Frequently asked questions

Discover how VRPlatform can simplify your financial management
and ensure compliance in the short-term rental industry.

General questions

What is VRTrust?

VRTrust is the ultimate short-term rental accounting software built specifically for the industry. With a fully functioning general ledger, bank feeds, bank reconciliations, robust company and owner reporting, it is the solution every property manager needs to scale their business.

Does VRTrust support ACH payments?

Yes! VRTrust supports ACH payments so you can pay owners and vendors directly from the platform.

Does VRTrust have virtual bank accounts or corporate cards?

Ramp is our preferred partner for virtual banking and cards. With Ramp, you can issue virtual and physical cards with built-in spend controls, manage bill pay, and monitor company spending. VRTrust automatically captures that expense data to track billable costs and report on your company's financial performance.

Does VRTrust have built-in trust accounting?

Yes! VRTrust is specifically designed as an all-in-one trust accounting solution for short-term rentals. Key features include: a full-functioning general ledger that supports trust balance reconciliation; three-way reconciliations between bank ledger balance, bank statements, and owner balances; and reports that help you reconcile your trust bank balance with balances due to owners, guest advance deposits, vendor liabilities, and money due to the property management company.

Does VRTrust have automated bookkeeping rules and cash flow configurations?

Yes, VRTrust offers automated workflows that handle invoicing, revenue splits, and owner payouts with built-in bank feeds and auto-matching for deposits and expenses.

Does VRTrust support markups, recurring charges, and transaction management?

Yes, VRTrust supports optional mark-ups and full automation of management commission formulas, booking fees, and other recurring owner expenses or deductions.

Does VRTrust support expense capture and allocation?

Yes, VRTrust captures 100% of owner billable expenses through bank feeds, accounting syncs, CSV uploads, or with integrations like Breezeway.

What revenue reporting does VRTrust support for reservations?

We support revenue reporting at Check-in, Check-out, Booking, or Split-month. For long-term reservations (user-defined, e.g., >30 days), we support split-month reporting.

Does VRTrust allow users to categorize transactions?

Yes, VRTrust uses a full-functioning general ledger with multi-dimension tagging for listing, owner, guest, vendor, and line item categorization.

Does VRTrust have a customizable chart of accounts?

Yes, VRTrust includes a general ledger with accounts for tracking transactions, and journal entries post to different accounts based on configurations.

How do monthly reconciliations work with VRTrust?

VRTrust enables three-way reconciliations in minutes between bank ledger balance, bank statement, and owner balances, with built-in bank feeds, auto-matching, and the ability to create bank rules directly from unmatched bank records for more efficient accounting workflows.

Does VRTrust automate tax, commission, and owner payment calculations?

Yes, VRTrust fully automates management commission formulas, booking fees, and other owner deductions with automatic calculation of management fees and owner payouts.

Can users manually create reservations in VRTrust?

Yes! Users can manually create reservations in VRTrust with the click of a button. Simply select the listing and enter the guest name, booked at date, check-in and check-out. Optionally, you can also add a confirmation code and booking channel for greater clarity and accuracy.

Does VRTrust support owner payouts?

Yes, VRTrust automatically calculates owner payouts, and you can pay owners and vendors via ACH directly from your trust account.

Does VRTrust offer multiple user roles and permission controls?

Yes! Team members can be assigned as a User or an Admin within VRTrust. Admin members have full access to the platform and can add or remove users from the team, while regular users have access to the platform but cannot manage other team members.

What is vacation rental reconciliation?

Vacation rental reconciliation is the process of matching reservations, OTA payouts, bank deposits, owner balances, fees, and expenses to ensure your accounting records are accurate.

How does VRTrust track owner balances?

VRTrust tracks owner balances as reservations, payments, expenses, adjustments, and payouts move through the system, giving teams a clearer view of what each owner is owed.

How does VRTrust differ from QuickBooks?

VRTrust is built specifically for the short-term rental industry, with built-in trust accounting workflows, customizable fees and commissions, an integrated bank feed, and direct integrations with property management systems, payment processors, OTAs, and more. With VRTrust, reconciliations, owner statements, payouts, reservations, and reporting happen within one connected system. This helps reduce sync errors, minimize manual cleanup work, and support more advanced automation tied directly to reservation and accounting activity.

Does VRTrust support complex fee structures?

