Short Term Rental
Management

Surge offers local full service vacation rental management for busy vacation rental owners and Airbnb hosts in Orlando, Florida

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Orlando, Florida Short Term Rental Overview

Airbnb Market
Orlando's short-term rental market presents exceptional revenue opportunities for property owners, with average daily rates ranging from $150-$300 depending on proximity to major attractions, significantly outperforming traditional long-term rental yields by 200-400%. The city's unique position as home to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and other world-class attractions generates over 75 million annual visitors, creating consistent year-round demand that maintains occupancy rates between 70-85% for well-positioned properties. Current market analysis indicates that strategically located vacation rentals within 15 miles of theme parks are generating gross annual revenues of $35,000-$65,000 for typical 3-4 bedroom properties, with net profit margins of 25-35% after expenses, while comparable long-term rentals yield only $18,000-$24,000 annually. The market's resilience is further strengthened by Orlando's diverse tourism ecosystem, including convention business at the Orange County Convention Center, medical tourism, and growing corporate relocations, which provide multiple revenue streams beyond leisure travel and reduce seasonal volatility that affects other vacation rental markets.
Short Term Rental Regulations
Orlando's short-term rental regulations involve a complex web of city permits, Orange County licensing requirements, state tax obligations, and specific zoning restrictions that vary by neighborhood and property type, with frequent updates to ordinances that can catch property owners off-guard and result in substantial fines, legal action, or forced closure of rental operations. The permitting process requires navigating multiple government agencies, maintaining proper insurance coverage, adhering to safety standards, collecting and remitting various taxes including tourist development taxes, and ensuring ongoing compliance with occupancy limits and noise ordinances that can change without notice. However, when you partner with a professional short-term rental management service, these compliance burdens are completely lifted from your shoulders—experienced managers handle all licensing applications and renewals, maintain current knowledge of evolving regulations, manage tax collection and remittance, ensure proper insurance coverage, and monitor regulatory changes to keep your property in full legal compliance, allowing you to enjoy the income benefits of short-term rentals without the stress and risk of navigating Orlando's complex regulatory landscape on your own.
Occupancy Rates
Orlando's Airbnb market experiences distinct seasonal patterns with peak occupancy rates typically occurring during summer months (June-August) when families vacation, winter holidays (December-January), and spring break periods (March-April), driven primarily by Walt Disney World and Universal Studios tourism. The shoulder seasons of late January through February and September through early November generally see lower occupancy rates as tourist demand decreases and locals avoid the extreme summer heat or return to school and work routines. Professional revenue management becomes crucial during these fluctuations, requiring hosts to implement dynamic pricing strategies that maximize rates during high-demand periods while remaining competitive during slower months through strategic discounts and longer-stay incentives. Successful Orlando Airbnb operators must continuously adjust their pricing based on local events, theme park promotions, convention schedules, and weather patterns, often utilizing automated pricing tools that respond to real-time market conditions, competitor rates, and booking lead times to maintain optimal occupancy rates year-round rather than experiencing the dramatic revenue swings that can occur with static pricing models.
Vacation Rental Management
Managing a vacation rental in Orlando presents unique operational challenges that can quickly overwhelm property owners and jeopardize their investment returns. The city's year-round tourist season means constant guest turnover, often with same-day check-outs and check-ins that require precise coordination of housekeeping, maintenance, and guest communications within impossibly tight windows. Orlando's international visitor base creates 24/7 communication demands across multiple time zones and languages, with guests expecting immediate responses to everything from Wi-Fi issues to theme park recommendations at 3 AM. The humid subtropical climate accelerates wear and tear on HVAC systems, pool equipment, and exterior surfaces, while the high-use nature of vacation rentals means appliances, furniture, and fixtures require frequent repairs or replacement. Property owners attempting to self-manage often find themselves fielding emergency calls during family dinners, scrambling to find last-minute cleaning services when housekeepers cancel, or dealing with maintenance crises that can result in negative reviews and booking cancellations. In Orlando's saturated vacation rental market, where guests have hundreds of alternatives and a single poor review can devastate bookings, full-service property management becomes essential infrastructure rather than luxury—providing the professional systems, local vendor networks, and round-the-clock responsiveness necessary to maintain the 5-star standards that generate premium rates and truly passive income.
Attractions and Amenities
Orlando's tourism economy revolves around four major attractions that drive millions of visitors annually: Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and the International Drive entertainment corridor, each requiring specific property amenities to maximize guest satisfaction and rental revenue. Properties serving Disney World visitors need early morning shuttle services or close proximity to transportation hubs, as guests often arrive at parks before opening, plus spacious kitchens and dining areas for families to prepare quick breakfasts and pack lunches to avoid expensive park food. Universal Studios guests require secure parking for rental cars since many combine their visit with other Central Florida attractions, along with high-speed Wi-Fi for downloading park apps and making dining reservations, plus comfortable seating areas where families can plan their next day's itinerary after returning from long park days. SeaWorld visitors benefit from properties offering laundry facilities since water rides and splash zones often leave guests with wet clothes, while families with young children need cribs, high chairs, and childproofing supplies for toddlers who may nap between park visits. International Drive tourists, who often combine shopping, dining, and entertainment venues like ICON Park and numerous dinner shows, need properties with flexible check-in/check-out times to accommodate varied schedules, plus reliable transportation information or shuttle services since this area involves significant walking between attractions, making amenities like comfortable bedding, soaking tubs, and foot care supplies essential for guest recovery and positive reviews.

