Self Managing vs Hiring a Property Manager for Your Short Term Rental: What’s Best for You?
When it comes to short term rental investing, one of the first major decisions you’ll face after purchasing a property is whether to self-manage your short term rental or hire a property manager. Both approaches can be profitable, but they differ drastically in terms of control, workload, and expenses.
At The Short Term Shop, we’ve helped more than 5,000 investors purchase over $3.5 billion in vacation rental real estate, and we’ve seen every scenario. Some of our clients thrive as hands-on hosts, while others prefer to outsource management to a professional company. The key is understanding the trade-offs so you can choose the best path for your goals.
In this post, we’ll dive deep into the pros and cons of self-managing vs hiring a property manager for your short term rental, share tips to make self-management easier than you might think, and highlight how our team of savvy short term rental agents can guide you every step of the way.
What Does It Mean to Self-Manage a Short Term Rental?
Self-managing means you, the owner, take responsibility for:
Guest communication (before, during, and after the stay)
Coordinating with cleaners and maintenance vendors
Adjusting nightly rates and occupancy strategies
Handling booking platforms like Airbnb or VRBO
At first glance, this may sound overwhelming. But here’s the truth: with the right systems and automations in place, self-managing often takes less than an hour per week. Guests typically don’t ask as many questions as new investors expect, and once you set up automated messaging, pricing software, and a reliable cleaner, the work becomes extremely manageable.
What Does It Mean to Hire a Property Manager?
Hiring a property manager means you outsource most of the responsibilities to a professional management company. They handle guest communication, cleaning schedules, pricing, and sometimes even repairs.
The trade-off? Property managers typically charge 20–30% of your gross revenue. That means if your rental earns $80,000 per year, you could be paying $16,000–$24,000 annually for management fees.
While this expense can be worthwhile if you want zero involvement, it’s critical to understand how much of your return on investment (ROI) will be eaten up by these costs.
Pros of Self-Managing a Short Term Rental
Higher Profit Margins
Without a property manager taking 20–30%, you keep significantly more of your income.Full Control Over Guest Experience
You decide how guests are communicated with, what amenities are offered, and how problems are solved.Direct Feedback Loop
Reviews go straight to you. You can immediately act on guest feedback and improve your property.Scalable Systems
Once you self-manage one property, adding more is surprisingly simple. Many investors scale to 5–10 properties while still managing under 5 hours per week.Easier Than You Think
With automation tools like Hospitable for messaging and PriceLabs for dynamic pricing, most tasks run themselves.
Cons of Self-Managing a Short Term Rental
Time Commitment
While manageable, there’s still some level of responsibility. Emergencies may occasionally arise.Learning Curve
You’ll need to learn guest relations, listing optimization, and vendor coordination.Responsibility is on You
If a guest clogs the sink at midnight, you’re the one finding a plumber—unless you’ve built a reliable local team.
Pros of Hiring a Property Manager
Hands-Off Approach
They handle everything so you can focus on your full-time job or other investments.Local Market Expertise
Some managers know pricing trends and guest preferences in their specific area.Professional Systems Already in Place
You don’t have to set up your own booking, messaging, or pricing tools.
Cons of Hiring a Property Manager
Expensive Fees
Losing 20–30% of gross income dramatically impacts cash flow and ROI.Loss of Control
Some property managers don’t prioritize your property the way you would. Guest satisfaction can suffer.Conflicts of Interest
Some managers prioritize filling their entire portfolio rather than maximizing your income.Harder to Scale
When margins shrink due to management fees, it’s tougher to reinvest profits into buying additional rentals.
Why Many Investors Choose to Self-Manage
At The Short Term Shop, we teach every client how to self-manage their short term rental effectively. We provide free weekly training calls, a full online academy, and direct access to other investors in our STS Plus community.
Why? Because we’ve seen that self-managing creates higher profits, more control, and ultimately, more long-term wealth. Most investors are shocked to learn it takes less than an hour a week to run one property, thanks to automations.
Imagine making $20,000–$30,000 more per year simply by choosing self-management over hiring a property manager. That’s money that can fund your next down payment, help you retire faster, or reinvest into property improvements that boost guest satisfaction.
Internal Resources You’ll Find Helpful
The Short Term Shop Podcast – Over 10 hours of free content on every market we serve
FAQ: Self-Managing vs Hiring a Property Manager
Is it really possible to self-manage a short term rental with a full-time job?
Yes. Most investors spend less than an hour per week per property, thanks to automation tools and reliable vendors.
How much do property managers charge for short term rentals?
Most charge 20–30% of gross rental income, which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars each year.
What are the biggest mistakes new self-managing hosts make?
Not setting up automated guest communication, not pricing dynamically, and failing to vet cleaners thoroughly.
Can The Short Term Shop help me learn how to self-manage?
Absolutely. As savvy short term rental agents, we provide every client with management training, weekly Q&As, and direct access to expert investors.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between self-managing vs hiring a property manager for your short term rental comes down to your goals. If you want maximum ROI, control, and scalability, self-management is almost always the better option—and it’s easier than most people realize.
At The Short Term Shop, our mission is to help you build real estate wealth while keeping as much of your profit as possible. Whether you’re buying in the Smoky Mountains, Emerald Coast, Broken Bow, or any of our other markets, we’ll teach you how to manage your rental like a pro.
📞 Contact The Short Term Shop
Phone: 800-898-1498
Email: agents@theshorttermshop.com
Community & Mentorship: STS Plus
Podcast: The Short Term Show
Disclaimer
This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Always consult with licensed professionals before making investment decisions.
