Host Guide

Scout. Setup. Stay. Strategy. Stream.

We built our short-term rental business from scratch in the North Georgia mountains. Now we help other hosts do the same — right from day one.

Start with the Host Blog

Real tips, real products, and real strategies from hosts who have done it. Everything on the Host Blog is free — no sign-up, no paywall. Start there and see how we think before you decide if you want our help.

Read the Host Blog

Paid Services

Ready to Launch or Level Up?

We work directly with hosts who are starting their first short-term rental or want to improve a listing that is underperforming. Every engagement is hands-on — not a template, not a course.

Scout

Know your goal. Know the ordinances. Know the OTA rules. Know when to revisit a decision you thought was settled.

Setup

Get your property compliant, configured, and live — equipment, installs, accounts, listing, calendar, and guest messaging.

Stay

Manage the stay from check-in to checkout. Guest communication, turnovers, and protecting the five-star rating that drives future bookings.

Strategy

House rules, security hardware, guest screening, and documentation — assembled into a defensive layer that runs underneath everything else.

Stream

Revenue that flows after checkout. Merch store, Amazon affiliate page, marketing materials, and analytics that show what is working.

Buy
Property
Step one
Design
Property
Plans & site
Business
Setup
LLC · EIN
Financial
Setup
Bank · Cards
STR
Ordinances
Know the rules
Buy
Equipment
We recommend
Vendor
Referrals
Your team
Property
Setup
Installs
Account
Setup
Airbnb
Listing
Setup
Go live
Calendar
Setup
Fill dates
Guest
Messaging
Automate
Regional
Site
More reach
Facebook
Setup
Social
Facebook
Ads
Paid reach
Marketing
Materials
Rack cards
Printify
Store
Merch
Amazon
Associates
Earn
Guest
Item$
Host page
Analytics
Optimize

We are not attorneys or CPAs. Consult your own professionals for business entity formation, tax setup, and financial accounts.

Starting from scratch?

We walk you through every step — from buying your first piece of compliant equipment to your first five-star review. Full guided launch, start to finish.

Already running an STR?

Most existing hosts have the basics covered but are leaving money on the table. No Facebook ads. No Amazon affiliate page. No merch. No regional listing. We can plug in wherever you are.

Scout.Know before you act. Know when to revisit.
🎯

Know Your Goal

Not every host is chasing the same outcome. We help you get clear on your goal — covering carrying costs, offsetting W2 income, building a portfolio — and set up your operation to match it.

📋

Know Your Market

Demand, competition, and seasonal patterns vary widely by location. We research the STR landscape in your target market so you know what you are walking into before you commit.

🏛

Research Your Business Structure

LLC or sole proprietor? Single-member or multi-member? We walk you through the options so you understand the tradeoffs before you sit down with your attorney or CPA.

🔍

Find a Property

Searching for a foreclosure, fixer-upper, or investment property? Start your search at Foreclosure.com →

💰

Understand Your Financial Structure

STR income has tax implications most new hosts are not ready for. We help you understand how revenue, expenses, depreciation, and deductions fit together before the money starts moving.

📋

Know Your STR Ordinances

Before you buy, know the rules. We review STR ordinances, permit requirements, and zoning restrictions for your target market so you are not learning the hard way after closing.

📱

Know Your Platform

Airbnb and VRBO have policies most new hosts never read until they get burned. We walk you through fee structures, Instant Book settings, infant guest count quirks, and photo rules before your listing goes live.

Setup.Get compliant, configured, and live.
🏛

Set Up the Business

Form the LLC, get your EIN, and register in your state. We walk you through what to do and in what order so nothing gets missed before your first booking.

💳

Get the Finances Right

Separate business bank account, dedicated credit cards, and a basic bookkeeping setup. We help you get the infrastructure in place so income and expenses stay clean from day one.

🏠

Design Your Property

Planning to build from scratch? Jim Klippel is an AIBD member, Certified Professional Building Designer, and Gold OBIE winner. JHKDesigns.com →

🛒

Buy Equipment

We do not purchase equipment for you, but we know what works. Our curated items list covers every product category you will need to set up a compliant, guest-ready property. Browse Curated Items →

🤝

Vendor Referrals

Need a photographer, electrician, plumber, or cleaner? We connect you with trusted vendors in your market. We make the intro — you handle the relationship.

