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Why We're Building Staymaker

The story behind Staymaker - and how helping manage my mom's rentals led to a lighter tool for small operators.

StaymakerBehind the ScenesVacation Rentals
Why We're Building Staymaker

The problem with existing tools

Working on the management side of my mom's vacation rentals, mostly in digital marketing, I quickly realized that the tools available were either too simple or way too complex. Spreadsheets worked at first, but they do not scale - even with just 3 or 4 apartments, the coordination of turnovers, cleaning schedules, and maintenance tasks becomes a full-time job.

The big channel managers? They are powerful, no doubt. But they are designed for operators with 10-50+ units. The pricing, the complexity, and the features you will never use all add up to a tool that does not respect your time or budget.

A cozy vacation rental living room with warm lighting and modern furnishings

What I wished existed

I wanted something in between. A tool that:

  • Automatically schedules cleaning between guest stays
  • Coordinates our small team of cleaners and maintenance workers
  • Syncs with booking calendars from Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO
  • Does not cost a fortune or require a training manual

That's it. No booking engine. No revenue management. No dynamic pricing algorithms. Just the operational basics, done really well.

"We were spending more time coordinating cleaners via WhatsApp than improving the guest experience. Something had to change."

So I started building

Staymaker started as a personal project - an iOS app to support my mom's properties and the day-to-day management around them. As I shared the idea with other hosts, the response was immediate. Everyone described the same frustration.

Now it is becoming something bigger. A tool built specifically for hosts with 1-20 properties. Lightweight, affordable, and focused on what actually matters: keeping daily operations running smoothly.

A clean, bright apartment ready for the next guest - the result of a well-coordinated turnover

What's next

Right now, I am shaping the first version around the core features small hosts actually need:

  1. Turnover scheduling with iCal sync
  2. Cleaning coordination with role-based team management
  3. Maintenance tracking with recurring task support
  4. A unified calendar that shows everything at a glance

If this sounds like something you need, join the waitlist. I would love to have you along for the ride.

And if you have ideas for features you'd want to see, don't hesitate to reach out. This is being built with hosts, not just for them.

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