Vacation Rental Software Overview

Click on a Topic for More Details   

Contact the RDP Sales Department for more information on our vacation rental software.

• Pricing - Hosted or On-Premise
• Reservations
• Internet Reservations
• Integrated E-mail
• Owner Statements
• Housekeeping
• Guest Itinerary - Sell Additional Services
• Packages
• Travel Agents
• Frequent Guest - Awards
• Work Orders
• Interface to Wireless Locks

Sample Owner Statement

• Statement cycles can be monthly, quarterly, or other
• All data automatically flows from work orders, housekeeping, and reservations to the statements
• Adjustments to owner revenue and management fee charges are quick and easy
• Owner statements can be printed and mailed or e-mailed as an Adobe PDF file
• Additional owner specific attachments can be e-mailed with the statement such as a copy of an invoice, work order notification or utility bill
• Checks can be printed and mailed
• Owners can use the Internet to view or print current and past statements with proper password
• Owners can make reservations and check their calendar via the Internet

Owner Statement - Monthly

Owner Statement - MTD/YTD Recap

Data Flow from Reservations, Work Orders, and Housekeeping to Owner Statement and General Ledger/Trust Accounting

Information flows automatically from Reservations, Work Orders and Housekeeping to the Owner Statement and Trust Accounting system as follows:

General Ledger Chart of Accounts and Transactions	Add your general ledger (G/L) account numbers to the RDP chart of accounts.  G/L account numbers are assigned to transaction codes.  Transactions are posted to reservations, owners, travel agents, groups, work orders, and other RDP system entities.  Every transaction creates a balanced entry in the RDP Trust G/L.   Once a day or once a month, the totals for all RDP G/L accounts are automatically transferred to any supported non-RDP accounting system, which then produces the final income statement and balance sheet.
Add Rooms	Each managed property is entered into the system.  Properties can be made available for any managed rental (short or long term) or non-rental properties.  A complete description, pictures, and inventory are available for each room/property, including virtual tours.  Lock-off units are allowed.
Assign Owners	Owners are assigned to rental units when appropriate.  Each owner can be paid a different percentage of any reservation revenue.  An owner can own more than one unit, and a unit can be owned by more than one owner.   All owner history is retained when units are sold, and 1099's can be printed for both the old and new owners.  In addition to these features for whole ownership, please see Timeshare System Overview.
Reservations	Reservations can be made for all units: both owned and not owned.  The ownership status of a given unit is transparent to the reservationists.  Owners can reserve units and view calendars on the Internet.  All charges, deposits, and payments on reservations automatically flow to the owner statement and trust accounting system.
Guest History	Guest history and reservation history is stored forever based on storage capacity. See Guest History and Marketing and Guest Rewards Program - Customer Relationship Management.
Owner Reservations	Owners can reserve their unit for themselves or their guests using the Internet.  They can also inquire on their calendar and other information.  Optionally, owner referral reservations can also be made by the owner. See Sample Internet Reservation Screens.
Integrated Email	Email confirmations and marketing is fully integrated into the owner system.  Customizable HTML confirmations can be emailed automatically before or after a guest stay. See Integrated Email.
Guest Internet Reservations	Guests can make direct, commission-free reservations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year using the Internet Reservations Module (IRM).
Travel Agents	Travel Agent reservations can be made using the Internal RDP reservation system or entered directly on  the Internet.
Groups	Group reservations can be made using the Internal RDP reservation system or entered directly on the Internet. See Group Reservation and Billing Overview.
Rates and Packages	The system automatically calculates the rental amount based on the reservation dates, type of unit, number of people and many other factors.  Each unit can have different rates.  Packages can be created for the guest that include items other than rent such as golf, food or other activities.  See Rates and Package Overview.
Additional Reservation Charges	In addition to calculating the rent amount and package components, the system can calculate other charges such as booking fees, security deposits, travel insurance, cleaning fees, cancellation charges and much more. The system can be configured to pay the owner a share of the rental but not additional package activities or reservation charges.
Guest Itinerary and Activities	The system can build a complete guest itinerary for activities and services.  Coupons or tickets can be printed and reconciled for each activity. The owner can receive a portion of some of the charges and not others.  See Guest Activities and Itinerary.
Owner Statement	The system automatically itemizes each reservation on the Owner Statement each month or billing period. All other charges or payments received are included on the statement.
Work Orders	Work Orders for rental and non-rental units can be entered from any workstation or by the owner using the Internet.  Charges and descriptions for work orders automatically flow to the owner statement.  Work order vendors can be paid using the system.
Housekeeping	Charges to the guest or owner for Housekeeping are automatically calculated based on unit # and appear on either the guest rental contract or owner statement.  Housekeeping scheduling and forecasting is available, as well as tracking payment to outside housekeeping companies.
Trust Account and General Ledger	Transactions can be posted to one owner, all owners, or to all owners of a specific unit type. The system immediately updates the owner's balance due and automatically updates the Trust Accounting System and General Ledger.
Pay Bills for Owners	Bills can be paid for owners such as cable, electric, gas, etc.  The system can print checks to the vendors and bill the owners on the owner statement.
Over 300 Reports	Many Crystal reports are available showing reservations, work orders, housekeeping, accounting and much more.  See Sample Screens, Sample Reports, and Crystal Reports Overview.
Owner Statements and Checks	The Owner Statement is created each month.  It can be printed and mailed to the owner or emailed.  All past owner statements are available for the owner to view or print securely on the Internet.  Other owner specific attachments can be included with the emailed statement such as a copy of an invoice, work order notification or utility bill.  Checks to owners are printed from the RDP system or can be printed from a third party product.  Month-to-date and Year-To-Date totals per owner are available.
IRS 1099s	Owner 1099 Statements can be printed each year or distributed on magnetic media.
Owner History	Owner history is maintained forever and is only limited by available disk space.  For example, reprint an owner statement from last month, last year or five years ago.  All work orders and housekeeping information is available for historical inquiry and on various reports.
Track Sold Units	When a unit is sold, assign the new owner to the unit while keeping the old owner's information and history in the system.  For example, when a unit is sold on May 31st (mid-year), the system can print 1099 statements for the old owner and the new owner.

