6 Best Short-term Rental Management Software

Features

Guesty’s unified box feature (Source: Guesty)

• Unified inbox: Manage your guest communication in one place, making it easy to stay organized and responsive.
• Multi-calendar: Comprehensive view of all your upcoming bookings and synchronizes across multiple booking platforms, helping you avoid double-bookings and stay on top of availability.
• Automation tools: Tools, such as guest communication, cleaning, and maintenance, help you save time and reduce the risk of errors.
• Accounting tools: Manage invoices, track expenses, and generate financial reports in one place, helping you keep track of all your financial data.

Reviews

Guesty obtained a 4.5 out of 5 customer review rating for its efficiency, diverse toolset, and customer service that boosts any short-term rental business. One user commented that Guesty is a comprehensive software solution that manages listings, facilitates seamless guest communication, and simplifies financial tasks. He also praised its standout features, including advanced financial tools and trust accounting, providing accurate insights into their financial performance.

However, some users are dissatisfied with Guesty’s pricing, saying it is a little pricey compared to its competitors. Aside from these, users also pointed out that there are occasional glitches and would like a feature where owners can receive notifications about reservations. If you want an affordable option that offers extensive features, check out Escapia.

Pricing

• Guesty for Hosts (prices if billed annually)
  • 1 rental: $14 per month
  • 2 rentals: $26 per month
  • 3 rentals: $36 per month
• Guesty for Pros
  • 4 to 200 rentals: Custom pricing
• Guesty for Enterprise
  • 201+ rentals: Custom pricing

Features

Reporting and analytics tools (Source: Lodgify)

• Reporting and accounting tools: Evaluate and analyze your past business performance, helping you stay on top of your numbers.
• Third-party integrations: Lodgify integrates with 28 software applications, like Mailchimp, Beyond, and Zapier.
• Automation tools: Automate repetitive tasks to minimize workload and save time.
• Mobile app: Manage your business or properties anytime and anywhere. You can download it on Google Play and Apple Store.

Reviews

Most users praised Lodgify’s ease of use, onboarding sessions, and free bookable website. One user commended the platform’s ability to sync all channels, helping him avoid double bookings. With this, Lodgify garnered a 4.5 out of 5 customer review ratings.

However, unlike Guesty, Lodgify doesn’t provide 24/7 customer support and a vendor payments feature. These features allow property owners to quickly contact the company whenever issues arise, regardless of the time zone, and conveniently collect and track a transaction from vendors. If you wish to have the features mentioned above, consider Guesty.

Pricing

• Starter: Starting at $13 per month, plus 1.9% booking fee (billed annually)
• Professional: Starting at $38 per month (billed annually)
• Ultimate: Starting at $59 per month (billed annually)

Features

Owner dashboard on a desktop and phone (Source: OwnerRez)

• Channel management: Provides direct API integration with top channels like Vrbo, Airbnb, booking.com, and Tripadvisor.
• Property management: Allows you to calculate commission, generate owner statements, and record expenses.
• WordPress plugin: Integrate your WordPress website using the OwnerRez officially supported plugin.
• Free trial: OwnerRez offers a 14-day free trial where you can use its premium features. However, after the trial ends, you will be billed a regular monthly invoice if you continue to use its features.

Reviews

OwnerRez received a high customer review rating of 4.9 out of 5. Most users are satisfied and happy with its intuitive interface and timely and knowledgeable customer service. Many users are also pleased with its extensive features, including third-party integrations, credit card payment management, and prospective guest inquiry management notifications.

Nevertheless, a few users voiced their dismay, complaining that the interface design needs to be updated and that setting up and getting started can be complicated and overwhelming. Fortunately, with OwnerRez’s guides and videos, you can get used to and master the program. If you are not a tech-savvy person and wish for an easy-to-use platform with a little learning curve, we recommend Lodgify.

Pricing

• Price range: Starting at $40 per month for one property to $1,472 per month for 500 properties (no setup fees, booking fees, and contracts)

Features

• 24-hour safety line: If you feel unsafe, the Airbnb app provides one-tap access to its specially trained safety agents, day or night.
• Pet damage: Specialized protection provided by Airbnb, where the company will pay for the repair damage done by a guest’s pet.
• Income loss: Another specialized protection Airbnb gives is for instances where you must cancel bookings due to guest damage—you’ll be compensated for the lost income.
• Performance data and reports: Airbnb provides performance data for occupancy and rates. These reports are available to review in the Performance tab under the Occupancy and Rates section.

Reviews

Most Airbnb users praised its excellent customer service, ease of use, and its good tools for communicating with the host. One user commented that the platform is very simple and straightforward. As a result, Airbnb acquired a 4.5 out of 5 customer review rating.

However, many users are unhappy with its interface, saying it lags and is sometimes glitchy. Aside from these, Airbnb doesn’t provide an income and expenses tracking tool. We suggest OwnerRez if you need short-term property management software with an intuitive interface and extensive financial tracking tools.

Pricing

• Split-fee structure: The host fee is 3% of the booking subtotal, and the guest service fee varies but is typically under 14.2% of the booking subtotal.
• Host-only fee structure: The entire fee is deducted from the host payout, typically 14% to 16% of the booking subtotal.

Features

Vacation rental signatures platform (Source: Escapia)

• Signatures platform: Easily create, preview, and send custom rental agreements and addendums.
• Performance dashboard: Gives you real-time and easy-to-understand information, helping you to make smarter and faster decisions about your business.
• Reservation calendar: Avoid double-booking and organize your vacation rental reservations effortlessly.
• Owner portal: Access and download all historical owner statements and obtain property details.

Reviews

Escapia users love its trust accounting capabilities and reservations dashboard, as this allows them to manage their weekly and future bookings. Plus, users can get an overall view of their properties regarding performance, availability, what is booking, and what property they need to focus on. With this, Escapia earned a 4.5 out of 5 customer review rating.

Yet, one user is unhappy with the login process, saying it is strenuous and always requires more than one step. Aside from these, Escapia doesn’t offer an applicant or guest screening. If you require these features, try Airbnb.

Pricing

Escapia pricing starts at $9 per unit based on a customer managing 100 units. It charges a flat-rate fee determined by how many properties you manage. There are no extra fees for listings on several websites or percentage fees deducted from your revenue. Additionally, you can co-manage properties with friends and family by having unlimited users on your account.

To get a custom pricing quote, head to its pricing page to discuss the pricing information you need with Escapia’s team.

Features

Team collaboration feature (Source: Hospitable)

• Analytics and reporting: Export financial and operational data easily, which you can then import into your chosen accounting and analytics software for in-depth analysis.
• Channel manager: List properties on multiple channels without having to bother about syncing schedules, messages, and cleaners with reservations.
• Team collaboration: Enables you to assemble, work with a team, and assign roles on a single platform.
• Smart locks integration: Automatically create and send unique messaging door codes to prevent unwanted guests on your property.

Reviews

Hospitable received an excellent customer review rating of 4.8 out of 5. Users love its ease of use, personalization capabilities, and dependable performance. A user explicitly adores the dashboard’s clean layout, creating a visually pleasing design. Another user also praised the ability to manage their inbox, properties, and pricing all in one location.

Nevertheless, some users wished for more integrations, mainly on the financial reporting feature, as they would like to see more organized data about the health and growth of their properties. Consider OwnerRez if you need advanced financial software integrations.

Pricing

Hospitable’s pricing is based on the number of active listings:

• Up to two listings: Starting at $40 per month
• Three to 98 listings: Ranging from $48 to $591 per month
• 99 or more listings: Contact Hospitable for custom pricing