Vacation rental software is now becoming the most advanced and user-friendly solutions for satisfied property owners. The free vacation rental software has solved a lot of property owners’ problems and it has helped them grab profits from their investment. These rental solutions have given a great number of property owners the edge they need to make their properties more attractive as well as profitable.
You’re looking for the best vacation rental software for your new business and you want to know what the most popular vacation rental software systems are. You want to make sure the software works on your preferred operating system and that it includes everything you need to get started. In addition, you’re hoping it has built-in support, training, and all the other features you need to manage your property effectively and make money doing it.
Vacation rental software is the perfect solution to rent out your property while you are not using it. Best vacation rental software helps in taking care of entire home maintenance when the owners are away. The software also allows superintendents to view all the reports, check on the property, and send reminder messages regarding routine chores like changing air filters and top ups of all essential items to the tenant.
Adventure awaits and you want to be ready for it. Perhaps you’re planning a move, or are ready for your business to grow, or maybe you just want to bring some excitement back into your life. No matter what the reason for wanting to travel and explore new horizons, vacation rental software is a helpful tool to have at your side. There are plenty of ways to get it free, or buy it outright. We can help with that, but let’s start by talking about what the best vacation rental software program is.
The benefits of vacation rental software
- Streamlined invoicing and accounting: Vacation rental software seamlessly connects the invoicing process to the booking process, helping property owners get paid without hassle. For owners with multiple properties and lots of rental income, integrated accounting can help separate personal and business finances and keep track of tax information.
- Simplified booking and scheduling: The calendar system in your vacation rental software gives you and your renters an at-a-glance view of which days are available and which days are already booked and makes it easier to schedule maintenance and housekeeping staff.
- Online integration: Built-in website management and online connectivity allow owners to market their property, share their vacancy calendar with prospective renters, accept booking and payments, and sync with booking websites.
TurboTenant
TurboTenant’s pricing model puts all of its costs on the tenants, making it the best free option for landlords.Pros
- Free regardless of the number of units managed
- Great for DIY landlords
- 24/7 customer support through phone and online
Cons
- Tenants have to pay for it
- Limited advanced features
A lot of rental property management software platforms have free trial options, but often for only a limited number of units or a limited period of time. This is not the case with TurboTenant, which will remain 100% free no matter the number of units you manage. While many free rental property management software platforms leave a lot to be desired, TurboTenant is pretty straightforward to use with a simple interface and setup.
While TurboTenant is free for landlords, tenants pay a fee of $45 for application and screening, a credit card rent payment fee of 3.49%, and an optional renters insurance monthly fee starting as low as $8. Landlords can purchase a few optional services for a one-time fee, such as state-specific lease agreements for $29, an unlimited number of electronic signatures for $9, and 32 common landlord forms for $99.
TurboTenant has several features designed to facilitate tenant management for landlords, including managing applications and screening tenants online, creating dedicated listing pages, and sending bulk tenant messages from one inbox. By integrating with Craigslist, Meta, Realtor.com, Rent.com, Apartments.com, and other rental listing sites, landlords can advertise a vacant property with a single click across multiple platforms.
You can then screen tenants through TransUnion, send and sign all documents online via the platform, and send payment and maintenance requests online. Payments are made through ACH with no fees or by credit card for a 3.49% charge.
Although it’s a free, cloud-based platform, it has been featured and praised by Reuters, USA Today, and Forbes. Considering there are over 400,000 landlords using their software, the reliability and support provided by TurboTenant’s online tools have been proven and endorsed since their founding in 2015.
The company’s strong reputation has earned them three rounds of venture capital investment from four different firms, totaling $10 million.
Condo Control Central
Condo Control Central is a unified property management software for condominiums. It comes with a comprehensive set of features that go beyond screening applicants, preparing their leasing agreements, and processing their rent payments. The platform also comes with a task calendar that helps managers get a better view of their day-to-day responsibilities as well as a file library that makes it easier to store important leasing documents. Moreover, it facilitates interaction among the management, tenants, and other stakeholders through its built-in communication tools. In fact, it comes with proxy voting tools that let you achieve a quorum at important meetings such as passing a new bylaw and amending declarations.
