# Hostvisors > Accounting, Data Visualization, and Software Services for STR Property Managers. ## Posts - [Why Using Negative Line Items on Invoices Is Problematic](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/why-using-negative-line-items-on-invoices-is-problematic/): Why Using Negative Line Items on Invoices Is Problematic Embedding negative amounts directly on an internal sales invoice to adjust for commissions, sales-tax remittances, or other reductions may seem quick, but it causes more harm than good. Negative line items obscure true revenue, disrupt automated accounting workflows, distort performance metrics, and weaken audit trails. Issuing a standalone credit note for every post-invoice adjustment preserves data integrity, streamlines reconciliation, and ensures transparent reporting. Maintain Pristine Gross-Revenue Records Internal invoices should record the full gross value of each reservation exactly as booked through Airbnb, VRBO, or other channels. Because many channels collect […] - [Common Bookkeeping Mistakes](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/common-bookkeeping-mistakes/): For those who choose to manage the bookkeeping for their Short-Term Rental (STR) business on their own or with a firm not specialized in short term rentals, there are several common mistakes that can arise due to the complexity and specific nature of the task. - [Challenges of DIY Bookkeeping](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/challenges-of-diy-bookkeeping/): Managing the financial records of a Short-Term Rental (STR) business involves numerous complex tasks that require specialized knowledge and skills. For someone who is not a professional bookkeeper, keeping accurate and compliant books for an STR business - [A Guide to Trust Accounting in Property Management](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/a-guide-to-trust-accounting-in-property-management/): Trust accounting in the context of a property management business refers to the management and recording of funds held on behalf of property owners and guests. These funds are typically held in a trust account, separate from the property manager’s - [Property Manager vs Property Owner Accounts](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/property-manager-vs-property-owner-accounts/): Property Manager vs Property Owner Accounts When it comes to managing the financials of a Short-Term Rental (STR) business, the accounts maintained by a property owner can differ significantly from those maintained by a property manager. Here are some key accounts that a property owner would have that a property manager typically would not: 1. Property Ownership-Related Accounts Mortgage Payable Description: Represents the loan taken to finance the purchase of properties. Importance: Property owners need to track mortgage payments and the outstanding balance. Property Taxes Payable Description: Represents the taxes levied on the property by the local government. Importance: Property […] - [Essential Chart of Accounts for an STR Business](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/essential-chart-of-accounts-for-an-str-business/): Essential Chart of Accounts for an STR Business When managing the financials of a Short-Term Rental (STR) business, it’s crucial to have a well-structured Chart of Accounts (COA) that accurately reflects all the financial activities of the business. Here’s a detailed list of the essential accounts that should be included in an STR set of books: 1. Assets Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents: Includes checking accounts, savings accounts, and petty cash. Accounts Receivable: Money owed to you by guests or booking platforms. Prepaid Expenses: Payments made in advance for services, such as insurance, advertising, or supplies. Fixed Assets Property […] - [How Financial Dashboards Can Help](https://hostvisors.com/dashboards/how-financial-dashboards-can-help/): How Financial Dashboards Can Help   As an STR (Short-Term Rental) business owner, staying on top of your financial health and performance is crucial for success. Financial dashboards are powerful tools that can help you understand your numbers and make informed decisions. Here’s how financial dashboards can enhance your understanding of your STR business’s performance: 1. Real-Time Data Visualization Importance: Instant Insights: Financial dashboards provide real-time data visualization, allowing you to see up-to-date financial metrics at a glance. Quick Decision-Making: With real-time insights, you can make faster and more informed decisions to address issues or capitalize on opportunities. Example: A […] - [Financial Statements in an STR Business](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/financial-statements-in-an-str-business/): Essential Financial Statements for an STR Business As an STR (Short-Term Rental) business owner, maintaining accurate and up-to-date financial records is crucial for guiding your business towards success. Here are the essential financial statements for an STR business and how they can help guide the business, along with the potential consequences of not having these statements regularly. 