Small Host Handbook is an independent guide for people who run one to five short-term rentals themselves: a spare room, a guest suite, a cabin or a couple of apartments. We explain how the platforms and tools actually work, in plain English, with a link to the source for every rule, price and setting we mention.
What we are, and what we aren’t
- We’re a research-and-explain site. Each guide is built from the platforms’ own help pages and policies (mostly Airbnb’s) and from vendors’ own pricing pages. We link every source and show the date we checked it.
- We don’t host. We don’t run rentals, manage properties or clean turnovers, and we don’t claim to. When a guide says what a setting does, it’s because the platform’s own page says so, not because we tried it on a listing.
- We don’t test products hands-on. When we mention a tool, we describe what its maker publishes and say so. We don’t publish “we tried it” reviews.
- We aren’t affiliated with Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com or any tool we mention. We’re not endorsed by them.
Who it’s for
Hosts who do most of the work themselves and want a straight answer: where a setting is, what a rule allows, what a tool costs, and whether the free option is enough. If you manage dozens of units, some of this will be too basic for you, and that’s by design.
How the site is funded
Some guides link to paid tools. Where we’ve joined a tool’s affiliate program, those links are marked (affiliate), and we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. We always list free and built-in options first. We don’t take payment for coverage, and we don’t run sponsored posts. Details are in our affiliate disclosure.
How we use AI
AI tools help us research and draft. Each fact in a guide is checked against the company’s own page, and we link that page with the date we checked it. The full process is in how we research.
Corrections and contact
Rules and prices change often. If something on this site is out of date or wrong, we want to know. A contact address is coming soon. We fix confirmed errors and note significant corrections on the page.