An Airbnb virtual assistant can do anything you do, outside of going to the property themselves. Think all the back-end computer work and administration, they've got that in the bag! Guest messaging, reviews and listing updates, scheduling cleaners and maintenance, owner updates, all of it. I suggest picking the one thing you know is spending the most of your time, and choosing hours that reflect the times you need back.
Most hosts hire a VA and then hand them a to-do list. Answer this guest. Book that plumber. Update this listing. Then they wonder why the VA keeps asking "okay, what's next?" Sorry y'all, but I'm saying it: this is NOT the right way to hire.
An Airbnb virtual assistant does their best work when they own a whole area. Not a task, a part of the business they're responsible for, start to finish.
The lanes an Airbnb virtual assistant can own
- Guest messaging. Questions, check-in details, late-night texts, answered fast and in your voice. This is almost always the first lane.
- Reviews and listings. Thoughtful review replies, listing updates and regular listing audits.
- Maintenance and vendors. Scheduling cleaners and repairs, and following up until it's actually done.
- Owner communication. Keeping homeowners updated so they hear from your company, not your personal cell.
- Admin and inbox. Email, calendars, data entry and the dozens of little things that pile up.
- Lead VA. As your team grows, one VA becomes the "thinker" who checks guest messages, builds SOPs and keeps everyone consistent.
What I'd hold back at first
Some things should stay with you (or come to you) until your VA has been with you a while and your guidelines are written down: big refunds, tough owner conversations, letting a cleaner go and anything legal. That's not about trust. It's about giving them a clear line so they're never guessing.
One host told me she hated throwing random tasks at her VA and would rather her VA own certain lanes. She was exactly right. When someone owns a lane, they start noticing problems before you do. When we give them random tasks, they don't see the gaps or the opportunities. They just wait for the next instruction.
The right VA isn't a task-doer, they're a partner. Mine know my business (and my life) so well they remind me about my kids' appointments, they plan birthday parties, they notice issues before I see them, they tell me about problems AFTER they've solved them, and they communicate in a way that sounds like ME!
Try this
- List all the areas of your business (cleaning, guest messaging, etc., etc.).
- Pick the one thing that takes up the most of your time.
- Start writing down the broad steps someone could take to get that off your plate, and how they would do it.
- Now find that person, put your list to the test, and train them as they go.