How To Start An Airbnb In Your Home

Have a spare room in your house and want to make some extra money? Are you wondering how to start an Airbnb in your home? Whether you are traveling and want to share a spare room in your house while you are gone, or live at home and want to share your space with travelers, Airbnb has options for you to increase your income. Airbnb makes it simple to earn extra money by putting your extra space to work for you. Sharing with travel nurses can be a great way to have consistency in your home while improving your income, and sharing the ins and outs of your hometown.

Getting started

The online process to create a listing is pretty quick and easy—you write descriptions of your space, upload photos, and mark dates your space is available to travelers. And it’s always free to create a listing.

Your earnings

So just how much could you make hosting on Airbnb? Find out what hosts in your area are making, and start imagining the possibilities. Airbnb hosts use their extra income to pay off student loans, upgrade their home, and pursue their passions, such as being a traveling healthcare professional. With the extra income from Airbnb, you could work travel healthcare contracts for part of the year, and use the extra income from hosting to travel the world or pursue other passions in your time off. Airbnb is the perfect side hustle for those who are passionate about traveling. All you need is a spare room to get started!

Airbnb makes the payment process simple, too. Guests are charged when a reservation is made, and funds are typically released to hosts 24 hours after check-in. How you’re paid is up to you: You can set up direct deposit, PayPal, or a number of other options.  

Host support

Once you’re a host, Airbnb has all kinds of cool tools to help you feel comfortable and confident welcoming guests. You can find hosting tips on the Airbnb blog and get your questions answered by experienced, successful hosts in the Community Center. Nervous about the safety of your home and belongings when you’re away? Airbnb’s got your back. In the rare event, an accident happens, your property is covered up to a million dollars when you host—it’s peace of mind for you at no extra charge. And as for the folks staying at your place, everyone who travels on Airbnb needs to submit a profile photo and confirmed phone number and email address. For extra assurance, you can also require your guests to submit a government-issued ID.

Hometown pride

Hosting can help you show off what makes your city great! When you welcome travelers from Airbnb, you can introduce them to your neighborhood and local attractions. This can help drive more business to your favorite local mom-and-pop shops and help support your local economy.

Host Success Story

Julie Fechter, a medical professional in the Seattle area, has been hosting on Airbnb since 2012. In 2017, thanks to her income from listing her spare room on Airbnb, she was able to quit her job and travel the world for over a year. While traveling, Julie shared her house with guests. She was able to make an income at home while she was traveling abroad. While the money she made on Airbnb allowed her many wonderful life experiences, her favorite part of the experience has been the relationships that she has built with guests. According to Fechter, “One of my favorite things about hosting on Airbnb is that I get to introduce my guests to West Seattle. This part of town can be more difficult to get to. It has one of the most iconic views of Seattle over the water and I love sharing that with others.”

Start hosting now, and you can start earning extra money toward your own adventure!