1. Income Statement (Profit and Loss Statement) Importance: Tracks Revenue and Expenses: Provides a summary of the income and expenses over a specific period, helping you understand the profitability of your STR business. Identifies Trends: Helps identify trends in revenue and expenses, allowing […] - [Cleaning up Books](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/cleaning-up-books/): Cleaning Up Messy Books for an STR Business Working with a new client in the STR management business, we often encounter disorganized and inaccurate financial records. Cleaning up these books is essential in order to provide a clear financial picture and ensure compliance. Here are some examples of cleanup work that we typically perform for new clients… 1. Reconcile Bank Accounts Issue: The bank statement shows a deposit of $2,500 that is not recorded in the books. Solution: Compare the bank statement with the accounting records. Identify the missing deposit in the books. Record the $2,500 deposit in the accounting […] - [Accrual Accounting for STR Business](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/cash-vs-accrual-accounting/): Why Vacation Rental Owners Should Use Accrual Accounting As a vacation rental owner, you’re constantly juggling bookings, managing properties, and ensuring your guests have a memorable stay. With all these responsibilities, keeping accurate and insightful financial records is crucial to your business’s success. One of the most effective ways to do this is by adopting accrual accounting. Here’s why accrual accounting is the best choice for vacation rental owners and why cash accounting might fall short. Understanding Accrual Accounting Accrual accounting is a method where revenues and expenses are recorded when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when the […] - [Custom Dashboards in Business](https://hostvisors.com/dashboards/custom-dashboards-in-business/): Custom dashboards are increasingly becoming an essential tool for businesses across various industries. They provide a tailored view of key performance indicators (KPIs), allowing managers and teams to monitor, analyze, and make data-driven decisions efficiently. Here are some of the primary benefits and uses of custom dashboards in business management. 1. Personalized Data Visualization Custom dashboards enable businesses to visualize data in a manner that is most relevant to their specific needs. By selecting and displaying only the most pertinent metrics, managers can focus on the data that directly impacts their goals and objectives. This personalization enhances clarity and ensures […] - [Data in the STR Business](https://hostvisors.com/dashboards/dashboarding-in-short-term-rental-business/): Running a short-term rental business can be complex, involving multiple properties, frequent guest turnover, and a variety of operational tasks. Dashboarding has emerged as a crucial tool for streamlining these processes, providing clear, real-time insights into various aspects of property management. Here are the key benefits of implementing dashboards in your short-term rental business. 1. Enhanced Operational Efficiency Dashboards aggregate data from multiple sources into a single, easy-to-read interface. This consolidation allows property managers to monitor and manage operations more efficiently. By visualizing key metrics such as occupancy rates, booking trends, and maintenance schedules, managers can quickly identify issues and […] - [Bookkeeper, Accountant or CPA?](https://hostvisors.com/accounting/bookkeeper-accountant-or-cpa/): In a vacation rental property management company, the roles of a bookkeeper, an accountant, and a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) each have distinct responsibilities, though there can be some overlap. Here’s a breakdown of their typical tasks: Hostaway Specific Bookkeeper Accountant CPA (Certified Public Accountant) Summary ## Pages - [Demo](https://hostvisors.com/demo/) - [Book Consult](https://hostvisors.com/book-consult/) - [Term of Service](https://hostvisors.com/term-of-service/): Hostvisors Subscription Agreement This Hostvisors Subscription Agreement (these “terms”) governs your access to and use of the Services and Our Technology.  If you agree to the Agreement on behalf of an entity, you represent that you are authorized to bind that entity; if you sign up for any Services without such authority, you agree that you are accepting the Agreement on your personal behalf. Please read these terms carefully.  1. Services 1.1. We provide bookkeeping Services Our bookkeeping Services are a solution for bookkeeping and financial organization where we maintain your accounting books based on information provided by you or […] - [Glossary](https://hostvisors.com/glossary/): We’re fluent in short term rentals. Now you can be too. Learn more about common financial terms here. To learn more about Hostvisors, fill out the form below. Book Consult A ADR (Average Daily Rate) – The average revenue earned per booked night, calculated as total revenue ÷ number of booked nights. Accrual Accounting – A method where income and expenses are recorded when incurred, not when cash is received or paid. Amenity Fees – Additional charges for property features (e.g., pools, hot tubs, pet stays). Arbitrage (Rental Arbitrage) – Leasing a property and subleasing it as a short-term rental […] - [Home](https://hostvisors.com/): Tax Optimized Bookkeeping for Short Term Rentals​ We handle your books, but that’s just the start. Get intelligent dashboards plus strategic guidance from industry pro’s. Talk to our team EmailTalk To Our Team Financial Managementfor Real Estate Investors & STR Property Managers Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Advisory Services Book Consult Our industry experts will help optimize your business Who We Are We are a team of financial and technology pros with decades of experience in short term rentals: accounting, automation, data analysis, business intelligence (BI), and operations. We are in the trenches with you and understand you. Our