You’ve got a property in Hocking Hills. Now what? This is the tactical roadmap from purchase to first 5-star review, organized week by week so nothing falls through the cracks.
Weeks 1–4: Foundation
Week 1: Legal & Business Setup
Decide on business structure. Sole proprietorship is fastest; LLC provides liability protection. Read our LLC formation guide for the tradeoffs. Most experienced hosts recommend an LLC.
Open a dedicated business bank account. Do not commingle personal and rental income. This simplifies taxes enormously.
Get an EIN from the IRS (free, takes 5 minutes online).
Week 2: Permits & Licensing
Determine your jurisdiction. Is your property in Logan city limits or unincorporated Hocking County? This determines which permit process applies.
If in Logan: File your STR license application with the City Service Director ($50 application fee). Verify your property is in an allowed zoning district (R-2, R-2-B, B-1, B-2, M-1, or M-2). Check whether the 60-license cap has been reached in residential zones. Begin the Certificate of Occupancy process with the State of Ohio (you have one year to complete it).
If in unincorporated county: Check current status of the county STR ordinance with the Hocking County Regional Planning Office.
Register with Hocking County Lodging Tax Department. File the registration form. Set up monthly filing procedures for the 6% lodging tax (3% county, 3% township).
Get a State of Ohio vendor’s license for sales tax collection (5.75%).
Week 3: Insurance
Contact your homeowner’s insurance carrier. Standard homeowner’s policies typically exclude short-term rental activity. You need either a commercial dwelling policy, a specific STR endorsement, or a standalone vacation rental insurance policy. Read our insurance guide for details. Airbnb’s AirCover provides some host protection, but it has limits and should not be your only coverage.
Week 4: Property Preparation
Safety first: Install smoke detectors in every bedroom and on every level. Install CO detectors. Place fire extinguishers in the kitchen and near the fireplace. Post emergency contact information visibly.
Essentials: Hot tub (if you don’t have one, install one—see our amenity ROI guide). Fire pit or ring. Quality mattresses and linens. Well-stocked kitchen. Reliable WiFi.
Smart lock: Install keyless entry. This enables contactless check-in and eliminates key management headaches.
Weeks 5–8: Listing Creation
Week 5: Professional Photography
Hire a professional photographer. Budget $300–$800. Schedule the shoot for golden hour if possible. Stage every room: make beds, clear counters, light the fire pit, remove personal items. This is the single highest-ROI investment you’ll make.
Week 6: Write Your Listing
Title: specific and searchable. “Secluded Cabin with Hot Tub • 10 min to Old Man’s Cave” beats “Beautiful Cabin in the Woods.”
Description: lead with the experience, not the features. What will guests feel here? Then cover amenities, location, and logistics. See our listing optimization guide.
Week 7: Set Up Pricing
Research comparable properties using the Tuesday Test method (detailed in our pricing guide). Set weekday and weekend rates. Configure seasonal adjustments. Consider connecting a dynamic pricing tool like PriceLabs from day one.
Week 8: Build Your Guest Guidebook
Follow our complete guidebook template. Send the digital version to guests 48 hours before arrival. Place a physical copy in the cabin.
Weeks 9–12: Launch & First Guests
Week 9: Go Live
Publish your listing. Airbnb gives new listings a temporary search boost, so make sure everything is polished before you go live. Enable Instant Book to improve visibility.
Launch pricing strategy: Consider pricing 10–15% below your target rate for your first 3–5 bookings to build initial reviews quickly. Reviews are currency—you need at least 5 to trigger social proof.
Weeks 10–11: First Guest Turnovers
After each guest, do a thorough walkthrough. Note what questions they asked (add answers to your guidebook). Check supplies. Test the hot tub. Review their feedback carefully.
Week 12: Review & Adjust
After 3–5 stays, assess: What did guests love? What did they mention in reviews? What questions kept coming up? Adjust your listing description, pricing, and guidebook accordingly.
Target: By the end of 90 days, you should have at least 5 reviews, a refined listing, a dialed-in cleaning process, and a clear sense of your peak and off-peak pricing sweet spots. From here, the Superhost flywheel begins. See our Superhost Math guide for the next phase.
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