Help needed with hosting in India, West Bengal

[Shreya10]

I am planning to host my parents' 2 BHK apartment in WestBengal, Siliguri. I need help with the following processes

- What are the legal steps, what are the documents that I should prepare?

- We dont stay at the place and visit it occassionally, is there someone from AirBnB who can guide us on getting a caretaker?

- Can someone from AirBnB visit the premises and help us in getting answers for all the questions that we have?

I've tried reaching out to hosts in West Bengal, guidance from AirBnB would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance, 

Shreya

[Helen3]

Hello @Shreya10 

Airbnb is just a listing platform ie advertising channel that you can use to promote your parents property. 

I think what many people who are new to Airbnb don't realise is that Airbnb is a business and like any busibness,  you will need to invest time and effort to get it up and running and then manage it.

I would suggest you take one of your ocasional visits to the property to help you find a local caretaker./cleaner. While you are there you can take photos and also prepare the listing for letting such as buying bedding/towels, amenities for the kitchen, toiletries etc. You will also need to have a locked cupboard to keep all your cleaning supplies/toiletries and other things you might provide for your guests.

You can do some research before you go by looking at comparable listings in the area to see how much they charge and what facilities and amenities you need to include.

Your local government should be able to tell you about any local legislation/tax issues you need to meet.

You will probably also want to have a local co-host to manage day to day issues relating to your listing There maybe a local group for West Bengal. Have a look on FB or other local online groups. There is definitely an India forum.