Professional photos for Airbnb

In short. There are three ways to get professional photos on Airbnb: the Airbnb Pro Photography Program, an interior photographer you hire yourself, or improving the photos you already have. Airbnb's programme delivers 15 to 25 retouched images within about a week and takes the cost from your future payouts. Your own photographer gives you files you can use anywhere. Improving your photos needs nobody at the property.

The three options side by side

Sources: Airbnb Help Center ('Professional photography for listings') and the Airbnb Pro Photography Program page.

Airbnb's Pro Photography Program

Airbnb works with freelance photographers in many cities around the world. According to Airbnb, it works like this:

• you request it through Elevate, the tool Airbnb uses to connect hosts and photographers, where you can see the cost before you accept; you can also ask Airbnb's photography team for a quote, which they say arrives within 72 hours;
• the photographer takes two to three images per room, then Airbnb's editors select and retouch them and upload them straight to your listing, next to your existing photos, which are not removed;
• depending on the size of your home you receive between 15 and 25 images, usually within one week of the shoot;
• there is no upfront payment: the cost is taken from your future payouts, and only once the new photos are live;
• there is one shoot per listing, and it is not refundable once it has started, so Airbnb advises waiting until any changes to the space are finished;
• you need a verified phone number and email address on your profile, and the service depends on photographers being available in your area.

You do not have to be there on the day, but the photographer needs access and Airbnb asks for the home to be ready by 8am. If you cancel within 24 hours of the shoot, Airbnb may charge a $50 late cancellation fee.

Airbnb reports that listings with its pro photography saw 19% more bookings and hosts earned 21% more on average, comparing more than 14,700 listings worldwide with listings that did not use it, from 2024 to 2025. It also says 85% of hosts recoup the cost with one night's stay. These are Airbnb's own comparisons, not guaranteed results, and Airbnb says so itself.

Your own interior photographer

A photographer you hire decides the light, angles and number of shots with you, and hands over the files. This is the right route when you need the photos beyond Airbnb as well: on Booking.com, your own website, social media or an advert.

Before booking a shoot, it is worth agreeing three things: how many photos you will receive and in what format, whether retouching is included, and where you can use them, since usage rights depend on your agreement with the photographer. Ask to see work on homes like yours: photographing a small flat is a different job from photographing a villa.

Either way, the home needs preparing first: beds made, surfaces clear, curtains open, personal items put away. Airbnb also asks for the space to be clean and clutter-free before its photographer arrives.

When the photos you have are enough

Many galleries do not need a new shoot. They need the right light, colour and straight lines. If the home is tidy and each shot shows the whole room, what separates your photos from professional ones is often the editing, not the camera.

Signs that your photos can be rescued:

• rooms are shot whole, from a corner, not close up;
• the photos are sharp, even if they are dark or yellowish;
• the problem is a white sky, grey walls or crooked windows;
• you already have at least one photo of every room guests will use.

If rooms are missing, photos are blurred or the home has changed, a new shoot makes more sense. The minimum sizes are in Photo size and format for Airbnb and Booking.com. Improving the photos you already have, with no site visit, is what our Photo Enhancement service does.