Books That Match Every Airbnb Payout

Professional bookkeeping for Airbnb, VRBO, and short-term rental hosts. Reconcile platform payouts, track cleaning and maintenance, and capture every depreciation deduction across one or many properties.

Expert-managed bookkeeping starting at $69/month. No contracts. Cancel anytime. FREE catch-up bookkeeping included with every new subscription.

Get Started — $69/month

Bookkeeping Challenges Facing Short-Term Rental Hosts

Short-Term Rental Hosts face unique financial pain points that generic bookkeepers simply don't understand. Here are the issues we solve every day for businesses like yours:

  • Airbnb & VRBO Payouts Don't Match Your Bank. Service fees, host fees, taxes withheld, and cancellations make platform payouts impossible to tie to gross revenue without a real reconciliation process.
  • Depreciation Left on the Table. Most hosts miss building depreciation, furniture and appliance depreciation, and cost segregation opportunities — the single biggest STR tax break.
  • Cleaning & Turnover Costs Get Buried. Cleaner pay, supplies, and resets quietly eat 15-25% of revenue. Without per-property tracking you don't see which units actually make money.
  • Repairs vs. Improvements Confusion. Booking a $6,000 HVAC replacement as a repair instead of a capital improvement is a common, expensive mistake during an audit.

When S-Corp Election Makes Sense for STR Operators

Most rental income is reported on Schedule E and isn't subject to self-employment tax — so S-Corp election usually doesn't help passive STR investors. But if you operate as a co-host, property manager, or run an active short-term rental business with substantial services, S-Corp election can save real money. We help you figure out which side of the line you're on.

  • We determine whether your STR income is passive or active
  • If active, we model S-Corp savings against payroll and filing cost
  • We handle payroll, quarterly filings, and S-Corp compliance when it fits
  • Free evaluation so you don't elect S-Corp when you shouldn't

Our team of experienced bookkeepers and tax strategists will evaluate your specific situation and walk you through the S-Corp election process from start to finish — including payroll setup, reasonable compensation analysis, and ongoing compliance.

How GuidedLedger Helps Short-Term Rental Hosts

We combine industry-specific expertise with modern accounting technology to deliver bookkeeping that actually moves your business forward:

  • Airbnb & VRBO Reconciliation. We reconcile gross booking revenue, platform fees, occupancy taxes, and cleaning fees from each platform against your bank — every month.
  • Depreciation & Cost Segregation. We set up proper depreciation schedules for the building, furniture, and appliances so you stop overpaying tax on phantom income.
  • Per-Property P&L. Every unit gets its own profit-and-loss view so you can see which properties are pulling weight and which need a re-think.
  • Repairs vs. Capital Treatment. We classify HVAC, roofs, appliances, and furniture correctly between expense and capital so you stay audit-ready and capture every deduction.

Common Tax Deductions for Short-Term Rental Hosts

Many short-term rental hosts miss thousands of dollars in legitimate deductions every year. Our team makes sure every eligible expense is properly tracked and categorized so you keep more of what you earn:

  • Mortgage interest and property tax on rental units
  • Building, furniture, and appliance depreciation
  • Cleaning fees, turnover supplies, and laundry services
  • Repairs and maintenance (paint, plumbing fixes, lock replacements)
  • Utilities, internet, streaming, and smart-home subscriptions
  • Property management software (Hostfully, Guesty, Hospitable, OwnerRez)
  • Channel fees (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com service fees)
  • Travel to inspect, set up, or maintain properties
  • Insurance (short-term rental liability and property coverage)
  • Permit fees, occupancy/STR licenses, and local registration costs

We review your spending throughout the year, flag deductions you may have missed, and prepare a tax-ready year-end package for your CPA or tax preparer.

What's Included for $69/month

  • Monthly bookkeeping & bank reconciliation
  • Professional financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow)
  • Transaction categorization tailored to your industry
  • Year-end tax-ready books
  • QuickBooks or Xero management at wholesale pricing
  • Email support & quarterly check-ins
  • FREE catch-up bookkeeping when you subscribe
  • S-Corp evaluation and tax-savings analysis

What Short-Term Rental Hosts Are Saying

“I had four properties and no idea which ones were actually making money. GuidedLedger reconciled everything against Airbnb and VRBO, set up depreciation we'd been missing for two years, and saved us a five-figure tax bill.”

— Devon S., Short-Term Rental Host, Tennessee

*Client name abbreviated for privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you reconcile Airbnb and VRBO payouts?

We import or pull each platform's transaction history, gross up the revenue, then break out service fees, host fees, occupancy taxes, and cleaning fees as separate lines so your bank deposits tie out to real gross revenue.

What depreciation should I be taking on a short-term rental?

Typically the building (excluding land) over 27.5 or 39 years depending on classification, plus furniture, appliances, and certain improvements over 5-7 years. Cost segregation studies can accelerate a significant portion of that into earlier years for active hosts.

Will an S-Corp save me money on Airbnb income?

It depends. Passive rental income usually isn't subject to self-employment tax, so S-Corp election doesn't help. If you co-host, property manage, or provide substantial services, your STR may be active income — and S-Corp can help. We evaluate this for free.

Can you track multiple properties separately?

Yes. We set up class or location tracking so every revenue and expense line ties to a specific property. You get a per-unit P&L plus a portfolio rollup.

How do you handle cleaning fees and turnover costs?

Guest cleaning fees are revenue; cleaner payments and supplies are expenses. We track both separately by property so you can see actual cleaning margin and catch when a unit's turnover cost is eating its profit.

Related Industries We Serve

Don't see your industry? We work with small businesses across every vertical. View all industries we serve or get started with a free consultation.