How to write an Airbnb business plan + free template
Why Every Airbnb Host Needs a Business Plan for success
Running an Airbnb can look simple from the outside — list your property, take great photos, welcome guests, and collect your earnings. But as anyone who’s done it knows, success doesn’t happen by chance.
If you want to grow your short-term rental into a real business — something that provides steady income, satisfied guests, and long-term value — you’ll need a solid Airbnb business plan.
A business plan is your roadmap. It helps you understand your goals, assess your competition.
Define your strategy for pricing, marketing, and management.
Whether you’re launching your first Airbnb or scaling multiple holiday lets, planning properly can make the difference between a profitable business and one that just breaks even.
Need help getting started ? You can find a free, practical holiday let Airbnb business plan template on our website to download and adapt, but i am going to talk you through how to fill out the template provided in this guide.
What to Include in your Airbnb business plan
A great Airbnb business plan template should guide you through all the essentials and create a general business overview both industry and your business specifically — from your executive summary to your marketing plan and financial strategy.
Here’s what every holiday let Airbnb business plan template should include and focus on the customers needs.
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The big picture of your Airbnb business or rental property.
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What your business does and where it operates.
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The core offerings short-term rentals, management, etc.
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Understanding customers and competitors.
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How you’ll attract and retain guests.
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Who’s running things day-to-day.
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How you’ll make money and measure success.
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Key achievements and future goals.
Executive Summary
Our executive summary is the introduction to your business plan — think of it like your Airbnb “elevator pitch.”
Keep it short (one to two paragraphs) and highlight:
Your business name and location.
The type of rental properties you offer.
Your target customers (e.g. business travellers, couples, families.)
Your core services (Airbnb hosting, property management, etc.)
Your success goals (occupancy rate, profit targets, guest satisfaction.)
Example
“Stayful Stays is a short-term rental business based in Bristol, offering stylish city apartments for business and leisure guests. Our goal is to achieve an 85% occupancy rate and deliver a seamless guest experience through professional management and smart pricing.”
Pro tip
Write this section last. It’s easier once you’ve fleshed out the details of your plan.
Business Overview
This section explains what your business is and how it operates. Include:
Your business name and structure (sole trader, limited company, etc.)
The location of your Airbnb properties.
How your business started or why you’re launching it.
Your mission statement — what you stand for.
Your long-term business strategy.
Example mission statement
“Our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable stays that make every guest feel at home — while maximising the return on investment for property owners.”
If you are wanting more video based assistance on writing your business plan and setting up your business, the Stayful Airbnb mastery academy might be useful for you.
Services - What You Offer
Clearly define what services your Airbnb business provides. This helps readers (and potential investors or partners) understand what makes you different, this might seem obvious, but writing this part down is going to help make what your offering to guests clear in your mind and is very important.
Common services might include:
Managing Airbnb listings (photography, descriptions, pricing.)
Handling guest communication and check-ins.
Cleaning and maintenance coordination.
Full Airbnb property management for owners.
Design and staging for holiday lets.
Tip
Highlight any value-added services that make your business stand out — like flexible check-ins, local partnerships, or sustainable amenities.
Market Analysis - Customers and Competitors
Understanding your customers and competitors is key to Airbnb success.
Customers
Who are your ideal guests ? Consider:
Tourists seeking short stays.
Corporate travellers.
Families visiting for events or holidays.
Long-stay guests (digital nomads or relocations.)
Build “guest personas” — profiles of your typical customer — to guide your marketing plan.
Competitors
Research competing rental businesses in your area:
How many Airbnb properties are nearby ?
What’s their average nightly rate ?
What kind of reviews and ratings do they get ?
Use Airbnb search filters and tools like AirDNA to benchmark your pricing and performance.
Stayful offers a handy Airbnb income calculator to estimate your potential revenue and compare properties.
Marketing Plan
Your marketing plan explains how you’ll attract and retain guests. Even if Airbnb’s platform brings traffic, you still need a clear marketing strategy to stand out.
Here’s what to include:
Listing Optimisation: Professional photography, strong titles, and detailed descriptions.
Dynamic Pricing: Use smart tools to adjust rates based on demand.
Guest Reviews: Build credibility through consistent, high-quality stays.
Social Media & SEO: Promote your properties on Instagram, Google, and travel blogs.
Partnerships: Collaborate with local restaurants or event organisers to enhance guest experiences.
If you’re planning to grow, include how you’ll scale your marketing as you add new properties.
Management Plan
A solid management plan keeps your business running smoothly. This section details who does what.
Include
Who manages bookings and guest messages
Cleaning and maintenance routines
Check-in and check-out processes
Technology or systems (smart locks, channel managers, pricing tools)
Backup plans (for emergencies or peak seasons)
If you use a property manager, describe their role and fees.
Financial Plan
Your financial plan shows how your Airbnb will make money. It’s one of the most important sections of your business plan template.
Include:
Startup costs (furnishings, cleaning, insurance, licences)
Operating costs (utilities, management fees, maintenance)
Revenue projections (average nightly rate × occupancy × nights per year)
Profit margins
Cash flow forecast
Break-even point
Use realistic assumptions based on local data — not just best-case scenarios.
Milestones
Milestones are your success checkpoints. They turn your goals into measurable results.
Examples of Airbnb business milestones:
Launching your first listing
Reaching 50 bookings
Achieving a 4.8+ guest rating
Expanding to a second property
Hiring a property manager
Hitting £50,000 annual revenue
Add timelines to keep yourself accountable — e.g. “Reach 80% occupancy within six months.”
Regularly reviewing milestones helps you track progress and identify what’s working (or not).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even the best hosts can trip up when writing their business plan. Avoid these pitfalls:
Ignoring local regulations or planning permissions
Overestimating demand or revenue
Forgetting about cleaning and maintenance costs
Failing to define your target guests
Not having a financial buffer for quiet months
Being realistic in your plan makes you more prepared for real-world challenges.
Using a Business Plan Template
If you’re short on time, using a business plan template is the easiest way to start.
A holiday let Airbnb business plan template gives you the structure you need — all you have to do is fill in your details. It covers:
Business overview and goals
Market and customer analysis
Revenue projections
Marketing and management plans
Bringing It All Together - From Plan to Action
Writing your Airbnb business plan is only step one — the next part is execution.
Once you’ve written your plan, use it to:
Track your performance monthly
Adjust your marketing or pricing as needed
Update your financial forecasts every 6–12 months
Add new milestones as your business grows
Remember: your plan isn’t static — it should evolve with your short-term rental business.
FAQ
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The Airbnb mastery academy might be able to help, we cover this in video form using our template
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This is going to be difficult, many accountants do not understand holiday letting, you need to find one who understands “FHL” if you research this term is should help.
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It is very easy, you go online to companies house and register your company name, you need to give your company a SIC code, the one you need is 68209.
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This is very easy, once you have registered you need to wait about 1 week and you will get many letters from banks trying to set you up with their bank, we recommend using Lloyds or Monzo.
Lloyds charge but offer better interest on savings and loans, Monzo is free and much better to use but does not offer much returns on savings.