Is your property impacting your profits? Here are the 12 Silent Killers for Property Managers (with Your Ultimate Fixes)
Beyond the daily grind, uncover the hidden difficulties that steal your time and money, and learn professional tactics for turning every rental into a success story.
Do you ever look at your booking calendar, excited to welcome guests who are new, only to be met with a late-night query or an unpleasant surprise? You are not alone. Making money from short-term rentals may appear to be simple, but there are often numerous hidden issues. Being an Airbnb host is never boring, from battling dust to dealing with misplaced bookings.
What if these “problems” are actually opportunities to make things better? We’ve identified the 12 most prevalent challenges for rental owners. More significantly, we’ve devised a clear strategy to transform your difficult labor into a streamlined procedure. Prepare to end the headaches and start making more money.
Table of contents:
- The Endless Dirt: Cleaning Issues
- Running Low: Maintaining Stocks
- The Price Dilemma: Increasing Reservations and Revenue
- The Legal Maze: Adhering to Regulations
- Why Aren’t People Booking? Fixing Your Listing
- Should You Advertise Somewhere Other Than Airbnb?
- The Cleaning Team Issue: Locating Reputable Cleaners
- The Changing Regulations: Staying Updated
- Always on Call: Managing Guest Messages
- Guests Cancelling: Handling Cancelled Reservations
- Double Bookings: Preventing Overlapping Reservations
- Outrageous Fees: Reducing Reservation Costs
1. The Endless Dirt: Cleaning Issues
Cleaning requires more than simply wiping things down. It is essential for satisfied customers and positive feedback. If you make a mistake here, it might harm your good name.
- Your go-to: Clean linens are ready. Stop rushing! Always have a large stack of clean linens and towels handy. This reduces turnover time, eliminates stress, and provides each new guest with a clean, welcoming bed.
- Keep It Simple. Less is definitely more. Avoid having too many decorations. Fewer items require less dusting and wiping, and there is less possibility of guests moving or breaking things. A clean, uncomplicated space feels more elegant.
- A lockable spot for goods. Keep a lockable cabinet or closet in your rental specifically for cleaning goods. This means your cleaners (or you!) can readily grasp what they need, allowing them to clean more quickly and effectively.
- Look everywhere. Don’t only clean the obvious stains. Always examine any empty drawers, under beds, and on closet shelves. Guests frequently leave minor items behind, which might pose problems if not found.
- Wash everything, every time. This includes the bedding. They may appear clean, but they still smell like previous guests. To keep your mattresses clean and fresh, wash all bedding, including blankets, after every single guest. This will improve your reviews.
2. Running Low: Maintaining Stocks
During a guest’s stay, running out of fresh towels or toilet paper is a surefire way to receive a negative review. It is essential to always have supplies on hand.
- Your Fix: The “Never Empty” Plan. Keep track of your usage with a straightforward system. Purchase everyday items in quantity, such as toilet paper, soaps, and mini-shampoos. Time and money are saved in this way. Remind yourself to buy more of each item at specific times.
3. The Price Dilemma: Increasing Reservations and Revenue
If you set your prices too high, no one will book. If you set the price too low, you will lose money. You can maximize your earnings by determining the “just right” price.
- Your Fix: Savvy Pricing Tools. Manually determining prices is a losing strategy. Employ clever pricing strategies (many use Airbnb) that adjust rates according to the season, nearby events, the number of reservations, rival rates, and even the day of the week. By converting idle nights into scheduled ones, this helps you stay profitable and competitive during peak hours.
4. The Legal Maze: Adhering to Regulations
Local short-term rental laws can result in significant fines and are like a bewildering maze that is constantly changing. Don’t disregard them.
- Your Fix: Get Legal Help & Learn the Rules. This is crucial. In the area where your property is located, you must study and keep track of EVERY local law, rule, and tax. Regulations might change quickly; for instance, new annual fees in some places can exceed $900! Utilize resources that assist you with the regulations, but for true peace of mind, speak with a lawyer knowledgeable with short-term rental laws. Adhering to the regulations keeps you out of problems and safeguards your company.
5. Why Aren’t People Booking? Fixing Your Listing
Your internet store is similar to your listing. People will simply browse past your location if it’s not good.
- Your Fix: Enhance Your Listing! Booking websites are fierce rivals.
- Excellent Images: Invest in expert photography. Effective images have a significant impact on people’s decision to click and make a reservation.
- List Everything: Enumerate everything your location has to offer, even the little things.
- Write a detailed and lucid description that narrates a tale and illustrates what it’s like to stay there.
- Host Story: Give a brief introduction. Visitors are curious about the identity of their host.
- Achieve 5-Star Reviews: Ensure that visitors have a wonderful time so they write positive reviews. Positive ratings improve the appearance and ranking of your listing.
- Listing Checkers: Make use of programs (such as “Check My Listing for Airbnb” or a comparable program) that examine your listing, rate certain aspects of it, and provide you with suggestions for improving it.
6. Should You Advertise Somewhere Other Than Airbnb?
If you just list on major websites like Airbnb, are you losing out on revenue?
