Must-Have Property Management Software Features To Get More Bookings on Airbnb & Vrbo

Whether you call it property management software, vacation rental management software, Airbnb management software or Vrbo management software, having the right tools to manage your vacation rental operations is essential to your short-term rental business’ success.

Choosing to not use such a software system usually means limiting yourself to a single booking channel or hiring people to manage the diversity of tasks that property management software will streamline, automate and optimize for you.

In this article, we look at the must-have features of vacation rental software if you are to enhance and grow your vacation rental business and get maximum value for the cost of your Airbnb management software.

10 Features Your Property Management Software Must Have

1. Reservation management

Efficient bookings management forms the backbone of any powerful property management software.

This feature centralizes booking management across OTAs like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and your direct booking website, ensuring smooth operations without the risk of double bookings.

A top-notch reservation management system will include a centralized calendar to keep track of all your reservations displaying the status of each booking, payments, etc. Also look for vacation rental property management features like the ability to upsell to guests and re-engage with previous guests with customized coupons and other offers so they keep coming back to you.

Key benefits

• Centralized booking overview

• Enhance upselling capabilities

• Improve guest retention

2. Channel management

Channel management is a must-have Airbnb property management feature. Gone are the days of paying separately for channel managers and property management tools. Channel managers now come included in any decent vacation rental software.

A robust channel management feature allows property managers to list and sync their properties across multiple platforms. It ensures that availability, pricing and property details remain consistent, reducing manual errors and increasing exposure to potential guests.

The ability to support multi-unit listings like hotels and hostels and combine multiple listings for big groups is also important if you operate or plan to operate such vacation rental properties.

Make sure your short-term rental software integrates with all the OTAs you want to list on, whether that is just Airbnb and Vrbo or a mix of large, small and niche platforms. All-in-one vacation rental software Hostaway, for example, has achieved the highest partnership status possible with all three major OTAs in the short-term rental space and also integrates with a host of other booking platforms.

Key benefits

• Increase listing visibility

• Eliminate risk of double bookings

• Improve conversion

3. Dynamic pricing

Pricing can make or break your booking success. 

Dynamic pricing tools analyze the supply and demand in your short-term rental market, competitor rates and seasonality to automatically adjust prices, ensuring your properties are always competitively priced without too much effort on your part.

Dynamic pricing as a property management software feature provides a convenient and optimal way to use this crucial tool. For instance, Hostaway’s in-built dynamic pricing feature provides an average 20%+ higher revenue per listing and can be easily switched on and off for chosen days so property managers only pay for the listings and periods they need the boost.

Key benefits

• Optimize occupancy

• Adapt to local market trends quickly

• Boost revenue

4. Marketplace for integrations

A feature-rich marketplace is vital for property managers seeking flexibility and scalability. In fact, 60% of vacation rental managers consider platform integration essential.

Leading Airbnb and Vrbo management platforms offer a marketplace with a wide range of integrations, from insurance providers and guest screening tools to cleaning services, payment gateways and more.

This allows property managers to expand their toolsets easily and customize their tech stack to meet specific business needs as they grow, adapt and evolve.

Key benefits

• Access to diverse tools

• Streamline expansion

• Enhance operational flexibility

5. Guest experience features

Providing an outstanding guest experience is key to ensuring the success of your vacation rental business. It ensures your listing attracts positive reviews, higher search rankings on respective OTAs and drives more bookings. It also allows you to command higher rates.

Airbnb and Vrbo management software features that enable an exceptional guest experience include smart locks for self-check-in, automated messages and responses throughout the guest journey and a guest portal for upselling and a personalized guest experience.

Key benefits

• Improved guest satisfaction

• Score higher reviews

• Increases repeat bookings

  

6. Owner management

For property managers with one or multiple owners, robust owner management features are essential.

A dedicated owner portal that provides short-term rental homeowners with real-time insights into performance metrics, booking details, etc is a vital vacation rental software feature. This transparency builds trust and improves owner satisfaction.

Key benefits

• Increase transparency

• Prevent misunderstandings

• Improve owner relationships

7. Housekeeping & maintenance management

Housekeeping and maintenance are critical aspects of running a successful vacation rental business. An unmade bed or a fuse that blows while a guest is in residence leads to bad reviews and cascading negative effects. An integrated management system helps property managers schedule cleaning, track maintenance issues and ensure that properties are guest-ready at all times.

Manual and automated task creation based on reservations and subsequent changes together with calendar accessibility and triggered notifications for cleaning and maintenance tasks are important property management software features.

Key benefits

• Improved property quality

• Faster turnovers

• Reduced manual workload

  

8. Analytics & financial reporting

Accurate financial reporting is critical for maintaining profitability and transparency with property owners.

A high-quality property management software should be able to generate customizable reports for key performance indicators like occupancy as well as automate statements sent out to owners so they have a clear understanding of their property’s performance, revenue and expenses. The ability to keep track of expenses is another important Airbnb management software feature.

Key benefits

• Enhanced financial oversight

• Reduced administrative workload

• Improved financial analysis and insights

9. Direct booking website

Property management software must include robust direct booking features, bringing in bookings without commissions and building a strong online brand presence that is within the control of the property manager and not an OTA.

A direct booking engine that integrates into the channel and reservations managers, website builder and payment gateway integrations are must-have vacation rental software management features. Integration with Google Vacation Rentals is also important as it can help drive bookings to your website for zero commission.

Key benefits

• Increase revenue

• Enhance brand control

• Improve guest loyalty

10. Mobile app accessibility

We demand mobile app accessibility from almost any software system and vacation rental software is no exception.

A mobile app is an essential Airbnb and Vrbo management software feature, allowing property managers to manage their multiple listings, bookings and guests on the go.

A property management software with a mobile app allows for real-time booking management, guest communication and task scheduling, ensuring short-term rental managers are never out of touch with their operations.

Key benefits

• Increase flexibility

• On-the-go management

• Enhance productivity

Choosing the Right Property Management Software

The right property management software is more than just a tool — it’s a strategic partner in scaling your vacation rental business. 

By automating daily operations, delivering an exceptional guest experience and maximizing revenue through smart features, the right vacation rental software empowers you to stay ahead of the competition. Whether you're managing a single property or a diverse portfolio, investing in an all-in-one software like Hostaway is your ticket to thriving on Airbnb, Vrbo and beyond