How to Become a Shortlet Agent in Nigeria

A shortlet agent finds guests for furnished homes that belong to other people, and often runs the bookings for them. To become one, learn an area well, find owners who want help, agree every term in writing, and build a name for handling money honestly.

You do not need to own a home to start. You need trust, good organisation and fast replies. This guide explains the job, how it differs from being a host or a manager, and how to grow from one home to several.

What a shortlet agent does

The job changes from agent to agent, but most of it falls into five parts:

1. Finding guests. Listing the home, sharing it, answering enquiries and taking bookings.
2. Welcoming guests. Meeting them, handing over keys and explaining the house rules.
3. Keeping the home ready. Cleaning, laundry, supplies, and small repairs between stays.
4. Handling money. Collecting payment safely, keeping records and paying the owner their share.
5. Reporting to the owner. Nights sold, money in, costs, and any damage.

Some agents only find guests and take a fee per booking. Others run everything and share the income with the owner. Decide which you are before you talk to owners.

Agent, host or manager?

People mix these words up. This is how they usually differ (for the host’s side in detail, see what a shortlet host does):

Owners weigh up the same choice from their side: a management company or manage it yourself? Many agents start by finding guests, then grow into full managers. If you already work as an estate agent, shortlet property management for Nigerian estate agents goes deeper into the manager role. To lease a home and let it yourself instead, read about rent-to-rent and managing for owners.

Finding owners to work with

Good owners are the heart of the business. Look for people who have a furnished home and not enough time:

• Owners living abroad with a flat in Lagos or Abuja that sits empty.
• Busy professionals who bought a flat to let but cannot run it.
• Developers and landlords with empty units between tenants.
• Hosts who are tired of late-night messages and cleaners who do not turn up.

How to win their trust:

• Pick one area and know it well. Know its estates, its guests and what similar homes offer. Study the homes listed as shortlets in Lekki, Ikeja or Abuja.
• Show a simple plan. Who you will target, how you will reach them, your prices and your costs.
• Be clear about money. Explain exactly how guests pay, where the money goes and when the owner is paid.
• Start small. Offer to run one home for a trial period before any long agreement.
• Ask for referrals. One happy owner will tell others.

Agreeing terms in writing

Arguments between owners and agents are often about money that was never written down. Put every point in a signed agreement before your first guest. Include:

• Which homes, and for how long the agreement runs.
• Who sets prices, and whether you may give discounts.
• Your fee or share, what it covers, and when it is paid.
• How money flows: which account receives guest payments, and when the owner gets their share.
• Who pays for what: cleaning, laundry, fuel, internet, supplies and repairs.
• Caution deposits: who holds them, and who decides on damage.
• The owner’s own nights: how they block dates they want to use.
• Reports: what you send the owner, and how often.
• Keys and access, and what happens to them when the agreement ends.
• Ending the agreement: how much notice each side gives.

Ask a lawyer to check your agreement before you use it. This guide is not legal advice. Rules for estate agents also differ from state to state, so ask your state government whether you must register before you act for owners.

Running bookings for several owners

One home is easy to hold in your head. Three is not. Build simple systems early:

• One calendar per home. Never take two bookings for the same night. Block the owner’s own dates.
• One checklist for every clean. The same list every time, signed off by the cleaner.
• Separate records per home. Money in, costs out, and each owner’s share.
• A small, reliable team. Cleaners, a handyman and someone to meet late arrivals.
• A spare set of everything. Linen, bulbs, remote batteries and a spare key, kept safe.

On Cabans, list each home as its own Short Let under your store, and tick “Take bookings online”. Your team works from the same account:

• Add team members under “Roles & Permissions” and choose what each person can do.
• The “Bookings” page lets you filter by property. Its tabs show “Requests”, “Arriving”, “In house” and “Leaving” for every home at once.
• Each calendar keeps a change history of who changed what, and when.
• Guests pay online through Paystack. Cabans charges a 5% commission, and pays out within 7 days after the stay, or sooner when the guest approves the payment.

How to add team members shows each step. See how to manage shortlet bookings for several homes, or how taking bookings online works.

A week in the life of a shortlet agent

The work comes in waves around each stay. A typical week looks like this:

• Every day: answer enquiries fast, check each calendar, and confirm who arrives and leaves.
• Before each arrival: check the home after cleaning, test the power, water and Wi-Fi, and send the check-in steps.
• On arrival day: meet the guest or make sure someone does, hand over the keys and walk them through the house rules.
• After each departure: check the home, take photos, arrange cleaning and laundry, and settle the caution deposit.
• Once a week: restock supplies, book repairs, and update prices for the weeks ahead.
• Once a month: send each owner a statement of nights sold, money in, costs and their share.

Mistakes new agents make

These are easy to avoid once you know about them:

• Taking on too many homes too soon. Quality drops, guests complain and owners leave.
• Mixing money. Keep owners’ money apart from your own, and record every naira.
• Agreeing terms by phone. Memories differ. Put it all in writing.
• Hiding problems from owners. A broken AC reported the same day builds trust. One found later breaks it.
• Promising what the home cannot give. If the power is not steady, do not say it is.
• Being slow to reply. A guest who waits hours for an answer books somewhere else.

Building a reputation

Your name is your business. Owners and guests both talk. Protect it:

• Be honest about money. Send clear statements, on time, every time.
• Reply fast. Guests often book the host who answers first.
• Describe homes truthfully. Real photos, real power hours, real distances.
• Fix problems quickly and tell the owner what happened.
• Ask happy guests to recommend you, and keep their messages of thanks.
• Register your business name with the Corporate Affairs Commission, so owners can check who they are dealing with.

Owners may check you before they trust you with a home. How to verify an estate agent in Nigeria shows what they look for, so you can be ready.

Ready to start? Take bookings online for the homes you run, or advertise a shortlet on Cabans. You can see how other homes present themselves on the shortlet page.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Start a shortlet business · House rules template · Shortlet startup costs · Verify an estate agent · Get more property leads · Shortlet management for agents · What guests check before booking through an agent