Have you ever dreamed of owning a home in your favorite vacation destination and renting it out as a short-term rental (STR) to help cover the costs? But have you also hesitated to take that leap because you live far away?

Fear not! Remote management (or remote hosting) isn’t impossible, and it might not even be as difficult as you think. Remote hosting is an excellent alternative to working with an expensive property management company and is completely attainable when you know where to focus your efforts.

Here are some tips (some of them hard-learned) from a remote host who lives 1,800 miles away from their vacation rental.

Whether you’re just exploring buying a vacation rental property or you already own one (or more), stay on top of market-specific trends. From before you buy to decades into owning, maintaining a deep understanding of your STR market is critical, no matter how far away you live. When you’re not in the area every day, it takes a little more effort to ensure you’re staying in-the-know. But with the right tools and relationships in place, it’s not a difficult task.

Start by looking into Airbnb regulations before you purchase a property. Don’t just listen to your real estate agent or check Airbnb to “see if there are already rentals nearby.” When it comes to the legality and success of your investment property, you need to be 100% sure that it’s allowed. Google, “[Your market] short-term rental regulations,” to see if there are any restrictions in place or if there are recent news articles discussing a call for regulation. You can also contact your town and county municipality offices for further confirmation. 

No matter where you are in your STR journey, it’s also helpful to join a local STR advocacy group (if one is available). This is a good way to stay connected on what’s going on and have the ability to advocate for your listing.

Don’t forget about homeowner associations (HOAs). Just because STRs are allowed in a city does not mean they’re allowed within an HOA-controlled neighborhood or building. HOAs have their own rules, so be sure to read the bylaws and any other documentation thoroughly before you purchase a property.

Remember: The existence of nearby Airbnb listings is not a guarantee that STRs are allowed. Those properties could be breaking the rules or be under some kind of grandfather provision. Always do your homework in this department.

Another smart thing to do is set up Google Alerts. Setting up a weekly or monthly alert for news on local regulations means any real-world updates will go straight to your inbox so you’re not caught off-guard. STR regulation is a popular topic for local media outlets to cover, so as soon as local groups or municipalities begin discussing potential regulations, it often makes headlines. When those articles are published online, they’re also picked up by Google Alerts.

(Pro-tip: Use the full term—“short-term rental regulations”—as that’s often the phrase used in headlines. To be extra sure, you can set up alerts using both “short-term rental regulations” and “STR regulations.”)

When you don’t live in a specific location, you don’t truly know what the daily in-and-out is like. Before you invest in a property that you expect to make money, you should understand what to expect as a host.

The easiest way to do this is to join online host groups for your area if any are available. Here, you can learn what hosts find successful, what they’re struggling with, and get a general pulse for rentals in the area.

It’s also helpful to research key services as early as possible. Finding reliable cleaners and contractors can be a challenge in many STR-heavy areas. Knowing how difficult it will be to secure reliable, high-quality, local help can save you headaches later.

And if you plan on doing work to the property before listing it, contact some contractors to see what their timeline is. This will let you know how quickly your listing can hit the market and start making money (important if you’re relying on rentals to help cover the mortgage).

This next point cannot have enough emphasis: It’s critical to research insurance options before you buy. First of all, look into short-term-specific insurance or carefully review the policies offered by a traditional insurance company. STR-specific insurance ensures you’re covered both when guests are in the home and when you’re there (which isn’t always the case with traditional homeowners or landlord insurance policies). Depending on where your property is, you might also need insurance that you don’t typically carry at home, such as wind and hail or flood insurance. In some places (like the Florida coast), hosts are finding it increasingly difficult to secure insurance. This is something you definitely want to know before you make the investment.

When it comes to setting expectations as a host, another good step is digging into short-term rental data for the area. Like many things, the COVID-19 pandemic disturbed the STR industry. The ability to work from anywhere for many people, plus the desire to get away from cities, led to both a boom in STR inventory and demand. Travel trends are now normalizing. Before investing, you should have a good understanding of demand (occupancy), daily rate, and revenue trends for the past couple of years, as well as a peek into what demand looks like in the near future. Taking a broader look at the data means you’re not basing your income projections on an unusual rental season or year. 

Paying attention to seasonality trends is important for any host. But as a remote host, it takes a little more effort.

If your listing is in a highly seasonal market (like a beach or ski town), you won’t physically be there to notice when people are coming into town—like traditional, shoulder, or off-seasons. Connecting with local host groups and making friends with locals can help you stay tuned into any potential changes so that you can adjust rates accordingly. Tracking historical seasonality trends and future pacing demand are also important. You can use these metrics to validate hunches or debunk any anecdotal stories. Remember: One person’s perspective is limited; data is unbiased and comprehensive.

Staying on top of local events is also key. (You don’t want to miss out on the Taylor Swift crowd if there’s a concert in town!) Watch for events big and small so you can capture any extra demand. There also might be events you want to add to your guestbook or your listing, like a great seasonal farmers market or holiday fair. Again, making friends with locals and joining local online groups makes staying in the know much easier.

Knowing what your guests expect during their trip is just as important as understanding your market as a whole. There’s always a careful balance between guest expectations and a host’s reality, but a few special considerations pertain to remote hosts.

Anticipating guest expectations may not seem like a regional thing, but it can be. 

Take amenities, for example. What may be an expected amenity in one area might not be so common near your home. Pools and hot tubs are natural examples of this, but something as seemingly ubiquitous as air conditioning can also be regional. AC may not be common in your upstate New York home, but guests certainly expect your Galveston, Texas, rental property to have AC! Make sure you understand what amenities are common and expected in the area your STR is located. Think like a local or about what you enjoy while vacationing in the area, and focus on that.

Another guest expectation to keep up with has less to do with your guests and more to do with the local competition. Pay attention to the amenities your competitors offer, especially new amenities they add. If everyone nearby adds a hot tub, guests may cross your property off the list because it doesn’t have one.

You also need to plan for adding, updating, and replacing amenities in a different way than local hosts. If you need to add an amenity to keep up with your neighbors or with guest expectations, how will that amenity get to the home and who is in charge of implementing it? If you can make regular trips to your STR this is something you can handle during a visit. What can’t wait for an owner's visit is if an amenity breaks or runs out. Not having a listed amenity available for guest use can lead to potential discount and refund requests that every host wants to avoid. Have a plan regarding who is checking and maintaining amenities so that any issues can be addressed in a timely manner.

Finally, even if your host profile says that you’re not local, guests will still turn to you to answer their questions and make recommendations. Be prepared for this. Have a list of a few local restaurants, coffee shops, and grocery stores to recommend. You might also want to be ready with specific recommendations for common accommodations, like gluten-free or vegan restaurant suggestions. Requests for bakery recommendations are also common if your STR is located near a college (graduation season!) or is a destination for family trips (think birthdays). 

You’ll likely get some weird questions or requests as well, so be prepared to Google. (I was once asked where the closest skate park is.) Yes, the guest can look this up themselves, but they asked you, so it’s nice to have a response. Even though you’re not local, you’re still the property’s host and it’s important to remember that being an STR host means you’re in the hospitality business, so be welcoming and helpful, even if you’re thousands of miles away.

As a remote host, you need to think about the details of stays and turnovers more carefully. You’re not nearby to just do it yourself if you need to step in, so careful pre-planning can save a lot of headaches.

Carefully consider whether you use instant booking features. Having instant booking turned on may mean you get a last-minute guest sooner than you might be prepared for. (If you do turn on instant booking, you can set restrictions about how close to check-in a guest can book.) Not allowing instant booking means a guest must request a reservation, and hopefully they send a message about their trip with that request. Having the ability to chat with a guest before the reservation is confirmed gives you an opportunity to get more details about their stay. This can help you clarify potential issues like check-in time confusion, number of guests, and even events being held at your home before a booking is accepted. Catching these issues early is vital and will save you the stress of having to deal with a (potentially major) problem from afar.

Remote hosts might also want to consider longer length of stay minimums. Frequent turnovers can cause more wear and tear on your home and require more cleanings, difficult things to manage when you’re not nearby. Before you settle on a length of stay minimum, discuss availability with your cleaners to ensure they can work within the most strenuous turnover timeframes. Don’t forget to look at common length of stay minimums in your area (you can see this on the Market Overview page for any market using AirDNA). If the most common minimum stay is two nights, but yours is four nights, you’ll restrict your number of potential guests.

