Increase Airbnb & VRBO Revenue (2025)(Tip 1 of 12: The Fry Rule)

I’m sharing the Top 12 ways to Increase Airbnb & VRBO Revenue, I’ve slashed my maintenance costs and saved hours of workload. These are the things that cost you money that you don’t even know you’re spending.

The Kitchen Killer

Stop deep-frying in your rental kitchen. That grease mist instantly ruins paint, discolors wood cabinets, and gunk’s up your exhaust system. It’s a costly, hidden form of damage that shortens the life of your most expensive room. Make it a strict house rule—it’s worth it.

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The $300 Disaster: How to Kid-Proof Your Rental and Prevent Costly Damage (Tip 2 of 12)

The most common cause of high-cost damage is not big accidents; it’s markers, slime, paint, and high-stain foods—the quiet killers that ruin carpets, walls, and upholstery and require $300 professional cleaning bills.

The Easy Fix

Don’t just rely on house rules. Proactively supply non-destructive fun. Stock the unit with high-quality game stations (not Wii), puzzles, simple building blocks, and card or board games instead. It instantly redirects their energy and is the best shield against losing your security deposit.

Stop Paying for Parties: The Low-Cost Way to Shield Your Property from Damage (Tip 3 of 12)

The Easy Fix: The Triple Shield

You can stop major risk before it happens by creating a shield of protection:

• Noise Sensors (The First Warning): Install non-recording decibel monitors. They simply alert you when the noise level exceeds a certain threshold. This gives you time to intervene before neighbors call the police or the platform bans your listing.
• Durable Furnishings: Replace high-wear items with commercial-grade, easy-to-clean furniture. It costs a little more now but drastically reduces replacement and repair costs over the long run.
• The Security Deposit: Always require a security deposit or damage waiver. This ensures you’re covered up front and signals to guests that you are serious about property care.

Check out our newest guide for vacation rental owners: How to Handle Bad Airbnb & VRBO Reviews — Response & Recovery

The Easiest 5-Star Upgrade: Pass the Sheet Test (Tip 4 of 12)

Guests notice the quality of their sheets immediately. Don’t buy cheap sheets! Investing $50-$100 more per bed for high-thread-count linen is the single easiest way to eliminate scratchiness complaints and immediately boost your 5-star review rate. It’s the highest-impact comfort upgrade you can make.

Stop the 2 AM Call: How to Tech-Proof Your Rental and Kill Bad Reviews

We’ve covered costly problems like Grease Damage and Parties. But the fastest way to get a 3-star review is simple: tech failure. When the Wi-Fi is out, the AC is struggling, or the lock dies, the guest experience is instantly ruined, and you get the panicked late-night call.

The Easy Fix: The Reliability Rule

• Backup Internet: Your Wi-Fi is non-negotiable. Have a simple backup plan or high-quality mesh network that ensures continuous coverage.
• HVAC Pro-Check: Schedule seasonal maintenance for your AC/heating. Proactive fixes prevent a total, mid-stay failure.
• Smart Lock Safety: Use commercial-grade smart locks and always have a backup physical key or code readily available.

The Takeaway: Paying a little more for reliable systems is cheaper than one bad review and one emergency call.

Pet-Friendly Profits: How to Allow Pets Without Ruining Your Rental (Tip 6 of 12)

We’ve covered tech failures (Tip 5) and the 2 AM call. This week, let’s talk about a major booking multiplier that comes with massive risk: Pets. Allowing pets boosts your bookings, but pet hair, odors, and accidents can destroy carpets and furniture.

The Easy Fix: Policies That Protect

You can safely allow pets by setting up a clear, protected system:

• Mandatory Pet Fee: Charge a non-refundable pet fee. This covers the cost of deep cleaning and immediately filters out owners unwilling to pay for responsible pet ownership.
• Pet Policy: State your pet policy clearly: size/breed restrictions, and specify that pets are not allowed on the furniture or beds.
• Provide the Tools: Supply a basic lint roller and a simple pet towel. This small gesture encourages guests to clean up after their pets and minimizes the workload for your cleaning crew.

The Takeaway: A smart pet policy shields your property while keeping your booking calendar full.

The Costly Myth: Why Buying Cheap Fixtures is Killing Your Profit (Tip 7 of 12)

We’ve covered tech failures and pet risk. This week, let’s talk about the constant drain on your wallet: Wear and Tear. It feels like a revolving door of broken faucets, sticky door handles, and lights that burn out too fast.

The Easy Fix: Pay More Once

You are not saving money by buying the cheapest fixtures. You are simply scheduling a costly, inconvenient repair. The ultimate money-saving move is investing in commercial-grade durability:

• Fixtures: Use solid brass or stainless steel faucets (not chrome-plated plastic).
• Appliances: Choose models known for commercial reliability.
• Maintenance: Schedule seasonal checks for doors, windows, and high-use items.

The Takeaway: Invest a little more now for durable materials, and you drastically reduce the workload and eliminate those annoying, unexpected repair calls for years.

