In recent years, we have been getting the same questions more and more often:
“Is renting out through Airbnb really worth it?”
“Isn’t that a lot of work?”
“Is that also possible if you live in the house yourself?”
“And what if you’re traveling?”

Because we now have more than 12 years of experience with hosting through Airbnb — in Curaçao, Belgium and Spain — it felt right to share our honest experience extensively.
No quick success stories. No scaremongering. Just: how it really is.

Maybe you’re about to start.
Maybe you have just bought a holiday home abroad.
Maybe you have an extra room that is empty.
Or maybe, like us, you want to travel and still maintain income.

Hopefully, this article will help you move forward.

Our situation (and why it is so recognizable)

We have experienced Airbnb in different ways:

  • Curaçao (2013–2019)
    We rented out 3 rooms in our house and an apartment in our garden while we lived there ourselves.

  • Belgium – Vilvoorde (2022–present)
    First a room in our house, now we rent out our entire house while we travel.

  • Spain – Murcia (2023–present)
    An apartment at a resort that we rent out as a holiday home.

Every situation is different, but surprisingly enough , the same doubts, questions and stumbling blocks keep coming back. That’s exactly why we wanted to write this article.

Is renting out through Airbnb worth it?

👉 Yes. Without a doubt.

For us, it often yielded more than expected, and the rental itself also went more smoothly than we initially thought.
But — and this is important — Airbnb is not a completely passive income.

Anyone who promises that is selling dreams.

What is true:
With the right approach, you can make it very manageable , even if you:

  • still lives in the house yourself

  • have multiple accommodations

  • or are often on the road

Who is Airbnb rental for (and who isn’t)?

Airbnb rentals are ideal if you:

  • are willing to learn by doing

  • have no problem with some practical follow-up

  • want extra income without a large investment

  • likes to stay in control

It is less suitable if you:

  • really want to invest zero time

  • get stressed from unclear rules

  • want everything 100% perfectly arranged before you start

Honestly? You don’t have to be a Superhost to get started.
But a little flexibility helps enormously.

What we learned along the way (the honest lessons)

1. You don’t have to start perfectly

Many people get stuck in doubt:
“I first have to have everything perfectly arranged.”

Our experience?
👉 Just start.
You don’t have to invest big right away. You learn a lot by doing.

2. Automation changes everything

This was a real game changer for us.

You can already automate a lot within Airbnb itself, but as soon as you also want to rent out via other platforms (such as Booking), it quickly becomes confusing.

Then it is smart to work with a system that:

  • Sync your calendars

  • send automatic messages

  • centralize your communication

We use Lodgify for this, mainly because it:

  • Connects multiple platforms

  • Structure your rental professionally

  • also allows you to have your own website for your holiday home

👉 https://Lodgify1.referralrock.com/l/1JOKEVANEEG36/

(Would you rather have a custom website made? This can also be done via www.pureva.be.)

3. Rules & legislation are everywhere… vague

Belgium. Spain. Curaçao.
The same story everywhere: rules exist, but are often unclear, fragmented and changeable.

What would we do differently today?
👉 Do better research and inquire from the start.

At the same time: everything is so unclear that you often notice that even authorities themselves do not know exactly.
And honestly? In all these years, we have not experienced anything really problematic.

Our advice:

  • inform yourself as well as possible

  • Stay alert

  • But don’t let uncertainty paralyze you completely

4. Taxes: not sexy, but important

A subject that is often forgotten.

  • Each country has different rules

  • Sometimes you pay locally, sometimes in your home country

  • Sometimes taxes are deducted automatically, sometimes not

👉 We are not tax specialists, but our experience shows that it pays to check this in good time.
A bookkeeper with experience in rental can save you a lot of headaches here.

5. Documenting for guests = peace of mind

One of the best decisions we made:

  • Clear check-in instructions

  • Clear house rules

  • practical info (wifi, garbage, parking, emergencies)

The better you document this, the fewer questions you will get.
And the better the experience for your guests.

About photography (and daring to show what you have)

You don’t have to hold back in how you present your home.

Do you have a penthouse, but that word feels “too big”?
👉 Use it.
Do you have a lot of light, space, a terrace or a view?
👉 Say it.

You can be proud of your building — and you can promote it that way.

You can:

  • request photography through Airbnb

  • or invest in images that you can use anywhere

We also do this professionally via
👉 www.purelivingfotografie.be
(specifically for vacation rentals & Airbnb rentals)

Cleaning & organisation: if only I had known this earlier

Cleaning is often the most underrated part of rental.

Who comes when.
What exactly needs to be done.
How turnovers go.

If there was one thing we wanted to know earlier, it was this.
A good structure saves you so much stress.

We use acquaintances on site for this, but if you don’t have anyone, I can recommend Turno, because it:

  • Automatically schedule cleaning

  • clear to-do lists

  • prevents errors and misunderstandings

👉 https://share.turno.com/68s6fpz

Common mistakes made by first-time Airbnb hosts

We see this so often:

  • prices too low out of uncertainty

  • being too careful in your texts

  • No clear house rules

  • want to do everything yourself

  • No fixed structure for cleaning

👉 You can sell what you have.
👉 You can be clear.
👉 And you don’t have to do it perfectly.

Host Airbnb while you travel (yes, you can)

Today we travel while:

  • our house is rented out in Belgium

  • our apartment in Spain receives guests

This is possible because:

  • processes are fixed

  • communication is largely automated

  • we don’t have to follow everything ourselves

It requires preparation, but it is absolutely feasible.

Would I recommend Airbnb?

👉 Yes. Definitely do it.

You don’t have to invest much.
You often see results quickly.
And you learn by doing.

But:

  • Be realistic

  • Inform yourself

  • Build step by step

Hosting through Airbnb can be a great additional source of income —
Especially if you value freedom, travel or flexibility.

And this is just the beginning…

We get so many questions about Airbnb rentals that we’re currently working on:

  • Practical guides

  • Checklists

  • Templates

  • and more in-depth content

👉 Do you have questions or specific situations? Feel free to email us.
That input is worth its weight in gold to us when building our future guides.

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