Equalize Rental Revenue For Owners

Other Charges on Reservations

• Booking fees
• Security deposits
• Travel insurance
• Cleaning fees
• Cancellation charges
• Gift items
• Guest activities (golf, skiing, boat rentals, etc) - See Guest Activities and Itinerary.

Tape Chart - A Powerful Reservation Board

• Display reservations up to four years into the future.
• Filter by property and sort by room number, room type, or a customer-defined sequence.
• Filter using the guest preferences (shown above as #BR, LOC, PRC, etc.)
• Enter a number and click Find Room to quickly locate reservations in a particular room number.
• Click the "Find Res" button to search for a specific reservation in the system.
• Reservations colors help distinguish by category for owners, maintenance, etc. 
• Double-click a reservation tape or highlight a reservation and click the "Change Res" button to open the Change Reservation screen.
• Add reservations from the Tape Chart by just dragging the mouse over an empty date/room.
• Highlight a reservation and review the reservation details in the tabs below the grid (including the folio, work orders, housekeeping, etc.

Mix of Rental Types: Condos, Houses, Hotels, Timeshare

Owner and Guest Internet Access

RDP hosts a customer conference in Vail, Colorado to plan future research and development strategy based on customer feedback. In recent years, the focus has been to answer the question, "How can we use the Internet to make life easier and more profitable for our customers?”. The answer is three-fold:

Owner Internet Access

The goal of RDP’s Owner Internet access is to identify all requests from owners that generate calls to management and move these functions to the Internet. Owner Internet access capabilities include:

• Secure, commission-free owner Internet access 24 hours/day, 365 days a year direct to your database.
• Owner and Guest of Owner Internet Reservations.
• Owner calendar can be viewed, changed, and printed up to four years in the future.
• View or print all past Owner statements on Internet in Adobe PDF format. 
• Owners can review work orders for their units including complete detail.
• Owners can request housekeeping and specify requests using the Internet.
• Owner mass e-mail marketing and newsletters.
• Complete property descriptions with pictures.
• Commission free reservations using the Internet Reservation Module (IRM) for paying guests, groups, travel agents.
• Charge a Credit Card Service Fee for owner payments made on the Internet. 
• Sell additional guest services (packages, golf, gift items etc.) with the Guest Itinerary and Concierge module.
• Additional reservation charges are allowed (booking fees, cleaning fees, etc.).
• All Owner Internet Access flows automatically to the Trust Accounting system. 

