Automate your Airbnb with these 9 steps for hands-off hosting and maximum flexibility. Maximize productivity and profitability with the right automation strategies.

How to Automate Your Airbnb Business: 9 Ways to Get Started

Airbnb automation is a critical step towards hands-off hosting.

You must have the right strategy in place for your properties if you want to enjoy the many perks of automating your Airbnb. 

Putting guest communication and check-in on autopilot is a great start, but savvy hosts will take extra steps to exceed guest expectations while minimizing active management. 

In the world of hosting, if you're not automating, you're not innovating. Picture this: you, sipping a mojito on a beach somewhere while your Airbnb business practically runs itself. Sounds dreamy, right? You can make that a reality thanks to our recommendations.

Whether you're managing multiple properties or just getting started as a host, implementing effective automation strategies can grow both your productivity and your profitability. Let's dive in and discover how to take your Airbnb business to the next level with automation.

Airbnb automation involves using technology and systems to streamline and optimize various aspects of hosting, from guest communication to property management. Put simply, it's like having a personal assistant who never sleeps, never complains, and definitely never raids your snack drawer. 

While any host can benefit from an automation strategy, automation is particularly pressing once your portfolio grows. 

“When you have multiple listings it’s all about batching tasks and automating them to save time,” says Annie Sloan of The Host Co. “Your time is money!” 

By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks like sending booking confirmations or check-in instructions, hosts can free up their schedules to focus on higher-value activities like curating guidebooks to grow their business and make their hosting life a breeze. And let's be real, who doesn't want more breeze and less stress?

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s all too easy to dismiss automation as a tool limited to fine-tuning your messaging or listing. However, hosts have countless automation tools at their disposal, each of which can revolutionize how you run your vacation rental business. 

The nine key areas you should start automating today are: 

Say goodbye to late-night "Where's the Wi-Fi?" messages. Streamlining guest communication is essential for providing a seamless experience for your guests and a stress-free hosting experience for yourself.

Automate messages for booking confirmations, check-in instructions, and post-stay follow-ups, to ensure timely and consistent communication with guests. Automated communication will reduce the need for manual correspondence and save you valuable time. Automated messaging can also help you anticipate guests’ needs. 

“If you know your guests are going to ask for a late checkout, or a local massage, or even a mid-stay clean, present them with the options and a way for them to schedule and pay for those options before they even arrive,” Sloan says. “This means you won’t have to deal with the back-and-forth messaging and your guests will be more open to paying for the amenity. You won’t be stuck answering their questions at midnight on a Friday night!”

Utilizing Airbnb’s messaging features is the first automation step many hosts take, but it’s not the only option out there. Property management software (PMS) like Uplisting has built-in messaging automation so you can stay in touch with guests without actually typing out messages in real time. 

Whether through Airbnb or a PMS, we recommend you set up pre-written messages to be sent automatically at various stages of the booking process, such as booking confirmation, check-in instructions, and post-stay follow-ups. Customize these messages to include relevant information and personal touches, ensuring a seamless guest experience while saving time on manual correspondence.

Automating guest check-in with keyless entry systems or smart locks both simplifies the process and enhances security and convenience for hosts and guests alike—no more playing hide-and-seek with keys. 

By installing these systems, hosts eliminate the need for physical keys and the associated risks of loss or theft. Guests can seamlessly access the property upon arrival using unique codes or smartphone apps, reducing the hassle of coordinating key exchanges or waiting for in-person meetings.

Hosts can start automating check-in procedures by researching and investing in reputable keyless entry systems or smart lock devices compatible with their properties. These 

systems typically come with user-friendly interfaces and installation guides for easy setup. 

Additionally, hosts should provide detailed check-in instructions well before guests’ arrival date, including instructions for the keyless entry system or smart lock and any other relevant details about accessing the property. Leveraging messaging automation tools through Airbnb or a PMS, hosts can send personalized messages to guests with check-in instructions and important logistical information, ensuring a smooth and stress-free arrival experience.

Plan your STR strategy based on real booking activity and trends—plus, see how things change year over year.

