. Below, learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of each option and gain a better understanding of what types of property maintenance hosts are responsible for.
Airbnb rental property maintenance involves consistent cleaning, inspections, and repairs to keep your vacation rental in top condition. It can be either routine or reactive, depending on the task at hand and the needs of your property.
For Airbnb hosts, routine maintenance includes changing air filters, conducting regular property walkthroughs, and scheduling professional housekeeping between guest stays. Reactive maintenance addresses unexpected issues that require immediate attention, such as flooding, clogged drains, or appliance failures that could impact guest satisfaction.
If you manage an Airbnb vacation rental, you're likely quite familiar with property maintenance. Hosting numerous guests back-to-back means that normal wear-and-tear — or even more severe damages — is inevitable. Implementing a preventative maintenance strategy can help minimize costs and keep your property in excellent condition for guests.
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Vacation rental hosts are responsible for the care and management of their property. In fact, Airbnb outlines several tips to help rental managers and owners exhibit responsible hosting.
Airbnb properties should include a working smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher.
There should be a clear fire escape route mapped out and provided to guests.
Trip and fall hazards should be removed and marked.
There should be no exposed wires.
Any stairs should be accompanied by handrails.
Properties should be properly ventilated.
Despite the many Airbnb property maintenance responsibilities that come with hosting, you don't have to handle all this work alone. Creating a seasonal maintenance schedule can help you stay organized, while outsourcing certain tasks can free up your time. We'll explore these options for vacation rental property maintenance below.
Airbnb protects hosts through AirCover, providing payment when guests fail to repair or replace damaged items or property. However, hosts are responsible for budgeting for routine maintenance costs, such as changing air filters, replacing fire alarm batteries, and addressing other forms of ordinary wear-and-tear that directly impact your property's performance and guest reviews.
Regular seasonal checkups help you spot issues before they turn into costly fixes. Keep your Airbnb comfortable and well-maintained year-round with these seasonal maintenance tasks:
Spring: Deep clean gutters, inspect roof for winter damage, service air conditioning units, and check outdoor amenities.
Summer: Test irrigation systems, clean outdoor furniture, inspect decks/patios, and maintain landscaping during peak season.
Fall: Clean chimneys, inspect heating systems, weatherproof windows/doors, and clear gutters of leaves.
Winter: Check for pipe insulation, test snow removal equipment, inspect attic insulation, and maintain water heaters.
Make it a habit to perform monthly tasks—like checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors—while intensifying efforts during your property's peak booking seasons. With Uplisting, you can create automated maintenance schedules, set task reminders, and track completion status all in one dashboard. If you plan ahead for each new season, you'll safeguard your property's value, reduce emergency repairs, and keep guests happy.
With Uplisting, you can send the right messages at the right time on all booking sites. Read and respond to guest messages in a single, unified inbox — whether you’re at the office or on the go.
Airbnb hosts can choose whether or not they want to handle their rental property maintenance on their own. Below, learn more about DIY maintenance as well as host options for outsourcing this aspect of the job.
As stated, vacation rental hosts can choose to handle their property maintenance and repairs themselves.
Our Airbnb maintenance checklist for hosts includes:
Pest and rodent control
Handling leaks and water damage
Inspecting the roof for damage
Cleaning the gutters and exterior vents
Patching ceilings and drywall as needed
Checking smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
Replacing filters in the HVAC units
Preventing frozen pipes
Ensuring door and window locks function properly
Check out AirDNA's extensive guide to Airbnb maintenance for more detailed suggestions!
Although DIY maintenance can save money, performing Airbnb rental property maintenance yourself requires both handiness and significant time commitment. Many successful hosts find that creating a maintenance reserve fund and outsourcing these tasks is a worthwhile investment that allows them to focus on other aspects of their business.
Property management companies are hired by Airbnb hosts to handle specific maintenance tasks and property upkeep. The scope of services—from routine seasonal maintenance to emergency repairs—depends on the terms outlined in their contract and your specific needs as a host.
Property management companies can be extremely helpful for vacation rental hosts who consider hosting their second job or who prioritize preventative maintenance but lack the time, energy, or skills to handle rental property maintenance themselves. However, this option may not be the right fit for all hosts.
Hosts will have to take on a property manager fee if they choose to work with a property management company. Additionally, they will have to sacrifice a certain level of involvement when letting an outside company handle their routine and reactive maintenance tasks.
There’s also the challenge of finding the right company to suit the rental and the host’s preferences. It’s common for vacation rental owners to try out multiple property management companies before finding one they’re comfortable with. Ultimately, however, it’s up to the host to determine the best fit for their unique situation.
If a property maintenance company doesn’t sound like your style, you can also choose to hire outside contractors local to your area. If you have a plumbing issue in your Airbnb, for example, you can find and hire a local plumbing company to service your property.
