Updated July 2026.
Owning short-term rentals is rewarding, but the day-to-day (guest messages, calendars, pricing, cleaning) adds up fast. A short-term rental management company takes that operational load off your plate so your properties stay booked and well-run without consuming your week. The catch is that these companies differ enormously on price, on how much they do for you, and, crucially, on whether you keep ownership of your own listings and reviews.
This guide compares 13 of the best short-term rental management companies in 2026 across the things that actually change your decision: fee model, service scope, geographic coverage, and whether you keep control of your listings. We start with a side-by-side comparison table, then go deeper on each.
You will see this category called vacation rental management companies, short-term rental companies, or Airbnb management companies interchangeably; they all describe the same thing, and this guide covers both full-service and remote options.
Key takeaway
Full-service short-term rental management companies typically charge 20% to 30% of gross rental income (up to ~40% for luxury or prime-market properties), while remote or software-led models run closer to 10% to 20%, according to short-term rental data provider AirDNA. The right choice comes down to three questions: how much do you want handled for you, how much are you willing to pay for it, and do you need to keep ownership of your listings and reviews. If keeping your brand and reviews matters, favor a company that manages but does not own your listings.
Short-term rental management companies compared
The clearest way to choose is to see the main national options side by side. This table covers fee model, how much the company does for you, where it operates, whether you keep your listings, any upfront cost, and who each is best for.
| Company |
Fee model |
Service model |
Coverage |
Keep your listing? |
Upfront cost |
Best for |
| Jetstream |
Commission-only (no fee until you're booked) |
Remote full-management + tech |
Global (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, Tripadvisor) |
Yes (managed, not owned; white-label) |
None |
Owners who want to keep their brand and listings |
| Vacasa (now part of Casago) |
Not publicly listed (industry range 10%–50%) |
Full-service (boots on the ground) |
US + Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize |
No (listed under its brand) |
Not disclosed |
Hands-off owners in Vacasa/Casago markets |
| Evolve |
10% (Core) / 15% (Plus) / custom (Pro) |
Half-service (marketing + booking) |
US only |
No |
$250 onboarding (+$25/extra property) |
Budget-conscious US owners |
| VTrips |
Not publicly listed (quote only) |
Full-service (boots on the ground) |
10 US states (Southeast focus) |
No |
Not disclosed |
Owners in VTrips' US footprint |
| Casiola |
20% commission (no onboarding/hidden fees) |
Full-service (boots on the ground) |
Florida, Houston (TX), Aruba |
No |
None |
Owners in Florida, Houston, or Aruba wanting all-in-one |
Beyond these national options, there are strong state-specific short-term rental management companies (covered further down) that bring local regulatory know-how and in-person service in their regions.
What to look for in a short-term rental management company
A good management company maximizes your vacation rental income while cutting the hours you spend running your properties. Before you sign with one, weigh four factors.
Pricing model
Price matters, but it should not be the only factor: the cheapest option can cost you more in double bookings, cancellations, and bad reviews. If you cannot commit to a flat monthly fee on top of your mortgage, insurance, and cleaning costs, choose a company that charges a percentage of bookings so you only pay when you earn. As a benchmark, full-service management clusters at 20% to 30% of gross income, while remote and software-led models run 10% to 20%.
What your responsibilities will be
Some companies run everything end to end, including on-site jobs like maintenance; others handle only the remote work and leave the boots-on-the-ground tasks to you. Most cover channel management, dynamic pricing, guest communication, and keyless check-in; some add interior design, social media, or website creation. Confirm exactly which responsibilities you keep before signing.
Flexibility
Your package should let you keep some control over your property while delegating repetitive admin and tasks outside your skillset. A flexible contract is usually a more cost-efficient one.
Listing ownership
This is the factor most owners overlook. Many companies design, write, and promote your listings under their own branding. If you later switch, you lose the reviews, the Airbnb Superhost status, and any rankings you built, and you start over. A company that manages but does not own your listings lets you keep that equity. It is the clearest dividing line in the table above, and the reason it has its own column.
