Navigating Vacation Rental Property Management: Tools & Resources to Do the Job Right

The best vacation rental property managers know that success comes down to making use of the many tools and resources available to them. Not only will the right tools and resources make your job easier—they’ll also be the difference between effectively managing your properties and getting left behind.

So, which property management tools and resources should you prioritize?

Let’s take a look.

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Vacation rental property management tools

These property management tools for vacation rentals will make your job easier than you thought possible.

Vacation rental property management system

A property management system (PMS) is the ultimate tool for vacation rental property managers.

This all-in-one software solution enables you to manage listings across multiple channels, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. You can also manage all your property management tasks from the same platform, including bookings, rental agreements, guest communications, payment collection, accounting, and cleaning and maintenance.

In fact, many would say that it’s impossible to effectively manage vacation rentals without a quality PMS.

Pro tip: Be sure to choose your PMS before moving on to the other tools listed below to avoid overcomplicating your techstack. Many PMS options (like Lodgify) already include the following capabilities or else offer integrations with tools that do. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect PMS for more information.

Website builder

Do you manage properties that are solely listed on online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Airbnb or Vrbo?

If so, you’ll want to create a direct booking website for your clients. And they’ll be more than pleased if you can do so quickly and cost-effectively with a website builder.

A quality website builder like that offered by Lodgify will enable you to build a bookable website in just a few minutes. But not just any website—one that looks professional, represents your client’s brand, is mobile-friendly and SEO-optimized, and can immediately start generating direct bookings.

Having a website builder in your toolbelt may even be a convincing selling point as you try to gain new clients. Those without existing websites of their own will be eager to sign on with someone who can speedily create one—especially when you explain the many benefits of direct bookings.

Dynamic pricing tools

Dynamic pricing is a strategy that utilizes algorithms to calculate and adjust prices in real time. Using this strategy, you can optimize your clients’ rates to increase their bookings and profits.

When your clients see the outcomes of dynamic pricing at work, they’ll think that you’re a master of supply and demand. The truth will simply be that you’ve put the right tools to work.

Options for dynamic pricing tools are numerous, but some of our favorites include Beyond and PriceLabs (both of which integrate with Lodgify).

Financial management tools

So, you’re maximizing profits for your clients with dynamic pricing tools. But are you keeping their finances in order?

Financial management is one of the most important aspects of vacation rental property management. Luckily, tools are available to simplify all of the tasks involved.

For example, the financial management solution Clearing streamlines complex processes such as manual bookkeeping, expense allocations, trust accounting, and payout management. Not only will you not have to carry out these tasks manually, but you can rely on a single tool for all of them.

Guest turnover tools

Chances are, you won’t be personally cleaning and preparing properties for your clients. But you will oversee the process, and that requires having the right guest turnover tools.

One option is the cleaning management software Turno.

To start, Turno offers a marketplace of over 75,000 verified cleaners all over the world. Once you’ve contracted your cleaning staff, you can use Turno to automatically schedule cleaning projects for every reservation as well as payments for every cleaning project. You can even have cleaners upload photos of cleaned properties for approval!

Whether you’re managing turnover for two properties or 20, tools like these can make the process a cinch.

Pro tip: Turno is now included in the Lodgify Ultimate plan at no additional cost!

Guest experience tools

Part of every vacation rental property manager’s job is ensuring a superb guest experience. After all, great trips create repeat guests, leading to more bookings for your client—and more work for you.

A lot goes into creating a positive guest experience. But when it comes to finding the right tools, look for options that provide the following features:

• Contactless check-in so guests don’t have to worry about meeting times (check out Charge Automation)
• Luggage storage so guests arriving before check-in can stash their bags (check out Stasher)
• Digital guidebooks that provide all the details guests could want about the rental and local attractions (check out DACK or Folio)
• Automated messaging so guests always have the information they need (check out Enso Connect)
• Automated translations for guests who don’t speak English (check out Touch Stay)

Guest verification tools

You’re responsible for maintaining your clients’ properties, and that means ensuring that you never rent to guests who could cause damage or other issues.

While you can never be 100% sure your guests will be respectful of the property, guest verification can go a long way toward weeding out problem guests. But you don’t have to do background checks yourself. Guest verification tools such as Safely can provide:

• Identity verification
• Criminal background checks
• Checks against sex offender lists and terrorist watch lists
• Checks against records of past guests who have caused damage to vacation properties

The result? Peace of mind for both you and your clients.

Rental protection

Yes—there are even tools to streamline your rental protection!

Of course, there are many providers of damage coverage. But some tools go even further.

