Airkey

What Airkey does

Airkey is a London-based short-term rental management company founded in 2018 that provides turnkey Airbnb and short-stay hosting services to individual property owners in the United Kingdom. The company operates on a commission-based model, charging hosts 15%, 17%, or 20% (+ VAT) of booking revenue across three Monthly Plan tiers — Flexible, Standard, and Premium — which differ on whether they include in-person check-ins, welcome gifts, and personal guest greetings. Hosts can also purchase modular add-on services including professional photography, interior design, guest vetting, 24-hour check-ins, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, portable key locker installation, and daily price reviews. Since 2018 the company claims to have delivered over £3,750,000 in profits to hosts.

The underlying technology stack consists of two principal components: a centralised booking management system that distributes listings across 6+ booking platforms from a single dashboard, and a daily price optimization tool that combines pricing technology with local market knowledge to adjust nightly rates. The company does not disclose specific algorithmic approaches, AI/ML models, or proprietary technology architecture, and its website is built on Wix, suggesting limited in-house engineering depth relative to its operational labor footprint (cleaning, maintenance, guest communications).

Airkey's go-to-market is sales-led and direct-to-consumer: property owners complete an availability form on the website and book a 30-minute phone consultation to begin onboarding. Distribution relies on organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), website content, and direct sales consultation. The customer base consists entirely of individual SMB property hosts, and no enterprise, institutional, or partnership-driven revenue is disclosed. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or external investors, and operates from a single headquarters at 9 Churchyard Row, London, with primary activity in London and limited reported presence in Scotland, other English regions, Maastricht, and Helsinki.

Name

Airkey

Legal name

Airkey

Website

https://airkey.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Airkey is a London-based short-term rental management company founded in 2018 that provides turnkey Airbnb hosting services to individual UK property owners, charging commission tiers of 15-20% plus VAT for listing management, guest communication, cleaning, check-ins, and daily pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short-term Rental Property Management

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management (THAMAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Owner Services, Reporting & Portfolio Administration (THAMAKAI), New-Listing Onboarding, Setup & Launch Services (THAMAKAO), Vacation & Short-Term Rental Management (BPAJAFAI), Full-Service Vacation Rental Property Management (BPAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Short-term rental management
• Airbnb property management
• Vacation rental services
• Listing optimization services
• Dynamic pricing software

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Commission-based Property Management: Airkey charges a commission percentage on each booking. Three tiers available: 15% + VAT for flexible management, 17% + VAT for full service with in-person check-ins, and 20% + VAT for premium management with welcome gifts and personal guest greetings. Hosts can earn 60-100% more by renting short-term versus long-term rental.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Airkey delivers full-service Airbnb and short-term rental property management to London property owners, handling listing creation and optimization across 6+ booking platforms, professional photography, 24/7 guest communication, guest vetting, 24-hour check-ins, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, interior design, and daily price optimization. Hosts pay a commission (15%, 17%, or 20% + VAT) on each booking rather than a flat management fee.

Product overview

Airkey is a London-based Airbnb property management company offering a unified service platform for short-term rental hosts. The core offering consists of Monthly Plans with three commission tiers (15%, 17%, and 20% + VAT) that provide varying levels of service. These plans are complemented by a suite of modular add-on services including Full Listing Creation and Optimisation, Guest Communication, Professional Cleaning, Laundry Service, Guest Vetting, 24-Hour Check-Ins, 24/7 Account Management, Property Maintenance, Portable Key Lockers Installation, Professional Photography, Interior Design Services, and Daily Price Reviews. The Monthly Plans serve as the central offering while the ancillary services can be mixed and matched based on host needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Airkey Monthly Management Plans
• Full Listing Creation and Optimisation
• Guest Communication and 24/7 Account Management
• Cleaning, Laundry and Housekeeping
• Guest Vetting and 24-Hour Check-Ins
• Property Maintenance
• Professional Photography
• Interior Design Services
• Daily Price Review and Dynamic Pricing

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosts can earn 60-100% more by letting properties for short stays over long-term rental
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb Co-Host Network: Airbnb's in-platform program that connects hosts to local co-hosts for cleaning, check-in, and listing management. A direct alternative to Airkey for hosts wanting to stay inside the Airbnb ecosystem, often at lower commission rates.
• Guesty: Global property management platform serving short-term rental managers and property managers, with a marketplace connecting hosts to managers. Indirectly competes with Airkey by enabling and powering other managers and through its own Co-Host Network.
• Vrbo (Expedia): Major global vacation rental platform (part of Expedia Group) where Airkey distributes listings. Comparable in that it is a core booking channel and a potential alternative for hosts considering self-management using platform-native tools.
• Vacasa: Large US-listed vacation rental management company with full-service property management for STR owners, operating in North America and select international markets. Comparable full-service model but at much larger scale and capital base than Airkey.
• Hostaway: Vacation rental software and channel manager used by STR managers and hosts to manage listings, pricing, and operations across multiple platforms. Provides the technology layer underneath many managers, including some that compete with Airkey.

Direct peers

• Houst: UK-headquartered short-term rental management company operating across multiple cities with full-service hosting, dynamic pricing, and multi-platform distribution, directly competing for the same SMB host segment as Airkey.
• Hostmaker: London-based full-service Airbnb and short-let management company offering end-to-end hosting services including cleaning, guest check-in, pricing, and listing optimisation, directly overlapping with Airkey's core offering and target SMB hosts in London.
• OneFineStay: Premium London-headquartered serviced villa and short-let operator, part of Accor. Competes for high-end London short-stay hosts and guests with full-service management, design, and concierge offerings similar in scope to Airkey's premium tier.

Emerging players

• Lavanda: London-based short-term rental management and revenue management company providing pricing, operations, and full-service management to hosts. Overlaps with Airkey on dynamic pricing technology and full-service operations in the UK market.

Regional players

• Sykes Holiday Cottages: UK-focused holiday rental agency managing a large portfolio of UK cottages and lodges. Comparable as a full-service UK STR manager, but primarily regional/leisure focused rather than London urban, so a more adjacent than head-to-head competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wix
• Facebookfacebook.com/wix
• Instagraminstagram.com/airkey_london/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Airkey