Automations That Will Save Your Summer: Messaging, Check-Ins, Cleaning Teams, and More

Summer is the busiest season for vacation rentals—and it’s also when the pressure is highest for property managers. From back-to-back bookings and nonstop guest communication to coordinating cleaning crews and handling last-minute maintenance issues, it can feel like a never-ending juggling act.

The solution? Automations.

Why Automations Are Essential for Vacation Rental Success This Summer

Summer is the peak season for short-term rentals, which means more bookings, more communication, and more operational stress. Property managers are expected to deliver a flawless experience, often with limited staff and tight timelines. That’s why implementing automation in your vacation rental business is no longer optional—it’s essential.

By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, you can reduce errors, minimize manual work, and deliver a more consistent guest experience across all your properties.

The challenges of summer peak season

During summer, many property managers face back-to-back reservations, last-minute inquiries, and increased maintenance demands. With guests arriving and departing every few days, the risk of burnout and operational mistakes increases.

You may find yourself constantly answering the same questions, chasing cleaning crews, or dealing with overlapping bookings. Without a streamlined system, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

How automation reduces stress and errors

Automation acts as your digital assistant—working 24/7 to send messages, assign tasks, manage schedules, and sync calendars. It reduces the chances of double bookings, missed cleanings, and miscommunications.

Instead of manually confirming check-in details or reminding your cleaner of every turnover, you can set up automated workflows that do it for you—accurately and instantly. The result? Fewer headaches, happier guests, and more time to focus on growing your business.

Top Automations Every Property Manager Needs

Adopting automation doesn’t mean sacrificing personal touch—it means freeing yourself from repetitive tasks so you can deliver even better service. 

Leveraging vacation rental automation through your property management software (PMS) can help you work smarter, not harder—making this summer your most profitable and stress-free yet. Here are the top vacation rental automations that every modern property manager should be using to thrive this summer.

Automated guest messaging for seamless communication

Guest communication is critical—but also one of the most time-consuming parts of managing a rental. With automated guest messaging, you can schedule pre-arrival instructions, welcome notes, check-out reminders, and follow-up messages based on booking events.

This ensures that every guest receives clear, timely information without requiring you to send messages manually. Plus, you can personalize these messages with the guest’s name, arrival date, or custom tips, helping maintain a warm and professional tone

Hassle-free check-ins with automated access and instructions

Gone are the days of key handoffs and late-night phone calls. Automate the check-in process using an online check-in form, personalized contracts or smart locks and keypad access that generate unique codes for each guest. Pair this with automated messages that provide directions, access instructions, and local recommendations.

Not only does this improve the guest experience by offering flexibility, but it also protects your time and reduces no-show frustrations or late arrivals

Coordinating cleaning teams

Turnover cleanings are one of the most important parts of maintaining guest satisfaction. With automation, you can automatically assign cleaning tasks to your team based on the calendar, send reminders before check-ins, and receive confirmation once a unit is ready.

Many property managers integrate their PMS with tools like Breezeway or TurnoverBnB to take this process even further, ensuring no room is ever missed and every guest arrives to a sparkling clean space.

Streamlining maintenance requests and issue tracking

Guests or cleaners can report problems directly via forms or apps connected to your PMS. Once submitted, the system assigns the issue to the appropriate technician, notifies you of the update, and tracks the resolution status.

This ensures that maintenance issues are handled efficiently and transparently, keeping your property in top shape and preventing negative reviews due to unresolved problems.

Calendar synchronization to prevent overbookings

Managing multiple listings across platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com can be chaotic—unless you have real-time calendar synchronization. Your PMS should automatically update availability across all channels when a booking is made, eliminating the risk of double bookings and manual errors.

This not only saves time but also protects your revenue and reputation.

How to Get Started with Automations in Your Property Management System

If you’re new to automation, the good news is that you don’t need to be tech-savvy to get started. Most modern property management systems (PMS) offer built-in automation features that are easy to set up and use.

Here’s how to choose the right platform and start automating your operations today.

Choosing the right PMS with built-in automation features 

Your automation journey begins with choosing the right PMS that aligns with your business needs. Look for platforms that offer automated guest messaging, task management, smart lock integration, channel syncing, and cleaning scheduling.

Hostify, for example, provides all of these tools in a single dashboard—allowing property managers to control every aspect of their business from one central location.

Setting up your first automated workflows

Start small. Begin by setting up basic workflows like sending pre-arrival messages, assigning cleaning tasks after check-out, and syncing your calendars. Use templates that are easy to personalize, and test each workflow to make sure the timing and content are just right.

You can always expand and refine your automation processes as you grow more confident.

Tips for personalizing automation without losing the human touch

Automation should enhance your hospitality—not replace it. Always include personal touches in your templates, like addressing guests by name or offering local tips. You can also schedule manual check-ins via message midway through a stay to ensure everything is going well.

Combining automation with thoughtful human interactions is what creates truly memorable guest experiences.

Maximize Your Summer Bookings While Minimizing Your Workload

When used correctly, automation isn’t just about saving time—it’s about transforming your vacation rental business into a more scalable, profitable, and guest-friendly operation.

Benefits of automation beyond operational efficiency

With smart automations, you can:

• Increase guest satisfaction through consistent communication
• Improve staff performance and reduce manual errors
• Save hours of repetitive work every week
• Focus on scaling your business, not managing daily tasks

Automations also help you respond faster to inquiries, manage reviews more effectively, and maintain better property standards overall..

Ready to Take the Heat Off This Summer?

As the summer season heats up, the best way to stay cool under pressure is to embrace automation. By streamlining your operations—from guest messaging to cleaning schedules—you’ll save valuable time, reduce stress, and create a smoother, more professional guest experience.

Whether you’re managing a few listings or a large portfolio, automation gives you the tools to grow efficiently and confidently.

Don’t wait until the chaos begins.

👉 Book a free demo with Hostify today and see how easy it is to automate your vacation rental business. Make this summer your most seamless (and successful) yet.