National short-term rental management companies
1. Jetstream
Jetstream is a hybrid short-term rental management company that handles the remote side of your business with technology plus a responsive team. It was created under the Leavetown umbrella and helps you boost bookings on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, and Tripadvisor.
Main features
- Shared-success model: no upfront costs, and Jetstream only gets paid when you do.
- 24/7 multilingual guest communication: the guest-facing team answers queries in 11 languages.
- You keep your listings: Jetstream manages but does not own your listings, so you keep full ownership of your OTA profiles and reviews and can leave whenever you want. White labeling means it works under your brand.
- Marketing and listing promotion: the marketing team optimizes your listings, creates promotional content, and helps you build a direct-booking site.
- Cleaning coordination: Jetstream uses Operto Teams to coordinate your cleaners and contractors with live calendar syncing.
Things to consider: Jetstream does not provide in-person services. Support is remote, so you will need your own cleaning and maintenance staff on-site, though Jetstream coordinates their schedules.
Pricing: commission-only, with zero upfront cost. You pay only once you get bookings.
2. Vacasa (now part of Casago)
Vacasa is a US-based full-service vacation rental company with its own booking engine. As of May 2025, Vacasa completed a merger with Casago and now operates as part of the combined company, per Casago. It focuses on the guest experience, offering interior-design advice and professional cleaning.
Main features
- Listing optimization: professional photography, 360-degree tours, and written property descriptions.
- Permits and regulations: Vacasa advises on and secures required operating permits in the markets it serves.
- Boots on the ground: its own cleaners, maintenance, and handymen handle in-person tasks.
- Interior design: optional advice on decor aligned to market trends.
Things to consider: Vacasa operates across the US plus Mexico, Costa Rica, and Belize, but coverage varies by market, so confirm your area against its current markets. It lists under its own brand, so you do not keep your listings or reviews if you switch. Some guests report inconsistent units and service.
Pricing: Vacasa does not publish a rate; management fees across the industry run roughly 10% to 50% depending on services and market, per Vacasa's own guidance.
3. Evolve
Evolve is a lighter, more flexible, and more affordable alternative to full-service managers, though it offers a narrower set of services.
Main features
- Tiered pricing: a Core plan at a 10% management fee, a Plus plan at 15%, and a custom Pro plan for larger portfolios, per Evolve.
- Six-month risk-free guarantee: a full refund of management fees paid in the first six months if you are unsatisfied.
- Damage protection: built-in coverage of $5,000 on Core and $10,000 on Plus and Pro, plus $1M liability insurance.
- Flexible: no limit on personal-use days.
Things to consider: you do not keep your listings, and Evolve operates in the US only. Evolve now charges a one-time $250 onboarding fee (plus $25 per additional property), so it is no longer a zero-upfront option. Some users report that its pricing and partner cleaning services do not always match market expectations.
Pricing: 10% (Core), 15% (Plus), or custom (Pro), with a $250 onboarding fee.
4. VTrips
VTrips is a full-service vacation rental management company with a large Southeast-US footprint. Its team tracks listing performance around the clock and adjusts nightly rates in real time while directing leads to book on its own site.
Main features
- Full-service: software-driven dynamic pricing and channel distribution plus a dedicated team for cleaning, technical, and maintenance work.
- Marketing: per-property marketing including social, email, SEO, and outbound.
- Direct bookings: marketing pushes travelers to book on the VTrips site to save on OTA fees.
Things to consider: VTrips manages properties in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, so it is regional, not nationwide. It publishes listings under its own brand, so you rebuild from scratch if you leave. Its portfolio was reported at 7,000+ properties as of a 2022 announcement.
Pricing: not published; available by quote only.
5. Casiola
Casiola is an all-in-one vacation rental management company that handles listings across channels, guest communication, and cleaning and maintenance.
Main features
- Easy setup: helps prepare and market your property, with optional interior design and professional photography.
