Host toolkit

Lodging taxes

• Booked through Airbnb, Vrbo or another booking site. For a short-term rental, the site reports sales tax on the whole charge, fees included (P.D. 22-144), and collects the county's transient occupancy tax on the room charge (Va. Code § 58.1-3826).

• Booked direct with you. You collect both taxes and file them yourself. New businesses register online with Virginia Tax; registering to collect sales tax gets you a sales tax certificate (register with Virginia Tax).

County lodging taxes

• Madison County. 5% of net rentals. The form and payment go to the county Treasurer by the 15th of each month for the month before. Remittance form (PDF)

• Page County. The county files meals and transient lodging tax together and posts the rate and due dates on one page. Confirm the lodging rate with the Commissioner of the Revenue. Meals and transient lodging tax

• Rappahannock County. 4% of the room charge; stays in the Town of Washington are exempt while the town levies its own. Reports and payment are due the 20th of January, April, July and October for the quarter before. County Code

Other counties in the region set their own rates. Ask the county's Commissioner of the Revenue.

County short-term rental rules

• Rappahannock County. Anyone in the short-term rental business registers each property with the Commissioner of the Revenue every year, by January 31 or within 30 days of starting. Offering an unregistered property carries a $500 fine per offense. Licensed real estate agents, time-share registrants and lodging licensed by the Virginia Department of Health are exempt. County Code

• Page County. A short-term rental goes through the county's community development review: a property management plan approved by the Zoning Administrator, with local contacts who can respond quickly and a copy posted inside the rental; a life safety inspection; and Health Department and VDOT approval. The application fee is $50 and the life safety inspection $40.80. Review application (PDF)

• Madison and the other counties. We have not found an official county page on short-term rental zoning yet. Call the county's planning and zoning office before you list.

Insurance

• Proper Insurance

  Insures short-term rentals only: property, business income and general liability ($1M/$2M), backed by Lloyd’s of London and Concert Specialty Insurance Company. Source

• Steadily

  A landlord insurance agency licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Ask whether a policy covers short-term rental use. Source

Pricing tools

Dynamic pricing tools change your nightly rate as demand changes and send it to your listings.

• PriceLabs

  A dynamic pricing subscription with a one-month free trial; PriceLabs bills at the end of each billing period. Source

• Wheelhouse

  A free account, or paid plans priced as a share of revenue or as a flat fee per listing per month. Source

Guest messaging and calendars

Property management software keeps your booking sites' calendars and messages in one place and sends routine guest messages for you.

• Hospitable

  Guest messaging, one inbox, a channel manager, direct booking and smart-device management. It has a free plan. Source

• OwnerRez

  Property management software with a monthly fee. Source

Smart locks and remote access

A keypad lock lets you give each guest their own code and change it between stays. Check how a lock works when the internet at the cabin is down.

• igloohome

  Codes made in the igloohome app (algoPIN) work without an internet connection once the lock has synced the first time. Source

• Schlage Encode

  A keypad deadbolt with built-in Wi-Fi. Source

Search smart deadbolts atAmazonThe Home DepotLowe's

Winterizing a cabin

What university extension services advise to keep pipes from freezing:

• If the cabin sits empty, leave the heat on and set no lower than 55°F, and have someone check it every day; or drain and shut off the water system (Illinois Extension, NC State Extension).

• Disconnect garden hoses, then shut off and drain the pipes that lead outside. Know where the main shut-off valve is and how to use it. Close foundation vents when it stays below freezing for a long stretch, and open them when it warms (NC State Extension).

• Insulate exposed pipes in the crawl space, attic and garage: foam sleeves are the easy option, heat tape costs more. In a cold snap, open sink cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes, and let cold water drip from faucets on outside walls (Oklahoma State Extension).

• Cover outdoor faucets and check water lines for leaks and sags (Mississippi State Extension).

• Foam pipe insulationAmazonThe Home DepotLowe's
• Pipe heat cableAmazonThe Home DepotLowe's
• Outdoor faucet coversAmazonThe Home DepotLowe's

Store links open a search, not a product we picked. Tell guests in your guest guide where to leave the thermostat when they check out.

Your listing on HikeShenandoah

• Free. Listing, claiming and editing cost nothing, we take no commission, and nobody can pay to rank higher. How listing works

• Drive times from your pin. We route from your pin to every trailhead lot by road, and your card shows the drive to the nearest open trailhead lot. Put the pin where guests park. How we measure drive times

• Guest guide. Every listing gets a page for your guests with what is near your stay and no other stays; your dashboard counts how often it is opened.

• Booking links. Link your own site and Airbnb or Vrbo. Links to sites that show guests' reviews read "Read reviews and book on …", so guests can see your track record.

• Amenities in your words. Filters read amenities from your description; anything you leave out shows as "not listed", never "no".

• Your photos. Upload your own, or import them from your own booking site (not from Airbnb or Vrbo).