Why choose Surge?

Surge is local Airbnb management that’s reliable, affordable and the best for your property.
Cost
Guest communications
Host Communications
Insurance
Contract
Cost
Starting at 15% fee
Guest communications
Guest response within 10 minutes, 24 hours a day
Host Communications
Designated host call in phone line
Insurance
Full damage protection for every reservation
Contract
No annual agreements
Other Property Mangers
Cost
25-40% fee
Guest communications
Sporadic guest communications
Host Communications
Bot response assistants
Insurance
Unreliable insurance coverage
Contract
Contract lock-ins

Understand Your STR Income

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Surge is geared towards maximizing potential

Be at ease with the knowledge that your vacation rental is being optimized to its fullest potential.
30%
In gross revenue
150 M
Potential guests
4.9
Superhost status
7+
Booking platforms
1
Property manager
The house was great. It accommodated our large group nicely. The owner was responsive and checked in on us throughout the trip. The gate around the home added privacy and security. The beds were comfortable as well. Extra linen, towels and washcloths. We are looking to book this home in the future!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
We really appreciated Surge. He was responsive, attentive, and went above to make sure our stay was seamless. You can tell he takes pride in providing a clean/organized place. Everyone loved the pool table and shuffleboard. This place is also very close to great restaurants. The place we went to had the best catfish. Would definitely rent from Surge again!!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
Our group really enjoyed our long weekend stay here! The property was very clean and spacious but also provided some privacy to accommodate our large family. Surge was responsive when we reached out to them and also accommodated an early check-in. We felt secure given that the property was gated and had smart locks on both entry doors. We strongly recommend this property and would love to stay here again!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
My family and I were here for my daughter’s graduation from UofH. Surge was very upfront, kept us informed and accommodating. The place was clean and fit my entire family comfortably. We have already made plans to come back. Great location, private and safe environment. Would highly recommend! Thank you Surge for making this stay memorable and stress free for our family!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
Great stay that accommodated all our needs for a successful for trip to Houston, i hope to Book in the coming future.
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
The host was great, he responded quickly when needed and checked in on us from time to time throughout the whole day. He was awesome and the place was great for my family of 16. Definitely will book with him in the future.
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the product and billing.
Does Surge Property Management allow pets in its short term rentals?
Surge Property Management leaves that decision to the property owner. While allowing pets can be a big perk for some guests, Surge does not have any requirements for the property owner to allow it. Service animals are a different case. Surge is prohibited to refuse a reservation, charge pet fees, hold guests to different rules, apply differential treatment or use discriminatory language if a guest is accompanied by a service animal. A guests service animal must not be out of control, un-housebroken, left alone at the listing without prior approval, allowed into areas that are considered unauthorized by the guest and allowed in a public space without being harnessed, leashed, or tethered and not under the guests control.
Do I get access to an owner portal?
Surge Property Management has a tech leading owner portal to keep its property owners in the loop, instead of on the outside looking in. In the owner portal you can reserve days for personal use, see pending reservations, nightly pricing rates, owner statements, expense receipts, guest messaging and more!
Do you screen the guests that are staying in my property?
Our intelligent Guest Screening technology allows us to screen vacation rental guests before they enter your property, making it easier to keep bad guests out. We proactively assess the risk posed by each guest, through legal, non-discriminatory checks. Guests will be asked to submit some personal details including their name, date of birth, physical home address and contact details. We then verify by having the guest take a live selfie and submit a photo of their ID(either a drivers license or passport). This information will then be processed to determine the true identity of your guest, including whether the ID is fraudulent and if the provided details match those on the ID. This process will generate a risk report for us to review before the guest arrives.
Do you provide insurance for guest damages?
We partner with the premier provider of short term rental protection also offering guest screening and comprehensive insurance coverage. Our partner brings confidence and peace of mind to both Surge Property Management and its clients(homeowners). Our third party partner has protected over 60 billion in homeowner liability coverage and 1 million guest nights. Ask your Surge sales representative for more details.
What happens if there is guest damage to my property?
Each guest is required to make a $500 security deposit. Any damage above $500 we are able to document, submit, and follow a claim through on your behalf with our short term rental insurance partner covering up to $5,000,000.
How does Surge compare to a national provider like Vacasa?
While both Surge and Vacasa both have a full service model designed to be hands off from the property owner, Surge stands out above the rest by being more intentional and selective with the properties we decide to accept into our management portfolio. This allows us to give the required attention to the properties we manage instead of just "setting it and forgetting it" like the other property managers do. Once you go onboard with them you just become another number.
Does Surge handle the maintenance of the vacation rental?
Yes, Surge is able to handle any property maintenance(including hot tub & pool) for your property. We have a large network of service providers, additionally, if you have a preferred vendor we can assign and coordinate maintenance with them as well.
What services does Surge Property Management offer?

