Vacasa Guestworks Property Management Review

While many vacation rental property investors are familiar with Vacasa, very few know about Vacasa Guestworks. In brief, this is Vacasa's offshoot that provides half-service short-term rental property management through automation.

In this article, we will review exactly what Vacasa Guestworks is, what services it covers, how it works, how much it costs, what customers think, and how it compares to other Airbnb property management solutions.

On our list of the best Airbnb property management companies we ranked Awning above Vacasa Guestworks for its better pricing, more complete service offering, and nationwide footprint.

What Vacasa Guestworks Is

Vacasa Guestworks is a branch of Vacasa which uses the same technology platform as the parent company to help hosts automate and optimize the management of their vacation rental. This half-service platform for Airbnb hosts was launched after Vacasa acquired TurnKey Vacation Rentals in April 2021 for $618.8 million.

The Guestworks service operates through a dedicated app that coordinates between property owners, local hosts, and housekeepers. It combines Vacasa's pricing and marketing technology with the flexibility for owners to self-manage or hire from Vacasa's network of local professionals.

Eric Breon and Cliff Johnson founded Vacasa in 2009, with headquarters in Portland, OR. Since then, Vacasa grew to manage over 40,000 vacation rentals across North America before being acquired by Casago in December 2024 for $128.6 million. The merger will be completed in May 2025. At the moment, the combined company manages approximately 43,000 vacation rentals across 34 US states, Canada, Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica. However, there is still no online information on the specific number of rentals that use Vacasa Guestworks.

Vacasa Guestworks Property Management Services

Vacasa Guestworks is a half-service Airbnb property management company. This means that Airbnb hosts can use the tech-driven platform to facilitate and automate many of the processes associated with owning and running a short-term rental business. Vacasa Guestworks promises to help vacation rental owners generate more revenue with doing less. However, they cannot achieve truly passive income as they still have to do some work.

Vacasa Guestworks provides the following vacation rental management services:

Core Marketing and Technology Services:

• Extensive listing distribution: Vacation rentals are listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Vacasa.com for maximum exposure to potential guests
• Direct bookings: Properties get featured on Vacasa.com which the company claims is the largest direct booking platform of any property management company
• Promotion: Short-term rental listings get promoted for additional access to interested guests
• Dynamic pricing: Vacasa's pricing experts and technology adjust daily rates based on local demand across all major short-term rental channels
• Professional photography and listing creation: High-quality photos and optimized descriptions to attract bookings
• Automatic booking calendars sync: Short-term rental booking calendars are synchronized across all platforms to avoid double-bookings or non-booked nights

Guest and Owner Support Services:

• Guest screening: Vacasa provides guest screening and fraud protection services to avoid fraudulent bookings
• 24/7 guest support: The Vacasa Guestworks guest support team provides around-the-clock communication with and help to guests
• 24/7 owner support: Centralized support is available for property owners at all times
• Guest communication management: All guest inquiries and issues are handled by Vacasa's team
• Access to online owner portal: The Vacasa Homeowner app allows owners to track property performance, book personal stays, and monitor bookings in real-time

Protection and Coordination Services:

• Guestworks Protection Program: Mandatory coverage provides up to $1 million in liability protection plus contents damage coverage
• Smart locks: Access codes can be generated for each guest and housekeeper
• Guestworks app coordination: The app automatically dispatches housekeepers when guests book and allows local hosts to view upcoming bookings
• Local host network: Access to Vacasa-sourced third-party local hosts and housekeepers, or owners can serve as their own local host

These services align with what other half-service companies offer. For the provision of these services, Vacasa Guestworks relies on the same technology that Vacasa uses for its full-service property management as well as the interface from TurnKey Vacation Rentals.

Property Management Services Not Covered by Vacasa Guestworks

As a half-service provider, Vacasa Guestworks does not provide the following services:

Design and Setup:

• Interior design and vacation rental furnishing: How you design and furnish your Airbnb property has a major impact on occupancy, guest experience, and reviews. Good furnishing in accordance with local market trends can help increase rental revenue by up to 50%

Legal and Compliance:

• Obtaining and renewing short-term rental licenses and permits: Most US counties and cities require short-term rental operators to get a license or a permit that in most cases has to be renewed annually. This can take between a couple of hours and a couple of months
• Transient occupancy tax collection and remittance: Most US locations require Airbnb hosts to pay TOT similar to hotels, in most cases on a monthly basis

Property Care:

• Primary vacation rental insurance: While liability coverage is included through the Protection Program, homeowner insurance is not enough to cover all potential damage. Special grade insurance is still needed
• Cleaning and housekeeping: Unless you plan to clean and restock the property yourself between visits, you need to hire from Vacasa's network or manage your own team of professionals
• Maintenance and repairs: Airbnb rentals are subject to more wear and tear because of the high turnaround of renters, which leads to more frequent need for small repairs before they turn into major problems

As Vacasa Guestworks does not provide these services, vacation rental owners have to either perform them themselves or hire and manage local contractors. The Guestworks app helps coordinate with local professionals, but owners remain responsible for ensuring these tasks get done. This is not ideal for remote real estate investors or those hoping to earn passive income.

