Houston, Texas is one of the most populous cities in the US and a truly cosmopolitan destination. The city is best known for the Space Center Houston. Other attractions include the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston Zoo, and the Galleria. The numerous tourist attractions combined with the rich cultural and art scene, the exquisite dining, the nightlife, and the shopping opportunities attract over 22 million visitors per year, making Houston one of the most popular tourist destinations nationwide. This boom in tourism leads to excellent Airbnb daily rates, occupancy rates, revenue, and ROI for the owners of short-term rentals in Houston, TX.
Top Houston, Texas Airbnb Management Companies
The best Airbnb management companies in Houston, TX include:
- Awning: Best Overall Houston Airbnb Manager
- RedAwning: Best Half-Service Airbnb Management Solution
- Avantstay: Best Luxury Short-term Rental Management Company
- Sonder: Best International Airbnb Manager
- HTown BNB: Best Local Airbnb Manager
- Houston Upscale Rentals: Best for Luxury Short-Term and Long-Term Apartments
- Alliant Corporate Housing: Best for Fully-Furnished Short-Term and Long-Term Rental Apartments
- Corporate Housing: Best Nationwide Airbnb Manager
- Dunyha: Best for Micro-Hotels
Awning Airbnb Property Management
Awning is the best overall full-service Airbnb property manager in Houston, TX. Shri Ganeshram and Danaus Chang founded the company in 2020, with headquarters in San Francisco, CA. The company mission is to make investing in real estate simple and accessible for everyone, through a combination of the latest real estate technology and expert presence in all markets.
Awning provides all services expected from a full-service Airbnb management company, allowing investors to benefit from truly passive income. The company charges an industry-low fee starting at 15% of revenue. Online Awning reviews are positive, and Awning-managed properties have an average guest ranking of 4.8/5 stars.
Awning Services
As a full-service Airbnb property management company, Awning offers all services necessary to run a short-term rental business. Currently, the company manages 100+ vacation rentals and covers the entire US market and most property types. Awning achieves nationwide coverage by setting up local teams of vetted vendors in each market, before even taking on Airbnb rentals there.
Awning services cover everything from getting properties ready for welcoming guests through managing day-to-day tasks including:
- Interior design
- Vacation rental furnishing
- Installing smart home devices
- Getting short-term rental licenses and permits
- Listing creation, optimization, management, and distribution across top booking platforms
- Dynamic pricing combining top-notch technology and big data with human expert-led review and adjustments
- 24/7 guest communication and support, with industry-low average response time of 5-15 minutes
- Rental cleaning, laundry, and restocking between guests provided through local Awning teams
- Lawns, swimming tools, and hot tubs management
- Property maintenance and repairs
All services are part of the core package of vacation rental property management that Awning provides. The only exception is interior design and furnishing, which investors can choose depending on their needs. The ex-Head of Design at Airbnb manages this process, boosting revenue by 50%, and Awning’s fee is deducted from the overall furnishing budget, usually between $15,000 and $45,000. As Awning does not cover vacation rental insurance, it can connect property owners with the best local insurance providers.
Awning Price and Fees
Awning charges the lowest fees among full-service Houston, Texas Airbnb management companies, starting at 15% of monthly revenue. This price covers all core services. Property owners pay only interior design and furnishing fees separately, as part of the total furnishing budget.
Awning Reviews
Awning has relatively few online reviews, explained by its brief history. You can find Awning reviews on:
- TrustPilot: Currently five 5.0/5 star reviews
- BiggerPockets: Currently several 5.0/5 star reviews
Awning-managed Airbnb rentals have generated an impressive average rating of 4.8/5 stars by guests.
Positive guest reviews focus on the amazing locations and properties, the excellently maintained and stocked rentals, and the friendly, available, and competent support staff.
Awning is the best overall Airbnb property management company in Houston, TX, covering all services and managing various properties, at an industry-low fee starting at 15% of revenue. This allows Airbnb property owners to enjoy passive income, while the performance of their rental is being optimized by a combination of the latest technology and the human touch of a local team of professionals.
Getting Started With Awning
To get started with Awning, investors should schedule a call to discuss their property with an Awning agent. The onboarding process is simple, and the Awning team has experience both onboarding new properties and taking over management from another company.
Evolve Airbnb Property Management
Evolve is a nationwide half-service vacation rental management company. Brian Egan and Adam Sherry founded the company in 2011, with headquarters in Denver, CO. The company mission is to help vacation rental owners earn more and stress less.
The services provided by Evolve focus on listing, marketing, booking calendars, and supporting guests, in line with the expectations from a half-service provider. Evolve charges a universal fee of 10% of monthly revenue. The many online reviews of Evolve show an average ranking.