- Listing optimization: experts write and optimize your listing to convert and rank on each OTA.
- Boots on the ground: its own cleaning and maintenance team keeps the property guest-ready.
Things to consider: Casiola operates mainly in Florida, plus Houston (Texas) and Aruba. It lists under its own brand, so you do not keep your reviews or market presence if you end the contract.
Pricing: a single, straightforward 20% commission with no onboarding charges or hidden fees, per Casiola.
State-specific short-term rental management companies
These regional companies bring local regulatory knowledge and in-person service in their markets: Cityami (New York, plus Miami, Washington D.C., Phoenix, Waikiki, and Belgrade), MyVRHost (New York plus West Coast markets), Venture Yours and Speed Keyz (California), Hoststarter and Goldnest (Texas), and Cleaning Collaborative and Home Share Managers (Massachusetts). Services and pricing vary; confirm coverage, fees, and listing ownership directly with each.
Self-serve, full-service, or hybrid: which model is best?
Self-managing an STR is time-consuming and error-prone at scale. Handing it to a full-service company buys back your time but often costs you your brand, because many advertise your listings under their own name. The dividing question is control: if you want to keep ownership of your listings, reviews, and pricing decisions, choose a company that manages but does not own them, like Jetstream. If you would rather be fully hands-off and your property sits in a full-service provider's market, a company like Vacasa (Casago) or a state-specific manager may fit better.
If you are weighing running distribution yourself against handing it to a partner, our guide to self-serve vs full-service channel management breaks down the trade-offs in detail.
Making the call
The best short-term rental management company is the one that matches how hands-on you want to be, what you are willing to pay, and how much you value keeping your own brand. Full-service managers cost more (20% to 30%) and often take over your listings; remote and hybrid models cost less (10% to 20%) and can leave ownership with you. Score each company in the table against those three axes and the right fit usually becomes clear.
Take the next step
If you want a management partner that grows your bookings while you keep full ownership of your listings and reviews, Jetstream distributes and markets your properties under your own brand, automates the day-to-day, and answers guests around the clock, on a commission-only model with no upfront cost. See how Jetstream's distribution works for your properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do short-term rental management companies charge?+
Most short-term rental management companies charge a percentage of your rental income. Full-service managers typically run 20% to 30% of gross income (up to about 40% for luxury or prime-market properties), while remote or software-led models run 10% to 20%, per AirDNA. A few charge flat monthly fees instead. Watch for extras like onboarding fees (for example, Evolve now charges a one-time $250 onboarding fee) that change the true cost.
What is the difference between full-service and remote (half-service) management?+
Full-service companies handle everything, including on-site work like cleaning and maintenance, usually at 20% to 30% of revenue. Remote or half-service companies handle the digital side (channel management, pricing, guest communication, marketing) at a lower 10% to 20%, while you arrange local cleaning and maintenance, often with the company coordinating those schedules. Full-service buys maximum convenience; remote keeps more of your revenue and, often, more control.
Do I keep ownership of my listings and reviews?+
It depends on the company. Many full-service managers list your property under their own brand, which means if you leave you lose the reviews, Superhost status, and rankings you built. Others, including Jetstream, manage your listings without owning them, so you keep your OTA profiles, reviews, and brand and can switch providers without starting over. If long-term control matters, confirm listing ownership before signing.
Should I use a property management company for my Airbnb?+
Using a property management company makes sense when time constraints make it hard to grow your STR yourself. Reaching and keeping Airbnb Superhost status requires responsive, around-the-clock guest communication, and a management company can automate guest messaging, dynamic pricing, and channel management so you get the benefits with far less hands-on work.
Which is the best short-term rental management company?+
There is no single best company for everyone. The best short-term rental management company depends on your market, how hands-on you want to be, and whether you need to keep your listings. Full-service options like Vacasa (Casago) suit fully hands-off owners in their markets; remote, ownership-preserving options like Jetstream suit owners who want to keep their brand and reviews while still offloading the day-to-day.
