Your Airbnb Management Contract: What to Check Before You Sign
An Airbnb management contract sets how long you are tied in, how you leave, when you can use the property yourself and what happens in a weak month. Check six clauses before you sign: term, exit, bookings, owner use, performance and the fee. Staymo, for example, offers a 12-month agreement at 15% or a rolling one at 18%.
How long does an Airbnb management contract last?
An Airbnb management contract runs either for a fixed term or on a rolling basis. The term decides how soon you can change course if the arrangement stops working for you.
What is the minimum term?
The minimum term is the period you commit to before you can end the contract on standard notice. Find it in writing, and check whether the contract renews automatically when that period ends.
Is a rolling agreement better than a fixed term?
Neither is better in itself: it depends on what the extra flexibility costs you and how likely you are to need it. Staymo, for example, offers Complete Management at 15% of rental revenue on a 12-month agreement, and Flexible Management at 18% on a rolling agreement with no long-term commitment.
How do you exit an Airbnb management contract?
You exit an Airbnb management contract by giving the notice it sets out, once any minimum term has passed. Read the exit clause as closely as the fee clause, because it decides what leaving will cost you.
If you plan to take the property back and run it yourself, weigh up what self-managing a short let involves before you give notice.
How much notice do you need to give?
The notice period is the time between telling the company you are leaving and the contract ending. Check how notice must be given and whether the company can end the contract on the same terms as you.
Is there a fee for leaving early?
Some contracts charge a fee if you leave before the minimum term ends, or ask you to repay setup costs. Ask for the exact amount or the formula in writing, not a description.
What happens to bookings already taken?
Guests may already have booked dates that fall after your contract ends. The contract should say who honours those stays, who looks after the guests and who receives the payout.
Who keeps the listing and reviews?
A listing that sits on the company’s own account may stay with the company when you leave, together with its reviews. Ask whose account the listing is on and whether you can keep the photos and the listing text.
This is general information, not legal advice. Ask a solicitor to read the contract before you sign.
Can you still use your own property under a management contract?
You can usually still use your own property under a management contract, but the contract decides how and when. In Greater London, short lets (any stay shorter than 90 consecutive nights) are limited to 90 nights per calendar year without planning permission. Plan your own dates and the letting calendar together.
Our guide to the 90-night limit explains how those nights are counted.
How do you block dates for your own stays?
The contract should say how you reserve dates for yourself and how much notice the company needs. At Staymo, owners can reserve dates for personal use through the host dashboard.
Does personal use change the fee?
It can, because a plan that leaves room for your own stays may carry a higher commission than one where the property is let all year. At Staymo, part-time management with flexible availability is 18%, against 15% for full-time management. Compare the two rates against the weeks you actually expect to use the property.
What happens if your property earns less than expected?
If your property earns less than expected, a commission-based management contract does not make up the difference. What it can do is limit what you pay in a weak month and give you a way to act on the numbers.
Do you pay the fee when the property is empty?
On a commission model you pay a percentage of booking revenue, so a night without a booking carries no management fee. Staymo, for example, charges its fee only on bookings where guests stay, or on cancelled bookings where the guest is not entitled to a full refund.
Does a management contract guarantee income?
No, a commission-based management contract shares revenue rather than promising it. A fixed monthly payment comes from a different model, guaranteed rent, which works on separate terms.
What reporting should the contract promise?
The contract should promise a regular statement that shows bookings, nightly rates, occupancy and every deduction, and say how often you receive it. Full performance visibility is what lets you spot a weak month before it becomes a weak year.
Can you leave if performance falls short?
Only if the contract says so, because otherwise your right to leave depends on the notice clause alone. If results matter to you, ask before signing whether a review point can be written into the agreement.
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What should the management fee clause say?
The management fee clause should state the percentage, the revenue it is calculated on, whether VAT is added and what is charged separately. Two contracts at the same headline rate can leave you with different money, so ask what the percentage includes and what it is calculated from.
Is the fee charged on gross or net revenue?
It depends on the contract, so check the wording before you sign. Staymo calculates its fee on the payout from the booking platform plus the cleaning fee. The platform’s own service fee is not part of that base.
Is VAT added to the fee?
It depends on the contract: the percentage may include VAT or have VAT added on top, and that changes what you pay on every booking. Ask for a sample statement that shows the fee and any VAT as separate lines.
Which costs sit outside the fee?
Airbnb’s own service fee is charged by the platform and comes off each payout separately from the management fee. Cleaning, linen, repairs and any onboarding charge may also be billed on top, so ask for the full list in writing. At Staymo, the one-time onboarding fee starts from £250 and is deducted from your first month’s earnings rather than paid upfront.
What should you check before you sign?
The table brings the clauses together. Read it next to the draft contract and get every answer in writing.
| Clause | What to look for | Question to ask before you sign |
|---|---|---|
| Term | Fixed term or rolling agreement | What is the minimum term, and does it renew automatically? |
| Notice and exit | Notice period and any exit fee | How much notice do I give, and what does leaving early cost? |
| Bookings and listing | Future stays, listing and reviews | Who honours booked stays, and who keeps the listing? |
| Owner use | How you block dates | How do I reserve dates, and does it change the fee? |
| Performance | Statements and review points | How often do I get a statement, and can I leave if results fall short? |
| Fee | Rate, revenue base and VAT | Is the fee charged on gross revenue, and is VAT added? |
Frequently asked questions
Should you get a solicitor to review a management contract?
It is worth it if the contract runs for a fixed term or includes an exit fee. A solicitor can explain what the termination and liability clauses mean for your property before you are bound by them, and flag anything that differs from what you were told.
Can you switch management company partway through the year?
Yes, once you have served the notice your contract requires and any minimum term has passed. Plan the handover around bookings already taken, so guests are not caught between two companies and the new company can take over the calendar without gaps.
Does a management contract cover mid-term lets as well as short lets?
It depends on the contract, so check that both are named in the scope of services and that the same rate applies to each. At Staymo, both Complete and Flexible Management include short and mid-term letting, so one agreement covers either type of stay.
Does the 90-night count reset if you change management company?
No. In Greater London the limit counts every night of short-stay use in the calendar year, whoever provided it. A new company starts from the nights already used, so pass on your booking history and check the count together before taking new short-let bookings.
