Renting out that spare bedroom in your house from time to time is one thing; managing a whole list of vacation rentals is quite another. While both these ventures are fundamentally the same, the complexity of overseeing numerous listings, often spread over vast areas and even on different continents, can give even the most organized of people reason to fret.
The right vacation rental management software will make everything that much easier and more streamlined.
Why You Might Need Vacation Rental Management Software
Imagine being the one person they all come to during high season: you are the person they come to once they have booked the stay, ask questions about local attractions, depend on to provide security and information on the property.
You are also the person who has to ensure that every property is clean and ready for guests, well stocked with the essentials, and you also have to schedule stays in such a manner that no guests overlap each other. You also have to deal with all the complaints and sort out any guest concerns.
Now imagine that you have to do all this for twenty properties spread across different time zones and in different cultural settings!
Suffice it to say this would be difficult, if not impossible, to manage without some kind of automated system. The right vacation rental software will offer you features that make this whole process a breeze. Features such as:
- Tracking and managing bookings
- Managing reviews and ratings
- Integrating the various vacation rental websites (or maybe just your own)
- Integrating with the various social media as well as marketing tools
With the right software, you can very easily organize and manage not only your properties but also your income and monitor your various expenses.
Features of the Best Vacation Management Software
While there are many different vacation rental software options in the market today, all with differing capabilities, there are some common features that every good and robust vacation rental system should have and offer. These features include:
- Channel and website manager: It’s only natural that you are going to want to have your vacation rentals listed on a number of platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb. These platforms help you reach a huge pool of possible guests, automatically synchronize your availability calendars and various rates across all your preferred platforms. You can also connect to your various websites as well as decline and accept reservations automatically.
- Billing, accounting and invoicing capabilities: It can be argued that this tool is the core of your business. Your vacation rental definitely needs a means to price your property stays, invoice clients and receive payments. This tool also allows you to monitor expenses and determine which properties aren’t bringing in as much as they should.
- Reporting and data management: The software needs to give you a comprehensive report on how your rentals are doing.
- Generate key documents: The system needs to produce key documents such as rental agreements, promotional/marketing materials, guest books, invoices as well as other legal documents that you might need.
Of course, it would be nice if the system you choose has extra features and plugins or can be customizable to your specific needs. That being said, here are some of the best vacation rental software reviews to help you determine which is best for your business.
The Best Vacation Management Software Review
1. Bookerville
This vacation rental software has a 30-day free trial just so you get a feel for it before you actually commit. Bookerville is a web-based software that is perfectly suited for people who manage more than ten vacation rentals on their portfolio. It provides you with a channel manager for a host of vacation rental platforms such as TripAdvisor, Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and a lot more.
Key Features:
-
-
- Contact Management
- Fee / Commission Management
- Guest Reviews / Ratings
- Housekeeping Management
- Lead Management Owner Statements
- Payment Processing
- Property Database
- Reservations Management
- Vendor Management
- Work Order Management
-
Pros:
-
-
- Frequently updated
- Easy to use
- Offers high quality and timely technical support
- Has 30-day free trial and low starting price
-
Cons:
-
-
- The accounting management tool isn’t as robust as the rest of the software
- No plugins available
-
This is a software that is easy to use, affordable and offers you excellent technical support should you need it.
2. Uplisting
With a 14-day free trial period, this vacation rental system was developed specifically for people who offer short-term vacation rentals. Uplisting is also suitable for people who manage 1-5 short-term vacation rentals as opposed to those who have dozens. It’s web-based, offers a channel manager and connects to a host of popular vacation rental booking platforms like Airbnb.
Key Features:
-
-
- Contact Management
- Reservations Management
- Housekeeping Management
- Fee / Commission Management
- Payment Processing
- Property Database
-
Pros:
-
-
- Excellent customer support
- Easy to use
- Offers fast and extremely reliable synchronization of bookings
- Zero commissions
-
Cons:
-
-
- Only manages 1-5 rentals
- Fewer features than most software
- Does not offer a mobile app
-
If you have fewer short-term vacation rentals and aren’t looking for software that is big and complicated, then this is the right choice for you.
3. Guesty
This is one of the more popular and extremely robust vacation rental management software. Although it sells itself as an Airbnb property management software, Guesty allows you to manage your listings across numerous rental platforms such as Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Expedia, and so many more.
Key Features:
-
-
- Contact Management
- Guest Reviews and Ratings
- Fee/Commission Management
- Payment Processing
- Housekeeping Management
- Employee Management
- Maintenance Management
- Marketing Management
- Online Booking
- Inventory Control
-
Pros:
-
-
- Excellent support
- Mobile app available
- A great deal of features available for you to explore
-
Cons:
-
-
- It has a big learning curve
- Some features tend to be glitchy
- Charges commissions
-
If you are looking for something a bit more robust with a wide range of features and that can support dozens of vacation rental properties, then Guesty is the software for you.