Try out Condo Control with their free trialVISIT WEBSITEFREE TRIAL
Condo Control Central also has quite a few auxiliary functionalities that make it easy to aggregate all the possible situations you might encounter in handling a condominium. These tools include package tracking, amenity reservations, event management, and security checkpoint management. Lastly, in case you still feel that this platform has limited features, Condo Control Central is built to integrate with various third-party payment gateways, accounting systems, security systems, and other software.
Key Features of Condo Control Central
- It is designed to help you fully digitize your property management processes for condominiums.
- It supports multiple types of online payment methods which makes transactions more convenient.
- It is equipped with strong security features and consolidates your security logs, key records, parking permits, entry requests, and the like.
- It has a dedicated online portal where managers can communicate with tenants and other stakeholders.
- It comes with automated package processing for recipients residing in your condominium.
Lodgify
Based in Barcelona, Spain, Lodgify offers a beautiful property management system that’s user-friendly and functional. The multi-calendar works well for multiple units, and it’s easy to input reservations manually. The customer service team is always friendly and quick to respond (you can even take advantage of personalized onboarding support), and the company maintains a robust library of resources and blog articles.
Unique features: Lodgify’s website builder is one of the best in the market. The tool includes several templates so you can quickly drag and drop widgets and add your own custom text. You can even add videos, maps, and custom code.
Integrations: Lodgify connects directly to Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia for rate and availability synchronization. A direct Vrbo is also available if you manage at least 5 properties. For all other channels, Lodgify uses an iCal connection that syncs availability and reservations, but not rates. The system also has free integrations with Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Zapier, and PriceLabs. Some integrations, like Stripe, come with an additional monthly fee.
Pricing: After a 7-day free trial, Lodgify’s annual subscriptions for one property start at $12 per month with a 1.9% booking fee, or you can opt for the Professional version ($32 per month) which has no booking fee. For 25 properties, the Professional version costs $220 per month. Monthly subscriptions without an annual commitment cost slightly more.
Disadvantages: Lodgify’s automated messaging tool falls short; it does not allow for much customization, especially with trigger timing and contact assignments.
Bottom Line: Lodgify is an excellent choice for property managers who want a solid property management system and an eye-catching website without needing to hire a website designer. However, Lodgify doesn’t offer many integrations with third-party services, like keyless locks and dynamic pricing software (only with PriceLabs), so if you use many of these ancillary services, you may want to opt for a different system.
FantasticStay
FantasticStay recently acquired Vreasy, a popular short-term rental property management system, but luckily FantasticStay is retaining much of Vreasy’s functionality. The system offers the standard package of calendar management, booking management, and a channel manager, plus a website builder and automated messaging. The user experience is smooth, and the system has a clean, modern look.
Unique features: One of FantasticStay’s add-ons is a 24/7 guest response service, so your guests can receive quick responses to inquiries and messages even during the middle of the night or when you’re busy with other things. You can also purchase a revenue management add-on that provides pricing guidance and a customer support add-on that gives you phone support around the clock.
Integrations: Direct connections to Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com allow you to update rates and availability from FantasticStay rather than on each site individually. For all other sites, you can sync reservations and availability with an iCal connection. Through Vreasy, integrations to PriceLabs and Quickbooks are available.
Pricing: FantasticStay’s basic plan has no monthly subscription fee, just an 0.8% booking fee, for an unlimited number of listings. This plan does not include integrations or any add-ons, like customer support. Higher-tier plans include all integrations, no payment processing fees, and personalized support. The annual Pro plan costs $214 per year for 20-29 listings.
Disadvantages: FantasticStay does not offer a direct connection to Expedia (yet), and since the software was originally built for the European market, some tax settings may not work properly for other markets.
Bottom Line: FantasticStay is a fantastic choice for Europe-based property managers. It’s also great for property managers who want a low-cost, basic software to manage listings on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com with no additional integrations via the free plan.