E-mail Integration for Guests, Owners, Travel Agents, etc.

E-mail is one of the most powerful and least expensive marketing tools available and has been fully incorporated into the RDP system at no additional charge.  E-mails can be sent to all owners in a matter of minutes with either a hand-typed message or an attachment (such as a Word or Adobe document).  E-mail features included:

• Automatically send guest confirmations using RDPWin E-mail Monitor in Adobe and other formats.
• E-mail Owner Statements.  Owners can also print statements directly from the Internet.
• E-mail marketing databases are created for guests, travel agents, groups, wholesalers, and condo/timeshare owners.
• Mass e-mails can be sent directly from the RDP System with no third-party software required.
• Reservationists can easily e-mail guests pictures of the property, directions, maps, and other attachments.
• RDP abides by all current regulations for anti-SPAM by allowing guests to "opt out" of mass e-mails.
• Crystal Reports can be created and distributed by e-mail.
• Reservations made by the Internet Reservation Module (IRM) generate and send e-mail confirmations.
• Owner newsletters can be automatically sent via e-mail.

See Overview of E-mail Marketing for additional information

RDPWin E-mail Monitor Configure to Automatically Send E-mail Confirmations from RDPWin, IRM, and DOS

Email Confirmations, Marketing & Guest Correspondence

• Fully integrated HTML email capabilities, including confirmations, folios, guest surveys, and more.
• Guest Survey and Communication Module and IRM.Net Analytics and Campaign Management.
• Email databases are created for guests, travel agents, groups, wholesalers, and condo/timeshare owners.
• Email confirmations can be automatically sent to guests, using HTML, Adobe PDF, or other formats, complete with maps and other attachments.
• Multiple email addresses can be stored on a reservation in order to send to a guest's personal and business accounts.
• Mass emails can be sent directly from the RDP System - no third party software required.
• RDP abides by all current regulations for anti-SPAM by allowing guests to "opt out" of mass emails.
• Guest confirmations can be printed and mailed or sent via email or fax.
• Crystal Reports can be created and distributed by email.
• Reservations made by the Internet Reservation Module (IRM) can be automatically sent the email confirmations.

Short and Long Term Rentals

Lock-off Rooms Supported

The system supports lock-offs (commonly encountered at condominium and timeshare properties).  An example of a lock-off is a three bedroom unit that can be rented as either three one-bedroom units, a two-bedroom and a one-bedroom unit, or a three-bedroom unit.  The system calculates rates based on the configuration of the unit. An example follows:

Non-Rental House or Condominium Management
(Owners Not in Rental Pool)

• Easily place a unit into or remove from the rental pool.
• Include a unit in the rental pool for only part of the year.
• Owners of non-rental units can still use the Internet Reservation Module to indicate use for themselves or guests.
• RDP's Work Orders & Asset Management Module can be used to schedule and track all maintenance of rental or non-rental units as well as any assets in the units themselves.

Work Orders & Asset Management

Key concepts of the Work Orders & Asset Management module include:

• Employees can enter work orders from any workstation at the property (front desk, maintenance office, etc.).
• Owners can view work orders over the Internet. 
• New work orders appear immediately on the Monitor in the maintenance department.
• Employees or third party vendors can be assigned to the work order. 
• An e-mail can be automatically sent to the cell phone of the person assigned to the work order.
• All time and materials used on the work order can be tracked.
• Checks can be generated to Work Order Vendors and owners billed (all from one screen).
• All property assets can be entered (pool heater, desk, television, etc.)  .
• Contents of each owner's unit can be tracked including model and serial numbers (refrigerator, dishwasher, etc.)  .
• Inventory tracking (supplies used to complete repairs).
• Work order history is maintained by vendor, owner, and asset.
• All financial activity related to this module flows into Trust Accounting System.