Where Vacasa Guestworks Property Management Is Available

Vacasa Guestworks does not provide specific information on where its short-term rental property management services are available. The assumption is that it operates in the same markets as Vacasa's full-service management. Vacasa operates in 34 US states across the nation besides Canada, Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica. While this represents extensive North American coverage, it does not work in the entire US market.

The lack of specific market information for Guestworks means property owners need to contact Vacasa directly to confirm availability in their area.

How Vacasa Guestworks Property Management Works

To get started with Vacasa Guestworks, Airbnb property owners need to fill in an online form where they provide some basic information including their name, email, phone, and rental address. Afterwards, they will be contacted by a Vacasa representative to discuss the details. Alternatively, they can call 888-711-0781 to speak to a Homeowner Consultant right away.

The Guestworks app serves as the central coordination tool once properties are onboarded. It automatically dispatches housekeepers when bookings occur and allows local hosts to view upcoming reservations. Property owners can use the Vacasa Homeowner app to monitor performance and manage their calendar.

Vacasa Guestworks does not provide detail on the property eligibility requirements or the complete onboarding process on their website.

Vacasa Guestworks Property Management Costs and Fees

Vacasa Guestworks now charges a flat 10% management fee according to their current website. This represents a significant change from the previous lack of pricing transparency that characterized both Guestworks and the parent Vacasa company.

The 10% fee matches what other half-service providers charge and is substantially lower than Vacasa's full-service management fee which ranges from 25% to 35% depending on market and property size. The Guestworks fee includes all core services with no variation by market or property type.

Additional costs to consider:

• The Guestworks Protection Program is mandatory and included
• Owners must separately pay for or arrange cleaning between guests
• Maintenance and repair costs remain the owner's responsibility
• Any local host or housekeeper fees if using Vacasa's network

Based on Vacasa reviews, property owners should be aware that the company has been known to add unexpected fees and markups. It is important to get all fee information in writing before signing an agreement.

Vacasa Guestworks Property Management Terms and Requirements

Vacasa operates without fixed-term contracts according to their FAQ page. Property owners can cancel their agreement at any time with 90 days notice. However, owners must honor any existing reservations during that 90-day window.

Specific terms for Guestworks may differ from Vacasa's standard agreement. The exact rights and responsibilities of Guestworks owners are not published online. Property owners should request a copy of the written rental property management agreement before deciding whether to hire Vacasa Guestworks.

The Guestworks Protection Program has its own terms which include:

• Mandatory participation for all properties
• Up to $1 million in liability coverage
• Contents damage protection
• Specific exclusions for certain types of damage
• Requirements for filing claims within specified timeframes

Vacasa Guestworks Property Management Reviews

There are no online reviews of Vacasa Guestworks specifically, neither by investors nor by short-term guests. This lack of specific feedback makes it difficult to assess the quality of the Guestworks service independently from the parent company.

However, there are thousands of Vacasa reviews by property owners and guests which show mixed experiences:

Current Review Scores:

• Trustpilot: 4.0/5 stars based on 15,701 reviews
• BBB.org: 4.07/5 stars based on 2,743 reviews
• Yelp: 2.0/5 stars based on current reviews
• Sitejabber: 1.1/5 stars based on 1,262 reviews

The experiences of vacation rental property owners who have worked with Vacasa are mixed. Some are very satisfied with the value for money that the company provides. Others report destroyed properties, unexpected charges, lack of communication on behalf of the company, and difficulties getting out of contract.

Positive reviews by happy guests praise the outstanding, well-equipped, well-maintained, well-stocked rentals, the excellent locations, and the friendly guest support team. Negative reviews by unhappy guests complain about properties in a terrible state, mismatch between listings and actual rentals, last-minute cancellations, and poor customer support.

The lack of Guestworks-specific reviews means potential customers must rely on general Vacasa feedback which may not accurately reflect the half-service experience.