Hostfully
In 2018 Hostfully acquired Orbirental, and today Hostfully’s property management system still looks and feels a lot like Orbirental. The system offers a multi-calendar, automated messaging, a booking engine, and channel management for Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, and Tripadvisor. Hostfully also connects to a couple other channel managers, like Rentals United and myBookingPal, which allows you to distribute rates and availability to additional sites.
Unique features: When many property management systems are shifting toward self-service customer support, Hostfully offers plenty of phone support. Even the most basic plan includes two setup calls with a support rep. Hostfully also offers its Digital Guidebooks feature, which is actually separate from the property management system. Even if you don’t use the property management system, you can still purchase a guidebook-only subscription.
Integrations: Hostfully has a huge “Integration Zone” which includes integrations with dozens of complementary systems. You can connect to dynamic pricing tools, home automation solutions, cleaning management systems, and even HelloSign for digital signatures.
Pricing: Hostfully offers three plans: 1-4 properties pay $79 per month, 5-19 properties pay $189 per month, and 20+ properties pay on a sliding scale depending on the number of listings. 50 listings cost $375 per month. Monthly subscriptions come with a $400 setup fee, but the fee is waived (and you get a small discount!) if you sign an annual contract.
Disadvantages: Some features, like automated text messaging and multiple user access, are not available for accounts with fewer than 5 properties. Hostfully itself doesn’t offer an Expedia connection, but you can connect to Expedia via an integrated channel manager like Rentals United.
Bottom Line: Hostfully is perfect for property owners or managers who want a little extra support in the setup process and on an ongoing basis. Though it’s slightly more expensive than other systems, there are no hidden fees or add-ons.
Hostaway
As noted front and center on their home page, Hostaway truly is an all-in-one vacation rental software offering not just the essential property management features to manage reservations and guests, but they also offer a massive library of integrations, communication tools, analytics, automation and so much more.
Unique features: This list could go on for a while because there are just so many. Features like detailed financial reporting, process automation, revenue management and cross listing optimization all highlight the depth of professionalism and polish to the Hostaway product suite.
Integrations: Like many top tech firms, Hostaway has an open API which means that developers can build right to their product which is a common best practice in the tech world and is typically a leading indicator that a company offers tons of valuable integrations and in Hostaway’s case this is absolutely true. Hostaway’s marketplace boasts integrations ranging from key distribution channels to payment processors all the way to advanced pricing optimization software so you can run your vacation rental with the sophistication of a major hotel chain.
Pricing: Plans start at $100/mo and vary based on which features you add on to your package as well as the scale of your operation.
Disadvantages: While depth of functionality and integrations are ideal for professional owners with multiple properties under management, many of Hostaway’s features may not be needed for a single unit owner partaking in the sharing economy.
Bottom Line: The Hostaway feature set, integrations marketplace and UX make it an outstanding SaaS solution for professional property managers with dozens or even hundreds of units under management empowering managers to run their operation with the sophistication of a major hotel company.
Typical features of vacation rental software
- Reservations management: Accept, create, and manage reservations. Sync reservations with a master calendar to prevent conflicting reservations.
- Contact management: Store and organize contact and guest information in a database. This feature works alongside guest communications and guest experience management to allow owners to communicate with their renters.
- Lead management: Store information about leads and contacts at different stages of the sales process. Lead management can also help owners track and recognize guest loyalty milestones.
- Marketing management: Market your vacation property online and offline—via print and promotional materials—and coordinate and analyze those activities.
- Housekeeping management: Schedule housekeeping and maintenance staff activities and sync with your master calendar. Keep track of issues with cleanliness or property maintenance that need to be addressed.
- Payment processing: Automate invoicing and accept payments from renters. Export transactions to your accounting software.
Conclusion
As a business owner, you understand how easy it is to forget the little things when managing a business. You could be so busy running your business that you forget these little or big things and before you know it, they become a huge problem.
Vacation rental software aims to help you make the business of renting your home more profitable and efficient. It is a way to automate simple tasks and processes that you need to do as an owner of a vacation rental home. With vacation rental software, you can save time, energy, and money with a fully integrated solution.