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Holiday Home / Bach Management Across Aotearoa

Your property could be earning 2× more.

SmartHomes turns Kiwi homes into high-performing short-stay rentals. Professionally listed, dynamically priced, fully managed — you keep the keys and the upside.

$14.2M
Paid out in 2025
+167%
Avg net uplift
247
Homes managed
4.92 / 5 guest rating Across 11,400+ guest reviews
83% occupancy Portfolio annual average
  • Checked after every stay
    Cleaning, linen and a maintenance check at each checkout.
  • Fortnightly or monthly payouts
    Direct bank transfers on the schedule you choose.
  • Hands-off care
    Bookings, guest communication and owner reporting.
Property income calculator Live market data

What could your place earn?

Property type
Estimated STR income / yr
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Long-term rental / yr
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You could earn —

5-year projection

STR Long-term
5yr STR
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5yr long-term
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Difference
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Holiday Home / Bach Management · How it works

From keys handed over to first payout — in 14 days.

  1. Free assessment

    A specialist visits your property, photographs the space, models the income, and walks you through the proposal. No obligation, no surprise charges.

    • ✓ On-site or video walkthrough
    • ✓ Property assessment
    • ✓ Income estimate / management proposal
    • ✓ No-obligation discussion

    We aim to provide the assessment report within approximately 72 hours following the property review.

  2. Property setup

    Professional photography, copywriting, smart-lock install, linen pack and a deep clean. Listed on the booking platforms that suit your property.

    • ✓ Architectural & twilight photos
    • ✓ Smart-lock install
    • ✓ Hotel-grade linen & amenities
  3. We manage everything

    Bookings, guest communication, cleaning, linen and laundry, property preparation between stays and maintenance coordination. You don't lift a finger unless you want to.

    • ✓ Cleaning, linen & property preparation
    • ✓ Maintenance check after every guest checkout
    • ✓ Owner reporting & statements
  4. You get paid

    Fortnightly or monthly payouts, with a transparent statement and a real-time owner dashboard. Block your own dates whenever you like.

    • ✓ Direct deposit, fortnightly or monthly
    • ✓ Live dashboard with occupancy
    • ✓ End-of-year tax pack included
Real properties • Real numbers

What the spreadsheet looks like, twelve months in.

Open-plan living room opening onto a covered deck and garden
MT MAUNGANUI • 3BR BEACH HOUSE
  • 3 bed
  • 2 bath
  • Sleeps 6
  • Sea view
Mount Maunganui • Bay of Plenty

“It paid off our mortgage four years early.”

Before • LT
$40,560/yr
After • STR
$118,940/yr
Net uplift
+193%
Occupancy
87%
“We were dreading another tenancy cycle. SmartHomes took it over, sent us photos a week later, and the first payout landed before we'd even told the neighbours. We genuinely forget it's happening.”
Pania & Tama H.
Owners since March 2024
Apartment living area with exposed brick wall and timber floors QUEENSTOWN • 2BR APARTMENT

Queenstown CBD • Otago

The ski-season unlock

Before
$31,200
After
$94,180
Uplift
+202%
“July and August now pay for the whole year. We use it ourselves in shoulder season — best of both worlds.”
James M.Owner • Frankton
Classic New Zealand bach with a timber deck on a grassy rise HAHEI • 4BR BACH

Hahei • Coromandel

Family bach, working harder

Before
$0 (vacant)
After
$76,420
Change
+$76,420
“It used to sit empty 40 weeks a year. Now it earns through every shoulder season and we still get our two weeks at Christmas.”
Rachel W.Owner • Auckland-based
Restored two-storey New Zealand weatherboard villa PONSONBY • 3BR VILLA

Ponsonby • Tāmaki Makaurau

From flatmates to four-star

Before
$52,000
After
$103,640
Uplift
+99%
“We sold the idea of a long-term tenancy to ourselves for years. The switch was the easiest financial decision of 2025.”
Aroha K.Owner • Grey Lynn
$14.2M
Paid to owners in 2025
4.92
Average rating across 11,400 stays
83%
Average annual occupancy
11 days
Avg listing-to-first-booking
For owners

The honest answers to the things that keep you up at night.

What about regulations?

Requirements for short-term accommodation can vary depending on the property and local council area. Property owners remain responsible for ensuring any applicable regulatory, consent or compliance requirements are met. Where required, Smart Homes can assist with general coordination or provide relevant information relating to the management of the property.

What about wear and tear? Guests can be hard on a place.

Every stay ends with a professional clean, fresh linen and a maintenance check after each guest checkout. Linens are hotel-grade and rotated, and any damage or maintenance issues are logged with photos and coordinated before the next guest arrives.

What about vacancy? Won't it just sit empty in winter?

Our pricing engine adjusts every 24 hours across the major booking platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com, Bookabach, VRBO and Expedia). Average annual occupancy across our portfolio is 83%; in shoulder seasons we lean into mid-stay corporate and relocation guests to keep yields steady.

Can I still use my own property?

Absolutely. Block any dates from your Owner Portal — instant, no questions. Most owners reserve 4–8 weeks a year for themselves and friends. If you let us know early we can usually slot you into a low-demand window with zero income impact.

What are the fees, really?

A flat 18% of nights booked. No listing fee, no monthly minimum. Cleaning and linen costs are passed through at cost and billed to the owner — they are not included in the management fee. You see the maths line by line on your monthly statement.

How do I get paid, and when?

Direct deposit fortnightly or monthly — your choice — in NZD, to any NZ or Australian bank account. We can split payouts across multiple accounts (handy for trusts and co-ownership).

What happens if I want to leave?

Our management agreement can be ended in accordance with the notice period set out in your agreement. We aim to make any transition straightforward and will assist with the handover of relevant property and booking information where applicable.

Is my property right for SmartHomes?

Generally yes if it's a self-contained whole home (not a room in a shared house), within 90 minutes of an airport or visitor centre, and free of body-corp short-stay restrictions. The free assessment is the fastest way to know — we'll tell you straight if it isn't a fit.

Free, on-site, no obligation

Let's run the numbers on your place.

An on-site or video walkthrough, an income estimate and a no-obligation discussion.

We aim to provide the assessment report within approximately 72 hours following the property review.

Preferred time
  • • No-obligation discussion
  • • Income estimate & proposal
  • • NZ-owned & NZ-based team
Your estimate is ready

Get your 5-year forecast

Estimated STR income / yr —
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See how the gap grows over five years. We'll also send a full appraisal report with suburb comparables.