Also pay careful attention to your checkout instructions. This is a contentious topic right now, but having guests do nothing is not a realistic option for all hosts, especially remote hosts. Because you’re not cleaning the unit yourself, you need to work with your cleaners to understand what they’d like done before their arrival and balance that with what’s reasonable to ask the guests. Work together respectfully to find a solution that works for your cleaning crew and you/your guests.

Some checkout requests are also borderline required because you’re not there. Asking guests to take the trash out can help ensure your home doesn’t smell if cleaners don’t get there immediately. Having guests double-check that doors and windows are closed and locked makes sure your property is secure. Consider what is typical for checkout instructions in your area. Having guests start the dishwasher before they leave can make the difference in an on-time check-in for the next guests if you have same-day turnovers. This may be a common checkout instruction in your area if you’re in a popular vacation destination.

You may be remotely managing our vacation rental, but you’re certainly not managing all of the day-to-day operations. The fact is, you need reliable local help. There are many solutions you can put in place to make your life as a remote host easier. 

The number one most critical thing to secure as a remote STR host is a good, reliable cleaning company. Nothing is worse as a guest than a dirty rental. Cleaners are also often your first line of defense if something is broken, running down, or has run out. Working with a small company or a single individual can help you build a good relationship and ultimately help you better meet guest expectations and maintain your property and listing.

If you work with a large cleaning company that sends different staff every time, you should consider engaging a local co-host or house manager. This person can pay closer attention to your property to make sure everything is in line and in good working order. They can help you restock items or act as a receiving point and setup person if you need to ship additional supplies or a new amenity to the property. In short, they’re your surrogate owner since you’re not there. Co-hosts and house managers may take a percentage of each booking or request to be paid a flat rate. 

Having a reliable way to address issues in a timely manner is also critical when you can’t just stop by and solve the problem yourself. Problems are bound to happen and things do occasionally break. Guests expect this to be addressed quickly so their trip isn’t ruined and when you’re far away this can be stressful. 

Do not assume that Amazon same-day or next-day shipping is available to your STR. The same goes for Instacart type services. Many hosts who live in populated areas may think they can rely on these services for quick fixes when they simply aren’t available in more remote regions. If you’re planning on using Amazon, know how long delivery typically takes to your vacation rental area.

Have a go-to list of handymen, plumbers, and electricians you can call if an issue arises. (Pro tip: if there’s an Ace Hardware nearby, look into their Ace Handyman service. They’re pretty timely and can fix a variety of issues. They can be a lifesaver!) A co-host/house manager comes in very handy during these situations, as they can drop off replacement items or meet maintenance vendors at the property as needed.

To avoid problems from arising (as much as you can) schedule regularly recurring maintenance for the home. These are must-do tasks like emptying a septic tank, having the air conditioner serviced, regular pest control treatments, etc. that are easy to forget about when you’re not around. Having these appointments pre-scheduled means you don’t have to remember to set them up seasonally or yearly. Don’t forget to pay attention to the regular maintenance required for the region your home is in. While pest control may not be important where you live full-time, it can be vital to a good guest experience in your vacation destination. 

You may also want to schedule maintenance more frequently for your vacation rental than you would your primary residence. You’re likely more understanding and forgiving of issues at your own home than guests will be when they’re paying for a rental. So while you might only spray for bugs once a season if you were living in the home, spraying monthly might be more appropriate to ensure guests don’t complain about pests.


Set yourself up for success with remote management solutions

With all the technology we have today, managing an Airbnb remotely doesn’t have to be complicated. There are plenty of tools and solutions you can put into place so that you can actively manage your property from anywhere. If you have a specific problem, try doing an online search for a digital solution, odds are there’s one out there.

One of the best things to invest in as a remote host is a keyless entry solution. Having a keypad lock means you don’t have to worry about lost keys during a guest’s stay or guests forgetting to return the key when they checkout. With a digital lock, you can set a custom code for each guest for enhanced security. With all the keyless locks on the market, be sure you read the reviews for the lock and the lock’s mobile app before purchasing. You want to find a lock that is easy for the guests to use while they’re on site, and that’s easy for you to manage with an app. Once you pick your lock, be sure to write detailed check-in instructions on how to use it. Don’t assume it’s intuitive to the guests, you want to make it fool proof. If you opt for a deadbolt only lock, consider changing the door handle to one that doesn’t have a separate handle lock. You don’t want your guests to be locked out because someone turned the handle lock!

