Airbnb Services: A Guide for Hosts

As a part of the 2025 Summer release, Airbnb introduced a new feature, Airbnb Services, that allows travelers to go beyond booking a home stay. From personal trainers to massages to hair stylists and spa treatments, guests can now book professional services directly in the new Airbnb app to make their stay more special.

But what does it mean for hosts renting out their homes? In this blog, we’ll talk about what Airbnb Services are, how they work, and what you need to know as a vacation rental host.

What Are Airbnb Services?

Airbnb services are available in 10 categories in select cities, which users can book on the platform. However, they’re not required to stay in an Airbnb or be on a trip to access these offerings. Currently, the services are offered in 260 cities across eight countries, and Airbnb has promised that new offerings and locations will be dropping regularly in the Airbnb app.

The first 10 categories include:

• Chefs—fully customizable in-home meals from professional chefs.
• Photography—personalized photo sessions from experienced photographers.
• Prepared meals—ready-to-eat meals prepared by professional chefs.
• Training—yoga, strength training, HIIT, and more, with personal trainers, including renowned fitness professionals and world champion athletes.
• Makeup—makeup for everyday or special occasions from professional makeup artists.
• Hair—professional haircuts, blowouts, and more from experienced stylists.
• Spa treatments—facials, microdermabrasion, body scrubs, and other treatments provided by licensed estheticians.
• Catering—full-service catering with custom menus, decor, and equipment, plus setup and cleanup.
• Massage—restorative massages including Swedish, deep tissue, and reflexology from certified therapists.
• Nails—manicures and pedicures from experienced nail specialists.

Airbnb services are vetted for quality to help ensure they meet Airbnb’s basic standards and requirements before their listing is published. When reviewing whether service hosts and their offerings meet these standards, Airbnb considers such criteria as education, certifications, years of experience, awards, strong portfolios, creative offerings, and guest reviews and ratings.

Note: Offering your guests unique services that meet their specific needs and preferences, available for an additional fee, is a great way to enhance their stay and increase your revenue. But as a stay host, you can’t list your guest services on Airbnb. Still, there are software tools that can help you automate this process and connect, providing premium add-ons to your workflows.

For example, if you opt for Hospitable to automate most of your daily tasks and save time, you’ll also be able to take advantage of our Upsells feature. This way, you can increase your rental property’s profitability without being pushy. You simply need to create a catalog of your offerings, and your guests will be able to view the available options and purchase any of them through their Guest portal. You can send the guest portal link directly to your guest via messages (we can also automate this process).

Watch the video to get a better idea of how Hospitable’s Upsells feature works and find more details in our help article.

Airbnb Services: Standards and Requirements

Professional providers who want to offer their services on the Airbnb platform need to meet certain criteria and requirements:

• Have a minimum of 2 years of professional experience in the relevant category, or 5 years for chefs without a culinary degree
• Maintain a high-quality professional reputation reflected in outstanding guest feedback, awards, and features in publications
• A portfolio that highlights professional experience is needed for photography, chefs, catering, prepared meals, personal trainers, hair styling, makeup, and nails
• Complete Airbnb’s identity verification process and, where applicable, criminal background checks
• Provide offerings that meet Airbnb’s standards and requirements
• Meet Airbnb’s listing standards
• Have appropriate licenses and certifications for providing their services, and may be required to provide proof of licensure
• Have commercial liability insurance, and may be required to provide proof of valid insurance
• Comply with applicable local laws and regulations

Airbnb Services: Important Things to Know for STR Hosts

Airbnb states that services can take place either in an Airbnb home, at a place of business, or in public spaces. Please note that services are automatically permitted in your Airbnb property. This means your guest can book a massage therapist, nail specialist, chef, or other provider to visit your rental, and you won’t be notified about it unless the guest chooses to share the information with you.

If you are uncomfortable with this, you can decide not to allow specific services in your home. However, you need to contact Airbnb Support to specify any services you don’t allow in your rental space, and they will update your house rules accordingly.

Guests will see that you don’t allow services when they check your Airbnb house rules. If they attempt to book one in your home or apartment, they will be prompted to choose an alternative location. Guests can also book any service that doesn’t take place in your vacation rental, for example, a photo session in a public space or prepared meals.

It’s also important to remember that guests review Airbnb services separately from their stay with you (they can provide an overall rating, detailed ratings, and a public review that will be published on the platform). That means that their review doesn’t affect the rating or search ranking of your Airbnb home listing.

Airbnb reviews and ratings help potential guests evaluate a listing and make an informed booking decision. So, it makes sense to automate your hosting routine using vacation rental software like Hospitable. With our STR super app, you’ll ensure seamless communication with your guests, leveraging AI, and have more time to focus on personal touches that make your guests feel cared for and happy. And happy guests are more likely to give you excellent reviews and ratings that can help you win more bookings.

Be aware of the risks. Airbnb service hosts are covered by Airbnb’s Experiences & Services liability insurance, as part of AirCover for Hosts. This liability insurance applies if the service host is responsible for damaging your property or belongings when a service takes place in your Airbnb.

But your short-term rental insurance policy may not allow third-party service providers to operate in your home and may not cover the damages caused by their business activity. Therefore, it makes sense to contact your insurance company to verify and update your policy if necessary.

You should also check your local STR laws and building rules to be sure that providing Airbnb services in your short-term rental property is legal. In some cities or apartment buildings, having a massage therapist or professional chef working inside a short-term rental unit might be considered a violation of zoning laws or building policies.

Final Thought

Airbnb services can help add value to guests’ stays and elevate overall guest experience, but for vacation rental hosts, sharing their spaces with third-party professionals also means a shift in control of what happens inside.

Therefore, it’s essential to be aware of your rights and risks, and decide whether you’re comfortable with services taking place at your property. If not, you can contact Airbnb Support and opt out of specific categories, for example, photography or massage. You may also consider recommending local service providers that you know personally and share recommendations in your digital guidebook.