STR Management charges a 20% management fee on rental revenue for full-service short-term rental management in Austin, Lakeway, Lake Travis, Westlake, and Volente. There are no upfront fees. Here is exactly what owners pay and what is included.
Management Fees
| Service | Management fee |
|---|---|
| Short-term rental management | 20% of rental revenue |
| Homes we estimate will earn under $35,000 a year | 25% of rental revenue |
| Upfront or onboarding fees | None |
The management fee covers everything listed under “What’s Included” below. Full-service vacation rental managers in Austin charge 20% to 35% of rental revenue, and we don’t know of one that charges less than our 20%.
Cleaning
Cleaning fees are set for each home based on its size. Because we employ our own cleaning team in Austin instead of using subcontractors, our cleaning fees are among the lowest in Austin.
Linens and Towels
We provide custom, high-quality linens and towels, professionally laundered, for a monthly linen rental fee based on the number and size of the beds in your home. If you prefer, the linen fee can be billed to guests instead of to you.
What’s Included
- A dedicated owner success manager
- Dynamic pricing, managed by a dedicated revenue manager
- Listing creation and marketing on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Marriott Homes & Villas, Hopper, Google Vacation Rentals, and our direct booking site, AustinVacay.com
- Professional photography and a 3D tour
- Guest communication and screening
- Scheduling our in-house cleaning team, with an inspection after every clean
- Maintenance coordination with our on-staff handymen
- City of Austin STR licensing support
- Hotel occupancy tax compliance
- Smart lock self check-in
- Weekly trash caddy service
- Monthly owner statements and an online owner portal
How STR Management Compares
Here is how STR Management compares with a typical full-service vacation rental manager in Austin, and with managing a home yourself.
| Feature | STR Management | Typical full-service manager | Managing it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 10% to 15% higher than other professional managers, and 20% to 50% higher than self-managed homes | Our benchmark: we earn 10% to 15% more | We earn 20% to 50% more |
| Occupancy | 67% so far in 2026 (62% in 2025) | 47% for comparable homes (46% in 2025) | About 40% |
| Revenue management | A dedicated revenue manager | No dedicated revenue manager | You |
| Dynamic pricing | Daily dynamic pricing, actively tuned by our revenue manager | Pricing software with no dedicated oversight | Manual pricing, or software you set up yourself |
| Where guests book | Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Marriott Homes & Villas, Hopper, Google Vacation Rentals, our direct booking site AustinVacay.com, and more | Airbnb and Vrbo | Airbnb |
| Management fee | 20% of rental revenue (25% for homes under $35,000 a year) | 20% to 35% of rental revenue | No fee, but you do all of the work |
| Your point of contact | A dedicated owner success manager | A shared support team | You |
| Staff | Employees, not contractors | A mix of employees and contractors | Just you |
| Cleaning | In-house cleaners on our payroll, with an inspection after every clean | Third-party cleaning companies | You hire, schedule, and check cleaners |
| Maintenance | On-staff handymen and field operations team | Third-party vendors | You find and schedule vendors |
| Linens and towels | Custom, high-quality linens, professionally laundered; the fee can be billed to guests | Owner buys and replaces linens | You buy, wash, and replace them |
| City of Austin STR license | We handle your license | Owner’s responsibility | You apply and renew |
| Hotel occupancy taxes | We collect and remit them on every taxable booking, including direct bookings | Owner files any taxes the booking sites don’t collect | You file and pay them |
Occupancy is paid nights as a share of available nights in Greater Austin, from Key Data, with other professional managers matched to our mix of home sizes; 2026 runs through September. The typical full-service manager column reflects common practices among Austin vacation rental management companies.
Questions About Pricing?
Every home is different. Contact us for a conversation about your property, or read our FAQ and About page to learn more about how we work. If you own a high-end home, see our luxury vacation rental management page.