Vacation rental maintenance and housekeeping is not only a huge operational overhead, it also takes lots of time to manage.
First, there’s regular cleaning. On top of that, you have plumbing, security systems, electronic appliances, fire alarms, heating, air conditioning and more, which all have to be kept in good condition. Swimming pools, gardens, and other amenities need even more care.
With so many tasks to take care of and plenty that can go wrong, it’s no wonder property managers turn to vacation rental maintenance tools to ease their workload.
Read on to find out about the best vacation rental housekeeping tools, and how they can help you simplify your day-to-day operations.
Do you need a tool for housekeeping and maintenance management?
There are lots of good reasons to invest in software to help you with property maintenance and housekeeping.
With the help of technology, you can:
- Schedule regular maintenance to avoid costly damage.
- Resolve urgent problems like leaks and breakages quickly, so you won’t ruin your guest’s stay.
- Save time by making it easier to manage maintenance across all your properties.
- Save money on call-out costs.
- Hire trusted professionals to work in your property.
- Ensure you comply with local laws and regulations.
- Earn more great reviews and bookings, thanks to your well-kept property.
Every tool offers something different. You might want to try out a couple of options before you decide what will work best for your business.
Top vacation rental maintenance and housekeeping tools
If you’re a property manager looking to invest in housekeeping and maintenance management, there are lots of tools that can help you. Here are our top 5 recommendations:
1. Mendbnb
Imagine if you could have unlimited access to maintenance professionals whenever you needed them, with no call-out fees.
That’s exactly what Mendbnb does.
For a monthly fee, property managers will have unlimited call-outs to fix anything from damaged furniture to leaky taps and broken heating and air conditioning systems.
When you sign up for the platform, you’ll no longer have to worry about hunting around for a reputable company to come and fix the issue. Mendbnb works only with trusted, qualified professionals. They can provide both preventative and corrective maintenance, as well as 24/7 emergency repairs.
Whenever something breaks, you’ll have access to Mendbnb’s network of reliable plumbers, electricians, and other tradespeople at competitive rates.
If you have an Amazon Alexa in your property, guests can report any problem with the property immediately. With Mend Smart Support, they just have to tell Alexa about the problem, and it will be logged immediately with Mendbnb.
The tool also provides a property cataloging service that lets you take photos and records of all your appliances. This is useful if you ever need to make a claim on your insurance in the case of a fire or other disaster.
There’s a variety of property upgrades you can purchase through the platform, including air purification systems, video doorbells, smart lighting, keyless entry, landscaping services, and more.
Pricing: Starts from $7 per reservation.
Mendbnb is available in US markets including Nashville TN, Atlanta GA and Palm Springs CA.
Find out more about Mendbnb in the latest episode of VRTECH Spotlight:
2. VRScheduler
VRScheduler is an organisation system that’s tailor-made for property managers. It’s ideal for coordinating maintenance across a large portfolio, and the platform offers a variety of features.
You can use the master calendar to organise tasks and employees and track ongoing issues.
VRScheduler helps you save time on task management. You can automate task creation by setting up rules. For example:
- For properties that have a pool, you can automatically schedule pool cleaning and safety checks at regular intervals.
- Schedule pre-arrival cleaning when a property has been vacant for more than a few days.
- Set up twice-yearly deep cleans and inspections.
The platform also provides a central place to store all information that staff may need. All problems can be stored and tracked in one location. This means you always know where to look for an update about maintenance, property damage, and even lost and found items.
Property managers can rest assured that nothing will get missed. You can coordinate the cleaning and maintenance of multiple properties all in one place, and you’ll have visibility into the status of their properties and the ability to view all the information you need from one dashboard.
The software integrates with PMS and booking platforms to ensure your information will always be up to date and accurate.
Staff can also get certified through VRScheduler’s partnership with Trust-d.AI.
Pricing: VRScheduler offers unlimited users and tasks for $3 a month per property, with a minimum of $45. You also get a free 14-day trial and free onboarding session. If you sign up for an annual plan, you’ll get 2 months free.
VRScheduler is available worldwide.
3. FixFlo
A web-based solution for maintenance and repairs, FixFlo helps property managers run their business more efficiently and provide better experiences for guests. Though the platform is aimed at residential property managers, it can work well for short-term rental hosts as well.
Occupants can report repairs through an online, white-label portal which is available in more than 40 languages.
Property managers can access a dashboard to track all on-going works and receive alerts about any outstanding tasks.
There’s also an automation tool that lets you save time on repetitive tasks. Using an “If this, then that” format, you can set up rules. So you could use it for scheduling your vacation rental cleaning or to automatically assign contractors based on the type of repair needed.
You can also set up alerts and schedule recurring tasks so that you never let maintenance tasks go overdue.
Fixflo provides emergency repair services and contractors on-demand through their integration with Axa’s Home Emergency Services.
Since the software integrates with over 40 property management solutions, you’ll have a central hub to store all knowledge regarding the maintenance of your properties.
Pricing: From £0.35 per managed property per month, plus a £50 software fee per month
Fixflo is available worldwide and currently operates across 14 time zones.
4. My Home Services
My Home Services offers customisable home maintenance services from trustworthy professionals. They mostly cater to private homeowners and small Airbnb hosts.
You can create a unique plan to include all your rental maintenance requirements. Then, a team of trained and trusted experts will take care of regular property maintenance.
The company can manage everything from house cleaning, window cleaning, lawn and garden care, indoor plant maintenance, pool maintenance, as well as home checks, bin service and key hold.
For vacation rentals, they can assist with check-in and even make sure that guests receive the perfect welcome when they arrive at your property by setting the right temperature and stocking the fridge.
My Home Services makes it easy to keep your property well-maintained. You can use their tailor-made services to take care of weekly, fortnightly, or monthly maintenance needs.
Thanks to their 24/7 customer service, the team is always available to answer questions and help you deal with regular upkeep as well as urgent issues.
Pricing: Contact My Home Services directly to get a custom quote.
My Home Services is available across Australia in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, ACT, Darwin and Tasmania.
5. EZCare
EZCare helps vacation rental property managers organise housekeeping, inspection and general property maintenance.
They aim to modernise and streamline back-office operations for both short- and long-term rentals, saving property managers time and money.
The tool provides end-to-end automation for everything from maintenance to invoicing. You can instantly report issues, schedule repairs, and create invoices, all in one place.
You’ll save time on day-to-day scheduling with automated task assignments, workload management, and issue reporting.
Some more of the tool’s notable features include job scheduling and tracking, issue reporting, inventory tracking, an app for field staff which includes messaging, invoicing, and payments. You’re also able to create workflows to connect services such as cleaning, inspection, and maintenance.
Pricing: Contact EZCare for a product demo and ask about pricing.
EZCare is available worldwide.
Save time and money with vacation rental maintenance tools
Short-term rental managers can make their lives easier by introducing technology to handle property maintenance.
Tools can make it easier to schedule repairs and cleaning, and keep track of maintenance across a large portfolio. Plus, you will save money and hassle by having access to trusted professionals at competitive rates.
Become a member of the VRTECH community to learn more about tools and technology for the short-term rentals industry.