Short Term Rental
Management

Surge offers local full service vacation rental management for busy vacation rental owners and Airbnb hosts in San Jose, California

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San Jose, California Short Term Rental Overview

Airbnb Market
San Jose's short-term rental market presents exceptional revenue opportunities for property owners, with average daily rates ranging from $150-$300 depending on property type and location, significantly outperforming traditional long-term rental yields by 40-60% annually. The city's position as the heart of Silicon Valley creates consistent high-demand from business travelers, tech professionals on temporary assignments, and tourists exploring the Bay Area, resulting in occupancy rates averaging 70-85% year-round with peak periods reaching 95% during major tech conferences and events. Properties within 10 miles of major employers like Apple, Google, and Meta command premium rates due to corporate housing demand, while the limited hotel inventory in prime locations allows well-positioned short-term rentals to capture overflow demand at hotel-comparable pricing. The market's resilience is further strengthened by San Jose's strict zoning laws that limit new hotel development, creating a supply-constrained environment where existing short-term rental properties benefit from reduced competition and sustained pricing power, translating to gross rental yields of 8-12% compared to 3-5% for traditional residential rentals in the same market.
Short Term Rental Regulations
San Jose's short-term rental regulations are notoriously complex and constantly evolving, with strict permitting requirements, zoning restrictions, and substantial penalties for non-compliance that can result in fines exceeding $1,000 per day and potential legal action that could jeopardize your property investment. The city requires specific business licenses, occupancy permits, and adherence to detailed operational standards including noise ordinances, parking requirements, and guest registration protocols, while also mandating collection and remittance of transient occupancy taxes that many property owners inadvertently mishandle. Navigating this regulatory maze while staying current with frequent policy changes can be overwhelming and costly for individual property owners, but professional short-term rental management services specialize in maintaining full compliance by handling all licensing applications, permit renewals, tax collection and remittance, and ongoing regulatory monitoring, effectively eliminating your legal risk while ensuring your property operates within all local requirements and maximizes its revenue potential.
Occupancy Rates
San Jose Airbnb occupancy rates typically peak during spring (March-May) and fall (September-November) when the tech industry hosts major conferences, product launches, and corporate events, with occupancy rates often reaching 75-85% during these periods. Summer months (June-August) see moderate demand driven by leisure travelers and families visiting nearby attractions, while winter (December-February) represents the slowest shoulder season with occupancy dropping to 45-60% as business travel decreases and fewer tourists visit the Bay Area. Professional revenue management becomes crucial during these fluctuations, requiring hosts to implement dynamic pricing strategies that increase rates during high-demand conference weeks and tech events while offering competitive pricing during slower winter months to attract extended-stay guests and budget-conscious travelers. Successful Airbnb operators in San Jose must continuously monitor local event calendars, adjust minimum stay requirements seasonally, and leverage automated pricing tools that respond to real-time market conditions, competitor rates, and booking lead times to optimize revenue per available night and maintain consistent occupancy levels throughout the year's natural demand cycles.
Vacation Rental Management
Managing a vacation rental in San Jose presents overwhelming operational challenges that can quickly derail profitability and guest satisfaction in this tech-hub market where travelers expect Silicon Valley-level service standards. Guest turnover in San Jose's high-demand rental market requires same-day cleaning, restocking, and property inspections between bookings, often with just 2-3 hour windows, while coordinating with cleaning crews who charge premium rates ($150-300 per turnover) due to the area's high cost of living. The 24/7 communication demands are particularly brutal given San Jose's international business traveler base across multiple time zones, requiring immediate responses to guest inquiries, emergency situations, and booking modifications at all hours, with delayed responses directly impacting reviews and future bookings. Maintenance challenges are amplified by San Jose's aging housing stock, earthquake safety requirements, strict city rental ordinances, and the difficulty of finding reliable contractors willing to work on short notice in a market where skilled labor commands premium wages and is often booked weeks in advance. Without full-service property management handling these complex logistics, self-managing owners typically see their 5-star ratings plummet due to delayed responses, maintenance issues, and turnover problems, ultimately destroying the passive income potential as they become trapped in a cycle of constant availability, escalating costs, and declining guest satisfaction that makes their investment a liability rather than an asset.
Attractions and Amenities
San Jose's tourism centers around four major attractions that drive visitor demand: the Tech Interactive and Children's Discovery Museum which draw families seeking educational experiences, the SAP Center at San Jose that hosts major sporting events and concerts attracting entertainment seekers, Santana Row's upscale shopping and dining district that appeals to leisure travelers, and the Winchester Mystery House which brings history enthusiasts and paranormal tourists year-round. To maximize revenue from guests visiting these specific attractions, properties must offer high-speed Wi-Fi and dedicated workspaces for tech industry visitors conducting business while exploring the area's innovation hub, family-friendly amenities like cribs, high chairs, and game areas for parents visiting the interactive museums with children, flexible check-in/check-out times and late-night quiet hours policies to accommodate guests attending evening events at SAP Center, upscale furnishings and premium linens that match the sophisticated expectations of Santana Row shoppers, and unique local touches or historical décor elements that enhance the experience for Winchester Mystery House visitors seeking authentic local atmosphere. Properties that align these specific amenities with San Jose's distinct tourist draws will command higher rates and occupancy by directly serving the practical needs of each visitor segment rather than offering generic accommodations.

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
Living room

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
5 stars
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!
LaShawnda
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
5 stars
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!!
Terry
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
5 stars
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!
Shaun
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
5 stars
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!
Zachary
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
5 stars
Great stay that accommodated all our needs for a successful for trip to Houston, i hope to Book in the coming future.
Jalen
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
5 stars
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.
Shaynce
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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How do you handle waste management?
We coordinate with local services to ensure proper waste disposal and recycling, maintaining cleanliness and environmental responsibility.
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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.
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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.
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Still have questions?

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