cross-disciplinary skill set […] - [Tax](https://hostvisors.com/tax/): Tax Taxes & bookkeeping, a perfect match Book Consult Tax preparation tailored to your company Full tax prep with your books Get your income taxes done with Hostvisors on top of bookkeeping. We’ll also take care of your federal, state, occupancy tax filing, and 1099s. Dedicated tax preparer Hostvisors provides you with a dedicated tax preparer with specific business and rental property experience who can answer your questions. You’ll get the info you need, when you need it. Streamlined online process Your Hostvisors tax preparer and finance expert work seamlessly behind the scenes to get all your filings done on […] - [Financial Management](https://hostvisors.com/financial-management/): Get best-in-class financial management for your STR business Use your time more efficiently, make smarter decisions, and hit your goals with a full suite of financial services.  We worry about the numbers, so you don’t have to. Book Consult Trustworthy books and Monthly Statements at your finger-tips GET THE RIGHT RESULTS View amazing details with a custom chart of accounts Make informed decisions with books that tell the real story.  We work closely with you to get a comprehensive understanding of your business then build out your chart of accounts.  We refine it with every accounting cycle until your figures […] - [Why Hostvisors](https://hostvisors.com/why-hostvisors/): Discover an unparalleled support experience Use your time more efficiently, make smarter decisions, and hit your goals with a full suite of services. Book Consult expertise you won’t find anywhere else Innovative workflows for improved accuracy You’ll get access to highly skilled STR accountants with cutting-edge workflows that surpass traditional error-prone accounting approaches. The result is unparalleled precision and accuracy across all of our financial services. Enhanced communication and collaboration Our portal makes staying on top of your accounting needs easier than anywhere else. You can view your books, communicate with your bookkeeper, and track progress of open items all […] - [System Overview](https://hostvisors.com/system-overview/): System Overview Goodbye data silohs, Hello Insights! Book Consult Financial chaos is costing you BIG time! Leaking money, missing payments, disappointed owners, incorrect expense or income calculations, vendors overpaid or not paid!This is where Hostvisors comes in, taking you from confusion to clarity & confidence. Real Estate Investor Owns the properties Keeps full rental income Hires Repairs & HOA expenses Needs depreciation of assets tracking Conducts capital improvements Performs initial property furnishing, decor, and setup Property Manager Manages Properties for Owners Manages guests, calendars, and revenue Splits rental incomes and extras Coordinates cleaners Coordinates vendors for minor repairs Provides Inspections […] - [Advisory Services](https://hostvisors.com/advisory-services/): Make smarter decisions with advisory services Optimize your business, scale revenue, identify leakage, control risk, and gain control like never before Book Consult Our Deep Expertise in the Industry Serves as your Guiding Light DESIGNER DASHBOARDS Dashboard for Insights We create beautiful, real-time dashboards using tools like DOMO and PowerBI, or even Excel and google sheets. We pull data from your PMS, your accounting system, and combine with external data sources, to create at-your-fingertips visualizations that drive data-rich decisions. THE RIGHT TECH AT THE RIGHT PLACE Improve Your Tech Stack Access insightful moves, leveraging our extensive  technology stack experience. We’ll […] - [Pricing](https://hostvisors.com/pricing/): Plans built with your business in mind​ Book Consult Financial Management PMS Services Ops Platform & Tech Services Advisory Services Essential What’s included: Accrual Based Accounting Class Tracking (Multiple Properties) Finely Detailed Chart of Accounts PMS Financial Formulas Setup Guest Reservation Invoices Bank & CC Reconcilliation Airbnb Payouts Verificiation Monthly P&L Statement Monthly Balance Sheet Occupancy Tax Calculations Email Support Contact Us Standard Everything in Essential Plus: Individual Owner Liability Acct’s Owners’ Statements Manager’s P&L Manager’s Balance Sheet Manager’s Cash Flow Stmt Biannual Financial Advisory Call AR & AP Aging Reports General Ledger Report 1099 Calculations CPA Tax Filing Support […] - [FAQs](https://hostvisors.com/faqs/): Questions? Ask us! Book Consult About Hostvisors What makes Hostvisors different? Our combination of accounting, finance, software, IT, property, and data analytics skills is rare, if not impossible to find, in the industry. We work as a team to craft solutions unique to our clients. We are senior-level professionals capable of solving complex problems, and we apply our expertise to the STR industry.  