Short rentals: the 5 automations worth it (and the 3 to avoid)
Not every automation is actually useful. For hosts and small properties, some lighten the workload right away. Others just add complexity. Here's where to start.
by Pierantonio Pozzi, founder of StayFast and host in Caspoggio
Questo articolo è pubblicato in inglese.
When it comes to automations in short rentals, it's easy to fall into two opposite mistakes. The first is to automate nothing, and keep repeating the same steps every day. The second is to try to automate everything, including things that bring no real benefit.
For a small property or an independent host, the useful path is more concrete: start from automations that save time without making the relationship with the guest feel rigid. Here are 5 automations that are usually worth it, and 3 to handle with care.
For the underlying reasoning — where automation ends and the relationship begins — also read "Automate the repetitive, not the relationship with your guest".
The 5 automations worth it
1. Tidy delivery of pre-arrival information
If you manually send directions, times, access details, basic instructions and key information every time, you're spending time on something that repeats almost identically. It's one of the first sensible automations to introduce, because it prevents oversights and reduces a lot of questions even before check-in.
2. Easy access to stay information
When the guest looks for Wi-Fi, basic rules, contacts or practical instructions, they shouldn't have to dig through their messages. Keeping this information always accessible in an organised way isn't just convenient for the guest: it also lowers the number of manual interruptions during the stay.
3. Answers to the most frequent questions
There are questions that come back constantly: how access works, where to park, what time check-out is, how to use one of the property's services, where to find a certain piece of information. If you've already identified these FAQs, automating how the guest finds them is a smart move. It doesn't mean replying like a robot. It means not having to rewrite the same thing twenty times.
4. Messages tied to predictable moments
There are moments in the stay with fairly clear timing: before arrival, at the start of the stay, before departure. When the content is useful and the moment is right, an automated message can work well. The point is that it has to be genuinely relevant. Not a message "just because".
5. Tidy presentation of services or extras
If your property offers services or experiences, presenting them clearly and consistently is better than leaving them to scattered or improvised messages. It's not the most technical automation in the world, but it's one of the most useful: it helps the guest understand what's available and helps you add more value to the stay.
The 3 automations to avoid or use carefully
1. Over-automating human conversation
When the guest has a real problem, an automated message often makes things worse. If you need to interpret context, reassure or find a solution, rigid automation is almost always the wrong choice.
2. Too long or too frequent sequences
More messages don't mean more efficiency. An excessive sequence risks annoying the guest, losing attention, making the property feel too mechanical. Better a few clear steps than a long, unnatural chain.
3. Automations introduced just because they look 'advanced'
If something doesn't really cut work, doesn't improve clarity and doesn't help the guest, it's not a priority. Many automations look interesting from outside, but in practice they only add configuration, maintenance and rigidity.
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Where to actually start
If you want to introduce light automations into your operation today, the most sensible order is this:
- Automate the information you repeat most often.
- Better organise the basic moments of the stay.
- Make useful content accessible without always going through manual chat.
- Only after that, look at more structured automations.
This order works better because it starts from real benefit, not the "wow" factor.
The rule that avoids almost every mistake
If you're unsure what to automate, use this question: does this automation reduce repetition or reduce the quality of the relationship? If it reduces repetition, it's usually a good candidate. If it reduces quality of the relationship, rethink it.
Conclusion
In short rentals, the winner isn't whoever automates the most. It's whoever automates better. Useful automations are the ones that take weight off repetitive tasks and leave room for the parts of the stay where being present still makes the difference.
Want the strategic picture, not just the checklist?
To understand where to draw the line between automation and personal relationship with the guest, read the dedicated pillar.