How to manage a loved one's Airbnb account after their death?

Airbnb is one of the must-have platforms in the hotel industry. In fact, no fewer than 300 million overnight stays were booked in ²⁰²¹¹. What's more, the service offers a wide variety of rentals in 65,000 cities in 190 different ^countries2. This diversity has made Airbnb an ally not only for vacationers, but also for homeowners seeking additional income.

For all these reasons, your deceased loved one may also have an account on this online platform. The first thing to do is to check whether he or she was indeed registered on Airbnb. 

However, managing the deceased's Airbnb account can be a complicated and overwhelming task. For this reason, we've provided a few tips to make this transition a little easier. Whether the deceased had active bookings at the time of death or long-standing notices with loyal customers, there are several steps to take in order to preserve the integrity of the account.

Steps for managing the Airbnb account of a deceased loved one

If one of your family members or a friend has passed away, you can take the following steps to ensure the management of their account.

Gather the necessary information and documents

Managing the Airbnb account of a deceased loved one may require certain documents such as death certificates, estate documents and other records. As the executor or administrator of an estate, you should therefore first find out about the various documents that need to be collected and then forwarded to the Airbnb platform.

Contact Airbnb support

Airbnb has specific policies and procedures for managing accounts after the death of a user. Contact Airbnb support to help you understand how to manage your loved one's account and resolve existing bookings or issues.

Update user settings and policies

Account management requires that you update the settings accordingly. Use the " User settings " page to ensure that all information is correctly updated so that no new bookings can be made under the name of your deceased loved one without their consent.

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¹ Statista, Airbnb - Facts and figures, 2022

² styQR, Quelques chiffres pour mieux comprendre Airbnb, site consulted in February 2023

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Ensure proper communication with customers

If there were active prepaid reservations prior to the death of your relative or friend, communication between partners and tenants must be adequate with regard to these accommodations.

In addition, it's important to control messaging settings to maintain a certain professionalism when responding to customer requests and queries about additional services they've requested.

Even if the pain of losing a loved one is great, it's important to respect the tenants, if only to preserve the image and wishes of the deceased.

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Familiarize yourself with the tax regulations governing short-term rentals.

In some locations, short-term rentals require a business license or local authorization from municipal authorities before hosts can start listing properties via Airbnb. 

This may also require hosts to register for taxes such as income tax and occupancy tax for each stay booked on Airbnb platforms. 

If this is the case, consider talking to your family's CPA to make sure you're complying with potentially tricky tax obligations. This will also help you fill out the appropriate tax forms for the income your deceased parent was deriving from the Airbnb listing he or she had established before his or her death.

Close Airbnb account 

When the goal of finalizing the account has been reached, it may be time to activate or close your loved one's Airbnb account if it is no longer needed. Any profits generated should be divided among family members according to their interests, as indicated in the deceased's will and trust documents.

How can you pass on your digital heritage with peace of mind?

Ensuring the smooth transfer of your digital assets requires careful planning and execution. One option is to use a trusted third party to create a secure repository for all your digital assets, including financial documents, personal data and other important information. 

Simplicity and efficiency: the SOLAL TECH solution

To centralize all these needs and benefit from expert support, however, you can turn to SOLAL TECH. This online platform, specialized in the management and transmission of digital assets, enables you to inventory your assets, centralize and secure them, and then bequeath them to your chosen beneficiaries. 

The procedure is as simple as it is secure. You also benefit from the expertise of the SOLAL TECH team, as well as that of partner notaries. They will be with you every step of the way, to make things as easy as possible for you.

Planning the succession of your Airbnb account

Note that you can, for example, register your access codes to your Airbnb account. You can also add specific instructions on how to manage your account after your death. All this makes things easier for your beneficiaries and heirs. In this way, you don't add long, tedious administrative burdens to the grief of your passing. 

Benefit from a free trial offer

Are you interested? You can now test the SOLAL TECH platform completely free of charge. You can create a free account to start inventorying your digital assets. What's more, you can name a beneficiary and benefit from a 5/7 hotline from 9am to 6pm.

If you are convinced by our solution, you can then upgrade to the paid version. This will enable you to contact your SOLAL partner notary, choose your guardian, and register your digital wishes with the notary. All your wishes concerning your digital assets will then be protected and legally guaranteed by their entry in the national register of notaries.

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