Can You Really Self Manage a Broken Bow Vacation Rental? Here’s the Truth

What It’s Like to Self Manage a Vacation Rental in Broken Bow

Published: July 2025
Author: Avery Carl, CEO of The Short Term Shop

If you’re considering buying a cabin in Broken Bow, and also wondering if you can self manage a Broken Bow vacation rental remotely, you’re probably asking the right question:

Is self managing actually doable — or is it going to take over my life?

Spoiler alert: It’s very doable. Most of our investor clients at The Short Term Shop self manage their cabins remotely, with no property manager in sight. In fact, it’s one of the reasons they’re so profitable.

I’ve managed dozens of my own properties this way over the years. It’s not always perfect — sometimes your cleaner cancels last minute, or a guest messages you at midnight about the Wi-Fi — but the upside in revenue and control makes it worth it every time.

Here’s what it actually looks like to run your Broken Bow vacation rental like a pro — without living anywhere near it.

How Far Away Can You Be?

Most of our clients live 3–10 hours away by car. Many live out of state entirely. Some even live across the country. You don’t need to be local to be successful.

One client of ours lives in Phoenix and manages a 3-cabin portfolio in Broken Bow — remotely — using just a cleaner, a smart lock, and our recommended software stack. Her reviews are glowing, and she nets more than the local manager she initially considered.

The trick? You need good systems, a reliable cleaner, and a clear guest experience from booking to checkout. You can 100% self manage a Broken Bow vacation rental.

What You’ll Need to Self Manage A broken bow vacation rental

These aren’t just random tech tools — they’re the exact stack we walk all of our buyers through in training. And once it’s set up, you’ll wonder why you ever thought you needed a manager.

Weekly Time Commitment

Most owners spend 1–3 hours per week managing their Broken Bow cabin.

• Messaging is automated

• Cleanings are scheduled based on booking calendars

• Price adjustments are dynamic

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You’ll jump in only when there’s an issue — and even then, 90% of problems can be handled with a quick text or a quick call.

Pros of Self Managing Your Cabin

You’ll learn more in six months of self-managing one cabin than in two years of reading articles about short term rentals. This is the fastest way to level up as an investor.

Common Fears (and Why They’re Overblown)

“What if there’s an emergency and I’m not there?”
You don’t need to be. Just make sure you have a handyman or emergency contact on file. These are standard in any remote setup.

“What if a guest trashes the place?”
With Airbnb’s $3M AirCover and guest screening tools (like party prevention tech), this is extremely rare — and manageable. We’ve seen it happen maybe once every few hundred stays.

“I don’t have time to be on my phone all day.”
You won’t be. If you set up automated messaging through Hospitable, most communication is hands-off. I personally spend less time managing 10 properties than I did managing 1 back before automation tools existed. You can absolutely self manage a Broken Bow vacation rental from anywhere, with any job. 

What About Scale?

Plenty of investors start with one Broken Bow cabin and scale to 3, 5, or 10+ — all self-managed. Some eventually hire a VA (virtual assistant) or local boots-on-the-ground coordinator, but many run lean operations for years.

This isn’t babysitting. It’s system-building. And the systems are better (and more affordable) than ever.

👉 Ready to buy and self-manage your first (or next) Broken Bow cabin?
Call us at 800-898-1498 or email agents@theshorttermshop.com.
Meet your local expert: The Short Term Shop Team