Just because you went with a digital lock doesn’t mean you’re done with keys forever. Always keep a physical key on the property in a lock box. This way if the digital lock stops working you can give your guests the lockbox code so they can still get into their rental. You should also always have a hard copy of your house key, along with someone local (like a co-host, house manager, or trusted neighbor).

Digital solutions don’t stop with keyless entry. Property cameras (such as doorbell and floodlight cameras) are popular ways for hosts to keep an eye on their property. While you shouldn’t spy on your guests and you MUST disclose these cameras in your online listing, having cameras on the property can let you check in as needed. It’s similar to driving by a property while guests are there. You don’t want to do it all the time, but being able to check up on things in a non-intrusive way is good protection.

Other popular digital solutions let you know if something is wrong from hundreds of miles away. Noise monitors can catch parties or guests not respecting quiet hours. (This is helpful for maintaining good neighbor relationships.) Smart smoke detectors let you know if something is majorly wrong at the property. Smart thermostats let you set temperature range limits to protect your HVAC and electricity bills and adjust the temperature remotely if no one is in the home to save energy. If you set temperature limits, be sure they’re reasonable and in line with what’s expected for the area. You don’t want to dictate what temperature your guests like a home to be, but making sure they can’t set the thermostat to 50 degrees is a reasonable restriction as a homeowner.

Remember, smart solutions are a safety net and a remote management feature. Not a way for you to spy on your guests or micromanage their stay. 

Communication is the key to good hospitality. But there are a few things that need special consideration when you’re a remote host. If you have a co-host, establish who is handling what type of communications. Who’s sending check-in instructions and pre-stay messages? Who’s responsible for responding to requests, issues, or questions during the guests’ stay? Clear understanding of responsibilities is crucial to clear and timely communication.

When planning routine communications don’t forget about time zones. This is key to making sure guests have the information they need, when they need it, at a time that makes sense for them. If you don’t live in the same time zone as your vacation rental, a good rule of thumb is to communicate during reasonable hours for wherever your STR is located. (If your vacation rental is on the east coast of the US but you live on the west coast, try to communicate during east coast business hours.) The one exception is responding to guest communications. If a guest messages you, it’s appropriate to respond immediately, regardless of the hour. If the communication seems urgent but you don’t see it for an hour or more later, respond as soon as you see it.  


Don’t forget, you still have owner responsibilities

No matter where you live or where your short-term rental is located, you are still the owner. If you don’t want any responsibilities, you should engage a professional property management company. If you want to manage your own property remotely, that means retaining certain responsibilities.

Even though you hired good cleaners, making sure they understand your standards is important. If you’re particular about the cleaning, consider supplying a cleaning checklist or asking your cleaners to pay special attention to certain areas (like checking all the drawers and under the beds for items left behind). You can also ask for a timestamped video walkthrough of the property after each cleaning. This can be helpful if the next guest causes damage that they claim was already there or if they try to claim the property was not clean in order to get a refund (an unfortunate but not entirely uncommon scam).

Make sure local emergency numbers and important information is clearly displayed for guests. The refrigerator is usually a good place for this info since it’s central to the guests’ stay. This should include any local 911, police, and fire department numbers as well as information about the closest hospital, ER, or urgent care. It’s also a good idea to display important regional safety information (such as how to get out of a rip current, avalanche awareness, wildlife safety, tornado protocols, or hurricane evacuation routes). Remember, your guests may not be from nearby. Help them stay safe against regional threats to avoid major accidents. If you’re not sure what information is important for your area, ask other local hosts or call the city.

If possible, visit the property at least once a year (preferably more). No one will maintain your property to the same standards and getting eyes on the home regularly lets you keep up with things. This is a great time to make improvements (big or small), make sure the cleaners are working to your standards, and check in with your neighbors. Making friends with your neighbors can go a long way in the success and acceptance of your vacation rental. You don’t want to be a nameless face. You want to be a friendly part of your community, even if you're only there part-time.

Ready to give remote Airbnb management a try? Find your perfect market or vacation rental property with AirDNA!

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The Ultimate Guide to Managing an Airbnb Remotely

Owning a vacation rental in your dream location doesn't have to be a hassle, even if you live far away. Here are some tips on successfully managing an Airbnb remotely.

The Ultimate Guide to Managing an Airbnb Remotely

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