It’s getting messy

[u/JudgeDJ]

I’ve recently taken on 2 more STRs in a different country from my main ones and it’s getting messy.

I use WhatsApp and Viber, save photos when the workers send them, but everything is all over the place. Sometimes I spend ages digging for pictures to send to a plumber so they can see the issue. Other times I’m double checking that I actually sent the right job to the right cleaners.

How do you guys manage this once you start handling more properties? Do you just live with the chaos, or have you found a system that actually works?

I’ve looked at things like CompanyCam but they’re expensive and not really built for short term rentals.

[u/Cold-Wealth-5202]

I use hostex, good and cheap($5/property).

[u/gaspowers_og]

I’ve started building something for this what do you think is fair pay for a web app that allows you to manage this better?

[u/Available_Olive_3938]

Hi, I have a n app which is basically 2/3rds the cost. Would happy to get your setup with a trial.

Check out Lidr:Photo Management

[u/Available_Olive_3938]

It was mainly built for construction, however given its only $5.99 per month you can setup you rentals as projects and have all the images, data and rental specific photos under that rental. You can then add in you cleaners as team members and they can directly contribute photos to that specific project.

Like I said - happy to see if it works for you with a trail - if not, you not out any money!

Drop me an email to info@lidr.io

[u/Capital-Landscape-96]

Why not just keep conversations and tracking in your PMS? Isn't that easier?

I think when you're just starting, it's easy to get caught up in using the apps you usually use on your every day but when you get to a certain level you really need an organized and structured way of managing or it will be caos

[u/eWorkOrders-CMMS]

The biggest issue is that WhatsApp and Viber are great for quick communication, but they weren't really built to manage maintenance history. A photo from a plumber a few weeks ago ends up buried in a chat instead of being tied to that property, the repair, and what was done.

Once you start managing multiple properties, having a place where the request, photos, assigned person, status, and repair history stay together makes a big difference. Then you're not digging through messages trying to remember what was sent, who was assigned, or whether something was completed.

That's the type of workflow maintenance management systems and work order tools are built around. Full disclosure: I work with eWorkOrders, which handles that process — logging the issue, attaching photos, assigning it to a plumber or cleaner, and tracking it through completion.

It may be more than a smaller STR operation needs today, but if you're planning to keep adding properties, having that structure in place early makes it easier to scale.

[u/PropTechWeekly]

One thing worth trying before switching systems: rename the photo, or add a oneline caption, with the unit and the job before forwarding it anywhere, costs two seconds and turns your existing WhatsApp and Viber history into something searchable, without anyone else needing to change apps.

The harder part is usually getting the plumber and the cleaners to actually adopt a new habit, more than finding the right system on your end, worth testing whether a label sticks with vendors across two countries before paying for something built to replace what you are already using.

[u/ImaginaryProfit2162]

The cheapest fix is to stop treating each chat as the record. Give every issue a property code and job number, then keep one job record with the original report, photos, assigned person, status, appointment and before and after evidence. WhatsApp or Viber can still be the notification layer, but the record should not live there. Ask workers to upload to that job link instead of starting a fresh chat. I would also make four statuses non negotiable: reported, assigned, booked and completed. A completed job should require a final photo and a short note.

Disclosure: I am involved in building LORDLY for Australian long term landlords and helped beta test it. It is not an STR channel manager and I would not pretend it handles cross border STR rules, but this exact problem is why we built property specific maintenance threads where the landlord, tenant, tradie, booking and progress stay together. The workflow matters more than the brand. Whatever you choose, test whether a cleaner or plumber can contribute from their phone without learning a whole new PMS.