A thread here this past week caught my attention: an owner's property manager was sitting on payouts for most of their completed stays. It got resolved, and a written demand that cited the contract is what did it. One detail stuck with me, though. When they gave notice, the listing and all its reviews were in the manager's account, so they had to start over with a new listing.

I co-host STRs for other owners, and owners interviewing me rarely ask about this until something goes wrong. So here are the questions I'd ask anyone you're thinking of hiring, me included.

1. Whose account is the listing in? On Airbnb, a co-host can be added to a listing that stays in the owner's account. Some management companies list your property under their own account instead. Either can work, but know which one you're getting before you sign, because it decides whether your reviews and booking history leave with you. I work in the owner's account. It makes saying yes a lot easier for an owner, and it's part of my guarantee: if they aren't happy, the listing is still theirs.

2. Where does the money land first? There are a few ways to set this up, and they aren't equal:

• Payouts go to the owner, and the co-host bills them a fee. That's a clean setup.

• Payouts go to the co-host, who sends the owner their share. In some areas that can make it a property management relationship, which may be state regulated. Vet it thoroughly before you start.

• Airbnb splits the payout automatically and pays each party directly. This works no matter whose account the listing is in.

I use Airbnb's split, so the owner and I are each paid directly and the owner never waits on me for their money. Whichever setup you choose, get it in writing, along with what statement you'll see for each stay.

3. What's in the fee, and what's billed separately? Ask what the co-host's share covers and what gets billed on top of it. On the properties I co-host, I pay the cleaner and the owner reimburses me. I also bill the owner separately for consumables (toilet paper, soap, detergent and so on) and a monthly technology fee. None of that is unusual, but you should see the full list up front. Ask whether cleaning and supplies are billed at cost or marked up, and ask the same about linens and maintenance.

4. What happens on the way out? Ask about the notice period, who keeps bookings already on the calendar, how the final payout is handled, and how quickly the listing and logins come back to you. Nobody wants to talk about the exit at the start, which is exactly why it belongs in the agreement.

5. Who controls pricing and minimum stays? I do everything in my power to keep pricing control on the properties I take on, because a lot of the owners I talk to aren't pricing properly or effectively. Good pricing is more than a nightly rate. I use PriceLabs and set rates and minimums by date. Most units run as a hybrid: 30+ day stays with 30-60 day minimums, short stays only filling gaps, and a 60-day window after each stay so mid-term guests can extend. That's how a slow season gets filled instead of discounted. So when you interview a co-host, ask them to walk you through how they'd price your place month by month. One who only thinks in nightly rates will handle your slow season very differently from one who'll take a 60-day booking.

6. What does a slow month look like? Ask for occupancy and average stay length on a comparable property they run, not a best-case projection.

Whatever you agree to, get payout timing and termination terms in writing. That written contract is what got the owner in that thread paid.

For those of you using a co-host or PM: whose account is your listing in, and did you know before you signed? And for the managers here, what's one question you wish more owners asked you up front?

Disclosure: I co-host STRs for other owners.