New Reservations: Easily manage reservations from all connected sources. No more double bookings! Use the Unit Calendar to drag and drop stay dates or enter the dates in the New Reservation tool to quickly create a reservation.

Rental Agreements: You have the ability to create multiple rental agreements and assign them to various units. You can have separate rental agreements for large cabins, cabins with pools, or with special conditions. Assign them by unit, by reservation stay type, by source, by amenities, or all the above. You could even have a separate contract for golf cart rentals, etc.

E-Signatures & Initials: Choose to require a signature on your rental agreement and BrightSide prevents a guest from checking-in if it is missing. Guests can easily sign the rental agreement in the guest portal. You may also require the guest to initial specific places within the rental agreement.

Credit Card Processing: BrightSide integrates with a number of credit card processors. Automatically process charges when a deposit is made at the time of booking. Manually process the balance when it is due.

Check-In List: This daily report shows you the name of the unit, the cleaning status, guest name, the arrival and departure dates, reservation number, balance due, and status (missing signatures, ID, checked in, etc.). You may check in the guests from this page.

Check-Out List: This daily report shows you the name of the unit, guest name, the arrival and departure dates, reservation number, balance (if any), and status (checked in/out, etc.). You may check out the guests from this page.

Access Rental Agreement: A copy of the signed rental agreement is a click away. Open the reservation and click on the link to see the signed rental agreement.

Guest ID: If you require guests to provide a copy of their government issued ID, it is quickly accessible within the reservation. Just click the link. Guests upload their ID in the guest portal. If they email it to you, just upload it directly to the reservation.

Extend Stay: Quickly and easily extend the stay at the beginning or end of a reservation with just a few clicks. Add a day, enter the rate (if different than the normal rate), remove unwanted fees with a click, then save. That’s it.

Change Dates or Unit: This tool gives you the ability to change the unit when needed. Recalculate the charges or keep the same rates and fees. If you need to change the dates completely, just enter the new dates. You may also add a Special during this process.

Rate Seasons: Create rate seasons and quickly assign them to dates on the calendar. Assign minimum night stay requirements per season. Assign rates in each unit for every rate season.

Nightly Rates: Set nightly rates, per season, for each unit.

Rate Overrides: Easily override rates for individual units on a night by night basis.

Built-In Dynamic Pricing: Automatically adjust nightly rates based on a number of conditions like date ranges and occupancy rates.

Minimum Night Stay Policies: Assign the required minimum night stays for each unit or all units.

Minimum Stay Overrides: Override the required nights for any date and unit with this tool.

Travel Insurance: Offer travel insurance to guests.

Damage Waiver: Provide the option to pay for a damage waiver or a damage deposit, automatically.

Taxes: Set up all the possible tax options in one central location, then assign the appropriate taxes for each unit. You can then run tax reports for each tax collected.

Fees & Charges: Create guest fees that automatically add to reservations or only under certain conditions. You may also manually add charges to reservations.

Transfer Payments: You may quickly transfer payments from one reservation to another. This is useful when you need to move a guest from “Unit A” to “Unit B” after completing a night(s), and you need to pay both owners.

Gift Certificates: Assign a reservation to a gift certificate unit to allow for future rebooking without giving a refund. This keeps the funds in escrow.

Guest Information: Store guest information for easy recall when needed for a new reservation. BrightSide shows you repeat guests on each reservation by indicating how many prior stays they have completed.

Do Not Contact: Tick this box in the guest file to indicate that you should not contact them after their stay.

Communications: You can start a communications thread from within the reservation. Options include texts or messages using OTA channels like Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com. You may also manually send email templates from within the reservation.

Maintenance: Any maintenance issues related to the reservation unit are listed. Enter a new maintenance issue or see the maintenance history. Block check-ins until the unit is cleared.

Notes: The Notes tab in the reservation records the history of the reservation, including the original rent, the date the reservation was taken, who entered the reservation, any payments made, and most any other change made to the reservation. You can also manually enter notes here.

