How to manage multiple vacation rental properties

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Many homeowners can manage one vacation home. It’s not easy, but with plenty of time, attention, and resources, it can be done. However, things may start to get complicated when you have multiple vacation rentals to look after. More rental properties means more of everything that comes with it—good and bad. More reservations and rental income, yes. But, also more guests, listings, service requests, and maintenance.

If you’ve invested in multiple vacation rentals, it’s best to have strategies in place to help you manage it all with ease. Here’s where to start.

clean living room with white couches, an area rug, and a fireplace

1. Get organized (and stay that way)

Let’s be frank—you can’t afford to be disorganized with multiple vacation rentals. From hiring (and managing) housekeepers to overseeing all your booking channels (like Airbnb and Vrbo), expect a fair amount of work from just one vacation home. With several properties, that work multiplies. Keeping the mountain of details straight is essential to the health of your business.

Follow a master calendar (or invest in a channel management software) that includes all reservations, maintenance visits, and more. Most importantly, create a filing system that works for you—whether you organize all your details by property or by month—and stick to it. Staying organized is the best way to keep your business on track and forging forward.

2. Stick to consistent systems

When juggling multiple investment properties in your portfolio, it’s easy to waste time jumping from one task to another. Streamline your workload by creating efficient systems once, then just press repeat. For instance:

While your homes may be vastly different, you need consistency in marketing, cleaning, paying the necessary taxes, and more. Staying consistent will reap benefits like less confusion and more profitability.

Modern vacation rental management.

Your home is a success waiting to happen. We'll show you how.

3. Schedule regular vacation rental maintenance

When needing to keep multiple properties in prime condition, the key is prevention. Start off by doing a thorough inspection of all your vacation rentals. Look out for any minor issues that could become major headaches later on—mold on the rooftops, tree branches edging too close to your windows, plumbing issues—then hire the proper professionals to take care of it.

Afterward, be proactive and perform routine checks and maintenance. It’s the best way to get ahead of any potential issues at your properties. Keep a master calendar with reminder dates for certain maintenance tasks, such as trimming trees and bushes, maintaining the caulk on your windows, and cleaning out the gutters. At Vacasa, we perform maintenance checks on our homes, in addition to preparing homes in certain markets for seasonal conditions.

4. Invest in smart home technology

Today, you can easily control many aspects of your homes from your phone—helping to automate tasks that keep guests comfortable and all your real estate investments safe. Plus, installing smart home technology is a great time-saver, allowing you to manage multiple properties from a distance. Some devices to consider:

  • Smart locks in lieu of exchanging keys (Vacasa offers a smart lock program to our homeowners)
  • Smart thermostats to control the temperature
  • Smart lights that switch off once guests leave
  • A noise monitoring device to alert you to sustained high volumes (signs of a possible party)
  • Programmable water heaters
  • Water-sensing leak detectors
  • Smart window shades

5. Get good at screening guests

While most travelers treat vacation rentals respectfully, risky guests do exist—and they could potentially damage any of your rentals and prompt neighbors to complain. And, the more properties you have, the bigger the potential for problematic bookings.

Whether you have one vacation rental or 10, you are the main safeguard against risk. Some scenarios that screening can prevent:

  • Parties: Screening can help identify guests with a higher likelihood of throwing a party, such as someone underage or a local who wants to book one night.
  • Fraudulent bookings: Stolen IDs and credit cards are a reality. Thorough guest screening can prompt guests to confirm their identities and help you accept only legitimate bookings.
  • Criminal activity: Screening guests (and checking their rental history on whatever site the booking is coming from) can help make sure they are who they say they are and block any criminal activity taking place at your vacation home.

When you hire Vacasa to manage your vacation rental, we help safeguard your home with automated and manual guest screening.

outdoor patio of vacation rental with firepit, gas grill, and ample seating

6. Assemble your own team of pros to help you

Our team manages tens of thousands of vacation rentals across North America, Costa Rica, and Belize. We’ll be the first to tell you—running several vacation rentals is too massive of a job for one person.

Hiring the right people is the best way to take care of your property, your guests, and your bottom line. Find vendors you can trust in all aspects of running your vacation rentals, then keep them on speed dial. Some to consider:

  • Channel manager
  • Housekeeper
  • Local assistant (to handle guest requests and act as an emergency contact)
  • Pricing analyst (to help you set the right rates at the right time)
  • Marketing assistant (to help with email marketing, SEO, social media marketing, responding to reviews, and writing marketing materials)
  • Photographer
  • Electrician
  • Pool and hot tub technician
  • Repair person
  • Gardener
  • Plumber
  • HVAC technician
  • Lawyer
  • Accountant

7. Turn to a full-service vacation rental company to manage all your properties

Homeowners who manage just one vacation home can attest—the work never ends. There are always guests to assist, rooms to clean, repairs to handle, reviews to respond to, rates to adjust, marketing to keep up with, and so much more. The smartest solution when you have multiple vacation rentals? Working with vacation rental experts to make it all happen.

