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If you own a rental property in Des Moines and you are thinking about hiring an Airbnb manager, the first question on your mind is probably: how much is this going to cost me? It is a fair question. And the answer is not as simple as a single number. Management fees vary based on the service level, the company, and what is actually included. Some companies look cheap on paper and cost you more in the long run. Others charge a premium but deliver enough extra revenue to more t

Luke Combs plays Jack Trice Stadium tomorrow. The Fab Four is at Stephens Auditorium this Friday. Iowa State's Fashion Show is next week. And somewhere in Ames, a property owner is scrambling to figure out how much to charge, who is checking in, and whether the cleaner is available. That is the reality of self managing a short term rental in Ames. The demand is there. The problem is capturing it without burning yourself out. If you have been thinking about hiring a short term

Clear Lake, Iowa is heating up. Not just the weather. The short term rental market. With the 4th of July celebration running July 1 through 6, Thursdays on Main kicking off May 28, the TRI Clear Lake triathlon in August, and a packed Surf Ballroom concert calendar, this summer is shaping up to be one of the biggest for Clear Lake tourism in years. Property owners who are ready will profit. Owners who are not will watch the demand pass them by. If you own a property in Clear L

If you own a short term rental in Des Moines and you have ever searched "STR management company near me," you are not alone. That search has become one of the fastest growing queries among property owners in 2026. And for good reason. The short term rental market is more competitive than it was even a year ago. Des Moines now has over 545 active Airbnb listings. Supply keeps growing while demand growth slows. That means the gap between well managed properties and everything e

Luke Combs is playing Jack Trice Stadium this month. Iowa State graduation is right around the corner. And if you own an Airbnb in Ames, Iowa, there is a good chance you are not charging enough for either one. That is not a guess. It is a pattern we see every spring. Ames property owners set a flat nightly rate, maybe bump it up $20 for game weekends, and hope for the best. Meanwhile, professionally managed properties in the same market are pulling 2x to 3x their normal rates

If you own a vacation rental in Iowa, you already know the market is not one size fits all. A lakefront cabin in Clear Lake operates nothing like a downtown apartment in Des Moines. A property near Iowa State in Ames has completely different demand drivers than a rural retreat outside of Ankeny. That is exactly why vacation rental management in Iowa requires a local approach. National companies apply the same playbook everywhere. But owners who understand their specific subma

If you own a short term rental in Iowa and you have been thinking about hiring an Airbnb manager, you are not alone. Hundreds of property owners across Ames, Des Moines, Clear Lake, and the surrounding Central Iowa market ask this question every year. The answer is almost always the same: hire sooner than you think. Most owners wait until they are burned out, losing money, or both. By then, they have already missed peak revenue windows, collected bad reviews, or let their pro

If you own a short term rental anywhere in Central Iowa, you have probably noticed things feel different this year. The market is more competitive, guests expect more, and the tools required to stay profitable keep evolving. The question a lot of property owners are asking right now is simple: should I hire an Airbnb property manager? It is a fair question. And the answer in 2026 is different than it was even two years ago. Here is what has changed and why it matters for owne

If you own a rental property in Des Moines and you are thinking about hiring someone to manage it as a short term rental, you are asking the right question. But picking the wrong management company can cost you more than doing it yourself. Des Moines has over 500 active Airbnb listings. The market is growing. Business travelers, event visitors, and weekend tourists create steady demand across the metro. But the difference between a property that earns $14,000 a year and one t

Why Ames Property Owners Are Choosing Professional Airbnb Management Ames, Iowa is one of the most underrated short-term rental markets in the Midwest. With Iowa State University driving consistent demand from visiting families, football weekends, graduation ceremonies, and academic conferences, property owners in Ames are sitting on a significant income opportunity. But turning that opportunity into reliable monthly revenue requires more than just listing your property on Ai

