Curious about listing your place on Airbnb? New Airbnb Academy teaches Miami hosts
Winter is coming and that means Miami is about to be flooded with tourists.
Before the international event that kicks it off — Art Basel — Airbnb is launching an Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy to help Miami locals learn how to use the platform and earn some extra cash from the visitors who need a temporary place to stay.
The academy is a free 90-minute online workshop on Thursday. Potential hosts can get help signing up and navigating the Airbnb platform and learn best practices. The digital technology company partnered with the Center for Black Innovation, a Miami nonprofit, to organize the workshop. There will be “super hosts” participating to share tips on how they’ve created and managed successful Airbnb short-term home listings.
“We’re trying to create entrepreneurial pathways for everyday citizens who own properties and would like to make extra money,” said Starex Smith, senior vice president of the Center for Black Innovation.
Airbnb has had issues with the black community, after many African-American users reported having encountered discrimination on the online marketplace. He hopes partnering with Airbnb on this workshop will help unlock the economic opportunities the platform has to offer.
“Discrimination against black people on Airbnb was one of the main things I asked about before going through with this partnership,” he said. “The academy addresses this and shows people who weren’t participating that they’re able to and teach them of the possibilities. Engaging with communities that weren’t a part of the Airbnb platform can open up opportunities.”
Workshop organizers are hoping to attract people who have a second property or who want to rent their places during big events and holiday weekends while they stay with family or friends. Miami’s winter and spring seasons are full of big-ticket events, ranging from Art Basel to Formula 1, Presidents Day weekend and spring break. Airbnb hosts can make up to several thousand dollars renting their homes to visitors for these and other events.
“We think this is an opportunity for any Miami local who has property and is experiencing rising costs and struggling with the inflation-driven economy,” Smith said. “It’s a good way to offset some of these rising costs with extra income.”
Airbnb said that 710,000 guests used its platform to book stays in Miami in 2021, with the typical host earning an extra $5,000 a year. During Art Basel in 2019, before the pandemic, 12,000 people stayed in Airbnb listings, giving the hosts a collective $2.4 million.
But South Florida residents, beware: Airbnb is not allowed or is restricted in many parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, including in parts of Miami Beach. Smith said the workshop would include advising people about local rules and regulations.
The Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy will be held on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 12 p.m.
Potential hosts can register for the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy using this link.