The holiday season is a busy time of year, and managing your property will be more challenging than usual. You’ll have to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that all guests are satisfied with their stay.

The holiday rental business is growing at a rapid rate, but managing the process can be difficult. Here are some must-have technologies for managing your holiday rentals:

Create a Spreadsheet That Contains All Your Properties and Their Location

A simple spreadsheet with all your properties listed under different tabs is an ideal starting point. You can use this to quickly see how many properties you have, where they are located, and what dates they are available. As you add more properties, it will become easier to manage them with this spreadsheet.

Use Google Maps to Create a Map With All Properties Marked on It

Google Maps is a great tool for creating visual maps that show where each property is located. This makes it easy for guests to find your properties when they’re looking through listings online or while they’re out exploring the area. You can also use this map as part of your marketing efforts by displaying it on websites and social media accounts so people can see exactly where they’ll be staying if they book through you.

Use a CRM to Manage Your Guests and Bookings

A customer relationship management (CRM) system allows you to keep track of the people who book with you, as well as their preferences and needs. It also lets you create automated email campaigns for specific clients or groups of clients, so that you can communicate effectively with them throughout their stay.

Use an Online Calendar System to Manage Check-ins and Check-outs

You probably already use an online calendar system for work or personal use — but did you know that they make great booking tools too? Most online calendar apps allow users to manage multiple calendars at once, so they’re perfect for managing multiple properties at once.

Use an Inventory Management Tool to Keep Track of What’s in Your Property

An inventory management app lets you keep track of all the items in your properties — whether they’re furniture, appliances, or kitchen utensils — so that if anything goes missing (or is damaged), you know exactly which item was lost or broken and how much it costs to replace it. This will help you avoid disputes with guests over stolen items or damaged property.

Use Automated Payments

The easiest way to manage payments is to use a payment processor like Stripe or Paypal. You will receive notifications when someone has booked your property and be able to send invoices automatically. You can also set up automatic reviews so the guest doesn’t have to worry about them at all. This will make it easier for you too because when guests don’t leave reviews, AirBNB will stop sending bookings from that person. It’s important to keep track of who has reviewed and who hasn’t so that you can follow up with those guests if necessary

Automate Cleaning Services

If you’re managing multiple properties, you should consider hiring a cleaning service so that they can clean all your properties at once instead of making the same request over and over again. Make sure that the cleaning service is professional and uses eco-friendly products whenever possible (i.e., no harsh chemicals).

Get Smart Locks and Security Systems

Smart door locks and security systems can help you monitor your property while away from home. They can alert you if there’s an issue with the lock or security system so that you can fix it before someone breaks in or damages the property.

You may also be able to control these devices remotely through an app on your phone or tablet computer, allowing you to get notifications when a guest arrives at your home and unlocks the front door using their own key fob instead of having them buzzed in by someone at the office who doesn’t know them personally.

Hire a Holiday Property Manager

You won’t have enough free time to manage every aspect of your holiday rental business. It’s better to hire a holiday property manager who can take care of things like cleaning, maintenance, bookings, and guest relations.

Sum It Up!

It’s clear that being a host on Airbnb requires a lot of work and thoughtful preparation. Before you start accepting guests into your apartment or house, it’s important to consider how you’ll handle their needs, what types of tools you’ll need to succeed as a host, and how to make the process as easy and streamlined as possible.

Fortunately, there are plenty of technology solutions available to today’s AirBNB hosts—and I’ve highlighted some of my favorites here.