VRTrust supports flexible and customizable fee structures across all fee types, including conditional recurring fees and commissions based on thresholds, multi-channel fees, as well as charge-basis options such as per reservation, per guest, per night, and per guest per night. Users can also specify how fees are calculated and assign them to individual listings. These tools help operators automate more complex fee and commission workflows without relying on manual calculations.

How does VRTrust help reduce accounting errors?

VRTrust helps reduce accounting errors by centralizing accounting workflows and giving teams clearer visibility into payments, bank activity, reconciliations, and reporting. Features like locked periods, three-way reconciliation, ledger balances, and sync monitoring help users maintain cleaner books, reduce manual cleanup work, and improve financial consistency across the platform.

How does VRTrust handle batch payouts from Airbnb or Stripe?

VRTrust is designed to support the complexity of batch payout reconciliation by providing reservation-level visibility, automated bank rules, reconciliation source filtering, payout drilldowns, and workflows that help operators accurately allocate and reconcile OTA payouts across multiple reservations and owners.

Does VRTrust reconcile my operating bank account, not just trust accounts?

Yes. VRTrust reconciles operating accounts post-OPEX alongside trust and OTA reconciliation, and matches ACH payout batches against bank settlement so batch-level payouts are confirmed down to the transaction.

Can VRTrust reconcile and report property management company financials?

Yes! Operations Accounting (OPEX) is how VRTrust handles your management company's own books separate from the trust funds you hold for owners. It gives you a full general ledger, bank feeds, and reporting for your operating bank accounts, so you can track company revenue and expenses with the same rigor as owner trust accounting, all in one system instead of a second piece of software.

Does VRTrust track my company's own operating expenses, not just owner-billable ones?

Yes. VRTrust maintains a separate operating ledger for your management company's G&A — payroll, software, insurance, marketing, and overhead — alongside owner and trust accounting, so you get one system instead of running a second set of books.

Does VRTrust support multiple properties with different commission rules?

Yes! Per-property commission, fee, and owner-split rules are fully configurable.

What software do property managers use for trust accounting?

Property managers who need purpose-built trust accounting typically use software designed specifically for the short-term rental industry rather than general tools like QuickBooks, which require significant manual workarounds to handle owner fund separation, per-property tracking, and automated owner statement generation.

How is trust accounting different from standard business accounting?

In standard business accounting, all money flowing into your business is treated as revenue. In trust accounting for short-term rentals, funds collected on behalf of owners are treated as liabilities — you owe them to the owner — not income to your business. Your income is only the management fees and commissions you earn.

Is trust accounting legally required for short-term rental managers?

It depends on where you operate. Some US states require licensed property managers to maintain separate trust accounts for client funds; others do not. Requirements also vary in Canada, the UK, and Australia. However, trust accounting is widely considered best practice for short-term rental management companies regardless of legal obligation.

What is trust accounting and why does it matter for vacation rental property managers?

Trust accounting is the practice of keeping funds you collect on behalf of property owners — rental income, security deposits, and similar payments — in a dedicated account that is separate from your own operating funds. It protects owners if your business runs into financial difficulty, and in some jurisdictions it is a legal requirement for licensed property managers. Even where it is not legally mandated, it is the standard of care that professional property managers follow to maintain owner trust and produce accurate owner statements.

What is the best accounting software for vacation rental property managers?

The best accounting software for vacation rental property managers is one built specifically for the short-term rental industry — not a general tool adapted for it. Purpose-built platforms handle trust accounting, owner statement generation, OTA payout reconciliation, and per-property financial tracking natively.

What should I look for when comparing vacation rental accounting software?

Prioritize: native trust accounting support, automated owner statement generation, direct OTA integrations, 1099 reporting support, and scalability across large property portfolios.

How much does vacation rental accounting software cost?

Pricing varies by provider and typically scales with the number of properties managed. VRPlatform's current pricing is available at vrplatform.app/pricing.

Integrations

Does VRTrust connect with external bank accounts?

Yes! VRTrust connects with the banks that already support your business via Plaid, allowing property managers to seamlessly manage deposits, reconciliations, and separate trust from operating accounts. Currently, this is only available in the U.S. For international clients, this information can be manually uploaded.

Does VRTrust integrate with short-term rental property management systems?

Yes! VRTrust integrates directly with apps like Guesty, Hostaway, Hostfully, OwnerRez, Lodgify, and more. Please visit our integrations page for systems we currently work with.

Does VRTrust integrate with OTAs and payment processors?

