Hospitality
Airbnb Co-Host Handover Checklist: What to Hand Over, Step by Step
By MAXORI Studio · Updated 16 October 2026 · 6 min read
A good co-host handover puts everything the new person needs on paper before the first guest arrives: who holds the keys, how the house works, who cleans, which messages go out and who decides on repairs. This guide lists the areas a handover should cover and how to run it in one sitting, ideally on site.
Why handovers go wrong
Handovers usually happen in a rush, often by phone. The water shut-off, the boiler quirk, the cleaner's number and the way you answer guests live in your head, so the co-host discovers them one problem at a time, sometimes in front of a guest.
A written handover gives both sides the same picture from day one. It also protects you when you are away: the person covering for you does not need to call you for every small question.
What a handover should cover
Eight areas cover most rentals. Skip what does not apply and add what is specific to your property.
- People and keys: who holds each key, where spares are kept, owner, manager, cleaner and handyman contacts
- House systems: water, power, heating or cooling, internet, appliances, bins and any known quirks
- Supplies and stock: what is kept where, what to reorder and who pays
- House rules and the guest message routine: what guests are told, when and in which words
- Cleaning and turnover: who cleans, how long it takes, how problems are reported
- Emergencies: whom to call, what the co-host may decide alone, where the first-aid kit is
- Calendar and booking platforms: who answers inquiries, who manages the calendar, how changes are agreed
- Owner and manager responsibilities: task by task, owner, manager or shared
Run it in one sitting, on site
The handover works best when you walk the property together with the checklist in hand.
- Start with people and keys, so the co-host can get in and reach everyone.
- Walk the house system by system and write down where things are, not how you wish they were.
- Go through the guest message routine and the house rules, using your real wording.
- Agree the responsibilities task by task, with a spending limit the co-host can approve alone and a notice period for either side to end the arrangement.
- Book a short review after day 1, day 3 and day 7 to fix what the first guests reveal.
Write where codes are kept, never the codes
A printed handover sheet can be lost or photographed. Record who holds a key and where a code is stored, for example a password manager or a lockbox location agreed in person, but do not write real codes, passwords or payment details on the page.
Collect only the personal data you really need, such as a phone number for the cleaner, and keep the sheets somewhere safe.
Co-host access and local rules
Giving a co-host access to a listing or calendar is done inside the booking platform, following its current terms. A paper checklist does not do that for you and is not a contract.
Rules on short-term rentals, registration, taxes, insurance and data protection differ by country, region and platform. This is general information, not legal advice: check what applies to you and consider written advice before agreeing fees and liability.
Questions
What should an Airbnb co-host handover checklist include?
People and keys, house systems, supplies, house rules and the guest message routine, cleaning and turnover, emergencies, calendar and platform access, and who is responsible for what. Add a review after the first week.
Should I write door codes and passwords on the checklist?
No. Write where a code is stored or who holds it, and share the code itself in a safer way. A printed page can be lost or photographed.
Does a handover checklist replace a management agreement?
No. It records what you agreed in practice but is not a contract. For fees, liability, taxes and permits, check your local rules and consider advice from a professional.
How long does a handover take?
Plan one sitting on site, long enough to walk the property and fill the pages together. Then review briefly after the first day, the third day and the seventh day.
Ready-made tools for this
The Co-Host & Property Manager Handover Checklist is a printable download for hosts and small property managers: nine pages in A4 and US Letter covering people and keys, house systems, supplies, house rules and guest messages, cleaning and emergencies, calendar and platforms, responsibilities and a first-week review, with BLANK and fictional EXAMPLE PDFs in five languages. It is not legal advice and not a contract.