Automating cleaning services is a game-changer, and not just because you won’t have to worry about dirty linens again. Getting cleaning schedules right can be complex, but automating them means you remove the need for manual coordination with cleaning staff. This saves you time, but it also reduces the chances you’ll forget to schedule a cleaning or send someone to the wrong property. 

Cleanliness is also pivotal to the guest experience. Guests will feel the care you’ve taken to keep a clean house from the minute they walk through the door, and how impressed they are can impact their ratings and reviews. 

With the right Airbnb automation for cleaning, you can schedule routine cleanings in advance, track the completion of services from afar, and even receive notifications when tasks are completed, providing peace of mind that your property is always guest-ready.

To make automated cleaning a reality for your Airbnb business, start by researching and selecting a reliable cleaning management software that meets your needs. Look for features such as customizable cleaning checklists, automated scheduling, and integration with third-party cleaning services. 

Once you've chosen a platform, set up your cleaning preferences and schedule recurring cleanings based on guest turnover and booking patterns. Communicate with your cleaning staff to ensure they're familiar with the automated system and have access to any necessary tools or supplies. 

Regularly review and adjust your cleaning schedule as needed to accommodate fluctuations in booking volume or seasonal demand.  Automate messages to notify cleaning staff of upcoming bookings, and set up recurring appointments with trusted providers. 

Managing amenities for your Airbnb property can be time-consuming. It’s easy enough to stock it at the start, the challenge is ensuring your property remains stocked with essential amenities stay after stay—no panic runs to the store for toilet paper late at night. 

The key here is to find a solution that eliminates the guesswork so your property is always well-equipped with necessary items such as toiletries, linens, and kitchen essentials. By automating this process, hosts eliminate the need for last-minute trips to the store, avoiding potential inconveniences and ensuring that guests feel cared for. 

Start by making a list of the essential amenities your guest expect. Items like toiletries, toilet paper, and linens should always be on that list, but depending on your specific property, you may also need kitchen essentials or something more unique. You also need to determine the minimum quantity threshold for each amenity item. In other words, how many rolls of toilet paper is too few? 

It’s then time to automate. Subscription services that automatically send essential items (think Amazon Subscribe & Save) so you can set up recurring deliveries based on your property’s needs. This alone should save the time and hassle of placing orders manually. Ready to go to the next level? Invest in automated inventory management software. 

This software tracks the usage and availability of amenities in real time, updates inventory levels, and generates purchase orders when supplies run low. You can even configure them to alert you when amenities approach the danger zone or find a supplier that can integrate with your inventory management system to take yourself out of the equation entirely. 

Maximize revenue opportunities by offering additional services or amenities to guests through automated upselling features. Present add-on packages for services like airport transfers, grocery delivery, or local experiences during the booking process. Add-ons can make the guest experience better and increase your property's revenue potential.

“You can automate amenities upsells by adding a digital storefront branded to your listing that is shared with your guests at the time of booking via your automated messages,” Sloan says. “Using a digital store, guests can see exactly what's available right when they book and keep it in mind while they do all of their trip planning, during their stay, and even after checkout.”

The ability to upsell has long been a differentiator between Airbnbs vs. hotels, but automation is a critical way short-term rental hosts can catch up.

“Hotels have long known that upsell automation is key in the full picture of revenue—an average full-service hotel makes 30% of overall revenue on upsells,” Sloan says. “By automating upsells in the STR space, we at The Host Co see property managers adding up to $10,000 in revenue per month.”

Digital storefronts like The Host Co. make it easy to offer a range of local experiences and upgraded amenities without adding more items to your hosting to-do list. By integrating this platform into your Airbnb listing, you can seamlessly upsell additional services or amenities during the booking process, enhancing the overall guest experience and maximizing your revenue potential with minimal effort.

Harnessing the power of smart home devices is about more than just convenience. By automating tasks such as adjusting temperature settings, controlling lights, and monitoring security remotely, smart technology enhances efficiency and security while improving guest satisfaction.

