Airbnb Farm Stay: What New Rural Hosts Should Prepare

A farm stay sells something a city apartment cannot: horses at the fence, eggs in the morning, and a sky with stars in it. It also comes with things a city apartment does not have: gravel roads that GPS gets wrong, animals guests should not feed, and gates that must stay closed.

Airbnb is now actively recruiting farmers. If you are thinking about turning a farm into a farm stay, here is what is on offer, and what to prepare so guests arrive, behave and leave the way a working farm needs them to.

The Farm to Stay Grant Program

On September 28, 2026, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Airbnb is partnering with the American Farmland Trust to recruit Pennsylvania farmers as hosts. The key details:

Up to $10,000 per farmer through the Farm to Stay Grant Program.
The money can go toward renovating or preparing the property to host overnight guests, and toward launching farm-based experiences.
Interested farmers can apply at farmland.org.
Informational webinars on Zoom are scheduled for October 14 at 5 p.m. and November 13 at noon, covering how Airbnb works with an emphasis on rural and farm stays.

The article does not give an application deadline or say whether farmers outside Pennsylvania qualify, so check the program page.

Why farm stays are worth a look

According to Airbnb, the average farm stay listing on its platform can make an extra $9,600 per year. Airbnb also cites Google Trends data showing US search interest for "farm stay" nearly quadrupled between 2016 and early 2026.

One example from the Inquirer: Pleasant Pines Stables, a horse farm in Lancaster County dating to the early 19th century. Its hosts say they are 85% to 90% booked from March to about the end of October, and making much more than the $9,600 average. "People really love to come and see the horses," Valerie Fellenbaum told the paper.

What is a farm stay Airbnb, in practice?

A farm stay is a short-term rental on a working farm, usually a cottage, converted barn, apartment or room, where the farm itself is part of the experience. That is the difference from a regular rural Airbnb: guests are sharing space with animals, machinery and a working day that starts before they wake up.

That makes the guest information more important, not less.

What rural hosts should prepare for guests

1. Directions that do not rely on GPS alone. Rural addresses often route guests to the wrong gate or the neighbor's lane. Give them the last mile in words and photos: "Turn right after the red barn, the cottage is the second building on the left."

2. Parking. Where to park, where not to park, and what to do in mud.

3. Farm rules. Short and specific:

Close every gate behind you.
Do not feed the animals unless we say so.
Keep children away from machinery and the pond.
Dogs on a lead near livestock.

4. Signal and WiFi. Mobile signal is often weak in the country. If you have WiFi, make the password easy to find. If signal drops in parts of the property, say where.

5. Water, heating and septic. Well water, a wood stove, a septic tank that does not like wipes. Guests from the city have never used some of these. Explain each one.

6. The experiences. Egg collection times, when guests can meet the horses, whether there is a tour. If you are building farm-based experiences with a grant, guests need to know what they are and when.

7. Who to call. Your number, and the nearest hospital or emergency service. Rural areas are far from help, so this matters more than in town.

Put the farm in one link guests open on their phone

A binder in the cottage does not help a guest lost on a country road at night. They need the directions, the gate code and the parking before they arrive, on their phone.

Guest Guide puts it all in one link: arrival instructions and parking, house rules, WiFi with one-tap copy, and amenity cards with instructions, photos and video for things like the wood stove or the egg collection. An optional warning notice, displayed prominently, is ideal for "Livestock in the lane: drive slowly." Door codes and the WiFi password stay hidden outside the stay, and the link expires after checkout. There is a free plan to try it.

FAQ

What is a farm stay Airbnb? A short-term rental on a working farm, where the farm and its animals are part of the guest experience.

How much can a farm stay make? Airbnb says the average farm stay listing on its platform can make an extra $9,600 per year. Results vary by location and season.

How do I apply for the Farm to Stay Grant? Through the American Farmland Trust at farmland.org. The program offers up to $10,000 per farmer.

How do I start a farm stay business? Check local zoning and permit rules first, then prepare the space, write clear directions and farm rules for guests, and list it. Our guide to short-term rental regulations covers the permit side.

Give rural guests directions and farm rules before they get lost: get started or see pricing.