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.
Direct booking website math: when escaping OTA commission pays off
A worked P&L on Airbnb's host cut vs a direct site's 3% Stripe fee — and the repeat-guest rate that decides whether your own booking page pays off.
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Digital guidebook for short-term rentals: Touch Stay vs Hostfully vs DIY PDF
A worked cost comparison of Touch Stay, Hostfully, and a free DIY PDF for short-term-rental hosts. Time-saved math, message-volume drop, and the per-listing breakeven.
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Cleaning schedule automation for short-term rental hosts
How short-term rental hosts can automate the cleaning schedule. Replace paper notebooks and shared Sheets with a cleaner-role workflow that actually scales.
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Setting buffer days right: stop back-to-back cleaning chaos
How to pick the right cleaning buffer days for short-term rentals. The revenue-vs-quality tradeoff, the math, and a per-property rule that scales.
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What to pay your short-term-rental cleaner: per-clean vs hourly
Per-clean, hourly, and monthly-retainer cleaner pay math for short-term rental hosts at 5, 10, and 20 stays a month — plus the contractor-classification trap.
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Channel manager break-even math: when paying $40 a month actually pays back
When does a paid channel manager pay for itself? Worked break-even math at 1, 3, 8, and 15 properties — plus the failure cost most hosts forget to price in.
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Booking.com Preferred Partner math: when the +2% commission pays back
Worked break-even on Booking.com's Preferred Partner badge — the +2% commission tax, the two-tier ladder, and why it only pays with empty nights to fill.
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Booking.com no-show fee math: what you actually recover when a guest never shows up
A worked playbook for Booking.com no-shows — the 48-hour reporting window, what the rate plan determines, the commission you still owe, and the chargeback rate that eats the rest.
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Booking.com Genius levels: when 10%, 15%, and 20% discounts pay back
Worked math on Booking.com's Genius 1, 2, and 3 tiers. The breakeven lift each tier needs, the visibility math behind the badge, and a per-listing rule.
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Avoiding double bookings: the only host cheat sheet you need
A cheat sheet for short-term rental hosts to prevent double bookings. Sync intervals, buffer days, manual-entry rules, and the 24-hour pre-arrival audit.
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Airbnb Superhost: the four thresholds and what the badge is worth
The four quarterly metrics that win the Superhost badge, the search-rank lift it actually gives you, and when chasing it stops being worth the response-rate cognitive load.
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Airbnb listing photo math: how many, in what order, and which one earns the click
The cover photo decides 70–80% of search-result clicks. Photos 2–7 decide saves. Above 25 photos, the curve goes flat. A worked 3-listing audit and the order to shoot in.
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