It's easy to get your vacation rental up and running on Stessa. Just use the new Airbnb file importer to quickly populate your income and expense ledger. Then use Stessa's short-term rental categories to track investment performance and stay organized for tax time.
Set Up Your Short-Term Rental In 4 Easy Steps
1. Import Airbnb Transactions
Log in to your Airbnb account and download your Transaction History (CSV).
Set your date range, then click "Download CSV" on the "Paid Out" line.
In Stessa, go to your Transactions page and click "Import" to upload the file.
Tips:
Airbnb reports two line items per stay. The sum of these equals your net income.
Gross income (Money In)
Host fee (Money Out)
If you've also connected a bank account in Stessa, check for duplicates and delete as needed.
Use Bulk Edits to manage duplicates efficiently.
2. Update Your Rent Roll for STR
Go to your Leases & Tenants page.
Set your unit as "Short-Term Rental".
Enter your average nightly rate and expected occupancy for the year.
Stessa will calculate expected monthly income automatically.
3. Set Pro Forma Operating Expenses
Visit your Dashboard page.
Locate the Monthly Expenses card and click the 3 dots to select "Edit All Pro Forma"
Enter your expected monthly expenses in the Pro Forma column.
This baseline helps you compare projected vs. actual expenses.
4. Connect Bank and Credit Card Accounts
Link any accounts used for:
Receiving STR income (e.g., Airbnb, VRBO)
Paying STR-related expenses
Navigate to the Connected Accounts page and click "+ Add Bank".
Stessa will auto-import and categorize transactions from these accounts.
Key Categories for STR Owners
When categorizing transactions for your STR property, use these categories to accurately track activity:
Transaction Type | Recommended Category |
Rental income | Income > Short Term Rents |
Taxes collected from guests | Transfers > Taxes to Remit (positive) |
Taxes paid out from collections | Transfers > Taxes to Remit (negative) |
Taxes paid out from your own funds | Taxes > Short Term Occupancy Taxes |
Guest refunds or discounts | Admin & Other > Discounts & Refunds |
Platform & listing fees | Management Fees > Booking & Platform Fees |
Cleaning services | Repairs & Maintenance > Cleaning |
Linens, snacks, toiletries, etc. | Repairs & Maintenance > Linens, Soaps & Other... |
New furniture, appliances, TVs, etc. | Capital Expenses > New Furniture & Equipment |
Renovation or remodeling costs | C |