If you own property in Clear Lake, Iowa and you are not running it as a short term rental this summer, you are leaving real money on the table. Clear Lake has always been one of Iowa's best kept secrets for tourism. But in 2026, the combination of growing travel demand, a packed summer events calendar, and a shift toward experience driven travel makes this the strongest opportunity the market has seen for Airbnb owners. Whether you already own a lakefront property, a condo ne

If you own an Airbnb near Iowa State, the revenue calendar just got bigger. On March 25, Iowa State University announced a partnership with Oak View Group, one of the largest venue management and live events companies in the world, to bring significantly more concerts, shows, and live entertainment to five on campus properties. That includes Hilton Coliseum, Jack Trice Stadium, Stephens Auditorium, Fisher Theater, and the Scheman Building. This is not a small deal. It signals

Des Moines is one of the strongest short term rental markets in Iowa. Business travel stays consistent. Events like the Bohemian Arts Festival, Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, CelebrAsian, and downtown conferences create demand spikes throughout the year. The metro keeps growing, and Airbnb guests have more reasons than ever to visit. But here is what we see over and over again: owners with solid properties in great locations are still underperforming. Not because demand is weak.

Most Central Iowa Airbnb hosts think about revenue in two modes: football weekends and summer. Everything else gets treated like dead air — prices drop, calendars sit empty, and the assumption is that nobody's booking. That assumption is costing you money. Spring in Central Iowa — roughly mid-March through late May — is one of the most underpriced windows in the short-term rental calendar. Nationally, 2026 STR data shows shoulder seasons are strengthening as travelers spread

If you own a short-term rental in Ames, Des Moines, or anywhere in Central Iowa, spring is not a season to coast through. It is one of the most overlooked windows of opportunity in the short-term rental calendar. While most Airbnb owners fixate on football season or summer travel, the spring months bring a steady wave of demand driven by university events, conferences, sports, and the annual surge of visitors as weather improves across the Midwest. The owners who prepare for

If you’ve seen the headlines, you’ve probably asked the question: Is Airbnb dead? Between oversaturation, new regulations, and shifting travel trends, it’s easy to assume short-term rentals are past their prime. And if you’re a busy professional trying to manage an Airbnb in Ames, Iowa, low bookings or inconsistent revenue can make that narrative feel real. But here’s what we’re seeing on the ground: Airbnb isn’t dead. Poorly managed Airbnbs are struggling. There’s a differen

Owning an Airbnb in Des Moines can be a smart move. The city continues to grow, attract business travel, and host year-round events. But many owners quickly realize that managing a short-term rental takes far more time than expected. If you’re juggling a full-time career and an Airbnb, you’re not alone. At Stay A While, we help busy professionals turn their Des Moines properties into well-managed, high-performing short-term rentals—without sacrificing their time or sanity. If

Owning an Airbnb in Ames, Iowa can be a strong opportunity. But only if you understand how this market actually works. Many owners assume Ames is simple. It is a college town, demand is steady, and bookings will take care of themselves. What we see in practice is very different. Ames performs well when it is managed intentionally. When it is not, owners experience inconsistent bookings, pricing mistakes, and burnout. This guide breaks down how Airbnb demand really works in Am

Owning an Airbnb in Des Moines, Iowa can be a great opportunity, but only if it is managed well. Many property owners start out self managing, expecting flexibility and solid returns. What they quickly realize is that hosting comes with late night guest messages, pricing decisions that change week to week, cleaning coordination, maintenance issues, and the constant pressure of reviews. Over time, the workload grows while performance often plateaus. That leads many owners to a

Full service Airbnb management in Des Moines, Iowa with downtown skyline Owning an Airbnb in Des Moines can be a strong opportunity - but only if it’s managed well. Many owners start out self-managing or hire a national property management company, only to find bookings plateau, reviews slip, or the workload becomes overwhelming. We see this often with busy professionals who value performance but don’t have time to manage pricing, guests, cleaners, and local regulations thems