Beds24 and Airbnb: how to connect them, what syncs and what to watch
Beds24 connects to Airbnb in two ways: a certified two-way API connection and a basic iCal calendar sync. Here is how to connect Beds24 to Airbnb, what the Beds24 Airbnb sync covers, the errors hosts hit most, and how to rely less on Airbnb’s fee within its rules.
API or iCal: two ways to connect Beds24 and Airbnb
Beds24 recommends the API whenever you can use it: iCal updates “can take up to 24 hours which makes it unreliable”, while changes via the API “are applied within a minute” (Beds24 wiki).
| What you get | API connection | iCal connection |
|---|---|---|
| Prices | Sent from Beds24 | Not sent: set them in Airbnb |
| Availability and stay rules | Availability, minimum and maximum stays, arrival and departure closures | Availability only |
| Bookings | With guest name, guest count and price, plus changes and cancellations | Blocked dates, without name, email or price; changes and cancellations imported |
| Content, photos, messages | Managed from Beds24 | No |
A room uses one or the other, not both. Even with iCal you need valid prices in Beds24, or no availability is sent, and Beds24 has no control over how often Airbnb reads your calendar (Airbnb iCal page).
Before you connect: who can use the API
Airbnb decides who may connect by API. Check first:
- Only the owner can connect. Airbnb does not let co-hosts connect listings, through Beds24 or any other channel manager. The owner connects, or transfers the account to you.
- Some cities are restricted. Airbnb support can tell you whether you are eligible. In bigger German, Austrian and Swiss cities, Beds24 says an imprint (Impressum) in your Airbnb account unlocks the API.
- Hotels and B&B rooms are approved by Airbnb case by case, and only live listings can be connected (Airbnb mapping guide).
- Smart Pricing is not available on API-connected listings: prices come from Beds24.
- Blocked dates are not imported. Block them in Beds24 first.
- Activate prices for Airbnb, or Beds24 sends no availability. Airbnb also requires a base price, used up to a year ahead if no price is activated, so set one you would accept.
How to connect Beds24 to Airbnb, step by step
- Connect your Airbnb account from the Airbnb section of the Beds24 channel manager: log in as the owner and click “Allow”.
- Import or map your listings: import each listing as a property or room, or map it to an existing room. Similar units can share one listing.
- Check what will be sent under “Price Data”. An empty list means no prices are set up.
- Pick a sync type (below) and click “Connect”.
- Test it: check “View actual data”, then open the listing on Airbnb and choose dates, without booking.
- Import upcoming bookings. Bookings previously imported by iCal are skipped, so Beds24 recommends deleting them first.
Airbnb then reviews the listing automatically. If it is rejected, the connection status in Beds24 shows why.
What the Beds24 Airbnb sync covers
As with any channel in the Beds24 channel manager, prices and availability go out as they change, bookings come in, and you can answer guests and reviews from Beds24. The rest depends on the sync type:
| Sync type | Beds24 also updates | You still edit in Airbnb |
|---|---|---|
| Prices & Availability | Stay limits, guests included, extra person price, base price, advance notice | Fees, taxes, discount settings, descriptions, photos |
| Limited | The above, plus fees, taxes, and weekly, monthly, early-bird and last-minute discounts | Descriptions, photos, other settings |
| Everything | The above, plus descriptions, photos, amenities and other content | Nothing: content can no longer be edited there |
Content is sent only when you click “Update”, and overwrites what you changed in Airbnb. Check “View Content” before choosing Everything.
What to watch: prices, fees and Airbnb’s rules
- Fees need Limited or Everything. With Prices & Availability, Beds24 does not update fees and taxes on Airbnb.
- The multiplier applies to fees too.
*1.23raises every price sent by 23%, cleaning fee included, unless you set that fee separately. - Your booking page needs the cleaning fee as well. Beds24 notes it must also be set up as an upsell item to appear there.
- With occupancy pricing, Airbnb’s extranet can show wrong prices. Guests see the right ones; to check, start a booking on your listing.
- Check your calendar before approving a request: Airbnb does not check availability on approval, and Beds24 cannot detect the overlap.
- A host cancellation keeps the dates closed on Airbnb, though not on your other channels.
Then there is Airbnb’s own fee. At the time of writing (October 2026), Airbnb is moving hosts to a single fee deducted from the payout, mandatory for most hosts, including those using property management software; “most hosts pay 15.5%” (Airbnb Help Center). The multiplier lets you build it into your prices.
Common Beds24 Airbnb errors and fixes
| Error or symptom | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No prices or availability on Airbnb | Airbnb’s maximum advance notice is set to zero | Change it in Airbnb, or set Max Days in Advance in Beds24 and send it |
| “The listing is in a prohibited vacation rental market” | Airbnb does not allow the API in that area | Ask Airbnb support for its market clearance form, or use iCal |
| “Your daily price is too low” | The price or base price is below Airbnb’s minimum | Raise the base price in Beds24 |
| Content changes don’t appear | Those fields are locked in Airbnb | Unlock them in your Airbnb account |
| Requests for dates already booked | Airbnb treats the listing as having several units | Disconnect the listing and connect it again |
Rely less on Airbnb’s fee, within its rules
Airbnb brings bookings you might not get otherwise. The goal is not to leave it, but to let guests who look for you directly book direct.
Do that outside Airbnb. Its Off-Platform and Fee Transparency Policy prohibits asking guests to move current, future or repeat bookings off Airbnb, adding links that lead off Airbnb to listings or messages, offering discounts to book elsewhere, and using guest contact details for marketing.
Instead, make your own website easy to book from, and be visible where guests search directly: holiday rentals run as a business can appear in Google Vacation Rentals through Beds24.
Our Beds24 booking engine handles the booking: a branded page with live Beds24 prices and availability. Each booking is written into Beds24, so the channel manager closes the dates on Airbnb, and there is no commission, just a flat monthly fee.
Frequently asked questions
Can a co-host connect Airbnb listings to Beds24?
No. Airbnb only lets listing owners make API connections, whatever the channel manager. The owner can connect, or transfer the account to you.
Should I use the Airbnb API or iCal with Beds24?
The API, if Airbnb allows it for your listing. iCal sends no prices, imports bookings without guest details and can take up to 24 hours to update.
Does Beds24 sync prices to Airbnb?
Yes, with the API, in every sync type; Airbnb’s fee, tax and discount settings need Limited or Everything. With iCal, you set prices in Airbnb.
Will a booking on my website close the dates on Airbnb?
Yes. It lowers availability in Beds24 and the channel manager updates Airbnb, within a minute by API. Bookings made on our booking page are written into Beds24, so the same applies.
Beds24 is a trademark of Beds24 GmbH. We are an independent service, not affiliated with Beds24.