Surge is a full-service property manager and provides the following service to property owners:

  • Listing creating and management across multiple channels
  • Calendar management
  • Cleaning
  • Laundry
  • Restocking
  • Maintenance
  • Dynamic Pricing
  • Lock automation
  • Guest Portal
  • Owners Portal
  • Listing optimization
  • Photography
  • 24/7 guest communication
  • Check-in/out support
  • and more!
Is Surge Property Management a Superhost on Airbnb?
Yes, Surge Property Management is a Superhost on AirBNB. Airbnb defines a Superhost as a Host who goes above and beyond to provide excellent hospitality. Guests can easily identify a Superhost from the badge that appears on their Airbnb listing and profile. Superhosts have more visibility and earning potential.
How and when do I get paid?
Surge Property Management initiates ACH payment to its property owners once a month by the 10th day of the next month. Along with the ACH deposit sent to you, you also receive a highly detailed statement for review.
Are there any hidden fees?
Surge Property Management has the most transparent pricing in the industry. Our property owners are our Partners in business which is why we hold transparency at a very high standard. With your monthly statements you will be able to trace every dollar from when the guest paid for their reservation to when it was deposited into your bank account. Contact your Surge sales rep for a personal walk through of our statement structure.
Can I still use my property?
Yes of course. The biggest perk of a vacation rental is still retaining personal use of the property for your personal use. Inside of our Owner’s Portal you can reserve days for personal use.
How do you market my property?

We list your property on the major platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Google Vacation rentals and more! We also allow direct bookings very popular among returning guests. Our integration technology is second to none and was awarded the following:

  • Airbnb Preferred + Software Partner
  • VRBO Elite Partner
  • Booking.com Premier Connectivity Partner
How do you handle complaints or disputes?
We aim to resolve issues quickly and fairly, protecting both the guests and the property owner’s interests. We mediate disputes and ensure a smooth resolution process.
How do I get started with your service?
Contact us to schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your property, our services, and how we can help you achieve your rental goals.
How do you handle waste management?
We coordinate with local services to ensure proper waste disposal and recycling, maintaining cleanliness and environmental responsibility.
What safety measures do you implement?
We ensure the property has functional smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and complies with all local safety regulations.
What does Surge’s full service property management mean?
Surge's comprehensive property management service allows property owners to be completely hands-off with the daily operations of their Airbnb properties. Surge takes care of all the daily tasks, including listings, guest interactions, cleanings, restocking, and maintenance, ensuring a stress-free experience for the property owner.

Still have questions?

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Please chat to our friendly team.
Get in touch
(713) 853-9573