There are hundreds of tools marketed to short-term rental hosts. Most of them are unnecessary. Here are the ones we actually use across our properties and recommend to new investors.
Dynamic Pricing: PriceLabs
PriceLabs connects to Airbnb, VRBO, and most property management systems. It adjusts your nightly rates based on real-time market data, local events, day-of-week demand, and seasonality. We’ve seen consistent 20-25% revenue increases compared to manual pricing.
Cost: $20-30/month per listing. Worth it from day one.
Guest Communication: Hospitable
Automates 95% of guest messaging. Booking confirmations, check-in instructions, checkout reminders, review requests. It also handles responses to common questions using templates you set up once.
Cost: Starts at $40/month for 2 listings.
Cleaning Management: Turno
Automatically notifies your cleaning team after each checkout. Cleaners mark the job complete and upload verification photos. No more text chains asking if the clean is done.
Cost: Free for hosts (cleaners pay a small fee, or you can cover it).
Property Management: OwnerRez
If you’re on multiple platforms (Airbnb + VRBO + direct bookings), OwnerRez syncs your calendars, centralizes messaging, and handles payment processing for direct bookings. Essential once you hit 3+ listings.
Cost: Starts at $25/month.
Market Research: AirDNA
Before you buy a property, AirDNA tells you what comparable STRs in that market actually earn. Revenue estimates, occupancy rates, ADR, and seasonality trends. Critical for underwriting deals.
Cost: $20-50/month depending on the plan.