- Your Fix: Launch Your Own Booking Website. You should!
- Large websites attract a lot of visitors, but they also keep a portion of your sales.
- Having your own website where visitors can make direct reservations is a wise step. In this manner, you retain all of the revenue from those reservations.
- Additionally, it enhances your brand and encourages repeat business from clients.
- Consider it a means of obtaining more reservations rather than a substitute for the major websites.
7. The Cleaning Team Issue: Locating Reputable Cleaners
Your company’s success depends on having quality cleaners. Poor cleaners can result in dreadful reviews and last-minute scrambling.
- Your Fix: Find and Keep the Best Cleaners.
- Get recommendations for quality cleaners from other hosts in your neighborhood.
- Be explicit with them about the level of cleanliness you require, the speed at which they must complete the job, and the amount you are willing to pay.
- Have them perform a test clean, perhaps.
- Having one or two backup cleaners on hand is also a good idea.
- Your cleaners are really important, so treat them with respect.
8. The Changing Regulations: Remaining Current
Short-term rental laws are constantly evolving. It can seem like a full-time job to keep up.
- Your Fix: Continue to Learn & Seek Legal Assistance.
- This relates to item #4.
- You should frequently visit local government websites, join local rental associations, and read legal news.
- Recognize how local regulations regarding zones, the number of guests that can stay, and licenses impact your company.
- You can avoid significant fines or possibly losing your rental business by giving a lawyer a simple call. For instance, certain locations may impose additional annual fees; are you aware of all the changes in your community?
9. Always on Call: An Excessive Number of Guest Messages
Regardless of the time of day, guests want prompt responses. It can be excessive to respond to communications for numerous properties and platforms.
- Your Fix: Make Use of Intelligent Message Tools.
- Auto-Messages: Send messages automatically, such as welcome notes, check-out reminders, and check-in instructions, by using Airbnb’s capabilities.
- Quick Responses: Make an effort to respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. More than half of booking requests are granted within an hour, even though Airbnb provides you 24 hours. Quick responses result in more reservations!
- Use a system that consolidates all of your visitor communications from several websites into a single inbox.
- Make it clear in your ad and welcome guide how and when guests can contact you in case of an emergency.
10. Guests Cancelling: Handling Cancelled Reservations
It’s normal for guests to cancel, but it doesn’t have to destroy your revenue.
- Your Fix: Appropriate Cancellation Procedures & Contingency Plans.
- Smart Rules: Select a cancellation policy that is both economical and considerate of visitors.
- In lieu of a complete “no refund,” provide options for last-minute cancellations, such as a date adjustment or a discount on a subsequent stay. This can keep visitors satisfied and save some money.
- List Everywhere: In order to obtain a new booking as soon as possible, promptly update your calendar on each of your listing websites in the event that a booking cancels.
- Call Past Guests: Get in touch with pleased previous guests who might like to make another reservation if a suitable date becomes available.
11. Double Bookings: The Worst Horror for a Host
Telling a guest that their reservation has already been taken is one of the worst things that can happen. This poses a serious threat to your reputation.
- Your Fix: Use a Calendar Sync Tool.
- Attempting to manually manage calendars across various websites is a surefire way to find up in trouble.
- Using a channel manager or a complete property management system is the only surefire way to avoid this.
- Your booking calendars are instantly linked across all listing sites via these tools. All of the other sites are immediately updated if one receives a reservation.
- Your best line of defense against the embarrassment and financial loss of multiple bookings is this clever technique.
12. Outrageous Fees: Overpaying Reservation Websites
Large booking websites increase your guest count, yet their exorbitant fees reduce your earnings.
- Your Fix: Get More Direct Bookings.
- Having your own website for direct bookings is crucial, as we discussed in point #6.
- By doing this, you can avoid those irksome fees and acquire bookings where you keep all of the money.
- Make sure your guests had a great time so they want to make their next reservation directly with you.
- It’s the best strategy to increase your total revenue and establish a profitable rental business.
Each of these challenges might seem small on their own, but together they can have a significant impact on your rental’s performance and profitability. The key to long-term success isn’t about avoiding problems—it’s about proactively solving them with smart strategies, reliable tools, and a clear plan.
By taking these lessons to heart and continuously refining your approach, you’re not just running a short-term rental—you’re building a lasting, profitable enterprise. The real difference lies in your willingness to adapt, grow, and always strive for excellence.
Conclusion
Managing a short-term rental is more than just hosting—it’s about identifying and solving the hidden challenges that can quietly harm your success. From keeping your space spotless to setting the right price, every detail matters.
When you address these issues head-on with the right tools and strategies, you not only improve the guest experience but also create a more profitable and sustainable business. Diversifying your platforms, staying compliant with evolving regulations, and learning tax-saving strategies like cost segregation can turn potential setbacks into opportunities.
Whether you’re running your rental solo or working with a team, success comes from planning, adapting, and continuously improving. By focusing on these key areas, you’ll not only increase your profits but also build a rental business that stands out in a competitive market.
