Whether you're a first-time investor, aspiring host, or seasoned property owner, we know this industry comes with a lot of unfamiliar terminology. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the key terms you’ll find across our site and services.

A

Airbnb Arbitrage
A business model where you rent a property long-term and sublease it on platforms like Airbnb for short-term stays. You earn money from the difference between rent and short-term rental income.

B

Booking Lead Time
The average number of days between when a guest books and the actual check-in date. Helps you understand guest behavior and optimize pricing.

Booking Window
The timeframe in which your property is most likely to be booked. Critical for adjusting rates seasonally.

C

Channel Manager
Software that syncs your listings across multiple platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo) to prevent double bookings and streamline calendar management.

Co-hosting
A service where Soladia helps manage your Airbnb listing, including guest communication, cleaning, pricing, and reviews — without taking ownership of the property.

Conversion Rate
The percentage of website visitors or Airbnb viewers who complete a desired action, such as booking or filling out an inquiry form.

D

Dynamic Pricing
Automated price adjustment tools (like Pricelabs or Beyond) that optimize your nightly rate based on market demand, seasonality, local events, and competitor performance.

Due Diligence
The process of thoroughly researching a property before investing — including legal, financial, and market evaluations.

E

Estimated ROI (Return on Investment)
A projection of how much profit you may earn on a property investment over time, expressed as a percentage of your initial investment.

F

Furnishing Package
A curated selection of furniture and decor offered as part of our setup service to maximize guest appeal and stay quality.

G

Guest Experience Design
The intentional design of every guest interaction — from check-in to checkout — to increase satisfaction, reviews, and repeat bookings.

H

Host Guarantee
An Airbnb policy that offers limited protection against guest-caused damages. Not a substitute for insurance.

House Manual
A guidebook provided to guests with property rules, appliance instructions, and local tips — often required to improve review quality.

I

Initial Investment
The total upfront cost to set up a rental property — including deposits, furnishing, renovation, and service fees.

Investor Profile Assessment
A short quiz or consultation to determine your goals, risk tolerance, and best-fit strategy for short-term rental investing.

K

Keyless Entry
A digital smart lock or keypad that allows self-check-in without requiring a physical key exchange.

L

Listing Optimization
The process of improving your Airbnb listing (title, photos, description, pricing) to increase visibility and bookings.

Local Registration / License
In some cities, hosts must register with local authorities or obtain permits to legally rent on Airbnb. Soladia helps guide compliance.

M

Market Research
A deep-dive analysis into demand, competition, and nightly rates in a specific city or neighborhood before launching your property.

Minimum Stay Requirement
The minimum number of nights a guest must book. Used strategically to reduce turnover and cleaning frequency.

O

Occupancy Rate
The percentage of available nights in a month that your property is booked. Higher occupancy usually means better cash flow.

OTA (Online Travel Agency)
Platforms like Airbnb, Agoda, Booking.com, or Expedia that list and distribute your short-term rental.

P

Payback Period
The time it takes to recover your initial investment from rental income. A key metric for evaluating ROI.

Pricing Strategy
A combination of base rate, minimum night settings, dynamic pricing tools, and discount timing to maximize income.

R

Rental Arbitrage
(See Airbnb Arbitrage) — Same concept; terms used interchangeably.

Revenue Per Available Night (RevPAN)
A performance metric calculated as:
RevPAN = Total Monthly Revenue ÷ Total Nights Available

S

Short-Term Rental (STR)
Any rental property leased for less than 30 days at a time. Airbnb and Vrbo are popular STR platforms.

Superhost
An Airbnb status for top-rated hosts with high response rates, 5-star reviews, and consistent bookings. Often leads to better visibility.

T

Turnover Cleaning
Professional cleaning service performed between guest stays to prepare the unit for the next check-in. Often includes laundry, restocking, and inspection.

Tourism Tax / City Tax
A local fee that may apply per guest per night. Hosts are often responsible for collecting and reporting it.

U

Upsell Services
Optional add-ons such as airport pickup, local tours, or early check-in offered to guests for additional revenue.

V

Vrbo
An OTA (Online Travel Agency) focused on vacation rentals. Popular in some markets as a complement to Airbnb.

W

Whitelabel Co-hosting
Soladia’s behind-the-scenes co-hosting solution where your property remains under your name, while we handle all operations.

➕ Don’t see a term you’re looking for?

We’re always updating this glossary. If there’s a word or concept you’d like explained, contact us and we’ll be happy to help.