Managing multiple accommodations is no longer child's play
When starting out in short-term rentals, everything is often done manually: a few listings on Airbnb, a calendar, an Excel file, and a bit of organization.
But as soon as we add a second platform, a second chalet, or want to automate messages and pricing, management quickly becomes a headache.
This is where the PMS, or Property Management System, comes into play— a tool designed to centralize, automate, and simplify rental management.
What is a PMS?
A PMS is a centralized management software for short-term rentals.
It connects all your platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, etc.) and synchronizes automatically:
- Availability calendars
- The rates and promotions
- Messages to Travelers
- Reservations and payments
- The financial and statistical reports
Some PMS go even further, with modules for:
- Housekeeping and field team management
- Check-in / check-out automation
- Integration with dynamic pricing tools
- Invoice and accounting report generation
In summary: a PMS becomes your “control tower” for your entire rental portfolio.
When does a PMS become useful?
The use of a PMS becomes really interesting when manual management starts to cost more time than money.
Here are the key thresholds to watch:
| Situation | Recommendation |
| 1 single accommodation on a single platform (e.g. Airbnb) | Not essential. The internal tools are sufficient.Pas indispensable. Les outils internes suffisent. |
| 1 accommodation on multiple platforms (Airbnb + VRBO + Booking)1 hébergement sur plusieurs plateformes (Airbnb + VRBO + Booking) | It becomes worthwhile to start looking into PMS if you feel overwhelmed by these repetitive tasks. However, before investing in a complete system, you can also implement dynamic pricing (with Lodixa + PriceLabs, for example) to automate price updates and already reduce a significant portion of the management workload. |
| 2 to 3 accommodations2 à 3 hébergements | Recommended: the PMS centralizes messages, calendars, and reports.Recommandé : le PMS centralise les messages, calendriers et rapports. |
| 4 accommodations or more4 hébergements ou plus | Essential. Without PMS, the administrative burden becomes very significant.Essentiel. Sans PMS, la charge administrative devient trés importante. |
| Management for multiple ownersGestion pour plusieurs propriétaires | Mandatory: the PMS facilitates billing, reporting, and revenue distribution.Obligatoire : le PMS facilite la facturation, les rapports et la répartition des revenus. |
What are the concrete advantages?
- Significant time savings No need to check each platform manually anymore: everything updates automatically.
-
Fewer errors and more revenue
A centralized calendar prevents double bookings and allows for the implementation of consistent pricing strategies. -
Simplified performance tracking
The integrated reports allow for the analysis of occupancy rates, revenue, and booking sources. -
Customer Service Automation
Pre-programmed messages, arrival instructions, stay reminders: everything is automated, without losing personalization. -
Integration compatible with Lodixa dynamic pricing management
PMS are compatible with Lodixa and dynamic pricing, ensuring complete consistency between your sales channels and your optimized prices. This means that PMS receive pricing instructions from dynamic pricing and propagate them across your accommodations and platforms.
How much does a PMS cost?
The rates vary depending on the number of accommodations and the features:
| User type | Average cost per month |
| 1 to 2 chalet | 15 $ to 25 $ / month |
| 3 to 10 cabins3 à 10 chalets | 25 $ to 50 $ / month |
| 10+ accommodations | Custom-made |
Lodixa Tip: some PMS offer free trial periods.
Concrete example
A property owner manages 3 cabins in Saint-Côme, listed on Airbnb, Booking, and VRBO.
Before the PMS, he had to:
- Manually update your rates on three platforms
- Replying to messages on multiple accounts
- Sync calendars or risk double bookings
After having a PMS, he:
- Receives all its bookings in a single dashboard
- Its prices are automatically propagated across the 3 platforms
- He gains about 3 hours per week.
In summary
A PMS becomes useful as soon as you have more than one platform or more than one hosting.
It simplifies management, eliminates errors, and increases your revenue through automation.
By integrating it into the dynamic pricing managed by Lodixa, you benefit from a complete ecosystem:
To go further