For instance, smart thermostats allow hosts to regulate indoor temperatures based on occupancy patterns, optimizing energy usage and ensuring guests' comfort. Similarly, smart lighting systems can be programmed to illuminate common areas or pathways automatically, enhancing safety and ambiance. Additionally, security cameras equipped with motion sensors and real-time monitoring capabilities provide hosts with valuable insights into property activities and allow them to address any issues promptly.

Start by researching reputable brands and selecting devices that align with their property's needs and preferences, such as smart locks or thermostats. Consider also which you can easily install; a smart lock may be easier than a universal remote, for example. 

Installation and setup for most devices are typically straightforward, with many devices offering user-friendly interfaces and compatibility with popular smart home platforms like Google Home or Amazon Alexa. Once installed, hosts can connect their smart devices to a centralized hub or app, then customize settings and schedules to automate tasks and streamline property management operations, ultimately enhancing the overall guest experience.

AirDNA’s vacation rental pricing tool uses data-driven recommendations to propose the best daily rates.

To stay competitive in the dynamic vacation rental market, it's crucial to implement pricing strategies that optimize revenue and respond to changing demand patterns. Dynamic pricing tools and revenue management software offer automated solutions to adjust rates based on market demand, competitor pricing, and booking trends.

These tools don’t only determine what your rates should be—-they can automatically adjust them for you. By leveraging data-driven insights and continuously optimizing your rates, you can maximize revenue potential while maintaining a competitive edge in the vacation rental market.

To automate your pricing strategy effectively, start by integrating a dynamic pricing tool like Smart Rates™ with your Airbnb account. Once integrated, configure pricing rules and parameters tailored to your property's unique characteristics and revenue goals. 

For example, you can set rules to adjust rates based on demand fluctuations, seasonality, and local events, ensuring your listing remains competitive and attractive to potential guests. Additionally, regularly monitor your listing's performance and analyze key metrics to fine-tune your pricing strategy further. 

Positive reviews on Airbnb play a pivotal role in shaping a host's reputation and influencing potential guests' booking decisions. They serve as social proof of the quality of your property and the level of hospitality you provide, instilling trust and confidence in prospective guests.

Additionally, Airbnb's search algorithm often prioritizes listings with higher ratings and more reviews, increasing visibility and exposure to potential guests. Want those five-star reviews rolling in faster than you can say "superhost"? 

Automated review request emails sent shortly after check-out can prompt guests to share their feedback, increasing the likelihood of receiving positive reviews that boost your property's online reputation. It also shows guests you care about their experience, fostering goodwill and increasing the chances they’ll stay again if they return to your area. 

Use automated messaging through the Airbnb hosting dashboard or your PMS to send personalized review request emails to guests shortly after they check out. Customize the message to thank guests for their stay and kindly request feedback on their experience. Though there’s no one right time to send these emails, scheduling them within 24 hours of check-out ensures your property is still fresh in your guests’ minds. 

Tailor the review request email to include specific details about the guest's stay, such as their name, check-in and check-out dates, and any personal interactions or experiences they had during their visit. Personalized messages can increase the likelihood of guests responding positively. You can also implement automated reminder emails to prompt guests who haven’t completed a review after a certain period.

Don’t forget to offer the same responsiveness you’re asking for from guests. Acknowledge and respond to reviews promptly, whether positive or negative, to demonstrate your commitment to guest satisfaction and improve your overall hosting performance.

The Benefits of Automating Airbnb Management

Let's talk perks. With automation by your side, you'll enjoy smoother operations, happier guests, and a fatter wallet. It's like hitting the jackpot without even leaving your couch—especially because it’s the best tool hosts have to win back precious time.

“More time means more power to improve your guest experience, research new listings, grow your portfolio,” Sloan says. “It’s all about time and what you can do with more of it.”

Time is valuable, but it’s not the only key advantage to incorporating automation. Hosts who do can enjoy: 

Improved Efficiency: Automation streamlines processes, reducing the likelihood of errors and guaranteeing smoother operations overall.

Better Guest Experiences: Consistent and timely communication, along with seamless check-in and check-out processes, contribute to a positive guest experience. Happy guests lead to higher ratings and reviews.

Increased Scalability: With automation in place, hosts can more easily manage multiple listings and scale their business without becoming overwhelmed by the administrative workload.

Cost-Effectiveness: Automation reduces the need for manual labor and minimizes the risk of mistakes, helping hosts save money in the long run.

Data-Driven Decision-Making: Automated systems can collect and analyze data on guest preferences, booking patterns, and property performance. The result is valuable insights that can inform strategic decision-making.

Competitive Advantage: Hosts who leverage automation to deliver exceptional guest experiences and manage their properties more efficiently gain a competitive edge in the market.

Reduced Stress: Hosts can experience less stress and enjoy a greater sense of control over their business when they automate repetitive tasks.

Flexibility and Freedom: Automation allows hosts to manage their Airbnb business remotely and on their own schedule, providing greater flexibility and freedom in how they work.

Automating your Airbnb isn't just a game-changer—it's a game-winner. Say hello to more time, more money, and more freedom to live your best host life. So go ahead, kick back, relax, and let Airbnb automation do the heavy lifting. 

If you’re ready to take your hosting game to the next level, consider hosting fully remotely. Learn more about how to manage your Airbnb remotely. 

Airbnb automation is the key to unlocking truly hands-off hosting. Maximize your flexibility and freedom with these 9 steps to automate your Airbnb.

Airbnb Occupancy Rate: Insights and Tips

Key Takeaways
The Airbnb occupancy rate is a vital metric for success and is calculated by dividing the number of booked nights by the available nights. The occupancy rate reflects how often your property is rented out compared to its availability.
Understanding and monitoring your occupancy rate is key to maximizing earnings, as it indicates property performance and influences pricing and marketing strategies.
How you interpret your occupancy rate is essential; high and low occupancy rates don’t always mean what you think.

Successful Airbnb hosts are obsessed with bookings, and for good reason—it’s the name of the vacation rental game.

When hosts talk about Airbnb bookings, they're really talking about occupancy rate: the percentage of available nights that guests book. Monitoring your occupancy rate is important because it shows how well your Airbnb stacks up against the competition. The occupancy rate can also indicate whether you need to switch up your strategy or pricing to boost your rental income.

Whether you’re new to short-term vacation rentals or an industry expert, it’s important to understand the methodology and best practices behind your occupancy rate. 

Learn about short-term rental data

What is Airbnb Occupancy Rate?

In its simplest form, the occupancy rate is the percentage of time a vacation rental property is booked compared to the time it is available for bookings. 

To make understanding occupancy rate easier, let's use a straightforward example.

Imagine you own a cabin that's available for guests all year. That means it could potentially be booked for 365 nights. Throughout the year, guests book your cabin for 90 of those nights. We can use that number to calculate the occupancy rate and see how often your property was rented out compared to its availability. 

By dividing the booked nights (90) by the total available nights (365) and multiplying by 100 to get a percentage, we find an occupancy rate of approximately 25%. This means your cabin was rented out for about a quarter of the year.

Reasons Why Your Occupancy Rate Matters
Maximize Revenue Potential: Physical products can be sold at any time if they’re not immediately purchased. However, a vacant vacation rental represents a unique challenge. If a property goes unbooked for a night, it's impossible to "sell" that night again. Each unbooked night directly translates into a tangible loss of potential income. That’s why the occupancy rate is crucial for owners looking to maximize their earnings. 
Reveal Property Performance Insights: Consider two similar properties in the same location. Property A consistently achieves an 80% occupancy rate, while Property B struggles to reach 50%. This stark difference signals that Property A might be better aligned with guest preferences or have better marketing. Analyzing occupancy rates helps identify performance gaps and areas for improvement, whether that's improving your listing or adjusting pricing strategies to meet market demand.
Determine Market Demand and Inform Pricing Strategies: High Airbnb occupancy rates indicate strong market demand, while low occupancy rates can reflect lower demand. This information informs your pricing strategy. Let’s consider an apartment near a convention center that has high occupancy during events but low occupancy rates otherwise. This trend suggests that you may want to consider adjusting your rates in relation to the convention center’s event calendar. Dynamic pricing takes into consideration trends like this and uses them to optimize revenue during peak and off-peak times.
Guide Investment and Enhancement Decisions: Evaluate occupancy rates before and after making upgrades, like installing high-speed internet or renovating the kitchen, to assess the return on investment (ROI). This analysis is crucial for prioritizing property improvements that make your listing more appealing and, subsequently, improve the occupancy rate.

