Self-managing keeps the whole booking income with you, in exchange for doing every job yourself: the listing, prices, guest messages, check-ins, cleaning, and repairs. Hiring a manager hands most of that work over for a fee.
Last reviewed 11 November 2026 · Reviewed by the bnbHost team
This page compares the two options without guessing at earnings: how much a home brings in depends on the home and the season, and nobody can promise that one option earns more.
1. The work, week by week
Every booking brings the same run of jobs, whoever does them:
- Before the guest books: keep the listing, photos and description up to date, set and adjust nightly prices, and answer questions from people thinking of booking.
- When a booking comes in: confirm it, check the guest's details against your house rules, and send arrival information.
- Arrival: hand over keys or access codes, and be reachable if something goes wrong.
- During the stay: answer messages, and arrange a fix if something breaks.
- Between stays: clean, change and wash the linen, restock supplies, and check the home before the next guest.
- After the stay: review the guest, deal with any damage, and record the income and costs.
We do not put an hours figure on this. The time depends on how often the home is booked, how far you live from it and how much help you buy in, and no official source publishes an estimate for BC hosts.
2. The skills self-managing needs
- Writing a listing and taking photos that show the home fairly.
- Setting prices and changing them with the season and with demand.
- Answering guests quickly, including late at night when a check-in goes wrong.
- Finding, paying and checking cleaners and trades.
- Keeping records of the income and costs.
3. Side by side
| The job | If you self-manage | With bnbHost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing, photos and description | You write it and take the photos | Listing SEO management and professional photography are included | bnbHost decision log |
| Nightly prices | You set and change them | Price optimization is included | bnbHost decision log |
| Guest messages and bookings | You answer every message and handle every booking | Booking management is included | bnbHost decision log |
| Keys and check-in | You, or someone you arrange, hand over access | Key exchange management is included | bnbHost decision log |
| Cleaning and laundry between stays | You clean, or hire and check cleaners | Cleaning and laundry are included, with a welcome book for guests | bnbHost decision log |
| Repairs | You find and pay trades | Property maintenance is included | bnbHost decision log |
| Cost | No management fee; you give your time and pay for any help you buy in | 22% per booking, with property insurance included; exact terms in the management agreement | bnbHost decision log; our fee |
Service and fee information: bnbHost decision log, 10 November 2026.
4. What it costs
Self-managing has no management fee. Its cost is your time, plus whatever help you pay for: a cleaner, a key handover, a trade.
Our fee is 22% per booking, with property insurance included. The exact terms are in your management agreement, and we walk you through them in your free property review. See how our fee works. Whichever managers you compare, our worksheet on what Airbnb management costs and what to compare shows what to put side by side.
5. When self-managing is the better choice
- You live in the home and are there for most stays. Much of the work is easier when you are already there.
- The home is booked only now and then. A few stays a year may not justify a fee on each booking.
- You enjoy the work and have the time. Guests, pricing and a tidy listing are jobs some owners like doing.
- You have reliable help close by. A cleaner and a trade you trust cover the jobs that need someone on the spot.
6. When bnbHost is not the right choice
- You want to keep doing the guest side yourself. Booking management and price optimization are part of what we do; if you would rather answer guests and set prices yourself, self-managing may suit you better.
- The fee is worth more to you than the time. If you have the time and the skills above, keeping the whole booking income may make more sense.
- You would rather have a long-term tenant. Our guide on short-term or long-term rental sets out what changes between the two.
Before you hire anyone, bnbHost included, put our questions to ask a property manager to each one.
Want us to handle it?
bnbHost runs short-term rentals for owners: booking management, listing SEO, price optimization, professional photography, the welcome book, cleaning and laundry, property maintenance, key exchange and licensing support. We look at every home with our legal team before we take it on, and if yours cannot be hosted, we tell you straight.
Our fee is 22% per booking, with property insurance included. The exact terms are in your management agreement, and we walk you through them in your free property review. See our fee.
This comparison is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice.