Yes! VRTrust supports integration with Airbnb, Booking.com, Stripe, Authorize.net, and GuestyPay. Payout data from Airbnb, Stripe and GuestyPay is captured and synced with reservations. Clients who don’t use these systems can post deposits manually or upload payout files.

Does VRTrust integrate with cleaning and turnover tools?

Yes! Our integration with Breezeway allows users to seamlessly import billable owner expenses for accurate reconciliation and owner statements.

Can I connect my credit cards with VRTrust?

Yes, though we recommend doing this only if the account is paid using the trust account.

Does VRTrust integrate with other accounting software?

VRTrust is built to be a standalone accounting software with a general ledger, bank feeds and reporting that can replace systems like QuickBooks or Xero. However, for clients who want to use VRTrust in conjunction with QuickBooks, Xero, or Sage Intacct, workflows can be configured to pull expenses, post GL activity, and post property management statement financials.

Does VRTrust have an open API?

Yes! VRTrust offers API token access for users who want to build custom integrations, automate workflows, or connect VRTrust data with external systems. This allows teams to extend VRTrust into their broader operational and reporting workflows while maintaining centralized accounting data.

Does VRTrust have an MCP?

Yes! VRTrust supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), so that AI tools can query your actual accounting data in real time, rather than relying on exported files or approximations. This means an AI assistant can retrieve a current owner balance, summarize a reconciliation, or surface outstanding guest charges directly from your books.

How does VRPlatform match a Stripe payout to a reservation?

VRPlatform reads the itemized detail underneath each Stripe payout — charges, refunds, and fees — and resolves the reservation using the confirmation code or booking reference carried in Stripe's payment/metadata fields, so no manual matching is required.

Does VRPlatform account for Stripe's processing fees separately?

Yes. Stripe deducts fees before funds are deposited; VRPlatform books the fee as its own line item rather than folding it into net revenue, so your books reflect gross revenue and true processing cost.

What happens with disputes or refunds via Stripe?

Disputes, refunds, and adjustments that land in a later Stripe payout are tied back to the original reservation rather than posted as unexplained variances.

Why doesn't my Booking.com bank deposit match my reservation revenue?

Booking.com deducts commission before paying out, so the deposit is always net of commission. VRPlatform re-derives gross revenue and books the commission separately so your P&L isn't understated.

How are commission invoices matched to payouts from Booking.com?

VRPlatform groups activity by Booking.com's payout ID/statement descriptor and reconciles it against the reservation-itemized commission invoice for that period.

How does VRTrust handle cancellations or no-show charges?

These are captured and matched to the originating reservation rather than appearing as unexplained deposit variance.

How does VRPlatform reconcile an Airbnb payout?

VRPlatform groups each payout with its underlying activity rows by reservation confirmation code and activity type, then reconciles the total to the amount actually paid out.

Why does my Airbnb payout arrive later or in phases?

Airbnb pays most reservations the day after check-in, but long-term stays (28+ nights) pay in phases and new-host payouts may wait until after checkout. VRPlatform accounts for these timing differences during reconciliation.

Does VRTrust handle Airbnb Resolution Center items?

Airbnb payouts often bundle refunds, adjustments, and other non-standard activity in with ordinary reservation income. VRPlatform preserves these as distinct line items — including negative fees, adjustments, and refunds — and flags any deviation from a standard payout for review rather than posting it as regular reservation revenue.

How does VRPlatform connect to OwnerRez?

VRPlatform connects via OwnerRez's API, syncing reservations, owners, and payment data, then matches that activity against Stripe, Airbnb, and other payout sources.

Can I still use OwnerRez's built-in owner statements?

You can, but most users of the integration move statement generation to VRTrust for portal delivery, customization, and true trust-accounting compliance.

Does VRTrust pull in direct bookings?

Yes! Direct-booking-site reservations sync from your property management system alongside OTA bookings into the same ledger.

How does VRTrust match bookings to payouts?

VRTrust recognizes the booking ID format in Stripe and other payout metadata to match each payout line to the correct reservation automatically.

How do I connect Lodgify to VRTrust?

In VRTrust, go to Connections, select Lodgify, then enter your Lodgify API key to begin importing data.

Does VRTrust replace Hospitable's own reporting?

It complements it — Hospitable continues to handle messaging, channel sync, and operations, while VRPlatform handles general ledger accounting, reconciliation, financial reporting, and owner statements.

Can I use VRTrust if I have multiple channels connected?

Yes! Reservations and payouts from every channel connected to your property management system (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, etc.) flow into the same reconciliation workflow.

