Free Airbnb Academy — UK Training to Start, Scale and Systemise an Airbnb Business
Last updated: April 2026
A genuinely free Airbnb academy — not a teaser for a paid course.
Eleven modules, the templates Stayful's founders actually use to run a seven-figure portfolio, and an active community of UK operators learning the same thing.
This page is the free tier of the Stayful Airbnb Mastery Academy.
It's for people who want to start, run or scale an Airbnb or rent-to-rent business themselves — not for landlords looking for a hands-off arrangement.
Stayful's Free Airbnb Academy is an 11-module training programme built by working operators with a seven-figure UK Airbnb portfolio.
You get the full module library, business plan and deal analyser templates, the company let agreement, agent and landlord scripts, and access to a UK host community — at no cost and without a card.
The full curriculum, what's free vs paid, and the founders behind it are below.
Zac Harrison
Co-founder · Academy lead
Started in 2019 at 21 with limited capital. Scaled to a 30+ property R2R portfolio across the UK alongside an Airbnb-focused interior design business.
Martyn Butler
Co-founder · Stayful CEO
Started in 2020 without the capital for traditional buy-to-let. Built through R2R, then founded Stayful — now a UK-wide management company with 70+ properties.
What you actually get for free — no card, no upsell trap
Most "free Airbnb courses" are 30 minutes of theory designed to sell a £997 paid programme.
The Free Academy is the full 11-module video library, the working templates the founders use, and access to the host community.
You can complete it without ever upgrading.
- Full 11-module video library — 70+ lessons covering the A–Z of starting and running an Airbnb business in the UK
- Real working templates — business plan template, deal analyser, P&L template, setup costs template, Airbnb management vetting template
- Agent and landlord scripts — the exact opening, qualifying and closing language used to secure rent-to-rent properties
- Stayful's company let agreement — the contract used between operator and landlord, with the terms explained
- Joint venture agreement template — for raising finance through partnerships rather than mortgages
- Access to the Stayful Facebook community — one of the larger UK Airbnb operator groups, free to join
Free Academy or paid Mastery Academy — which one fits
The free tier covers everything you need to start.
The paid Mastery Academy adds live coaching, a private WhatsApp network, weekly mastermind webinars and exclusive R2R lead access — for operators who want acceleration and direct deal flow.
| What you get | Free Academy | Mastery Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Full 11-module video library | Included | Included |
| Working templates and contracts | Included | Included |
| Facebook host community | Included | Included |
| Weekly mastermind webinars | — | Included |
| Private WhatsApp operator group | — | Included |
| Direct access to coaches for deal review | — | Included |
| Exclusive R2R lead access | — | Included |
| Joint venture and Airbnb opportunities | — | Included |
| Cost | £0 — no card | £29.99/month or £299.99/year |
| Cancel anytime | N/A — always free | Yes |
If you're not sure which tier fits, start with the Free Academy.
You can upgrade later without losing your progress, and the upgrade path is the simplest part of the platform.
The One Stop Shop Airbnb Training Academy
Our Airbnb Mastery Academy has 2 parts
The academy - 11 modules, 6 hours of video content learning everything you need to start, systemise & scale an Airbnb business in 2024.
The Community - On going support from the founders of Stayful through our FB group and consultation calls who have created a 7 figure Airbnb business so you can limit mistakes made along the way and know you are making the right decisions to grow your business.
Interested in our all access Airbnb academy ?
Learn the A-Z of airbnb and scale your business to 6 figures and beyond.
Learn how to systemise and scale your airbnb business allowing you to enjoy passive income.
FREE R2R Leads to people inside the Airbnb mastery Academy.
Access to everything you need to build a profitable business around Airbnb including agent & Landlord scripts, company let agreements, JV agreements, business plan templates, deal analysers, P&L template, setup costs template & much more.
Weekly Mastermind calls to help guide you on your journey.
Daily blog access.
Cancel anytime.
Active Whatsapp group to network with like minded people.
Exclusive Joint venture and other Airbnb opportunities.
Be a part of our growing community Here.
What you'll learn — 11 modules, 70+ videos, around 6 hours
The curriculum follows the order most operators actually need it.
Mindset and company setup come first because they save the most time later.
The deal-finding, scripts and contracts modules sit at the centre of the course and are where most of the practical decisions get made.
Tap any module to see the lessons inside.
- Introduction
- How to remove self-limiting thoughts
- What is rent-to-rent (R2R)
- Setting realistic expectations in business
- Understanding the importance of delegation
- The magpie effect — and how to avoid it
- Managing risk
- Why people fail
- Module recap
- Incorporating your company
- Creating a business bank account
- Legal and accounting essentials
- Insurance and liabilities
- Building a website
- Creating a business plan
- Module recap
- Understanding supply and demand
- Finding a unique selling point in a property
- Key lessons and recap
- Finding the best areas for Airbnb
- Analysing the numbers of a potential property
- Factoring in seasonality
- Estimating start-up costs
- Module recap
- Introduction
- Frequency is key
- Levels of authority — who you're speaking to
- Tonality on the phone
- Two times to make a first impression
- The difference between agents and landlords
- How to answer common questions
- Qualifying before pitching
- How to close
- The importance of patience
- The full scripts library
- Government funding routes
- Secured and unsecured loans
- The power of JV (joint venture) investment
- Understanding your JV contract
- Credit cards and overdrafts — when they make sense
- Module recap
- Key things to check in a contract
- Your own company let agreement explained
- Module recap
- Understanding what you need in a property
- Getting your essential items
- Where to source soft furnishings
- Finding good furniture suppliers
- How to set up check-ins
- Parking tips when the property has none
- How to avoid parties and problem guests
- Check-ins and walkthrough videos
- Setting up utilities and council tax
- What to look for in professional photography
- What questions to ask a management company before you sign
- The vetting checklist for management companies
- The 3 steps to creating a passive business
- The importance of a monthly P&L
- Setting up your CRM
- Setting up your accounts software
- Recommended self-management software tools
- Module recap
- Important mindset lessons for the long term
- Useful books for operators
- Wanting to sell deals on?
- The importance of the community
- Need more help? Where to go next
- Conclusion
- Deal Analyser template
- Airbnb Management Company Vetting template
- Direct access to your Airbnb coaches to check deals (paid tier)
- Essential item checklist
- Weekly mastermind webinar (paid tier)
- Facebook community access
- Business plan template
- Recommended software stack
- Landlord and agent scripts
- JV agreement contract
- Profit and loss (P&L) template
Who this academy is built for — and who it isn't
You want to build an Airbnb or rent-to-rent business yourself — actively running it, not outsourcing it.
You want UK-specific training rather than US-focused YouTube content that doesn't apply here.
You want real working templates and scripts — not just theory and motivation.
You're comfortable starting in the free tier and upgrading later if it makes sense.
You own a property and want a hands-off arrangement — Stayful's management service is built for that.
You want a CPD-certified qualification specifically — the academy isn't formally CPD accredited.
You expect overnight results — the curriculum is ~6 hours and the work afterwards takes longer.
You're not prepared to do the outreach yourself in the early stages.
The people behind the academy — operators, not just teachers
Most Airbnb training in the UK is sold by people who are full-time course creators, not full-time operators.
The Stayful academy is built by two people still actively running an Airbnb business.
Zac Harrison
Co-founder · Academy lead
Zac started his Airbnb journey in late 2019 at 21, with limited capital and no property of his own.
By 2022 he had built a portfolio of 30+ rent-to-rent Airbnb properties across the UK, alongside an interior design business specifically focused on setting up short-let properties for other operators.
He leads the academy curriculum and the deal-review sessions for paid members.
Martyn Butler
Co-founder · Stayful CEO
Martyn started in 2020 with a clear ambition to get into property but without the deposits required for traditional buy-to-let.
He moved through the rent-to-rent model, then self-managed his properties for several years, and founded Stayful — the management business — on the operational lessons that came out of that period.
Stayful now manages 70+ properties across the UK on behalf of landlords.
How the Free Academy compares to other UK Airbnb courses
Most paid Airbnb courses in the UK sit between £30 and £500.
