How do you prepare your Airbnb for the busy season? Use the off season. Tips below.

The busy season is finally over. Your last guests have checked out, and you can catch your breath for a minute. But the best hosts know this is the perfect time to prepare, not just relax. This year-end hosting checklist is what separates the pros from everyone else.

Following this guide is the difference between starting next year stressed or starting it organized and profitable. This is not just a list of suggestions. This is the playbook successful hosts use every single year.

Completing your own year-end hosting checklist now means you walk into the new year with confidence. You will have a clear plan to make more money and run your business better. So let’s get you set up for your best year yet.

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• Step 1: Get Honest About Your Revenue
  • Key Metrics You Need to Track
  • Turn Your Data Into a Plan
  • Consider New Revenue Streams
• Step 2: Connect With Your Financial Team
  • Review Your Write-Offs and Big Expenses
  • Organize Your Contractor Information
• Step 3: Audit Your Technology & Systems
  • How to Run a Simple Tech Audit
  • Decide What to Keep, Cut, or Negotiate
• Step 4: Conduct a Thorough Property Audit
  • Schedule a Deep Clean
  • Audit Supplies and Inventory
• Step 5: Schedule Major Property Upgrades
• Step 6: Update Your Listings & Marketing
• Conclusion
  • Keep Learning with Us

Step 1: Get Honest About Your Revenue

The first step is often the hardest for hosts to tackle. You have to review how much money you actually made this year. I’m not talking about a gut feeling; I’m talking about cold, hard numbers for each of your properties.

Don’t wait until January when things are already chaotic. If you haven’t been tracking this information closely, it’s not too late to start now. You can look back at your records to piece it all together.

Breaking it down into quarters is a great way to manage this. Look at how each property performed in January through March, then April through June, and so on. This will give you a clear picture of your seasonal performance.

New to your numbers? We can help. Download our FREE Know Your Numbers Checklist right here to start analyzing your bottom line.

Key Metrics You Need to Track

To truly understand your performance, you need to look beyond just the total payout. There are a few key metrics that tell the real story of how your business is doing. Digging into these numbers is critical.

Here are the three numbers that matter most:

• Average Daily Rate (ADR): This is the average rental income you made per paid occupied day. To find it, you just divide your total room revenue by the number of rooms you sold.
• Occupancy Rate: This shows you the percentage of occupied rooms at your property at a given time. A high occupancy rate is good, but it doesn’t mean anything without a solid ADR.
• Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR): This is the metric that ties it all together. You calculate RevPAR by multiplying your ADR by your occupancy rate. It shows you how well you are filling your rooms and how much you are making from them.

RevPAR is so important because it balances your pricing with your occupancy. You might have a 95% occupancy rate, but if your ADR is extremely low, your RevPAR could be lower than a host with 80% occupancy and a much higher ADR. As noted by Cornell’s experts, it’s a foundational metric for a reason.

This single number shows you the true health of a property’s income. It stops you from focusing on one metric at the expense of another.

Turn Your Data Into a Plan

Once you have this data for each property, you can start making smart decisions. You will quickly see which of your rentals is the top performer and which one is lagging. This is where you can set a realistic and clear budget for the next year.

For example, maybe you’ll notice your rates were pushed too high during a slower month. The data will show you a low occupancy rate, which tells you your pricing was not competitive. You might have been testing the market, and that’s a normal part of business.

But now you know. You can create a new strategy, like focusing on mid-term rentals for that slow season. That kind of strategy needs to be planned in the fall so you can find a tenant for January.

Consider New Revenue Streams

Your financial review may also reveal slow periods that could be filled with a different kind of booking. Consider marketing your property as a venue for a small year-end function or a corporate holiday party. This type of event planning can be a lucrative way to boost income, especially in late December.

To start planning for this, think about the event purpose. Would your space be good for a team building day event or a more formal year-end celebration? Proper venue selection is crucial, so be honest about what your venue can accommodate and who your ideal client would be.

Creating an event planning checklist for potential clients can make your property more attractive. This list can cover event logistics like AV equipment, potential entertainment activities, and seating arrangements. Careful planning is what leads to a successful year-end gathering that leaves a lasting impression.

You’ll also need to manage event details differently than a standard booking. Consider how you will manage RSVPs and confirm the final headcount. For a special occasion, you might even offer add-on services like coordinating catering details, which could involve accounting for dietary restrictions.

Step 2: Connect With Your Financial Team

After you’ve analyzed your own numbers, it’s time to bring in the professionals. Schedule a meeting with your accountant or tax preparer now. Do not wait until everyone is scrambling at the end of the year.

Booking a meeting in October or November means you get their full attention. You can have a real conversation about your business. This helps you plan your financial moves before the deadline crunch begins and helps you avoid overspending.

This is about more than just filing your tax return. This meeting is where you can get a huge return on your investment. It helps you keep more of the money you earn.

Review Your Write-Offs and Big Expenses

One of the most important topics to cover is your expenses. Are you categorizing everything correctly? Things like maintenance, rental food for guests, and supplies can sometimes be recorded incorrectly, causing you to leave money on the table.

You also need to discuss your capital expenditures. These are the big purchases, like a new roof or a bathroom renovation. Your accountant can tell you if it’s better for your tax situation to make that purchase this year or wait until next year.

Think about paying for your accountant’s time outside of tax season. A check-in during the spring and another in the fall can be very valuable. They can review your books and catch small mistakes before they become big problems.