• Work Orders and Asset Management
• Trust Accounting Overview

Housekeeping Forecast, Scheduling & History

For more details, see Housekeeping Forecast, Scheduling, and History.

Reservation Quotes, Wait List,
 and Denial Tracking

When a guest calls the reservation department at the property or your central reservations office, the reservationist has four choices: 

1. File the reservation normally as a "real" reservation
2. If the room is not available, the guest can be automatically added to the wait list for the dates and room type requested.
3. If the guest elects to not make the reservation, a "denied reservation" record is created to indicate why the guest did not complete the reservation.
4. The reservation can be saved as a "quote".  For example, a guest may call and request prices on a room, along with scheduling three rounds of golf and a dinner (see RDP Activity module).  The guest may promise to "call back in a few minutes and book it".  This reservation can be saved as a "quote".  If the guest calls back the reservationist can retrieve the "quoted reservation" and change it to a "real" reservation.

Reservation Quotes, Wait List, and Denial Tracking
Reservation Overview
Yield Management
Internet Reservations
Central Reservations

Travel Agent Commissions Deducted

The Travel Agent and Wholesalers system is completely integrated with the owner billing module.  Travel agent commissions are automatically deducted from the owner statement.  Various methods for calculating owner portions of the commission are allowed, including: Owner pays entire agent commission Owner pays NO agent commission Owner splits commission based on management fee.  If the management receives 30% of the rental income, the management also pays 30% of the travel agent commission Even split, 50% each to management and owner, regardless of management commission. Travel Agent and Wholesalers Overview Trust Accounting Overview

Pay Bills for Owners and Guests

In addition to paying for work orders, it is possible to pay bills for owners and guests, such as cable TV, Electric, Gas, etc.  The system can print checks to the vendors and bill either the owners on the owner statement or the guest on the reservation folio.  The types of bills that can be paid for owners and reservations is as follows:

Unlimited Charges Per Owner

The system automatically transfers gross reservation revenue and the management commission to the owner statement. In addition, transactions can be posted directly to the owner. The total of these charges is then deducted from the net reservation revenue.  Charges can be posted to one owner at a time, or the system can automatically post the same charge to all owners. Charges can even be posted to all owners of the same unit type.

Various Billing Cycles - Monthly, Quarterly, etc.

Most management companies operate on a monthly owner billing cycle. However, the system can be used for any billing cycle. Owner statements can be printed once a week, once a month, every two months, once a quarter, etc. You can even mix billing cycles, so that one owner is paid once a week, another once a month, and a third only once a quarter.

Split Revenue Across Billing Periods

The system can split room revenue from the same reservation across two or more months.  For example, if a reservation arrives 7/25/2008 and departs 8/6/2008, the owner could be paid July's portion in July and the remainder in August.  Alternatively, all of the revenue can be paid to the owner in the month of checkout. Long term rentals can pay the owner at the end of each month.

Pooled Owner Accounting

For properties that pool owner revenue to disburse among owners at the end of the statement period, the RDP system can do this automatically. The Pooled Owner Accounting features take room revenue that is to be paid to owners, pools it together, and splits it among owners based on number of rental nights in the owner's unit. Not only can room revenue be pooled, but credit card fees and travel agent commissions as well.

Month-to-Date and Year-To-Date Totals per Owner

The system produces a month-to-date and a year-to-date recap report per owner as part of the owner statement process.  This report includes a total of room revenue, management commission, travel agent fees, credit card fees, and a sub-total for each direct expense category. 

• View a Year-to-Date Owner Recap Statement

Statements Can Be Reprinted Forever

Owner statements can be reprinted for any past month or billing cycle: forever.  For example, if an owner requests a copy of his statement from last March, it can be reprinted in seconds. Owner reservations, management commissions, travel agents fees, and all direct charges can also be instantly displayed for any time period.