Learn about Dynamic Pricing

How to Calculate the Airbnb Occupancy Rate

Understanding the occupancy rate of your Airbnb property is pivotal for optimizing your rental strategy. Yet, it all comes down to a single equation.

Airbnb Occupancy Rate Calculation

Reserved Days / Available Days x 100 = Occupancy Rate

With that in mind, here's a simple guide on how to find Airbnb occupancy rates:

Step-by-Step Calculation
Determine the Total Number of Reserved Days: Start by counting how many days guests booked your property over a specific period of time, usually 12 months. 
Identify the Total Number of Available Days: Calculate the total days your property was available for booking over the same time period, excluding any days you blocked off for personal use.
Calculate the Occupancy Rate: Divide the total number of reserved days by the total number of available days, then multiply the result by 100 to convert it into a percentage. These steps represent AirDNA’s version of an Airbnb occupancy rate calculator.

Example Calculation:

Imagine you own a house on the water in North Carolina and you're evaluating its performance on Airbnb over the last 12 months. The property was available for 340 days and booked for 240 days within this timeframe.

Reserved Days: 240

Available Days: 340

Occupancy Rate Calculation: 240/340 x 100 = 70.58%

Calculate potential earnings

Understand the investment potential of any address in the world. 

See your STR revenue potential
Interpreting Your Occupancy Rate

While a 70% occupancy rate may seem ideal, signaling guest satisfaction and consistent revenue, it's essential to delve deeper. High occupancy could indicate underpricing, meaning you might be missing out on potential income. It's crucial to balance occupancy with your average daily rates (ADRs) to maximize revenue. 

Think about it: A property with a 50% or 60% occupancy rate could earn more revenue than one that’s booked 70% of the time. It’s all relative to pricing. A property booked more often at $100 per night may not outearn a property that’s booked less often at $300 per night.

It’s important to ask yourself: Do I want higher occupancy or higher average daily rates (ADRs)? An accurate data tool can help you sort out which strategy is best for your bottom line. (Why guess when you can know exactly what you should be charging guests?)

What is a Good Airbnb Occupancy Rate?

Average Airbnb occupancy rates vary from market to market and year to year. You can see how the national average occupancy rate has fluctuated:

Trailing twelve months (TTM), March 2023 to February 2024: 55.1%
2023: 55.4%
2022: 58.6%
2021: 60.3%

The occupancy rate in 2022 reflects a recovery trend in the industry after the pandemic brought the average occupancy rate into the low fifties in 2020.

Determining a "good" rate is less about finding a universal number and more about understanding local market conditions, historical performance, and your personal goals for the property. Knowing your market's average helps inform decisions on pricing, marketing, and operations.

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Average Airbnb Occupancy Rates by City: Top 10 Highest Occupancy Rates

If you’re new to the short-term rental market, understanding the average airbnb occupancy rates by city can help you choose a location that’s likely to generate a healthy revenue.

These markets had the highest trailing twelve-month short-term occupancy rates (March 2023 to February 2024):

Kauai, Hawaii: 74.4%
Oahu, Hawaii: 73.4%
Maui, Hawaii: 72.4%
Maine DownEast/Acadia Coastal: 67.7%
Big Island, Hawaii: 67.1%
New York City: 65.5%
Denver: 65.3%
Anaheim, California: 65.2%
Boulder, Colorado: 64.3%
 Outer Banks, North Carolina: 64.3%

Many of the markets with the highest occupancy rates are located in Hawaii. However, seeing as the vacation rental market in Hawaii is subject to fairly heavy restrictions, let’s consider the markets with the highest occupancy rates in the contiguous U.S.