Management Fee: Manually adjust the management fee on a per reservation basis if needed.

Sources: Easily record and track the sources of reservations. Easily keep track of travel agents’ commissions and run reports.

Auto Check-In/Check-Out: Set your account to automatically check-in and check-out guests according to your policies. We recommend the old fashioned manual process, but it works either way, your choice.

Restrict Check-In/Check-Out: For various reasons, there are days you don’t want guests to be able to check-in or check-out, like Christmas or Thanksgiving Day. You can set BrightSide to block those days from being rented by preventing a check-in, check-out, or both.

Restrict Same Day Bookings: Easily restrict same day arrivals, or even booking the day before arrivals. Very flexible tool.

Restrict Future Bookings: Easily restrict future bookings more than a year out. Just enter the number of days into the future you want to restrict bookings, and guests will not be able to book that far out. Use just about any number of days.

Rate Seasons: Create as many rate seasons as you need, then assign them to dates on the calendar. You may then go into each unit and enter the rates for those seasons.

Rate Overrides: Quickly override the daily rate for an individual unit by selecting the date(s) on the calendar then entering the new rate. Clear the override at the click of a button.

Minimum Nightly Rate Policy: Set a minimum nightly rate for each unit. When set, Specials cannot lower the nightly rate below this amount.

Weekly & Monthly Rates: BrightSide can be setup to offer weekly or even monthly rates on your website.

Channel Markup: Automatically mark up your rent on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and other channels to recover your commissions/service fees. BrightSide separates the markup out so it is retained by the property management company.

Specials & Discounts: Create discounts that apply internally, on your website, and/or on OTAs. You can use promo codes for your website if desired. Use conditions to specify how a special is to be applied. Conditions include: specific units, dates, seasons, required number of nights, reservation taken dates, and many more. Offer a percent off the entire stay, the last night, the cheapest night, etc. This is a very flexible tool.

Rate Adjustment Tool: In addition to the other rate tools, BrightSide provides a bulk rate edit screen where you can easily edit rates for individual units by season. In addition, you can change the rates for multiple seasons all at once by a percentage or dollar amount. Enter the percentage, or dollar amount, as a positive or a negative, select the season(s) to adjust, then select a rounding method (if you want to avoid odd numbers). When you save it, all the rates for every unit will be adjusted by the percentage or dollar amount you specified.

Auto Rate Adjustments: BrightSide has built-in tool to help you fill your units during low occupancy times by automatically adjusting the rates down. Choose the time frame and the occupancy level required to force the price adjustment, then enter the percentage you want to discount the rate. For example, if a unit has 50% occupancy for the next three weeks, you can automatically reduce the rent by 20%. A number of conditions may be applied.

Dynamic Pricing Integrations: If you are looking for a more robust dynamic pricing tool than our built-in auto rate adjustments, we integrate with a number of third party companies via API. Beyond, PriceLabs, and Wheelhouse.

Google Vacation Rentals: BrightSide is a Google Vacation Rentals Certified Connectivity Partner. We connect your listings to GVR for you! Get more direct bookings. BrightSide is integrated with GVR via direct API.

Airbnb: BrightSide pushes out listing updates to Airbnb in real time. Manage rates, availability, images, descriptions, and more within Brightside. You may also add an Airbnb Markup to recover the service fees. Our messaging system syncs with Airbnb Messaging for seamless communication with guests. In addition, we can sync Airbnb reviews for display on your website.

Vrbo: Manage rates, availability, images, descriptions, and more within Brightside. You may add a Vrbo Markup to recover the commissions charged by Vrbo. As with all property management software, BrightSide syncs listing details with Vrbo daily. Our messaging system syncs with Vrbo Messaging for seamless communication with guests. We also sync with Vrbo Reviews so you can display them on your website.

Booking.com: BrightSide pushes out updates to Booking.com in real time via integrated API. You may add a Booking.com Markup to recover the commissions they charge the property management company. Booking.com’s messaging and reviews are integrated with BrightSide also.