Recent Company Changes

Since this article was originally published, Vacasa has undergone significant changes that affect Guestworks:

• The Casago Acquisition: In December 2024, Casago acquired Vacasa for $128.6 million, representing a 97% decline from Vacasa's peak valuation of $4.5 billion in 2021. The merger completed on May 1, 2025. The combined company now manages approximately 43,000 properties.
• Operational Challenges: Vacasa experienced significant property churn starting in 2023, with many owners leaving the platform. The company's property count dropped from over 44,000 to approximately 40,000 before the merger. These challenges contributed to the dramatic decline in company value.
• Future Direction: Casago brings a franchise model approach that emphasizes local ownership and management. How this will affect Guestworks operations remains to be seen. The company states that existing Vacasa teams will continue operating properties during the transition.

Vacasa Guestworks Competitors

Finding someone to manage your short-term rental is as important as buying the right property. Before deciding whether to work with Vacasa Guestworks or not, consider these alternatives in the vacation rental management market:

Awning vs Vacasa Guestworks

Awning is the top vacation rental property management company in the US market, which offers truly comprehensive services, allowing hosts to earn passive real estate income. Awning covers all services, from getting properties ready for listing and welcoming guests, to ensuring they remain in good form year after year. It works with all property types and covers the entire US market, from end to end. This is achieved by setting up local teams of vetted contractors before even onboarding properties in a market.

Awning property management services include interior design and furnishing (if needed), getting licenses and permits, vacation rental insurance, optimizing and distributing listings, marketing and advertising, dynamic pricing, 24/7 guest support and communication with the lowest average response time in the industry, cleaning, restocking, laundry, property maintenance, hot tub and swimming pool maintenance, lawn maintenance, and property inspections and repairs.

This full-service Airbnb manager offers an industry-low vacation rental management fee, starting at 15%. Importantly, the interior design and furnishing process is managed by the ex-Head of Design at Airbnb, so properties furnished by Awning generate up to 50% more in revenue than comps in the same market.

Evolve vs Vacasa Guestworks

Evolve is the most popular direct competitor of Vacasa Guestworks as it is a half-service short-term rental property manager. Currently, it manages 24,000+ properties in 750 markets in the US and Mexico.

Similar to other half-service providers, Evolve focuses on listing optimization and distribution, marketing, dynamic pricing, guest communication and support, and rental property insurance covering both liability and property damage.

Evolve offers to connect Airbnb hosts with local contractors for the services that it does not cover. However, property owners will manage and coordinate their work.

Evolve charges a single fee of 10% of monthly revenue, regardless of the market and the property type. This matches Vacasa Guestworks' current pricing and provides a very transparent and clear fee structure.

RedAwning vs Vacasa Guestworks

RedAwning is another direct Vacasa Guestworks competitor as a half-service Airbnb property manager, albeit less famous than Evolve.

The services covered by RedAwning include listing optimization, distribution, marketing, reservations management, guest support and communication, payment processing and revenue management, property damage protection, cleaning (through TurnoverBnB), and additional damage coverage (through Safely). Through partnerships with others in the short-term rental industry, RedAwning can provide more services than other half-service companies.

RedAwning charges a standard vacation rental property management fee of 10% of monthly income plus a 3% credit card processing fee. The base fee matches Guestworks, but the processing fee adds to the total cost.

Vacasa vs Vacasa Guestworks

Vacasa is the parent company of Vacasa Guestworks which provides full-service short-term rental property management services.

Vacasa covers: interior design, help with licenses and permits, installing smart home devices, linen program, vacation rental insurance, listings, distribution, marketing, cleaning, restocking, property inspections and maintenance, dynamic pricing, revenue management, guest support and communication, tax support, and hot tub maintenance.

The majority of these services are covered by a monthly fee, which is calculated as a percentage of the revenue. The fee varies by market and property size, with reviews by property owners revealing a range between 25% and 35%. Additional services like interior design, linen program, and vacation rental insurance are paid separately.

Takeaway

Vacasa Guestworks could be a good option for vacation rental property owners who live in the local market and want to maintain some control over their property while leveraging professional marketing and pricing technology. The confirmed 10% fee makes it competitive with other half-service providers.

However, as a half-service property management company, it is not recommended for investors who invest remotely or who do not have the time to coordinate cleaning and maintenance. The lack of specific customer reviews for Guestworks and limited public information about coverage areas and terms remain concerns.

The recent acquisition by Casago adds uncertainty about the future direction of the service. Property owners considering Guestworks should carefully evaluate whether the 10% fee savings compared to full-service management is worth the additional responsibilities they will need to handle themselves or coordinate through local contractors.