Tag
Tools
14 posts on the RentTools blog tagged Tools.
Security deposit for a direct booking: the hold, not the charge
A damage deposit on a direct booking isn't a charge — it's a Stripe pre-authorization hold. The 7-day window that eats it, the right amount, and the chargeback trap.
host-tipspricing
Short-term rental occupancy rate: the denominator that lies
Your occupancy rate moves 10 points depending on what you divide by. Here are the three numbers — gross, available, paid — and which one to actually chase.
pricinghost-tips
Weekend pricing premium math: what to charge for Friday and Saturday
How much more to charge for weekend nights — measuring your own demand premium from occupancy-by-day, a weekly revenue grid, three markets scored, and why a 2-night weekend minimum beats the premium itself.
pricinghost-tips
Break-even nightly rate: the floor where a booking starts losing money
Worked math for the nightly rate below which a short-term-rental booking loses money — the per-stay vs per-night cost split, the break-even formula, and three lowball requests scored.
pricinghost-tips
WiFi for vacation rentals: speed, router, and LTE failover
The Mbps number guests actually need, the router that doesn't crash by month four, and the 4G backup that turns three nights of outage into a non-event.
host-tipstools
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.
host-tipspricing
Dynamic pricing for short-term rentals: PriceLabs, Wheelhouse, Beyond
A worked comparison of PriceLabs, Wheelhouse, and Beyond Pricing for short-term rental hosts — fees, lift, break-even at 1, 3, and 8 listings, and the three settings that decide whether the tool earns its keep.
host-tipspricing
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.
host-tipstools
Noise monitoring for short-term rentals: Minut vs NoiseAware vs Roomonitor
A 12-month cost comparison of Minut, NoiseAware, and Roomonitor for short-term rental hosts — plus the threshold setting that decides whether you catch the party or annoy quiet guests.
host-tipstools
Linen inventory for short-term rentals: how many sets per listing
How many sheet sets and towel sets you actually need per short-term rental — the laundry-cycle math, the dryer bottleneck, and what new hosts always get wrong.
cleaninghost-tips
Wi-Fi setup for short-term rentals: speed, mesh, and guest-network math
How much Wi-Fi speed a short-term rental actually needs, when a single router beats mesh, and why a guest network is not optional in 2026 — with worked numbers and real hardware picks.
host-tipstools
Smart lock vs lockbox: 12-month cost math for short-term rental hosts
A worked spreadsheet comparing smart locks, lockboxes, and in-person check-in. Total cost over 12 months at 5, 10, and 20 stays per month — plus the failure modes nobody prices.
host-tipsautomation