Your Website: BrightSide uses our custom, proprietary widget to integrate your website with your properties in BrightSide. Get more direct bookings through your website. Syncs in real time with your availability calendar, pricing, and more. If you need a website, we have pre-built themes or we can custom build one for you. Contact us for details.

RedAwning: Connected to BrightSide via our open API.

WhimStay: Connected to BrightSide via our open API.

iCal Links: BrightSide connects to many other booking platforms using iCal links.

Unit Details: All the details for the unit are stored in a single file. Enter the name, address, and latitude and longitude of the unit, bedrooms, bathrooms, gate codes, door codes, Wi-Fi information, and a number of other details.

Amenities: Create a master list of amenities, then assign them to units. Amenities are also mapped to Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.

Owners: Keep a record of each owner in a separate file. Owner information includes email, phone, address, owner portal login, verification code, payment information, and notes. If you enter the banking details for an owner, you may include them in the NACHA file where you can upload direct deposit details each month.

Rates: Enter the unit rates and minimum stay requirements for every rate season. Also record the cleaning costs and cleaning fees here.

Policies: Enter the unit policies regarding smoking, children, pets, minimum age to rent, etc.

Files: Upload digital files for each unit instead of keeping paper files in a desk drawer. You may upload PDF and text files for safekeeping. Examples: insurance policies, unit contract, etc.

Photos: Bulk upload images for your units or do it one at a time. Photos can be assigned to your website, online travel agencies, or both. Drag and drop reordering makes managing photos easy.

Airbnb, Vrbo, and BDC: Add unique headlines, names, descriptions, and more.

Changelog: The unit changelog helps you track who makes changes and when.

Automated Guest Emails: Set up any number of email templates and set them to automatically send in two ways, “when something happens” or “on a schedule.” For example, you can send a confirmation email when “Reservation Taken.” Or, you can send the access details for a rental unit “on the day of arrival at 2:00 PM.” Send emails for certain units, particular sources, and much more. You can send these messages manually when needed. See our Knowledge Base article on Creating an Email Message Template for more details.

Our guest letters use dynamic text codes so you can personalize the messages with their name, the unit, stay dates, key codes, and another fifty or more data types. Guest emails also utilize html, hyperlinks, images, etc.

Automated Guest Texts: Set up any number of text templates and set them to automatically send the same as guest emails above. See our Knowledge Base article on Creating a Text Message Template for more details. You can also manually send messages. You must have texting active in your account to use this feature.

Automated Channel Messages: When you are connected to Airbnb, Vrbo, and/or Booking.com, you may use our channel integrations to send and receive messages through the respective messaging systems from BrightSide. See our Knowledge Base article on Creating a Channel Message Template for more details. You can also manually send channel messages.

Communications In Reservations: The communications tab in the reservation provides a simple way to create a new thread or add a message to an existing thread.

Guest Messages: Navigate to guest messages to see a list of all message threads via text or channels.

Unread Messages Widget: See notifications of new, unread messages on your BrightSide home screen. Click on the link to send a response.

Guest Text Alert: Send a text alert to all guests “In-House,” “Arriving,” “Departing,” or arriving and departing between specified dates. Useful for weather alerts, road closings, or any other message you need to go to guests. You may deselect any guests you want to skip.

Guest Email Alert: BrightSide has the ability to send an email template to all guests. Select the guest letter to send, choose between “In-House,” “Arriving,” or “Departing,” and the date. You may deselect any guests you want to skip.

Cleaning Workflow: When a guest checks into a unit, BrightSide marks it “Dirty.” If a cleaner is pre-assigned to a unit, it shows up on their cleaning list. After the cleaner completes the cleaning, he/she marks it “Clean” in the Unit Cleaning List making it available for the next guest. Guests are prevented from checking into a dirty unit in BrightSide.