The free options on YouTube and Udemy tend to be either US-focused or limited to listing optimisation rather than business setup.
This is roughly how the Stayful Free Academy compares on the criteria that matter most to a UK operator.
| What matters to a UK operator | Stayful Free Academy | Typical paid online course | Typical free YouTube playlist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to access full curriculum | Free, no card | £30 – £500+ | Free |
| Built by working UK operators | Yes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| UK-specific (legal, tax, council) | Yes | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Structured 11-module curriculum | Yes | Varies | Playlist only |
| Real working templates and contracts | Yes | Rarely | No |
| Rent-to-rent / arbitrage focus | Yes | Rarely | Sometimes |
| Active host community | Yes (Facebook) | Sometimes | No |
| Live coaching access | Paid tier only | Sometimes | No |
| CPD-certified qualification | No | Sometimes | No |
The honest summary: if a CPD certificate is the priority, a paid CPD-accredited course is the better fit.
If applying the content to a real business is the priority, the Free Academy gives you the curriculum, the templates and the community at no cost.
Questions Airbnb learners ask before they join
It's genuinely free.
You sign up with an email address — no card required, no countdown timer, no auto-billing on day 8.
The free tier gives you access to the full 11-module video library and the working templates.
The paid Mastery Academy adds coaching, a private operator network and exclusive R2R lead access — but the free tier is a complete training programme on its own.
No.
The first module covers the fundamentals — what rent-to-rent is, how Airbnb operators make money, and the realistic expectations to set before you spend any money.
Most learners arrive with no experience in property or short-term lets.
Around 6 hours of video content, spread across 11 modules.
Most learners spread it over 1–3 weeks rather than binging it.
You can move at your own pace — there are no deadlines and no quizzes.
The Free Academy is not formally CPD accredited and does not issue a certificate of completion.
If a recognised qualification is essential for your goals, a paid CPD-certified course is a better fit.
The academy is built around applying the content to a real business rather than around qualifying for a credential.
Yes — this is the rent-to-rent model, and it's the focus of much of the academy.
You agree a rental contract with a landlord (with their explicit written permission to use the property for short-term lets), then run the property as an Airbnb business yourself.
The full mechanics — agent and landlord scripts, the company let agreement, how to qualify a deal — are covered across modules 5, 6 and 7.
It varies by city, property and how the deal is structured.
Module 4 walks through the realistic start-up cost ranges — typically deposits, first month's rent, furniture, photography and a working capital buffer.
Module 6 then covers the finance routes for operators starting without that capital — joint ventures, secured and unsecured loans, and credit options.
The Free Academy gives you the full 11-module curriculum, the working templates and access to the Facebook community.
The paid Mastery Academy (£29.99 per month or £299.99 per year) adds weekly mastermind webinars, a private operator WhatsApp group, direct deal-review access to the founders, and exclusive R2R lead opportunities.
Most operators start with the free tier and only upgrade once they're actively pursuing deals.
Yes — when it's done with the landlord's explicit written permission and an appropriate company let agreement in place.
Subletting a standard tenancy without permission is a breach of the agreement and can lead to eviction.
Module 7 covers what should be in the contract; in Greater London the 90-night rule on entire-home short lets also applies, and Scotland operates a separate licensing scheme — both are covered in the academy.
The templates and contracts sit inside the academy itself.
Joining takes about 30 seconds — email address only, no card — and gives you access to everything in the free tier including the templates.
The academy isn't built for hands-off landlords.
If you own a property and want someone else to handle short-term letting end-to-end, Stayful's management service is the right place to start — it's a separate offer from the academy.
If you want to understand short letting before deciding which route to take, the academy's free curriculum will give you that grounding without committing you to anything.
Two routes from here
Pick the one that matches what you actually want — running an Airbnb business yourself, or having one run for you.
Join the Free Academy at the top of this page — 11 modules, 70+ videos, real templates, no card.
Or upgrade straight to the Mastery Academy for live coaching and deal flow.
You own a property and want it run for you. Stayful manages 70+ properties across the UK at 15% + VAT, no setup fee.
Get an income estimate at stayful.co.uk/calculateyourincome.