Can I use VRTrust and Booking Automation's built-in reporting?

VRTrust is designed to replace manual spreadsheet reconciliation with full trust accounting, while Booking Automation continues to handle channel and rate management.

Can I use VRTrust if I'm not on GuestyPay?

Yes! Reservation and owner data sync from Guesty regardless of payment processor, and payouts from Stripe or other connected processors reconcile the same way.

How does VRTrust apply owner split rules from Hostex data?

Split rules configured in VRTrust are applied automatically as reservations sync in from Hostex, so owner statements reflect the correct share without manual calculation.

How does VRTrust connect with Hostfully?

VRTrust integrates directly with Hostfully to pull reservation data, payouts, and transaction detail into a full general ledger. Transactions sync automatically — your books reflect real activity without manual exports or copy-paste.

Can custom fees and commissions be different for each property?

Yes. VRTrust lets you configure commissions and management fees on flexible, per-property rules — so each owner statement reflects the correct fee structure automatically.

Can I create owner statements from my reservation data?

Yes. VRTrust generates fully customizable owner statements directly from your reservation data synced through your PMS and delivers them through a secure online owner portal. No spreadsheets, no manual calculations.

Is VRTrust available for Hostfully users outside the U.S.?

Yes. VRTrust is used by short-term rental property managers across multiple countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., and beyond.

Do I need QuickBooks to use VRTrust?

No. VRTrust is a complete trust and operations accounting system on its own — general ledger, trust reconciliation, bank reconciliation, and owner statements all run natively, so QuickBooks Online isn't required to operate a compliant set of books.

Reporting

Does VRTrust track upsells?

Upsells can be tracked within VRTrust by creating a custom fee.

Does VRTrust produce Profit & Loss statements?

Yes! Profit and Loss reports are available in VRTrust, offering property managers multiple ways to view and drill down into their net income.

Does VRTrust produce homeowner and management company statements?

Yes, VRTrust creates owner statements, dashboards, year-end summaries and property management statements that show your net income synced with accounting software. You can also customize owner statements, so you control what owners see each month.

Does VRTrust have an owner portal?

Yes, VRTrust includes a secure owner portal where you can publish statements, share files, e-file 1099s, and provide year-end summary statements.

What should be included in a vacation rental owner statement?

A vacation rental owner statement typically includes rental income, owner expenses, management fees, commissions, taxes or adjustments when applicable, payouts, and ending owner balance.

What currencies does VRTrust support?

VRTrust allows users to select a default currency from a list of international options, including (but not limited to): USD, Pound Sterling, Euro, Peso, Krona, Rupee, and more.

Can I group multiple listings on one owner statement?

Yes! VRTrust supports listing groups, so you can group listings together when they share ownership. This keeps journal entries, statements, and reporting attributed correctly across the group instead of managing each unit separately. It's useful for multi-unit buildings or any portfolio where ownership spans several listings.

Can I invite third-party viewers to the owner portal?

Yes, both property managers and owners can invite third-party viewers to the white-label owner portal with read-only access.

Customer support

What is the onboarding process for VRTrust?

  1. Follow the step-by-step onboarding guide directly in VRTrust to configure your account
  2. VRTrust Customer Success Teams work diligently with all new customers to walk through their current process and ensure setup is achieved to meet their business requirements
  3. In addition, we have many guides, articles and videos to help users maximize the use of VRTrust
  4. Most successful implementations are complete within weeks!

Does VRTrust offer dedicated customer support?

Yes! VRTrust offers dedicated customer support through multiple channels. You can book a call with a VRTrust onboarding expert to get personalized assistance with setting up your short-term rental accounting. We also provide live chat support, which you can access directly from our platform for immediate assistance with any questions or issues.

Partners

Does VRTrust offer accounts for accountants and bookkeepers?

Yes! VRTrust supports Partner accounting consoles for accountants and bookkeepers.

Does VRTrust partner with accountants and bookkeepers?

Yes! VRTrust is built by industry-leading accounting professionals and designed with workflows optimized for both in-house and external accountants. If you need bookkeeping and tax preparation support, please visit our accounting partner marketplace to connect with a trusted partner.

What revenue recognition for reservations do you support?

We support recognition at Check-in, Check-out, Booking, or Split-month. For long-term reservations (user-defined, e.g., >30 days), we support split-month recognition.

Can I have my clients billed directly instead of to me?

Yes, clients can either be billed directly at standard subscription pricing, or you can be billed in bulk on their behalf.