Organize Your Contractor Information

Now is also the time to get your paperwork together for any independent contractors you hired. This includes your cleaner, your landscaper, or the painter you paid over $600 this year. In the United States, you’ll need to send them a 1099-NEC form.

To do that, you need their W-9 form, which has their name, address, and taxpayer identification number. The best time to get this is right when you hire them. The second best time is right now, so build this into your planning checklist.

Trying to chase them down in January is a huge headache. They are busy, and you are busy. Go through your contact list now and see who you need to contact; it will save you a lot of stress later.

Step 3: Audit Your Technology & Systems

Your busy season acts like a stress test for all the software and tools you use. Now, in the slower season, you can perform an audit. You can figure out what worked, what caused frustration, and what you simply did not use.

Your tech stack includes any technology you use to run your business. It can be free tools like Gmail or paid services like a channel manager, pricing software, or a property management platform. Many hosts are paying for software they forgot about.

This audit helps you clean house and save money. It also makes your daily operations much smoother. You want your tech to help you, not give you more work.

How to Run a Simple Tech Audit

Running a tech audit does not have to be complicated. Just follow a few simple steps. Be thorough and honest with yourself during the process.

First, make a list of every single tool you pay for. Do not rely on your memory alone. Go through your bank and credit card statements for the last twelve months to catch those annual subscriptions.

Next, write down how much each one costs and how often you are billed. Put this all into a simple spreadsheet so you can see everything in one place. As you sign up for new tools in the future, you can add them to this list.

Finally, score each tool. Did it actually save you time? Did it feel clunky or hard to use? Or did you buy it with good intentions and never get around to using it?

Decide What to Keep, Cut, or Negotiate

With your list complete, you can decide what to do with each piece of software. If a tool is essential to your business and saves you time, keep it. If you’re not using something, and it would not hurt your business to lose it, cancel the subscription.

Some tools might fall into a middle category. Maybe you like a piece of software, but the price feels too high. Don’t be afraid to negotiate.

Reach out to their sales or support team. Tell them you are considering other options. They may offer you a discount to keep you as a customer, especially if you have been with them for a long time.

Step 4: Conduct a Thorough Property Audit

Now it’s time to get hands on with your properties. You need to perform a deep audit of the physical space. The goal is to see your rental through the eyes of a guest.

During the busy season, it’s easy to miss the little things that are starting to look worn. Go through each room slowly and take detailed notes. This process is rewarding because it directly impacts your guest experience and your future reviews.

Schedule a Deep Clean

Your regular cleaning team does a great job with turnovers, but a deep clean goes much further. This is your chance to tackle things that get overlooked during a quick flip. This check list should include cleaning behind and under heavy furniture and appliances.

Think about tasks like steaming mattresses and curtains to freshen them up. Clean the grout in the bathrooms and kitchen. Wash the exterior of your windows and clean out your light fixtures, as these details create a fresh and well maintained feeling.

This is also a perfect time to check on all your safety equipment. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a helpful checklist you can use. Test all your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher, and restock your first aid kit.

Not sure when your property warrants a deep clean? Check out our Ultimate Airbnb Cleaning Guide to see our recommendations for keeping your property shining and guest-ready.

Audit Supplies and Inventory

Take a close look at all the items you provide for guests. How do your towels and linens look? Are there any stains or signs of fraying? What about your dishes and silverware?

Even small things matter. For example, maybe you use nice refillable soap dispensers in the shower. If the labels are peeling off, it can make the bottle look old and dirty.

Make a list of everything that needs to be refreshed or replaced. You can prioritize this list and slowly work through it. This proactive approach keeps your property from ever feeling dated or neglected.

Step 5: Schedule Major Property Upgrades

Your property walk-through might have uncovered some larger projects that need to be addressed. Perhaps the flooring is looking scuffed, a bathroom needs an update, or the deck needs repairs. Now is the time to plan for these larger maintenance projects.

The key is to schedule these upgrades strategically. You never want to be doing a major renovation during your peak earning season. That would mean turning down bookings and losing a lot of money.

Instead, identify your slowest time of year and schedule the work then. You should also coordinate with your accountant, as the timing of these expenditures can have tax implications. This is another example of how all these different pieces of your hosting business fit together.

Step 6: Update Your Listings & Marketing

After your property is refreshed, your final step is to update how you present it to the world. High-quality photos and accurate descriptions are critical for attracting bookings. If you’ve made significant upgrades, professional photos are a worthwhile investment.

Review your listing descriptions on all platforms. Highlight any new amenities or features. Use this time to gather feedback from past guests to identify what they loved most and feature those points more prominently.

Plan your marketing for the coming year. This could include a simple social media calendar to post updates or special offers. Sending a thank-you message to past guests with a discount for a future stay can also encourage repeat bookings.

Conclusion

This whole process is about being a proactive business owner instead of a reactive one. Taking the time to work through this year-end hosting checklist now saves you from the chaos of starting a new year unprepared. It puts you in control of your business.

The first time you go through these steps, it might feel like a lot of work. But each year it will get easier. You will have your spreadsheets and lists from the year before, and it will become a natural rhythm for your business.

This is how you continue to grow and achieve a more successful year-end. A well-managed property and a clear business plan help you provide a memorable gathering for every guest. It’s how you become more profitable year after year.

Keep Learning with Us

Your hosting journey doesn’t stop here! 🎉 Whether you’re looking for the tools we personally use to run our rentals or want to dive deeper into strategies that make hosting more profitable and enjoyable, we’ve got you covered. Head over to Thanks For Visiting to learn more and explore our favorite trusted tools, free resources, and next steps for growing your hosting business.

Happy Hosting!