Excessive Dirt or Mess After Checkout (Tip 8 of 12)

We’ve covered costly problems like Grease Damage (Tip 1) and Tech Failures (Tip 5). But the single biggest weekly headache is the Excessive Mess after checkout. Guests leaving the home dirty can delay turnover, stress out your cleaning crew, and lead to angry check-in calls from the next guest.

The Easy Fix: The Triple Prep

You can control this by clearly setting expectations and using professional tools:

• Clear Checkout List: Include a concise, friendly list of guest responsibilities in your checkout instructions (e.g., take out trash, start the dishwasher, lock up). Make it visible and clear.
• Professional Checklists: Your cleaning crew must use a detailed, property-specific checklist. This ensures minor issues don’t become major complaints and guarantees consistency.
• The Fee Incentive: Use a security deposit or cleaning fee policy that clearly states excessive mess will result in an extra charge. This sets the right expectation for guests upfront.

The Takeaway: A small investment in clear instructions and professional turnover management saves hours of time and prevents unnecessary tension with both guests and cleaning crews.

The Owner’s Trap: Unexpected Expenses or Damage Not Covered by Insurance (Tip 9 of 12)

We’ve covered daily costs like Wear and Tear and Excessive Mess. This week, let’s talk about the biggest financial risk: The Insurance Gap. Most standard homeowner’s policies do not cover short-term rental activities. One major guest incident (or a liability claim) could lead to a massive, un-covered expense that shuts down your income.

The Easy Fix: Protection Tailored to Profit

Protecting your business means getting insurance tailored for business:

• Get Commercial Coverage: Carry insurance specific for vacation rental/short-term rental usage. It’s an operating cost that is non-negotiable.
• Rental Agreement: Require guests to sign a rental agreement that clearly outlines liabilities and damage policies.
• Platform Protection: Use platforms that offer host protection, but do not rely on it as your sole defense.

The Takeaway: You wouldn’t run a retail store without the right insurance—don’t run a rental business without it. Using this protection is one of the most vital Vacation Rental Properties Profit Tips you can implement.

The Ultimate Review Killer: How to Eliminate the “It Didn’t Look Like the Photos” Complaint (Tip 10 of 12)

The most damaging review isn’t about a broken towel bar; it’s the one that says: “It didn’t look like the photos.” That single review kills your search ranking and costs you thousands in bookings.

The Easy Fix: Visual Honesty is Profit

When guests arrive and their expectations are not met, they review based on disappointment, not reality. You must shield your listing:

• Be Honest: Write an accurate description and list all amenities.
• Use The Shield: Professional photography is your best defense. It makes your property look beautiful AND realistic. It sets a clear, achievable expectation. Guests arrive happy, and you’ve shielded yourself from the most damaging review possible.
• Command Higher Rates: Professional images place you in the premium category, justifying the higher nightly rate that offsets all the costs we’ve discussed!

The Takeaway: Great photography isn’t an expense; it’s the final, non-negotiable step in your profit protection plan.

The Ultimate Tip: How to Achieve Passive Income and Beat Owner Burnout (Tip 11 of 12)

We’ve covered 10 tips to Increase Airbnb & VRBO Revenue. But the hardest problem to solve is Owner Burnout—the feeling that your rental is costing you more time than the income is worth. If you spend your weekends troubleshooting Wi-Fi, scheduling cleaning, and managing bookings, you are working for free.

The Final Fix: Outsourcing the Headache

Your time is the most valuable asset you own. Smart owners realize that true passive income requires trusting professionals to handle 100% of the logistics.

• Delegate the Time Sinks: Let a management partner handle the complex tasks like scheduling, guest communication, platform optimization, and maintenance dispatch.
• Focus on ROI: Free up your weekend to focus on your highest-value activities, knowing your rental is being managed efficiently.

The Takeaway: The ultimate profit tip is knowing when to outsource the headache. Implementing this strategy is a top-tier Increase Airbnb & VRBO Revenue for eliminating workload and boosting long-term financial health.

The Ultimate Profit Tip: Get $400 Just for Working Less (Tip 12 of 12)

We’ve covered 11 tips to Increase Airbnb & VRBO Revenue, and your time. The final secret is the Partnership Payoff—how smart owners eliminate the workload and get rewarded for choosing efficiency.

The Final Fix: The Evolve Advantage

If you are ready to eliminate the headache of scheduling, guest management, and maintenance dispatch (Tip 11), a management partner is the solution.

The Ultimate Reward: By choosing a transparent, high-efficiency partner, you can often receive a special sign-up bonus or credit. I recommend one partner to my clients because they offer a $400 credit just for signing up. This immediately puts money back into your pocket while giving you back your weekend.

The Takeaway: The ultimate profit is achieved when you eliminate the workload entirely and are financially rewarded for doing so.

P.S. Thank you for following my top 12 profit tips! The complete guide is now live on my website, detailing exactly how to claim your $400 Evolve vacation Property management credit and shield your property with professional vacation rental property photography!