The Best STR Operations Software for Austin Property Managers Using Hostaway

The Keepers + Hostaway integration works seamlessly for Austin property managers. Hostaway is your system of record for reservations, channel management, and guest data. Keepers is your system of record for operational execution and verification. When a guest books through Airbnb, VRBO, or direct booking in Hostaway, that reservation automatically syncs to Keepers and triggers the operational workflows needed to prepare the property. For example: a guest books a 3-night stay at an Austin downtown property, checking in tomorrow at 3 PM. Hostaway records the booking. Keepers automatically creates a cleaning job tied to that property, assigns it to a confirmed cleaner in Austin's network, generates a property-specific checklist (linens, kitchen supplies, bathroom setup, maintenance checks), and sets a deadline that ensures the cleaner finishes with time for inspection before check-in. The cleaner receives the job through the Keepers app, follows the checklist, submits photos of completion, and confirms readiness. Keepers AI Quality Assurance automatically reviews the submitted photos and flags any visible issues—dust, missed cleaning, broken items, missing supplies—before the property manager has to manually inspect. If issues are detected, the system automatically routes a correction request to the cleaner without the property manager having to send a text. Once the property passes AI review, the property manager receives a 'Verified Guest Ready' confirmation. Throughout this entire workflow, Hostaway remains the reservation system—Keepers is the execution system. Austin property managers appreciate this separation because it means they do not have to change their Hostaway workflows. Instead, they add Keepers as the operational layer that automates everything that happens between the booking and the guest arrival. This integration approach also means operators can keep using any PMS they prefer—Hostaway, Guesty, OwnerRez, Streamline—and connect Keepers to any of them. The operational execution layer works the same way regardless of which reservation system operators use.

Beyond cleaning, Austin property managers face constant operational challenges: hot tubs and pool maintenance in high-end rentals, HVAC failures during summer months, plumbing issues in older central Austin homes, appliance repairs, security system resets, and inventory coordination across multiple properties. These issues cannot be solved through Hostaway alone. Keepers centralizes maintenance and service coordination so nothing falls through the cracks. When a maintenance issue is reported—whether by a cleaner discovering it, a guest reporting it, or a property manager spotting it during inspection—it is logged into Keepers and immediately routed by property. Austin property managers can assign issues to preferred service providers or, if preferred, post the job to the Keepers marketplace where vetted local service companies (plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, pool professionals, handymen) can accept the work. This is especially valuable for emergency issues: an air conditioner dies in July in an Austin rental, the guest arrives in 4 hours. Instead of scrambling to call HVAC companies, the property manager posts the urgent job to the Keepers network, and an available local HVAC provider accepts and dispatches within minutes. Inventory visibility in Keepers is connected directly to the cleaning workflow. When cleaners confirm jobs, they also confirm supply levels—linens, paper products, cleaning supplies, coffee, toiletries—and flag what needs restocking. Property managers see inventory status by property and can automatically create restocking tasks or route them to the Keepers marketplace for supply delivery providers. This prevents the common Austin problem of guests arriving to properties missing essential supplies, which directly damages reviews. Team communication in Keepers is property-linked, not scattered across texts. A cleaner can report an issue, a maintenance provider can update status, a property manager can approve completion—all within the property record, creating an audit trail and eliminating missed messages. Austin operators using Keepers report that maintenance response time drops from days to hours because issues are immediately visible and routable rather than buried in email chains or group chats.

Setting up Keepers for Austin STR operators is straightforward because Keepers is designed to integrate with existing workflows, not replace them. Here is the typical onboarding path: Step 1: Connect Hostaway to Keepers. The integration is pre-built—most Austin property managers can connect their Hostaway account to Keepers in minutes through the integration dashboard. Keepers automatically syncs reservation data, so cleaning jobs are created from actual bookings. Step 2: Customize property profiles and checklists. Each property in Keepers receives a customized profile with cleaning checklists specific to that rental type (studio apartments, 2-bedroom homes, properties with hot tubs or pools, etc.). Austin property managers can build these checklists during onboarding or iterate on them as the system runs. Step 3: Add cleaners and service providers. Keepers supports two approaches: (1) operators can add their existing cleaners and contractors to Keepers as team members, or (2) operators can access the Keepers marketplace to find and vet new Austin-based cleaners and service companies. Most operators use both—existing trusted providers plus marketplace access for overflow or specialty services. Step 4: Configure automations. Keepers allows operators to set rules—for example, 'automatically create a cleaning job when a reservation is confirmed,' 'alert me 24 hours before check-in if the property is not verified guest-ready,' 'escalate maintenance issues older than 48 hours to the owner.' Austin property managers often spend 1-2 weeks refining automations before the system runs fully autonomously. Step 5: Train team and cleaners. Keepers provides guides for both property managers and cleaners. The cleaner experience is intentionally simple—they receive jobs, follow checklists, submit photos, confirm completion. The property manager dashboard is more complex but designed to show at a glance what needs attention. Most Austin teams are fully trained and operational within 2-3 weeks. Once live, the Keepers + Hostaway system runs continuously. Every new Hostaway reservation automatically triggers the right Keepers workflows. Property managers receive alerts when action is needed—guest arriving soon and property not verified ready, maintenance issue needs assignment, inventory needs restocking. The system removes the manual coordination burden and creates accountability through documented, verified workflows. Austin property managers report that the first month is transformative: suddenly they have visibility into every property, every job, every issue. The second month is when the real productivity gains appear—fewer missed tasks, fewer guest complaints, fewer emergency scrambles. By month three, most operators report that the system is so integrated into their daily workflow that they cannot imagine operating without it.