Evolve Services
Evolve offers a limited portfolio of services compared to full-service Houston, Texas Airbnb management companies. Currently, they manage 24,000+ short-term rentals in 750 markets in the US and Mexico, including 66 short-term rental properties in Houston, TX.
Evolve covers the following services:
- Listing optimization, distribution, and marketing
- Dynamic pricing
- Guest communication and support
- Rental property insurance (up to $1 million in liability coverage and $3,000 per booking in property damage)
To qualify, vacation rentals have to be guest-ready as Evolve does not help with this. The company does not provide services related to cleaning, laundry, restocking, maintenance, and repairs either.
Evolve offers to connect property owners with local vendors for services like:
- Interior design and decor
- Setting up a smart home
- Cleaning and restocking
- Property maintenance and repairs
Property owners can decide whether to handle these services on their own or coordinate the work of vendors recommended by Evolve.
Evolve Price and Fees
Evolve charges a universal Airbnb property management fee across all markets and property sizes, equivalent to 10% of monthly revenue. This covers the services provided by the company, while services provided by vendors are paid separately. The corresponding fees are not clear.
Hosts need to sign a written contract when hiring Evolve. According to the property management agreement, owners need to handle home insurance, property maintenance, upkeep, repairs, and compliance with local short-term rental laws including getting licenses and permits and paying taxes. Evolve helps with the collection and remittance of transient occupancy taxes.
Evolve does not require long-term commitment, and hosts can cancel at any point, with a 15-day notice.
Evolve Reviews
Evolve has a strong online presence with a few thousand reviews by property owners and guests, showing a mix of positive and negative experiences. You can find Evolve reviews on:
- TrustPilot: Currently 3.2/5 stars based on 3,591 reviews
- BBB.org: Currently 2.75/5 stars based on 458 reviews
- Sitejabber: Currently 1.31/5 stars based on 61 reviews
- Yelp: Currently 3.5/5 stars based on 59 reviews
Happy Evolve guests highlight the smooth booking process, the exact matches between listings and properties, the top locations, and the helpful support team. Unhappy guests complain about double bookings, discrepancies between online listings and actual rentals, filthy and unhealthy properties, lack of refunds under extreme circumstances, and poor customer support.
Similarly, Evolve reviews by hosts comprise a mix of very positive and very negative experiences. Some property owners are satisfied with the services they’ve received from Evolve, while others complain about insufficient marketing, unexpected charges, and lack of team support.
Evolve can be a good Houston, TX Airbnb management company for investors who would like to play an active role in the management of their vacation rentals but need some extra help through technology. This is not the right choice for those seeking passive real estate income.
To get started, property owners can visit the Evolve website or call 877-818-1014.
Leavetown Airbnb Property Management
Leavetown is a global half-service short-term rental property management company which operates through its subsidiary software tool Jetstream. Mike Liverton founded Leavetown (formerly known as MWL Luxury Rentals) in 2008, with headquarters in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The company mission is to personalize and simplify the holiday vacation home booking process through one of the most trusted short-term property rental marketing and distribution platforms.
As a half-service Airbnb manager, Leavetown focuses on vacation rental marketing and distribution, which is expected from this class of Houston, TX property managers. The company does not provide specific information on the property management fees. There are only a couple of dozen online reviews of Leavetown which show generally good experiences.
Leavetown Services
Leavetown is a worldwide half-service vacation rental property manager. Currently, the company manages 50,000+ properties in North America and Europe, including 40 short-term rentals in Houston, TX.
The property management services covered by Leavetown, provided through the Jetstream platform, include:
- Listing optimization and distribution
- Listing channel management and marketing
- 24/7 multilingual guest services including queries, bookings, and review management
- Guest screening
- Dynamic pricing
- Keyless entry
- Scheduling cleaning and maintenance
- Collecting payments from guests and transferring payouts to hosts
As a half-service property manager, Leavetown does not offer many services such as interior design, furnishing, obtaining short-term rental licenses and permits, providing linen vacation rental insurance, cleaning, restocking, inspections, property maintenance, and repairs.
Leavetown Price and Fees
The Leavetown and Jetstream websites do not provide information on the fees associated with using their tools. It’s not clear if property owners need to sign a written contract and/or commit in the long term.
Leavetown Reviews
Leavetown has a weak online presence, especially considering its global coverage and long history. You can find Leavetown reviews on:
- TrustPilot: Currently 4.0/5 stars based on 19 reviews
- Yelp: Currently 2.5/5 stars based on 8 reviews
Happy guests highlight the great properties, the amazing views, the comfortable locations, the flexible policies, the professional services, and the helpful team. Unhappy guests complain about mismatches between listings and actual rentals, deceitful reservation practices, problems with reservations, and last-minute cancellations.
