Airbnb Tips

Jack Trice Stadium is booked. Iowa State's Oak View Group partnership is bringing concerts year round. Graduation weekend is 10 days away. And the Ames Iowa Airbnb market is in the middle of the best 5 year stretch it has ever seen. If you own a property in Ames and you are thinking about turning it into an Airbnb, or if you already have one and want to know how it stacks up, the 2026 market looks very different than it did even two years ago. Here is what property owners in

Des Moines is having a moment. With 545 active Airbnb listings and a downtown packed with conferences, concerts, and sporting events, Central Iowa's biggest city is one of the better short term rental markets in the Midwest. But there is a gap. The typical Des Moines Airbnb earns around $13,483 per year, while the top 10 percent of hosts command $274 or more per night. Same city. Same guests. Very different results. If you own a property in Des Moines and want to know how to

Iowa State's partnership with Oak View Group just turned Jack Trice Stadium into a year round event venue. Luke Combs, a packed concert calendar, and a fully booked ISU graduation weekend mean Ames is seeing booking demand most college towns only dream about. If you own an Airbnb in Ames, you have probably asked the same question lately. How much does an Airbnb property manager actually cost, and is it worth it? The short answer. Most full service managers charge between 20 a

Iowa's short term rental market is maturing fast. With over 545 active listings in Des Moines alone and Ames seeing record event demand thanks to Iowa State's new partnership with Oak View Group, the gap between well managed properties and everything else is widening every month. If you are a property owner searching for the best Airbnb management company in Iowa, you have options. National platforms, regional operators, and local teams all compete for your business. But not

Clear Lake, Iowa is about to enter its busiest season of the year. The 4th of July celebration runs from July 1 through 6. Thursdays on Main kicks off May 28. Brews on the Beach, Art in the Park, and the ABATE Freedom Rally all bring thousands of visitors to a town with limited hotel inventory. If you own a property in Clear Lake and you are running it (or thinking about running it) as an Airbnb, there is one question you need to answer before summer hits: should you self man

Luke Combs is playing Jack Trice Stadium tonight. Tens of thousands of fans are flooding into Ames. And right now, some Airbnb owners in Central Iowa are charging their usual $120 a night while professionally managed properties nearby have been booked at $350 or more for weeks. That gap is the answer to the question every Iowa property owner eventually asks: is Airbnb management worth it? The honest answer is that it depends. But for most owners in Ames, Des Moines, Clear Lak

If you own a rental property in Des Moines and you are thinking about hiring an Airbnb manager, the first question on your mind is probably: how much is this going to cost me? It is a fair question. And the answer is not as simple as a single number. Management fees vary based on the service level, the company, and what is actually included. Some companies look cheap on paper and cost you more in the long run. Others charge a premium but deliver enough extra revenue to more t

Luke Combs plays Jack Trice Stadium tomorrow. The Fab Four is at Stephens Auditorium this Friday. Iowa State's Fashion Show is next week. And somewhere in Ames, a property owner is scrambling to figure out how much to charge, who is checking in, and whether the cleaner is available. That is the reality of self managing a short term rental in Ames. The demand is there. The problem is capturing it without burning yourself out. If you have been thinking about hiring a short term

Luke Combs is playing Jack Trice Stadium this month. Iowa State graduation is right around the corner. And if you own an Airbnb in Ames, Iowa, there is a good chance you are not charging enough for either one. That is not a guess. It is a pattern we see every spring. Ames property owners set a flat nightly rate, maybe bump it up $20 for game weekends, and hope for the best. Meanwhile, professionally managed properties in the same market are pulling 2x to 3x their normal rates