The RentTools blog
Field notes for short-term rental hosts
Calendar sync that actually works, cleaning automation that doesn't double-book the cleaner, and a host's GDPR checklist that fits on one page. Written by people who run listings, not affiliate sites.
Off-season math: close the listing or stay open?
Closing for the low season doesn't stop the insurance, the internet or the standing charges. The per-night contribution math on when staying open pays.
Short-term rental laundry: in-house machines vs a service
What a turnover's laundry really costs in-house versus at a service: per-load math, the extra linen set a 48-hour turnaround forces, and the real crossover.
cleaninghost-tips
iCal feed URL security: what your calendar link leaks
Your Airbnb and Booking.com iCal export URLs are passwords with no expiry. What each feed actually leaks, how to read yours in 90 seconds, and when to rotate.
icalcalendar-sync
Seasonal pricing math: turn your booking history into a rate ladder
Most hosts charge one rate all year. Build a seasonality index from your own occupancy, turn it into monthly rate multipliers, and stop leaking margin.
pricinghost-tips
Check-in and check-out times: the turnover window math
The gap between checkout and check-in is your entire cleaning window. Worked math on turnover time, cleaner cost, and when to block a buffer day instead.
cleaninghost-tips
EV charger ROI for short-term rentals: the occupancy-filter math
An EV charger is an occupancy play, not a nightly premium — you land in a filtered search with almost no competitors. The install and payback math, by market.
airbnbhost-tips
Air conditioning ROI for short-term rentals: the one-summer payback
In a hot market AC isn't a premium amenity — it's the review insurance you buy so July doesn't wreck your rating. Here's the install and payback math.
airbnbhost-tips
Furnishing a short-term rental: the startup cost and payback math
What it costs to furnish an Airbnb from empty — an itemized capex list for a 1-bed and 2-bed, the cost per bedroom, and the nights it takes to earn it back.
host-tipspricing
Pricing a new Airbnb listing: the review-velocity math
A zero-review listing can't charge the market rate. The math of underpricing your first stays to buy reviews — what each review costs, and when to raise back.
pricingairbnb
Short-term rental insurance: what AirCover doesn't cover
AirCover and damage deposits aren't insurance. What a real short-term rental policy covers — property, liability, lost income — and what it costs per year.
host-tipsairbnb
Airbnb rating recovery math: how many 5-stars erase one bad review
A single low review dents your Airbnb rating in seconds; climbing back is fixed math — how many 5-star stays it takes to erase one, by listing size.
airbnbhost-tips
Security deposit for a direct booking: the hold, not the charge
A damage deposit on a direct booking isn't a charge — it's a Stripe pre-authorization hold. The 7-day window that eats it, the right amount, and the chargeback trap.
host-tipspricing