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Property management systems for Airbnb owners and managers

Property Management Software for Airbnb Owners and Managers

Managing short term rental property on platforms like Airbnb can be an exciting and profitable venture, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Industry research and experience in the industry, has determined it will require approximately 50 hours per month to manage each property.

From coordinating bookings and handling guest communications to ensuring smooth changeover between guests, managing cleaning teams whilst also maximising your revenue – there are many property management tasks to consider if you want your Airbnb to be a success.

Thankfully, there are plenty of software solutions tailored specifically to Airbnb owners, hosts and professional property managers. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best options to streamline your Airbnb management tasks.

Guesty:

Guesty offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to automate various aspects of Airbnb management. Hosts can save time and effort by automating routine tasks, enhance guest satisfaction through prompt responses and personalized communication, and optimize pricing strategies to maximize revenue potential, allowing managers to focus on guests.

Features include a centralized inbox to automated messaging, task assignment to cleaners and other service providers, dynamic pricing, seamless integration with popular booking platforms like Airbnb and booking.com, as well as other essential tools such as Stripe for payment processing and QuickBooks for accounting. It has a mobile app, booking website and the ability to handle direct reservations to save on platform fees.

The cost of Guest varies according to your requirements and starts at $27 USD/month for 1-3 listings.

Lodgify:

Lodgify is a user-friendly program that caters to short term rental owners and managers. It offers customizable websites, booking management, channel management, and secure payment processing functionalities, empowering hosts to manage their properties efficiently.

Features include a booking website, manage bookings across multiple channels from a centralized dashboard, securely process payments, integration with popular booking platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway, and Booking.com, as well as other tools such as Stripe for payment processing and Google Analytics for tracking performance.

The cost of Lodgify scales as you grow, starting at $13 USD/month for 1 listing and $38 USD/month for growing businesses and includes additional features such as guest pre-authorisation and phone support.

Tokeet:

Tokeet is property management software that caters to short term rental owners and managers, offering a wide range of features including channel management, booking automation, revenue management, and reporting analytics. Hosts can efficiently manage their Airbnb properties by automating tasks such as guest communication, cleaning scheduling, and maintenance requests, while also gaining insights into their property performance through reporting and analytics.

Tokeet integrates with popular booking platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com, as well as other essential tools such as Stripe for payment processing and QuickBooks for accounting.

The cost of Tokeet sits around $15 USD/month per property, for up to 5 properties and $135 USD/month for 10 properties. The cost per property decreases as your portfolio grows.

As you can see from the above, cost will vary according to features and functionality, with Guesty being the most comprehensive management software available on the market. All systems are web-based and their app can be downloaded to your phone, for management on-the-go. We recommend you sign up for a trial to each of the above and see which system you find the best for your needs.

What is the difference between a property management system and a channel manager?

We have been asked this a lot and the short answer is – their features. A property management system is an all-in-one solution to help streamline your entire operations, whereas a channel manager brings all of your listings across multiple platforms into one place. It essentially acts as a central hub to update availability, occupancy rates, manage guest communications and update property information in real time across all connected platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, and more.

This kind of system is the absolute minimum requirement, if you cannot invest in a full property management system. The effective distribution of your property listings across multiple booking platforms is essential for success. A channel manager serves as a powerful tool that not only saves time and effort but also maximizes exposure for your property, minimizes the risk of overbookings, optimizes pricing, and provides valuable insights into your property performance.

An example of a channel manager includes Smoobu, hostaway, hosthub and little hotelier. The cost for a channel manager sits around $20 USD/month, which makes it more cost effective for a full property management system.

Don’t Forget Accounting Software

If you decide to go with the channel manager option, you will also need an accounting system to stay on top of your rental payments and expenses.  With numerous transactions to track, invoices to manage, and tax implications to consider, leveraging accounting software tailored for rental management can streamline your financial management processes.

Accounting features are included in full property management systems, so this is another reason to go with the all-in-one solution. However, if you do find that Airbnb and your google calendar is perfectly suited to your needs, an accounting system is an essential addition. Let’s explore some of the most cost-effective options below.

QuickBooks:

QuickBooks Online is a widely-used accounting software that offers a range of features tailored for rental property management. From tracking rental income and expenses to generating invoices, managing vendors, and tracking tax deductions, QuickBooks Online simplifies what would otherwise be manual financial tasks.

Property managers can easily categorize rental income and expenses, track rental property depreciation, automate invoice generation and payment reminders, and generate detailed financial reports for tax purposes. Quickbooks Integrates with bank accounts and credit cards for easy transaction reconciliation. It also integrates with various property management and rental platforms, allowing seamless synchronization of financial data.

The cost of quickbooks starts at $12.50 AUD/month or $20 AUD/month if you want to manage suppliers such as linen service providers and cleaning companies.

Xero:

Xero is another popular accounting software that offers plenty of features for rental property management. It allows hosts to track rental income and expenses, reconcile bank transactions, generate invoices, and manage vendors and contractors, track property-related expenses such as maintenance and repairs, automate invoice generation and payment reminders, and collaborate with accountants and financial advisors.

Xero integrates with a wide range of third-party apps and services, including property management platforms, banking institutions, and payment gateways, ensuring seamless data flow and synchronization.

The cost of Xero is a little higher than quickbooks, starting at $32/month for 20 invoices, or $65/month for more features.

What Professional Managers Do

Property management tasks can be time consuming if they are not streamlined and efficiently automated. The last thing you want is to spend time unnecessarily on administrative manual tasks, which can eat up all of your valuable time – time that is best spent on managing guests, marketing your property for maximum occupancy and optimising your revenue for a profitable short term rental business. So if you want to manage your property like the professionals do, start with all-in-one property management software, as it is the most cost effective and best time saving solution. That’s what we do here at Airtrip.

If you want to know more about professional management for your Airbnb, get in touch with one of our friendly property managers today!