Before you hire a vacation rental co-host: 12 things to settle

Accounts and access

• 1. Who owns the listing accounts — keep ownership yourself where possible
• 2. What access the co-host gets (co-host permissions vs. your login)
• 3. Who holds door codes and how they're changed

Money

• 4. Exactly what the fee is charged on
• 5. Minimum monthly fee and onboarding cost
• 6. Whether any costs are marked up
• 7. Who receives payouts — and whether that's allowed in your state

Operations

• 8. Response hours and how true emergencies are handled
• 9. Spending limit before they must ask you
• 10. Who chooses and approves repair vendors

Rules and exit

• 11. Local permits, taxes and HOA rules — who checks and who files
• 12. Notice period to end the agreement, and what happens to future bookings

Why writing it down matters

Most owner–co-host disagreements aren't about bad intent. They come from two people remembering a conversation differently. A one-page summary of the points above, signed by both of you, prevents most of that. Review it after the first three months — you'll both know more about how the property really runs by then.

A note on local rules

Short-term rental rules vary by state, county and city, and change often. Check your local requirements, and ask any co-host how they confirm they can legally work with you.