Full-service vacation rental managers—such as Vacasa—will handle it all, while also maximizing your bookings and rental income. Hiring a management company means paying a fee, but they’ll keep your vacation rental business streamlined and running smoothly. The results—repeat guests and flourishing revenue.




Owning multiple vacation rental properties can be both exciting and lucrative. You can host more guests and enjoy multiple income streams. However, the day-to-day tasks of juggling multiple homes can get complicated—leading to double bookings, missed opportunities, and wasted time and money. Follow these tips to stay on top of all the details and keep your success on track.

high ceilings and open layout of hawaii vacation rental

Vacation rental management FAQ

For some homeowners, it can be extremely rewarding to manage your vacation rental on your own.

Choose to self-manage if you:

  • Like building rapport with guests and interacting with them in person.
  • Have the flexibility and time (and live close enough) to provide 24/7 guest service.
  • Want to source and supervise vendors for housekeeping, maintenance, repairs, and more.
  • Are a marketing enthusiast and can simultaneously market your vacation home using multiple methods, including email marketing, SEO, and channel marketing.
  • Are able to continuously follow market conditions so you can set the optimal rates every night.

Another option: Turn to a full-service vacation rental management company that runs your vacation rental for you—like Vacasa. We handle marketing, rate setting, cleaning, 24/7 guest service, coordinating maintenance and repairs, and so much more.

The cost for vacation rental property management can vary. Companies can charge flat rates or management fees that range from 10% to 50%—all depending on the services they offer, your location, your type of home, and other factors. Some management companies also charge extra fees for services such as cleaning, marketing, and maintenance.

At Vacasa, a full-service vacation rental property management company, homeowners pay us a straightforward fee that covers all the essentials and is tailored specifically for their property. In return, we deliver an abundance of services and benefits. These include rate setting, channel management, cleaning, and 24/7 on-the-ground support.

Vacation rental property managers take care of everything and (mostly) anything required to keep your home thriving and your guests’ stays running smoothly. This includes:

  • Marketing your home to get exposure
  • Managing multiple booking calendars
  • Screening guests
  • Taking care of guests during their stay
  • Stocking essential guest amenities
  • Thoroughly cleaning after every stay
  • Conducting regular maintenance and coordinating repairs
  • Helping with taxes and permits

See everything Vacasa handles for you >

You can connect with a Vacasa property management team member by calling 888-711-0781 or providing your contact information via our Connect form.

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California licenses
Vacasa Seasonals Inc.
California DRE #02160171


Vacation Palm Springs Real Estate, Inc.
California DRE #01523013

Vacasa offers property management and other real estate services directly through Vacasa LLC and through Vacasa LLC's licensed subsidiaries. Click here for more information about Vacasa's licensed real estate brokerage/property manager in your state. Vacasa’s licensed real estate brokerages/property managers include: Vacasa Alabama LLC; Vacasa Arizona LLC; Vacasa of Arkansas LLC; Vacasa Colorado LLC (Micah Victory); Vacasa Delaware LLC, 302-541-8999; Vacasa Florida LLC; Vacasa Illinois LLC 481.014072, Micah Victory Managing Broker Lic# 471.021837; Vacasa Louisiana LLC, Dana MacCord, Principal Broker, ph 504.252.0155 (Licensed in LA); Vacasa Michigan LLC, 602-330-9934; Vacasa Missouri LLC, Vicki Lyn Brown, Designated Broker; Vacasa Nevada LLC; Vacasa New Hampshire LLC,45 NH-25, Meredith, NH 03253, Susan Scanlon, Broker of Record; Vacasa Minnesota, Broker: Micah Victory, license #40877637; Vacasa New Mexico LLC, 503-345-9399; Vacasa New York LLC, 888-433-0068, Susan Scanlon, Real Estate Broker; Vacasa North Carolina LLC; Vacasa Oregon LLC; Vacasa Pennsylvania LLC; Vacation Palm Springs Real Estate, Inc., California DRE #01523013, Mark Graham, California DRE #00700720; Vacasa Real Estate LLC (licensed in Texas, Debra Brock, Designated Broker); Vacasa Real Estate LLC (licensed in Washington, Robert Brush, Designated Broker); Vacasa Seasonals Inc., California DRE #02160171, Lisa Renee Stevens, California DRE #01485234; Vacasa South Carolina LLC; Vacasa South Dakota LLC; Vacasa Tennessee LLC; Vacasa Vacation Rentals of Hawaii LLC, 69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr. Ste. #2F17, Waikoloa, HI 96738; Vacasa Vacation Rentals of Montana LLC, Terah M. Young, Licensed Property Manager; Vacasa Virginia LLC; Vacasa Wisconsin LLC; Vacasa Wyoming LLC. In Canada, this advertisement is provided by Vacasa Canada ULC, CPBC lic. number 75826, 172 Asher Rd. V1X 3H6 Kelowna, BC.