Cleaning Notes in a Reservation: If a guest reports something that needs to be passed on to the cleaning staff, enter it in the reservation notes cleaning field. When the cleaner logs into their account for their assignments, the notes will be there.

Cleaner Scheduling: Use this screen to easily assign or reassign cleaners for upcoming cleanings. You may adjust the date you want it cleaned also.

Cleaning Log: Did the wrong cleaner mark a unit clean? Don’t worry, you can edit the cleaning log so you pay the right person.

Cleaning Billing: Run this report to know how much you owe the cleaners for the week or any other dates you input. Set up the cleaning costs in the unit settings.

Cleaning Reports: A number of reports help you manage the cleaning staff.

Cleaner User Accounts: Create a user account for your cleaners so they may log in and see their assignments. Only managers may see everyone’s assignments.

Maintenance Workflow: Work orders may easily be entered into BrightSide and assigned to maintenance personnel. You can track the status, enter notes, upload photos, email and print the work order, enter invoices (to be charged to the owner), and more. If needed, you can prevent check-ins until the maintenance issue is resolved.

Maintenance in a Reservation: When a maintenance issue is reported by a guest, you can enter a new work order right from the Maintenance tab in the reservation. This records the issue and keeps a link to the work order.

Maintenance User Accounts: Create a user account for your maintenance personnel so they may log in and see their assignments. Only managers may see everyone’s assignments.

Maintenance Billing: Invoices entered into a work order are automatically charged against the owner statement. Owners can see these expected charges in the owner portal and on their monthly statements.

Recurring Maintenance Issues: Set up recurring issues so you don’t need to enter them every time they are needed. For example, do you change air filters once a month, or every two months? Set up a recurring issue so the maintenance staff will remember to change them.

Recurring Owner Charges: Enter any recurring charges for expenses owners are required to pay, like pest control or lawn care. Adjust the amounts and frequency according to unit. Recurring charges automatically show up on the owner statements. You may enter a monthly charge or a charge per stay.

Maintenance Calendars: Set up a maintenance calendar to send to contractors. This unit calendar shows the occupancy, but it does not include any guest information. Pest control, and other contractors, can see when the unit is vacant, so they can schedule around the guests coming and going.

Reservation Reports:

• Reservation Fees
• Payments Received
• Sales
• Reservations by User
• Unit Calendar
• Arrivals
• Departures
• Stayovers
• Monthly Arrivals
• Many more!

Property Reports:

• Rates List
• Rate Worksheet
• Unit Addresses
• Owner Addresses
• Unit Contracts
• Unit Fees and Charges
• Unit ID List
• Unit Key/Alarm Codes
• Unit Wi-Fi Passwords

Maintenance Reports:

• Issues by Unit
• Issues by Assignee
• Issue Invoices
• Unit Maintenance Info

Cleaning Reports:

• Cleaning Arrival/ Departures
• Cleaning Log (editable)
• Last Cleaned
• Cleaning Billing
• Cleaning Weekly Audit
• Cleaning Charges
• Cleaning Worksheet
• Cleaning Cost Analysis
• Cleaning Costs by Cleaner

Business Reports (A):

• Escrow Cash Flow
• Charges
• Rental
• Unit Rental
• Summary
• Advance Deposits
• Cancellations
• Cancellations in Escrow
• Month-to-Date
• Monthly Revenue
• Earned Income
• Management
• Advance Bookings
• Past Due
• Balance Due

Business Reports (B):

• Taxes Collected
• Tax Reports
• Gross Receipts Tax
• Business Tax
• Tax Exempt
• Owner Statement
• Owner Checks
• Owner Payments
• Owner 1099 Forms
• Owner Summary
• Owner Balances
• Owner Income/Expense
• Owner Unit Balances
• Travel Insurance

Management:

• Transactions
• Cancellation Payouts
• Discount Audit
• Daily Analysis
• Reservationist Analysis
• Rental History Analysis
• Hourly Booking Analysis
• Booking to Arrival Analysis
• Reservation Date Analysis