The services provided by Leavetown are comparable to those offered by other Houston, Texas half-service Airbnb management companies. Due to the lack of pricing information and extensive reviews, we cannot conclude if they offer a good value for money. Leavetown could be a good option for investors who’d like to be actively involved in the management of their vacation rental property and need help automating the related tasks.
To get started, property owners can visit the Leavetown website or call 877-902-1616.
More Houston, Texas Airbnb Management Companies
Some other popular short-term rental property management companies in the Houston market that might be worth the attention of real estate investors are:
- Sonder: Sonder is a global property management company operating in 40+ cities in North America and Europe. The Sonder website does not offer information on the services covered by the company and the associated costs and charges. Currently, Sonder manages 115 Airbnb rentals in Houston, Texas.
- HTown BNB: HTown BNB is a local Airbnb property management company. There is no online information about the exact services that the company provides and the fees that it charges. Currently, HTown BNB manages 72 vacation rentals in Houston, TX.
- Houston Upscale Rentals: Houston Upscale Rentals is a local property management company that works with standard and luxury apartments in the Texas Medical Center Neighborhood of Houston. Rental apartments are available for both short-term and long-term stays. The company does not discuss the property management services it provides, so it’s not clear if this is a full-service or half-service property manager. Currently, Houston Upscale Rentals manages 59 short-term rentals in Houston, Texas.
- Nations Corporate Housing, now Alliant Corporate Housing: Alliant Corporate Housing is a local property manager focusing on fully-furnished and equipped apartments available for short-term and long-term rentals, suitable both for professionals and families. The company website does not provide information on the property management services they offer and the fees they charge, so it’s not clear if this is a full-service or half-service Airbnb manager. The company specializes in corporate housing, insurance housing, medical housing, temporary housing, intern housing, government-GSA housing, and relocation services. Currently, Alliant Corporate Housing manages 49 vacation rentals in Houston, TX.
- Corporate Housing: Corporate Housing is a national half-service property management company working with short-term and long-term rentals. The company provides extended hotel stays, corporate apartments, furnished rental apartments, privately owned houses, condos, and vacation rentals. Property management services are provided through Apartments.com and focus on advertising. Property owners still need to actively manage their Airbnb rentals and cover all other tasks. Fees vary depending on the ad package and are not available. Currently, Corporate Housing manages 35 Airbnb rentals in Houston, Texas.
- Dunyha: Dunyha allows individuals with experience or interest in hospitality to operate-to-own a Dunyha property in a few major US cities including Houston, TX. Homes are designed as micro-hotels. However, they don’t provide information on the property management services offered by the company and the expected fees. Currently, Dunyha manages 31 vacation rentals in Houston, TX.
How we evaluated the best Houston, Texas vacation rental management companies
The criteria we used to select and rank the top Airbnb management companies in Houston, TX include:
- Services: We looked at whether a company is a half-service or full-service provider and whether it provides all expected services within each category.
- Pricing: We considered whether an Airbnb property manager has a clear pricing structure covering all services. We also looked at what additional fees hosts will need to pay.
- Value for money: We evaluated whether the provided services and the expected fee offer the best value for money in Houston, TX.
- Business model: We investigated whether a company uses the latest real estate technology while retaining the human touch, which is crucial in property management.
- Reviews: We took into consideration whether companies have a strong online presence and whether reviews are positive or negative.
- Number of listings in Houston, TX: We searched for the Airbnb management companies with the most active listings in the local market.
To maximize your vacation rental investments in Houston, TX, connect with an Awning property manager now.
How to choose an Airbnb management company
When choosing the best Airbnb property manager for your specific needs, ask the following questions:
- Are you a local property manager or a nationwide company?
- For how many years have you been managing short-term rentals?
- How many properties do you manage at the moment?
- How big is your team?
- Do you have an in-house local management team or do you work with vendors?
- By how much are you able to increase revenue in the local market?
- Do you help get properties ready? Do you help with interior design, furnishing, short-term rental licenses and permits, and taxes?
- Do you collect money from guests and remit to owners or do booking fees go to the property owner directly?
- Do you provide cleaning, laundry, and restocking?
- Do you conduct property inspections and maintenance work?
- Do you manage swimming pools and hot tubs?
- What is your Airbnb property management fee? What does this cover? Are there any additional fees and costs?
- Can I review a copy of the property management agreement?
- How can I cancel your services?
Knowing the answers to all these questions is key for selecting the best short-term rental property management company for your specific needs.
Takeaway
Awning is the best Houston, Texas Airbnb management company. It provides truly full-service property management at the lowest fee for comprehensive services, at 15% of rental revenue.
Awning services include 24/7 guest communication, dynamic pricing, calendar management, and more, and are available in all 50 states. Plus, our fees start at just 15% of your revenue, with no extra charges or fees. Call or text 415-223-2830 to learn more and get started.