Hiring a remote assistant can be hugely rewarding. You get to hand off the inbox and the calendar, and you get your evenings back. But that's not to say that finding the right person is always going to be a quick job. A good search takes a clear task list and a few real interviews, and the platforms below differ mostly in how much of that work they do for you.
Key Takeaways
- Airbnb has no marketplace for remote assistants, though its Co-Host Network connects you with local co-hosts for on-site work.
- Upwork and Fiverr give you freelancers to screen yourself, at prices set by each freelancer.
- OnlineJobs.ph is a job board for Filipino workers: you pay a monthly plan to contact candidates and pay the worker directly.
- Virtudesk and Toptal screen candidates for you and charge for it.
- On any platform, define the tasks, test the candidates and set up a personal login with limited access.
Airbnb’s Co-Host Network
Airbnb does not run a marketplace for remote assistants. What it does run is the Co-Host Network, where you browse local co-hosts, experienced hosts who keep a rating of 4.8 or higher, message them about what you need and invite your pick to the listing. The work they take on can include messaging and pricing as well as on-site jobs such as cleaning, guest support at the property and photography, and the network is open in the US, Canada and several other countries.
A co-host is a local business partner who can be paid a share of each booking's payout through Airbnb. Airbnb leaves the fee to you and the co-host and suggests putting the arrangement in a formal agreement. An assistant who works for a salary is a different arrangement, and the two can work side by side: the co-host handles the keys and the cleaners, and the assistant handles the inbox and the calendar.
Exploring Virtual Assistant Platforms
Vetting is covered in our guide to finding a reliable Airbnb virtual assistant. First, here is how the main platforms work.
Upwork and Fiverr give you freelancers at different skill levels. On Upwork you post a job, interview the applicants and agree an hourly or fixed price. On Fiverr, sellers list fixed-price services. Seller levels, from Level 1 to Top Rated, reflect a seller's ratings and activity, and Fiverr Pro lists freelancers that Fiverr has vetted.
OnlineJobs.ph is a job board for Filipino workers. You pay for a plan to contact candidates, and you pay the worker directly, since the site says it takes no cut of salaries.
Virtudesk is a Philippine agency with a page for Airbnb assistants, and it says it presents a few candidates, usually around three or five, for you to interview. Toptal says it accepts only the top 3% of freelancers, lists virtual assistants among its categories and offers a trial period before you are charged.
| Platform | Best For | Cost Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Upwork | Freelancers you screen yourself | Typical $10 to $20 an hour, median $13 (as of October 2026), plus Upwork's fees |
| Fiverr | Small jobs at a fixed price | Set by each seller for each service |
| OnlineJobs.ph | Full-time Filipino assistants you hire directly | Pro plan $69 a month, Premium plan $99 a month (as of October 2026), plus the salary you agree |
| Virtudesk | A managed agency in the Philippines | Full-time rates from $9.55 to $12.35 an hour, plus a $450 setup fee |
| Toptal | Pre-screened freelancers | Hourly, with no rates on the pages we read |
Any of these can supply a good assistant. None of them can tell you whether the person suits your listings, so interview and test.
Evaluating Virtual Assistant Agencies
Agencies cost more than a marketplace because they do the screening and often the payroll. Our post on the best Airbnb virtual assistant companies compares two of them.
Judge an agency the way you would judge an assistant, by how it treats you before you pay. Notice how fast it answers your questions and whether the person you speak to knows short-term rentals. Ask for two client references, and ask what training an assistant gets and who manages them day to day.
Read the terms too. Virtudesk, for example, lists a $450 setup fee and a three-month minimum on its pricing page, and other agencies set their own. A company that dodges questions about its terms is a red flag.
Considerations for Hiring an Airbnb Virtual Assistant
Decide four things before you post a job: the tasks, the hours, the channel you will use to talk and what the assistant should do when something urgent happens. Then look for experience with short-term rentals, such as guest messaging, calendars and review replies, and ask each candidate to show it on a sample task.
Check references before you offer the job, whether the candidate comes from an agency, a job board or a marketplace. Our post on how to ensure security when hiring an Airbnb virtual assistant covers access, passwords and written agreements.
Key Features and Services of Airbnb Virtual Assistants
A remote assistant handles the screen work of hosting. A typical day can include:
- Guest messages: Answering questions, sending check-in and checkout instructions and handling reservation changes from your saved replies.
- Reviews: Drafting replies for you to approve and flagging complaints early.
- Pricing: Entering the rates you decide on and updating dates for events and slow periods.
- Cleaning: Booking cleaners, confirming the property is ready before each arrival and chasing photos.
- Calendar: Checking every calendar each day to catch double bookings.
Comparing Pricing and Packages
Compare the full cost of each route: the rate or fee, the platform's cut, setup costs and any minimum term. Four examples show how different they look:
- Fiverr: A fixed price for each service, set by the seller.
- Upwork: Hourly or project contracts, with typical virtual assistant rates between $10 and $20 an hour as of October 2026.
- OnlineJobs.ph: A monthly plan to contact candidates, plus the salary you agree with the worker.
- Virtudesk: Hourly rates by role, with a setup fee and a three-month minimum.
If you hire through us, the recruitment fee is $1,997 once, and you then pay the assistant's salary yourself each month. The right choice depends on how complicated your listings are and how much of the screening you want to do yourself.
Making Integration and Communication Smooth
How well an assistant fits depends on the first two weeks. This table shows what to cover in each area:
| Onboarding | Remote Team Management | Security Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Introduce the assistant to your tools | Hold a short daily check-in at first | Give a personal login with limited access |
| Walk through each workflow | Give feedback within a day | Keep passwords in a password manager |
| Agree what the assistant decides alone | Keep one shared task list | Agree in writing what guest data may be stored |
Check the first few days of work closely, then relax the checks as the errors stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Airbnb Virtual Assistants Provide Property Management Services?
They cover the remote part of it. An assistant can handle guest messages, bookings, pricing entries and the scheduling of cleaners and inspections. Anything physical, from a leaking tap to a lost key, needs someone at the property.
Can Airbnb Virtual Assistants Handle Guest Disputes and Complaints?
They can handle the first reply. For a noise complaint, an assistant can acknowledge it, ask what happened, apply your house rules and escalate to you. Refunds and compensation are your call.
How Do I Ensure My Airbnb Virtual Assistant Maintains Guest Privacy?
Agree in writing what guest information may be copied, stored or shared, and set the assistant up with a login of their own and limited permissions. Keep passwords in a password manager and remove access the day the assistant leaves.
Can Airbnb Virtual Assistants Help With Airbnb SEO and Marketing?
Yes, with listing upkeep. An assistant can rewrite the title and description from the questions guests ask, check that photos, amenities and house rules are accurate and compare your listing with similar ones nearby. Treat any promise of a search ranking with suspicion.
What Kind of Reporting and Analytics Do Airbnb Virtual Assistants Provide?
A weekly summary is realistic: bookings, open tasks, reply times and new reviews. Ask for it in writing when you define the job. Anything deeper comes from your Airbnb account and the tools you use.
Final Thought
Pick two routes from the table and run the same test on both: one real week of guest messages, drafted by each candidate and checked by you. That can tell you more than any profile or review.