What Does an Airbnb Co-Host Do? A Guide for Miami and Fort Lauderdale Owners

Short answer: an Airbnb co-host runs your listing and your home for you, while you stay the listing owner. On Airbnb, the owner invites a co-host to the listing and chooses how much access they get. A full-service co-host handles the guests, the calendar, the pricing, the cleaning, the repairs and the claims. The owner keeps the listing, sets the co-host's payout, and stays responsible for the home and the local rules.

General information. Airbnb's features change, and local rules differ by city. Check the Airbnb Help Center and your city before you rely on any detail here.

How co-hosting works on Airbnb

Airbnb builds co-hosting into the listing itself. The listing owner, or a co-host who already has full access, can invite a co-host to a home listing (Airbnb Help: inviting co-hosts). Airbnb also runs a Co-Host Network to help owners find local co-hosts (Airbnb Co-Host Network).

When you invite a co-host, you choose one of three permission levels (Airbnb Help: co-host permissions):

• Full access. The co-host can message guests, edit the calendar, manage the listing and pricing, accept or decline trip requests, handle changes and cancellations, and manage damage and Resolution Center requests.
• Calendar and messaging. The co-host can message guests and view, but not edit, the calendar.
• Calendar only. The co-host can view the calendar.

A co-host who runs your home day to day usually needs full access. You can change a co-host's permissions at any time.

How a co-host gets paid

Only the listing owner can set up a co-host's payout. Airbnb lets the owner share the cleaning fee, the cleaning fee plus a percentage, a percentage of each booking, or a fixed amount per booking. The co-host has 14 days to confirm the payout, and payouts cover guest stays on Airbnb only (Airbnb Help: co-host payouts).

Co-hosts can't view or change the owner's payout method or taxpayer information (Airbnb Help: co-host permissions). Your money and your tax details stay in your account.

What a full-service co-host handles in South Florida

On paper, a co-host can be anyone you add to the listing. In practice, a South Florida pool home or waterfront condo needs a team on the ground. A full-service co-host should cover:

• The listing. Creating and marketing it on Airbnb, and often Vrbo, Booking.com and other platforms too.
• Guests, 24/7. Screening, questions, check-in and checkout, and problems at 2am.
• Pricing. Adjusting nightly rates through the season, from winter demand to quieter summer weeks.
• Cleaning and inspections. Coordinating a professional clean between stays, and inspecting the home before the next guest arrives.
• Maintenance. Pool, AC, appliances and repairs, coordinated by people who know the home.
• Damage claims. Filing and managing claims with the platform when something goes wrong.
• Reporting. A clear monthly statement of revenue and every expense.

If a co-host only answers messages, you are still the one calling the pool service and the cleaner.

What stays your responsibility

Adding a co-host doesn't hand off ownership. Airbnb says the listing owner is responsible for their co-hosts, including co-hosts added by a full-access co-host (Airbnb Help: co-host permissions). If you remove a co-host, you stay responsible for current and future requests, including ones the co-host accepted (Airbnb Help: removing a co-host).

Local rules work the same way. Oakland Park's short-term rental ordinance, for example, lets an owner name an agent but says the owner cannot defer responsibility for compliance to that agent (Oakland Park ordinance). A good co-host does the work. The license and the legal duty are still yours.

Local rules a South Florida co-host should check first

Before a co-host takes on a home in Miami-Dade or Broward, they should check:

1. The state license. Florida treats a vacation rental as a transient public lodging establishment, licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR vacation rental guide).
2. Taxes. State sales tax and county tourist tax, and which ones the platform collects for you. Our guide to Broward County vacation rental taxes walks through it.
3. The city. Each city sets its own registration, inspection and local-contact rules. See Is Airbnb legal in Broward County? for a city-by-city comparison.
4. The HOA or condo documents. Associations can be stricter than the city. See Can my HOA ban Airbnb in Florida?

Co-host or property manager?

Owners search for both, and the words get used loosely. Some co-hosts only handle messages and the calendar. Some property managers run everything. The name matters less than what's included, who is on the ground, and who answers when a guest calls at night.

At Flight Mode, co-hosting is our full management at 20% of booking revenue. You keep your own Airbnb account, listing, reviews and Superhost status, and we take care of everything else, A to Z.

Questions to ask any co-host

1. Which permission level do you need on my listing, and why?
2. Who answers guests at night and on weekends?
3. Who does the cleaning and the inspections, and how do I see the results?
4. How do you handle damage claims with Airbnb and other platforms?
5. Which city, state and tax registrations will you check for my address?
6. What will my monthly statement show?
7. How is your payout set up on Airbnb, and what does it cover?

FAQ

What does an Airbnb co-host do?

A co-host helps run a listing for the owner. Depending on the access the owner gives, that can include guest messages, the calendar, pricing, reservations and damage claims. A full-service co-host also coordinates cleaning, maintenance and inspections at the home.

Do I lose my Airbnb listing if I add a co-host?

No. You stay the listing owner. You choose the co-host's permissions, and you can change them or remove the co-host at any time.

Who sets the co-host's pay on Airbnb?

Only the listing owner. Airbnb offers a cleaning fee share, a cleaning fee plus a percentage, a percentage per booking, or a fixed amount per booking.

Is the owner still responsible if the co-host makes a mistake?

Airbnb says the listing owner is responsible for their co-hosts, and city rules like Oakland Park's keep compliance with the owner. Choose a co-host with care.

Looking for a co-host in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Broward?

We co-host and manage homes across Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and the rest of Broward County. One local team runs the listing, the guests, the cleaning, the pricing and the upkeep. Rated Google 5.0★ and Airbnb Superhost 4.88★. See how we work with owners, or book a call with our team.

Last reviewed November 11, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.