• View Sample Owner Statement

Print Checks to Owners

The system can generate and print a check for the net amount due the owner each billing cycle.  However, if the owner has more expenses than revenue, the system tracks this as an open receivable.

An owner's check may be held "on account" to offset future expenses.  For example, one RDP customer has several owners who live in Mexico.  These owners request that management hold their checks during the busy season to offset maintenance expenses during the slow season.  These owners are marked as "generate checks=NO" during the busy season, preventing the system from automatically distributing a check each billing cycle.

Sample RDP Forms

Trust Accounting - Full

One of the most important elements of Vacation Rentals and Condominium Hotels is Trust Accounting and General Ledger.  The RDP system includes a full trust accounting system, which can be used as the only accounting system or in conjunction with another accounting system.  Please see:  Overview - RDP Trust Accounting for details.

Accounts Receivable with Aging

If the owner statement calculation produces a balance due to the management company, the system creates an owner accounts receivable (A/R). The A/R report is aged at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. This report is available in a "one line per owner" format, or in a detail format showing each open item.

Print or E-mail Overdue Notices Automatically

If owners have not paid the amount due, the system can automatically post a late charge.  Additionally, the system can print overdue notices, either on paper for mailing or sent to the owners via E-mail.

E-mail Marketing
Crystal Reports

IRS 1099 and 1042S Reporting

The system automatically generates IRS 1099 reports at year-end.  These reports show total revenue booked for each owner for the calendar year. Year-end reporting on magnetic media is required for larger properties and is available at no charge.

Sample 1099 Report.

Room Moves Pay the Correct Owner

A room move can be performed using RDP's powerful online Tape Chart.  For reservations moving between individually owned units, rental revenue for each owner is automatically calculated.  For example, if a guest stays three nights in Room 101 and moves to Room 453 for two additional nights, RDP automatically pays Owner 101 for three days (minus management commission) and Owner 453 for two days.

Yield Management Integrated with New Reservations

RDP has integrated yield management with the reservation system.  When combined with a careful study of the property's history and training of employees, yield management can significantly increases occupancy and average daily rate (ADR). Small increases in ADR can drastically increase property profit.

Yield Management Overview
Hotel / Resort Feature Overview (all features available to condo/vacation rental customers)

Sharewith Folios and One Guest with Multiple Folios

RDP supports both sharewith folios and one guest with multiple folios.  A sharewith occurs when more than one guest is in the room and they wish to split the bill. For example, four guests could stay in a two-bedroom unit, with four different folios. Up to 99 sharewiths can split the charges for one room.  One guest can also have multiple folios.  For example, the room charges can go to Folio A and incidentals to Folio B.  Room charges can be billed to the group master and incidentals for the guest. Please use the following links for more information:

Front Desk and Night Audit Overview
Sample Guest Folio
Group/Company Billing Overview
RDP Owner Accounting Overview

Send Guest Confirmation to Owner of Room

RDP has the option of automatically sending the guest confirmation to the owner of a room when it is booked, in order to inform the owner of reservation activity in their unit. While some properties may find this feature extremely useful, others may not want the owner to know of bookings prior to the guest arrival in case of cancellations or room moves. This feature can be turned on or off based on each property's need.

Taxes Adjusted for Length of Stay and Location

The system can automatically adjust the tax rate based on a variety of factors, including:

• Length of stay.  For example, a three-day reservation may have a 9% tax, while a six-month reservation is non-taxable.
• Location of property.  If the room tax in Breckenridge is 8%, while the adjoining town of Frisco is 7%, and you rent houses or condominiums in both locations, the system automatically adjusts the tax.
• Non-taxable reservations, such as a church group.

Timeshare and Interval Ownership Allowed

The system can handle a wide variety of timeshare / interval ownership concepts, including "point based",  fixed week, floating week, quarter-share, eight-share, and a wide variety of other ownership situations. Combinations of these methods are possible, and it is possible to combine timeshare, whole ownership, and hotel rooms in one system. An example follows:

See RDP Timeshare module, where there is more than one owner of each unit.
See Hotel / Resort Feature Overview (all features available to condo/vacation rental customers).