Plumbing issues may be fairly rare in your Airbnb, but one maintenance task you'll need during each and every turnover is vacation rental cleaning. You can work with professional Airbnb cleaners in your area to get your property spotless between guest stays, which is a critical component of your property maintenance strategy. Uplisting makes this process seamless through its numerous integration options with cleaning-focused apps like Properly, ResortCleaning, Turno, Cleanster, and Lula.Cleaning, allowing you to easily find, schedule, and automate your cleaning tasks without the hassle of manual coordination.
One major benefit of working with local professionals is the strong relationships hosts can build with these service providers.
Many hosts find that working with a property management company comes with an approach that is too hands-off for their liking. After all, they’re entrusting their business — in some cases, their only form of income — to a company that has yet to earn their trust.
On the other hand, many hosts already know and trust local professionals, including plumbers, cleaners, and more, who can provide their Airbnb rental property maintenance. Even if this isn’t the case, working with a local professional who can address your specific needs allows you to foster a lasting relationship that benefits both parties for years to come.
Bigger tasks like replacing appliances or updating furnishings can quickly strain your finances if you haven’t planned ahead. Many hosts follow budgeting guidelines like the 1% Rule—setting aside one percent of the property’s value each year for maintenance—to cushion against unforeseen issues.
Property management companies typically charge hosts anywhere from 10–40% of each booking revenue to handle tasks such as cleaning, restocking, or repairs. Some services offer flat-rate alternatives instead of percentage-based fees.
Regardless of which approach you choose, factoring routine maintenance costs into your monthly or annual budget helps you maintain high guest satisfaction without sacrificing your bottom line.
It’s simple to automate repetitive tasks with Uplisting's short-term rental software. You’ll save hours every week and eliminate human error. Go ahead — take some time off.
Preventative maintenance delivers measurable return on investment (ROI) for Airbnb hosts in multiple ways. For example, a $200 HVAC tune-up can prevent a $5,000 emergency replacement during peak season, while regular $150 roof inspections help avoid $15,000+ in water damage repairs.
These proactive investments directly impact your bottom line—properties with well-maintained systems can command higher nightly rates and experience fewer negative reviews related to functionality issues. Beyond financial returns, preventative maintenance extends the lifespan of major appliances by 3-5 years and reduces emergency service calls by up to 70% during high-occupancy periods.
Most successful hosts allocate 1-2% of their property's value annually toward these efforts, creating a maintenance reserve that protects both guest experience and long-term profitability. This structured approach ultimately generates 30-40% higher lifetime value from your Airbnb investment compared to reactive maintenance strategies.
In today's digital world, it's easier than ever to find licensed, bonded, and insured professionals to tackle your Airbnb rental property maintenance needs. Using technology solutions can help you monitor and manage maintenance more efficiently.
Tools like TurnoverBnB allow you to find trusted vacation rental cleaning companies local to you—all with the simple touch of a button. With Uplisting, you can easily schedule, monitor, and automate your turnovers for a fully streamlined cleaning process that minimizes maintenance costs.
Airbnb rental property maintenance is no easy feat, but creating a seasonal maintenance schedule and implementing automated cleaning processes makes it more manageable. To learn more about vacation rental automationand maintenance best practices, check out these other helpful blogs and guides.
With a reliable VRM solution you can trust, Uplisting can help you grow your business without wasting time on double bookings, unhappy guests, upset clients and worrying what could go wrong next.
The 80/20 rule suggests that 20% of your listings or strategies generate 80% of your revenue. For Airbnb hosts, it often means focusing on the top-performing properties or efforts that drive the most bookings. By identifying which aspects of your listing (pricing strategy, listings details, amenities) yield the largest impact, you can allocate resources more effectively.
Generally speaking, the property owner (host) is responsible for upkeep, but many hosts hire professional managers. These managers or co-hosts handle cleaning, maintenance, restocking supplies, and other operational tasks. For example, a host with a full-time job might outsource everything to save time, while a handy retiree might DIY minor repairs but hire professionals for deep cleaning. Similarly, a host with multiple properties might need a management company despite higher costs, whereas someone with a single unit and limited budget might handle most tasks themselves, only calling in specialists for complex issues like plumbing emergencies. The best approach depends on your personal time, skill level, and budget.
Yes. You can hire an Airbnb co-host or a professional vacation rental manager to handle day-to-day tasks. These tasks can include guest communication, marketing, cleaning coordination, and property maintenance. Fees may be a percentage of your bookings or a flat rate, depending on your agreement.
For many hosts, especially those with limited time or multiple listings, Airbnb property management can be worth it. A professional manager handles everything from turnover and maintenance to guest screening and communication. This frees up your time while ensuring your property is well-maintained and optimized for higher occupancy . Alternatively, property management systems like Uplisting offer a tech-driven solution that automates many of these tasks without the high fees of traditional management companies. Whether you choose a human property manager or a software solution, it's important to factor these costs into your budget to determine the best approach for your specific situation.
We’ve built an all-in-one property, channel management and automation tool to help property managers scale seamlessly.
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