🔨

Property Setup

One-time installs before your first guest arrives — Moen Flo leak detector, Ring contact sensors on owner areas and windows, Ecobee thermostat setup. We install. We do not manage.

🔑

Account Setup

Get your Airbnb, VRBO, and Houfy accounts built right from the start — host profile, payout setup, verification, and platform settings configured before your first booking arrives.

📷

Photography

Your listing photos are your first impression and your best marketing asset. We connect you with a vetted photographer in your market through the Drift Currents vendor directory. Browse Vendors →

🏠

Listing Setup

Professional listing creation on Airbnb and VRBO — titles, descriptions, amenities, and photos that put your property in front of the right guests.

📅

Calendar Setup

Minimum nights, availability windows, and booking settings configured per platform so your calendar works for you — not against you.

💬

Guest Messaging

Automated message templates from booking confirmation through checkout — so every guest gets the right information at the right time without you lifting a finger.

Stay.Manage the stay, protect the rating.
🤝

Manage the Guest Relationship

From first message to checkout, we help you set expectations, respond to issues without panicking, and keep the guest experience consistent booking after booking.

🧹

Run the Turnover

A turnover done right is what makes a five-star review possible. We help you build a repeatable checklist your cleaner can follow every time — nothing missed, nothing assumed.

Protect Your Rating

Your Airbnb rating is your most valuable asset and the easiest to lose. We walk you through how to respond to unfair reviews, what to dispute, and how to stay in Superhost range consistently.

Strategy.A defensive layer that runs underneath everything else.
🛡️

House Rules Setup

House rules that match how OTA enforcement actually works — specific, documented, and written to support a penalty-free cancellation if a guest violates them.

🔍

Guest Screening Protocol

Know what the platform shows you, what the host community knows, and how to read AirReview ratings. We set up a consistent screening process you run the same way every booking.

📹

Security Camera Layout

No blind spots, no single points of failure. We design your exterior camera placement, solar vs. plug-in logic, and network segmentation so guests cannot disable your coverage.

📸

Documentation System

Timestamped photos before every check-in, landscape format, organized by date. We set up the system so your documentation library builds itself and doubles as a listing photo source.

Stream.Revenue that flows after checkout.
🗺

List on a Regional Site

Get your property featured on a Drift Currents regional site — Toccoa Currents, SoFlo Currents, Golden Currents. Direct booking traffic from a targeted audience already looking in your market.

🛍

Amazon Associate Setup

We get you approved for Amazon Associates and set up your first affiliate links — so every product recommendation your guests see can earn you a commission.

💰

Guest Item$ on Amazon

We build and host a guest items page on a Drift Currents regional site — your affiliate links, our traffic. Guests scan a QR code, shop what they loved at the property, and the commission goes straight to you. Flat monthly hosting fee.

📘

Facebook Setup

A professional Facebook business page for your STR — branding, initial content setup, and Meta Pixel installation so guests can find your property and you can retarget visitors.

📲

Facebook Ads

Targeted Facebook and Instagram campaigns for your STR — audience setup, creative, and ongoing management. Monthly reporting on reach, clicks, and estimated booking attribution.

🖼

Marketing Materials

Design and order print materials for your property — rack cards, coffee mugs, coasters, and more, each with a QR code tied to UTM-tracked links so you know exactly what is driving traffic.

👕

Printify Store Setup

We build and launch your Printify merch store — branded mugs, tumblers, coasters, and apparel your guests can order long after checkout. A passive revenue stream tied directly to your property brand.

📊

Analytics

Traffic, clicks, and conversion reporting across your regional site listing, Amazon affiliate page, Facebook ads, and print materials — so you know what is working and what to cut.

Coming Soon

STR Host Guide: Scout. Setup. Stay. Strategy. Stream.

The principles behind this guide are the foundation of our upcoming book — a step-by-step playbook for new and existing STR hosts. Coming soon on Amazon.

Ready to talk? Tell us about your property and what you need.

Get in Touch