For example, options like Swikly automate the security deposit process by sending guests online deposit requests prior to check-in—without debiting or blocking funds on their credit cards. It also simplifies the collection process in case of damages.

Other options, like Minut, provide noise and occupancy monitoring to alert you when guests throw unauthorized parties or exceed their occupancy limit.

In both cases, these tools make it easier to protect your clients’ investments.

Design tools

Do you plan to add banners to your clients’ websites to promote offers, email current and potential guests, or post on social media? If so, the right design tools can help you create graphics that are both professional and on-brand.

Canva is a great example. With Canva, you can choose from templates or design from scratch to create impressive visuals for your clients—all without any past design experience.

A note on vacation rental property management apps

It can be tempting to download any new app you see related to property management. But while apps can be helpful when managing vacation rentals, be careful to only download those you really need.

Start with apps for all the channels you’re listing on (such as Airbnb or Vrbo). Most listing channels now have their own apps, enabling you to manage your listings on the go.

Then take a look at your PMS. If your PMS offers a mobile app version, definitely download it.

But also look at the specific features offered by your PMS (and specifically, the mobile app version of it). If your PMS’s mobile app and integrations already cover all your needs, it probably doesn’t make sense to download additional apps for property management.

On the other hand, if there are key tasks that your PMS doesn’t help you manage, an app focused on this task might help. For example, if you can’t manage your cleaning staff via your PMS, you might want to look for cleaning apps.

As you can see, the best property management apps are those that give you the most features. No one wants to use 10 different apps if only one will do.

Pro tip: If you find yourself compensating for your PMS’s lack of features with a hoard of apps, it might be time for a new PMS. For example, Lodgify’s PMS and mobile app allow you to manage all your bookings, tasks, guest communications, and finances from one place.

Additional vacation rental property management resources

Now, let’s take a look at some additional property management resources that can help educate you about the vacation rental industry and get the job done.

Courses

The best short-term rental property managers are those that are always learning. Whether you’re just getting started or are well-established in your career, ongoing education is essential for continual improvement and to stay on top of changes in the industry.

One great option is the Lodgify Academy, which has courses on everything from getting started with a vacation rental business to SEO and social media marketing.

Blogs

Blogs are an excellent resource for just about every industry, and vacation rental property management is no exception.

The best vacation rental property managers are constantly in the loop on industry updates, from rules and regulations to trends and product innovations. Blogs are particularly effective in communicating this information, since they are relatively quick to publish and update.

We recommend finding a handful of blogs that you like, perhaps including one from your local area and one focusing on the types of vacation rental that you manage. Subscribe to their newsletters, and you’ll regularly find important updates in your inbox.

Here are some property management blogs that we particularly recommend.

Books

Some of the best (and most overlooked) property management resources are also the most traditional: books.

As we explained above, blogs are helpful for staying up-to-date on the most recent news and updates. But books enable you to dive deeper into specific aspects of vacation rental property management.

We know—reading entire books is time-consuming, and your time is very limited. So, prioritize what to read by thinking about your specific pain points. Are you struggling with maximizing occupancy? Or with taxes?

Once you’ve identified where you could use some help, do some research to find helpful books on that topic. You can’t go wrong learning from others in the industry.

And to help get you started, we’ve created this list of the best property management books.

Vacation rental property management documents

The best short-term rental property management resources aren’t all educational. It’s also important to familiarize yourself with the property management documents you’ll be using regularly for the job.

Property management business plan

You can’t start your vacation rental property management business without a business plan.

A business plan is absolutely essential in guiding your business forward, helping you to make important decisions and meet your goals. It outlines details such as your:

• Vision and objectives for your business
• Unique selling points
• Target customers (the types of property owners you want to work with)
• Operations, marketing, and financial plans

Property management agreement

A vacation rental property management agreement is a formal document that defines the relationship between you (the property manager) and the property owner. It’s also referred to as a property management contract and outlines details such as:

• Each party’s responsibilities
• The length of the contract
• Consequences in the event either of you fails to comply with terms and conditions

Essentially, the property management agreement protects you in the case the property owner doesn’t hold up their side of the bargain (and vice versa).

Check out our blog to learn more and download a vacation rental property management agreement template. Our guide to Airbnb property management contracts may also be helpful if you manage any Airbnbs.

The right tools in your toolbelt

Clearly, a vacation rental property manager is only as good as the tools at their disposal.

So, be sure to set yourself up for success with the right software, apps, educational resources, and documents. Trust us—you’ll thank yourself later.

And if you haven’t already, now’s the time to learn more about vacation rental PMS options to ensure you choose the right one for you and your clients’ needs.

Don’t see the form to download the Property Management Agreement? Click here.