We are operators and investors ourselves so we understand you. What software/IT skills does Hostvisors have? Jira Administration, Website Development, Automation in Make.com or Custom code. We can integrate and automate any system that makes API access […] - [Operations Platform](https://hostvisors.com/operations-platform/): manage your operations with a world-class platform We customize the Atlassian Suite to help you manage teams, properites, projects, and data in your business. Book Consult The ops platform reduces your Tech cost and custom fits your business RUN REMOTE VA TEAMS TO FIELD STAFF Bring every team together under one roof Make informed decisions with books that tell the real story. We work closely with you to get a comprehensive understanding of your business then build out your chart of accounts. We refine it with every accounting cycle until your figures are exactly the way you need them. It […] - [Home](https://hostvisors.com/hostvisors-bookkeeping-automation/): Financial Management for Property Managers Bookkeeping, CFO, and tax services for startups and small businesses. Book Consult Our industry experts will help you optimize your business technologies we work with Who We Are We are a team of accountants and software engineers with decades of experience in short term rentals, property management, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation. Our multi-disciplinary skill set allows us to diagnose and solve complex problems that ultimately leads to greater customer success.  We understand the systems you already use such as Hostaway or Guesty.   As Stephen Covey famously said, “The significant problems we face cannot be […] - [Hostaway Connection Guide](https://hostvisors.com/hostaway-connection-guide/): Hostaway Connection Guide Start your connection to Hostvisors in 3 easy steps: Step 1: First, you need to find your Hostaway ID and API key. You can activate the connection from the ‘Marketplace’ for the relevant partner to generate your API Key: Go to the Hostaway Dashboard Click on ‘Marketplace’ within the dashboard, then search for ‘Accounting’, ‘Automation’, or ‘Business Intelligence’ in categories.  Look for ‘Hostvisors’ & click on the ‘Connect/Configure’ button available there. This will expand the partner box and you can click on ‘Connect’ again to start generating the Keys. Then you can click ‘Create’ to generate the […] - [HV Navigator Pro](https://hostvisors.com/advanced-analytics/): Consulting Services Deeply experience your finance & operations data like never before. Book Consult Mankind invented a system to cope with the fact that we are so intrinsically lousy at manipulating numbers. It’s called the graph. — Charlie Munger Holistic Approach to Propelling You Forward Your business data lives in many different systems and in different parts of the same system These data silohes lead to missed insights and opportunities We build data pipelines to a unifying platform Using Your finance and operations data and even external data sources To bring you an amazing data experience that drives Investment Decisions, […] - [About Us](https://hostvisors.com/about-us/): The Hostvisors’ Team Your trusted partners in finance, technology, and business Book Consult Our Founder Book Speaker Serena Verma, M.S. Engineer, Entrepreneur Ms. Verma holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.  She worked for nearly two decades managing software development for electromechanical systems (robotics) in the highly regulated medical device industry.   Ms. Verma started investing in real estate in 2004 and has acquired, renovated, and furnished scores of properties since then, both short term and long term rentals.  Her career continued as an entreprenur, private money lender, and angel investor over the next 10 […] - [Financial Management​](https://hostvisors.com/financial-management-3/): Financial Management​ The language of business, made clear. Book Consult Financial Management Services Powered by Automation Having a hard time believing your numbers? Doing “bank account” bookkeeping to keep score?   Constantly late taxes or owner statements?  Numbers not lining up?   There is a better way…   We integrate PMS financial data with leading accounting software and keep your books on point. Numbers you can trust, at last. Diagnostic Audits Chart of Accounts Bookkeeping Service Monthly Financial Reporting Monthly Owners Statements Setup Financial Formulas Connect to Accounting System Automate Precise Invoices Automate Expense Entry Portfolio Analysis Scenario Planning Advice Periodic Advisory Meetings […] - [PMS Setup & Automations](https://hostvisors.com/pms-setup-audit/): Expert fine tuning for your PMS We optimize your PMS settings for profit and performance Book Consult Optimize your PMS for maximum results Hostaway Implementations “Done For You” Services Done of for you services to create new listings, fine tune old listings, create guest messages, connect channels, bulk coupon codes, smart lock connections, upsells, and more.  Audit and Setup Financial Settings Financial Formulas Setup Have us audit or setup your financial formulas to verify they are correct for your calculations. Integrate formulas into your accounting system. Get recommendations for best practices for financial managment. Trouble Shooting Support Technical Support Trouble […] - [book consult](https://hostvisors.com/contact-us/): Book Consult - [Articles](https://hostvisors.com/articles/) - [Privacy Policy](https://hostvisors.com/privacy-policy/): Hostvisors.com, Privacy Policy Hostvisors.com, Inc. (“Hostvisors,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) provides back-office services, including bookkeeping services, tax services and CFO services (our “Services”). This Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) provides information about our personal information processing practices in the context of marketing and selling our Services to prospective customers, providing our Services to our customers, and operating our business. We collect, use, and disclose information for the purpose of marketing, selling, and providing services to businesses and other organizations in the United States, and not individuals. To the extent we process personal information about an individual (“you”), it is for the […] [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)