So you've decided to rent out your property short-term — a smart move. But before the first guest checks in, there are two things you need to do: create an account on Airbnb and Booking.com. These two platforms account for the vast majority of short-term rental bookings, and while registration seems straightforward, there are a few important pitfalls worth knowing about.
This article isn't about creating your listing (that's something you'll leave to the experts) — it's about how to open your accounts correctly, what to watch out for, and why it matters to get this foundation right.
1. Before You Start – Decisions to Make Upfront
Before registering anything, settle two things:
- Email address: It's worth using a dedicated email address for your short-term rental activity (e.g. [email protected]), especially if you're working with a management agency. This makes access sharing easier and keeps booking notifications separate from your personal inbox.
- Password: Create a strong, unique password that you don't use anywhere else. This matters because during initial setup you'll temporarily share it with your agency so they can create your listings and invite their own accounts. Once setup is complete, you can change the password at any time.
2. Airbnb Registration – Step by Step
Go to airbnb.com and follow these steps:
- Click the "Sign up" button in the top right corner.
- Choose your registration method: enter an email address, or use Google/Facebook/Apple. If you're creating a dedicated rental email, opt for email-based registration.
- Enter your personal details: full name, date of birth (you must be 18+), and confirm your email address with the code you receive.
- Upload a profile photo: Airbnb expects you to have a profile picture — upload a decent-quality photo that clearly shows your face. This builds trust with guests.
- Identity verification: Airbnb may ask you to verify your identity with a government-issued ID (national ID or passport). This is a required step that you must complete yourself, as it involves your personal data. Verification typically takes 1–2 minutes.
A Note on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
In the European Economic Area (EEA) — which includes Hungary — Airbnb requires two-factor authentication for all hosts. This cannot be turned off, so there's no need to be alarmed — it's better to set it up smartly.
What to do: Choose SMS-based two-factor authentication and register a phone number you have easy access to. During the initial setup period, you can simply forward the verification code to your agency when needed. An authenticator app (e.g. Google Authenticator) is more secure but harder to share — if you're working with a management agency, SMS is the simpler solution during the early stages.
3. Booking.com Registration – Step by Step
The Booking.com partner platform is found at admin.booking.com. This is a separate system from the customer-facing site, built specifically for property owners and managers.
- Go to admin.booking.com and click "Get started" or "Register."
- Enter your email address (the same one you used for Airbnb works fine, though it's not required) and click "Continue."
- Create your password — make it strong and unique, and different from your Airbnb password.
- Basic property details: Booking.com asks for a few property basics as part of registration (type, location, number of rooms). These don't need to be perfect — your agency will fine-tune everything during setup.
- Email confirmation: You'll receive a confirmation email that needs to be activated.
- Pausing is fine: If you can't finish in one sitting, the system saves your progress — you can pick up where you left off.
Booking.com and 2FA: Booking.com doesn't require two-factor authentication on the partner (extranet) platform by default, though you can enable it in account settings. For the initial setup period, you can leave it off to make it easier for your agency to access the configuration.
4. Password Sharing and Security
Many people worry about sharing a password with their agency. That's completely understandable — here's how to do it safely:
- Use a unique, dedicated password that you don't use for any other account (online banking, social media, etc.).
- Share the password through a secure channel — by phone or via an encrypted messaging app (e.g. Signal, WhatsApp).
- Change the password after setup is complete on both platforms. By that point, the agency will have invited their own accounts, so your password is no longer needed.
- Check the authorized users / co-hosts section in your account settings — these are set up by the agency, and from there you can see who has access to your account.
5. From Here, the Agency Takes Over
Once both accounts are created and the agency has temporary access, the listing creation, optimization, and ongoing management is their responsibility. This includes:
- Writing and preparing professional listing copy and photos
- Setting pricing strategies and booking rules
- Syncing both platforms (calendar, rates)
- Setting up your co-host invitation and appropriate permissions
Registration is simply the foundation — the real work of making your listing visible and maximizing your revenue is done by an experienced agency.
Why Leave the Rest to Experts?
Short-term rental looks straightforward, but it's actually continuous, operational work: dynamic pricing, 24/7 guest communication, cleaning coordination, cross-platform synchronization, legal compliance (NTAK/IFA/VIZA reporting) — and that's just the tip of the iceberg. A poorly priced listing, a slow response, or a missed filing can easily mean hundreds of thousands of HUF in lost revenue annually.
An experienced property manager doesn't just save you time — they typically achieve higher occupancy rates and higher revenue than self-management can. Market research and data consistently back this up across the short-term rental industry.
How Can DavidBnB Help?
DavidBnB handles exactly what you don't want (and don't need) to deal with yourself. Once your accounts are created, we take the baton:
- We professionally create and optimize your listings on both Airbnb and Booking.com
- We maximize your revenue with dynamic pricing
- We handle guest communication 24/7
- We manage cleaning, check-in/check-out, and all administration
- We work with a fixed, transparent monthly fee — no hidden costs, no commission games
Ready to start generating income from your property as soon as possible? Get in touch with us — we'll support you from first registration all the way to your first booking, and every step after that.