Marketing:

• Find Availability Gaps
• Reservations Without Insurance
• Booking Discount Analysis
• Pace Report
• Monthly Totals
• Owner Mailing Labels
• Guest Mailing Labels
• Travel Agency Mailing Labels
• Reservations by Source
• Postal Code Analysis
• Packages Report
• Repeat Guests
• Repeat Guests Analysis
• Travel Agent Report
• Payments by Payer
• Export Guest Mailing List
• Export Owner Mailing List
• Guest Location Report

Auto Sign-In: Include a link in your guest letters that when clicked it automatically signs in the guest to the guest portal. There is no need for them to remember login credentials.

E-Signatures: Guests can easily initial and sign the rental agreement in the guest portal. After they sign the contract, the reservation indicates that it has been received and provides a link to the signed rental agreement. You can prevent check-ins for reservations missing a signed rental agreement in the settings.

Upload Guest ID: Guests can easily upload their government issued ID in the guest portal. After they upload their ID, the reservation indicates that it has been received and provides a link to the ID. You can prevent check-ins for reservations missing an ID in the settings.

Make Payments: Guests can easily make a payment in the guest portal and see a statement of all their charges and payments. They can also print out a credit card receipt.

See Past & Future Reservations: Guests can see all their past and future reservations (associated with their email address) in the guest portal.

Owner Statements: Owners can view and print their monthly statements. You can email them manually each month also.

View Inactive Units: Owners can view details for units that are no longer active.

Create Owner Stays: Owners can create a reservation for an “owner stay” or an “owner guest stay.”

Cancel Owner Stays: Owners can cancel reservations for an “owner stay” or an “owner guest stay.”

View Expected Reservations: Owners can see current and future reservations including the guest’s name, arrival and departure dates, gross revenue, credit card fees, management fees, and net income.

View Expected Charges: Owners can view the monthly charges they are responsible for paying. These include things like pest control, lawn care, etc.

View Pending Maintenance Issues: Owner can see any pending work orders for their units.

View and Print Completed Maintenance Issues Including Details: Owners can view and print completed work orders.

Download Unit Performance Report: Owners can view and download a report providing a yearly and monthly breakdown of the number of stays, days rented, and the gross revenue produced.

Download Income and Expense Report: Owners can view and download a report providing a breakdown of the income and expenses produced for a particular year.

Guest Comments: Guest comments is a central location where you can manage your reviews. Google Reviews, OTA reviews, and directly submitted reviews show up here. You can respond to reviews, connect it to a reservation, approve or disapprove reviews for publication on your website. Reviews show a star rating, comments from the guest, the unit, date, and source.

Source Analysis: Evaluate where your guests are coming from with this tool. Chart reservations by source for all units or a specific unit. See rental amounts by source, percent of reservations by source, and percentage of rent by source. Compare year by year or use a date range.

Reservation Statistics Analysis: This tool provides an amazing rental analysis comparing two date ranges. For example, you can compare June 2024 to June 2023, or any other date range. The analysis shows you available units, available nights, owner stays, maintenance blocks, reserved nights, total occupancy percentage, paid occupancy percentage, number of reservations, gross rent, fees, and a whole lot more! Run per unit or all units.

Key Data: For users with Key Data accounts, BrightSide integrates and provides data right in your account.

Travel Agents: You may enter travel agents you work with, percentages you pay them, and track it per reservation.

Packages: Offer travel packages to guests.

Delete Reservation: Every now and then, you need to completely remove a reservation from your system rather than just cancelling it.

Payout Cancellations: This is an extremely important process that should be completed once a month at the very least. This moves any money retained by the management company after a cancellation and places it in earned income. If you don’t do this, it remains in escrow indefinitely.

View/Edit Time Cards: BrightSide managers utilizing the time card function for employees may edit the time cards.

Close Month: At the end of each month, managers must calculate the month, ensure everything balances correctly, then use this to close the month. Once the month is closed, financials may not be edit for that month.