Create​ ​a​ ​Full​ ​House​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Holidays​ ​by​ Listing ​Space​ ​on​ ​Airbnb

Have ​ you​ ​ traditionally​ ​ looked​ ​ forward​ ​ to​ ​ ​a ​ home​​ filled​ ​​with ​ family,​ ​ friends,​ ​ and​ festivities ​ during​ ​ the​ ​ holidays?​ ​ The​ ​ ​more ​ the​​ merrier,​ ​ right?​ ​ But​ ​ if​ ​ ​your ​ children​ ​ have​ grown ​ and​ ​ are​ ​ now​ ​ visiting​ ​ or​ ​ hosting​ ​ in-laws,​ ​ your​ ​ ​house​ may​ ​ be​ ​ quieter​ ​ this​ ​ time​ ​ of​ year ​ than​ ​ you’re​ ​ accustomed​ ​ to.​ ​ Or​​ maybe​ ​ you​ ​ don’t​​ ​have ​ kids​ ​ but​​ still​ ​​enjoy ​ the​ happy ​ chaos​ ​ of​ ​ a​ ​ full​ ​ house​​ for​ ​ the​ ​ season.​

If ​ hosting​ ​ others​ ​ is​ ​ a​ ​ joy​ ​ you’re​ ​ missing​ ​ and​​ you​ ​ have​ ​ an​ ​ extra​ ​ room,​​ detached​ ​ unit,​​ or​ even ​ a​ ​ vacation​ ​ home​ ​ available,​ ​ ​consider ​ listing your​ ​ space​ ​ on​ ​ Airbnb.​ ​ ​Lots ​ of​ ​ people​ travel ​ for​ ​ the​ ​ holidays​ ​ and​ ​ need​ ​ ​places ​ ​to ​ stay.​ ​ ​As ​ an​​ ​Airbnb ​ host,​ ​ you​ ​ ​may ​ be​ ​ able​ ​ to​ provide ​ a​ ​ comfortable,​ ​ even​ ​ festive,​ ​ experience​ ​ for​ ​ out-of-town​ ​ visitors,​​ while​ ​ ​earning some ​ extra​ ​ money​ ​ on​ ​ the​ ​ side.​

And ​ you’ll​ ​ have​ ​ a​ ​ chance​ ​ ​to ​ exercise​​ your​ ​ hometown​ ​ pride.​ ​ When​ ​ ​you ​ welcome​ ​ guests​ as ​ a​ ​ host​ ​ on​ ​ Airbnb,​ ​ you​ ​ get​ ​ to​ ​ introduce​ ​ ​them​ to​ ​ all​ ​ that​ ​ makes​ ​ your​ ​ neighborhood​ great—and ​ drive​ ​ more​ ​ business​ ​ to​ ​ your​ ​ favorite​ ​ local​ ​ mom-and-pop​ ​ shops.​

Potential ​ earnings​

How ​ much​ ​ could​ ​ you​ ​ make​ ​ hosting​ ​on​ ​ Airbnb?​ ​ They​ ​provide ​ a​ ​ tool​​ that​ ​ helps​ ​ ​estimate what ​ you​ ​ might​ ​ earn​ ​ based​ ​ on​​ other​ ​ listings​ ​ in​​ ​your ​ area.​ ​ 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​.​ Creating ​ a​ ​ listing​ ​ is​ always ​ free.​

Time​ ​commitment

The ​ online ​ process​ ​ to​ ​ create​ ​ a​ ​ ​listing ​ is​​ straightforward—you​ ​ write​ ​ descriptions​ ​ of​ your ​ space,​ ​ upload​ ​ photos,​ ​ and​ ​ ​mark ​ dates​​ your​ ​ space​ ​ is​ ​ available​ ​ ​to ​ travelers.​ ​ You​ can ​ also​​ access​ ​ your​ ​ account​ ​ via​ ​ the​ ​ mobile​ ​ app,​​ so​ ​ if​ ​ you’re​ ​ out​ ​ running​ ​ around,​ ​ you​ can ​ still​ ​ easily​ ​ stay​ ​ in​ ​ touch​​ with​ ​ your​ ​ guests.​

As ​ a​ ​ host,​ ​ you​ ​ can​ ​ be​ ​ as​ ​ hands-on,​ ​ or​​ as​ ​ hands-off,​ ​ as​ ​ you​ ​ want,​​ ranging​ ​ from​​ meeting​ guests ​ at​ ​ the​ ​ airport​ ​ to​ ​ ​directing ​ them​​ to​ ​ your​ ​ hide-a-key​ ​ to​ ​ ​check ​ themselves​ ​ in.​ Whatever ​ style​ ​ you’re​ ​ comfortable​ ​ with​ ​ is​​ up​ ​ to​ ​ you.​

Host ​ support​

Allowing ​ strangers​ ​ into​ ​ your​ ​ home​ ​ might​ ​ feel​ ​ a​ ​ little​ ​ ​strange​ or​ ​ scary.​ ​ You​ ​ can​ ​ get​ ​ a​ sense ​ of​ ​ what​ ​ to​ ​ expect​​ by​ ​ ​visiting ​ the​​ Airbnb​ ​ Community ​ ​Center ​ where​ ​ ​experienced, successful ​ hosts​ ​ tell​ ​ their​ ​ own​ ​ ​stories ​ and​​ can​ ​ answer​ ​ your​​ questions.​ ​ ​Also ​ visit​​ the​ Airbnb ​ blog​ ​ for​ ​ insights​ ​ on​ ​ getting​ ​ ​the ​ ​most ​ from​​ ​your ​ available​ ​ space.​

If ​ you’re​ ​ nervous​ ​ about​ ​ the​ ​ ​safety ​ of​​ your​ ​ home​ ​ and​ ​ belongings,​ ​ ​Airbnb’s ​ got​ ​ your​ back:​ ​ In​ ​the​ ​rare​ ​event​ ​an​ ​accident​ ​happens,​ ​our​ host​ ​guarantee​ ​may​ ​cover​ ​your​ ​property up​ ​to​ ​a​ ​million​ ​dollars​ ​per​ ​stay—it’s​ ​peace​ ​of​ ​mind​ ​for​ ​you​ ​at​ ​no​ ​extra​ ​charge.​ ​And​ ​as​ ​for the​ ​folks​ ​staying​ ​at​ ​your​ ​place,​ ​ever​yone​ ​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.

Getting ​ started​

Visit ​ the​ ​ Airbnb​ ​ host​ ​ site​ ​ ​to ​ explore​​ resources,​ ​ learn​ ​ about​ ​ host​ ​ expectations,​ ​ ​and create ​ your​ ​ listing.​ ​ Start​ ​ hosting​ ​ ​now, ​ and​​ help​ ​ create​ ​ a​ ​ warm​ ​ ​and ​ festive​ ​ holiday​ experience ​ for​ ​ others,​ ​ while​ ​ maybe​ ​ earning​ ​ some​ ​ extra​​ cash​​ for​ ​ ​yourself.

Get ​ started​ ​ hosting​ ​ on​ ​ Airbnb​