Maine DownEast/Acadia Coastal: 67.7%
New York City: 65.5%
Denver: 65.3%
Anaheim, California: 65.2%
Boulder, Colorado: 64.3%
Outer Banks, North Carolina: 64.3%
San Diego: 64.2%
Sarasota, Florida: 64.1%
Lincoln City/Newport, Oregon: 64%
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee: 63.9%

Average Occupancy Rates by City: Top 10 Lowest Occupancy Rates

The average Airbnb occupancy rates by city in the following areas leave hosts wanting more. These markets currently have the lowest trailing twelve-month occupancy rates:

Oxford, MS: 34.9%
Big Bear, CA: 39.6%
Southbend, Indiana: 40.4%
Texas East Area: 41.4%
College Station, Texas: 41.8%
Mississippi area: 42.1%
Augusta, Georgia/South Carolina: 42.8%
Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania: 43.2%
California South area: 43.7%
 Louisiana area: 43.9%

If you’re looking to invest in vacation properties, avoid these markets because you likely won't get a good ROI. Property managers and hosts in these markets may need to lower their rates to encourage guests to book with them rather than other Airbnbs.

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Why Airbnb Occupancy Rates Differ from Hotels 

Hotels offer a consistent product and pricing strategy, but STRs vary widely in terms of property type, location, amenities, and host engagement. It’s crucial to assess STR occupancy differently than traditional hotel occupancy in order to accurately reflect performance in the vacation rental market.

AirDNA only considers active listings in its occupancy rate calculations, whether it’s for a specific market or when someone uses our Airbnb calculator. We define active as having at least one calendar day classified as reserved or available during the reporting period. If we included every available night from every available listing in our occupancy calculation, it would return a falsely low occupancy rate. This is due to variations in vacation rental host behaviors and motivations. We’re talking about host attentiveness in managing listing calendars and their responsiveness to reservation requests.

Here are three host cases that would falsely skew occupancy downward if we included them in the occupancy rate calculation: 

Event-Based Hosts: Hosts who list properties temporarily to take advantage of specific events, causing temporary market fluctuations that don’t reflect regular hosting activity.

"Make Me Move" Hosts: Hosts who set their prices significantly above the market rate, using Airbnb as an opportunistic platform rather than a committed hosting venue.

Dormant Listings: Properties that appear available but haven't seen a booking for months, often due to a shift in host priorities or property usage.

AirDNA ensures that its occupancy rate calculations reflect genuine market activity and trends by focusing on active listings. We stand by the accuracy of our data and use this methodology to help stakeholders understand the true dynamics of the STR market. Our insights are distinct from those that can be gleaned from hotel occupancy data.

How to Get High Occupancy on Airbnb

Occupancy rate may not be a complete picture of your property’s performance, but it’s still important. After all, you’re only making money if guests are staying at your property. If your occupancy rate is falling short of expectations, take these data-driven steps to learn how to increase occupancy rate on Airbnb. 

Increase Your Airbnb Occupancy Rate

Occupancy Rate is Just the Beginning  

According to ou annual best places to invest report, most of the destinations at the top of the list have occupancy rates of 60-70%. If you're interested to learn more about a market's occupancy rate, visit the AirDNA app.

While Airbnb occupancy rates are important, you need to track a range of metrics to assess how your Airbnb is performing overall. Our insights can help you optimize your properties for the best possible occupancy rate, average daily rate (ADR), revenue per available rental (RevPAR), and overall profitability.

Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a good occupancy rate for an Airbnb?

There is no universal “good" occupancy rate. Determining whether your occupancy rate is optimized requires understanding local market conditions, historical performance, and your personal goals for the property. Keep in mind that lower occupancy rates don’t necessarily indicate lost revenue. If you are charging a higher average daily rate, you might not need as many bookings to make as much money as a competitor with higher occupancy but a lower nightly rate.

Where can you see Airbnb occupancy rates?

You can see the occupancy rate for your listing as well as that of competitors in the area on your AirDNA dashboard. 

Find out what “Airbnb occupancy rate” refers to, how to calculate it, and tips for improving your occupancy rate and increasing your STR income.

How to Automate Your Airbnb Business: 9 Ways to Get Started

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