Lodging & short-term rentals

Books and taxes for vacation rental management companies.

A summer that carries the year on the coast, a winter that carries it in the mountains, owner rent held in trust before it is disbursed, and a local real estate office that expects a monthly report. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
JulyExample month
$49,600
what you made

July came in at $37,000 in company earnings. That is peak beach season, and I kept every owner's rent in its own line so the summer surge does not blur into your commission.

  • Booking payout batch, beach housesOwner rental income
  • Management commissions earnedCompany revenue
  • Owner disbursement, Seaside LaneOwner payouts
  • Turnover cleaning crew, weeklyCleaning cost
  • HOA dues, several propertiesHOA and association fees
Money in$218,000
Money out$168,400
Set aside for taxes$12,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A vacation rental manager's books go wrong in the same few places.

You are running a company whose whole year rides on one intense season, holding other people's rental income the rest of the time. A generalist treats every month the same. Your business needs the season and the owner money kept apart, or neither number tells you anything useful.

  1. 1

    Peak season revenue swamps the rest of the year

    A beach or ski property can earn most of its yearly income in a ten-week stretch, and looking at any single off-season month against that peak makes the business look like it is failing when it is simply between seasons.

    What we doTracks revenue against the same season last year rather than month to month, so a quiet October reads as expected for a beach portfolio.
  2. 2

    Owner rent is not company revenue

    The booking payout for a beach house you manage belongs to its owner, minus your commission, not to your company. Running it all through one account as sales overstates what the business actually earned.

    What we doSeparates each owner's rental income from your commission, so your company's real revenue is never confused with money you are only holding.
  3. 3

    HOA and resort association fees vary property by property

    Beach and mountain properties often sit inside associations with their own dues, special assessments, and rules, and paying these from the wrong account muddies both the owner's statement and your own books.

    What we doTracks HOA and association fees by property so they are billed to the right owner and never mistaken for company overhead.
  4. 4

    Storm and snow season repairs hit hard and fast

    A hurricane threat on the coast or a heavy snow season in the mountains can trigger a burst of repair and preparation costs across many properties at once, which looks alarming without context.

    What we doFlags storm or weather-driven repair spikes against the season, so a heavy month reads as normal risk management, not a crisis.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a vacation rental manager.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Owner rental incomeBooking payouts belonging to the property owners in your portfolio.
  • Company revenueYour management commission, kept apart from owner rent.
  • Damage waiver feesOptional guest protection fees, when your company keeps a share.
  • New owner onboarding feesOne-time fees charged when a property joins your program.

Money out

  • Owner payoutsRent disbursed to each property owner after commission and expenses.
  • Cleaning costTurnover cleaning crews across the portfolio, heaviest in peak season.
  • HOA and association feesDues and assessments paid on behalf of specific properties.
  • PayrollReservations staff, guest services, and maintenance coordinators.
  • Storm and seasonal prepHurricane shutters, snow removal, and weather-driven repairs.
  • Software subscriptionsBooking and pricing systems used across the portfolio.

What we watch for you

  • Peak season pace

    Bookings and revenue tracked against the same weeks last year, the real read on how the season is going.

  • Commission margin

    Your commission income against payroll and cleaning costs, the clearest sign the business itself is profitable.

  • Owner payout accuracy

    Every owner's disbursement matched against their property's actual income and expenses.

  • Storm and weather spending

    Seasonal preparation and repair costs tracked apart from routine maintenance.

Ask Gus

Things vacation rental managers ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

September looks terrible compared to July. Is something wrong?

Not from what I see. July is peak beach season and September is the shoulder. I compare each month to the same time last year, and September is tracking close to normal for this time of year.

Does the rent I collect for owners count as our company's income?

No. I keep owner rental income separate from your commission, so your company's real revenue is only what you actually earned, not the full amount passing through to owners.

We just spent a lot getting properties ready before the storm. Is that going to hurt this month's number?

I flagged it as storm preparation, tracked apart from routine maintenance, so it reads as the seasonal spending it is rather than a random spike.

The tax side

The tax side of running a vacation rental management company.

Most of what goes wrong here is treating pass-through owner money like company income and treating a seasonal business like a steady one. Both get cleaner once trust-style accounting and season-aware tracking are in place.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Only your commission is company incomeRent collected on behalf of property owners is not your business's taxable income, only the management commission you keep is. Gus separates the two from the start so the return is not overstated.
  • Contractor 1099s for cleaners and vendorsA cleaner, landscaper, or storm-prep contractor not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026 by your company gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
  • Estimated taxes on a seasonal income patternQuarterly estimated tax payments are due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, and a company earning most of its commission in one season should plan the set-aside around when the money actually comes in, not evenly across the year.
  • The pass-through deductionMost profitable management companies can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, with limits above $201,750 taxable income single or $403,500 joint. It comes out right when owner and company money are never mixed.

Deductions vacation rental management companies miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Booking and pricing software
  • Reservations staff payroll
  • Storm shutters and snow removal
  • Marketing to new property owners
  • Listing photography
  • Mileage between properties
  • Business liability insurance
  • HOA meeting attendance costs
  • Office or local branch space
  • Owner onboarding materials
  • Bookkeeping and accounting fees
  • Local business license fees

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A vacation rental manager's year, kept every month.

A beach portfolio and a mountain portfolio peak in opposite seasons, but the tax calendar is the same for both. Your team keeps you ahead of it. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, vendor 1099s go out, and you get a monthly set-aside sized to your actual season, not spread evenly.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been tracking your real season since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and how peak season is performing against the same stretch last year.

  4. October

    Before storm or snow season

    Gus looks at equipment or preparation spending worth doing before December and how the year is shaping up to close.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for vacation rental management companies. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions vacation rental managers ask first.

Our beach properties earn most of their money in ten weeks. Does Gus account for that?

Yes. Gus tracks revenue against the same season last year rather than flat month to month, so a strong summer and a quiet fall both read the way they should.

Does the rent we collect for property owners count as our income?

No. Only your management commission counts as company revenue. Gus keeps owner rental income separate so your books never overstate what the business actually earned.

We manage both beach and mountain properties. Can Gus handle two different seasons?

Yes. Each property's revenue is tracked against its own seasonal pattern, so a beach house in July and a ski cabin in January are both read against the right comparison.

How are HOA fees handled when they apply to specific owners?

Gus tracks HOA and association dues by property, so they get billed to the right owner and never mistaken for your company's own overhead.

Our books currently mix owner money with our own commission income. Can that be fixed?

Yes. Send the statements you have. Gus separates owner rent from company revenue going forward, the accountant checks it, and most managers know where they stand inside a week.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

More in lodging & short-term rentals

We keep books for the business next door too.

What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for

Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever