Startups Give Airbnb Hosts A Helping Hand

摘要

Ryan Scott figures he brings in half a million dollars a year from 14 San Diego homes he owns and rents out by the night using Airbnb. And he hasn't had to quit his job at IBM to play full-time landlord because he outsources much of the work of running the houses to Guesty, a Tel Aviv startup that screens guests, sends them check-in details, and responds to all their inquiries within an hour. As more real estate investors use short-stay websites such as Airbnb and HomeAway to build rental empires, an ecosystem is growing to help them-and casual Airbnb hosts-manage and maintain their properties. Offering everything from housecleaning to key exchange, the new companies aim to provide hotel-like amenities for travelers who otherwise want to live like locals, at least for a night or two.