How to Manage Short-Term Rentals with OpenClaw + TIDY

You're at dinner when the Airbnb notification hits: guest checked out early, the next one arrives in four hours, and your cleaner hasn't been contacted. You excuse yourself, open three apps, fire off two texts, and hope it all lands.

There's a better way. OpenClaw — the open-source AI assistant with 300,000+ GitHub stars — connects to WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and 30+ other messaging platforms. Install TIDY's property management skill, and that dinner interruption becomes a single text: "Guest left early at Beach Rd. Move the turnover up to now." Done. Back to dinner.

This guide covers setup, daily operations, and the advanced workflows that experienced STR hosts use to run 10+ properties without a property manager.

Setup (10 Minutes)

You need a TIDY account (free), Node.js 22.16+, and a messaging app.

Install OpenClaw

npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The onboarding wizard connects your LLM (Claude, GPT, or a local model) and links a messaging platform. Pick WhatsApp if you want to manage properties from your phone, or Slack if your team needs visibility too. You can add more channels later.

Connect TIDY

# Get your API token
curl -X POST https://api.tidy.com/v1/customer/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "you@example.com", "password": "your-password"}'

# Save it and install the skill
export TIDY_API_TOKEN=your-token-here
clawhub install tidy-property-management

The skill hot-reloads. Open your messaging app and text: "What properties do I have in TIDY?" If you get a response, you're live.

Setting Up Properties

Before your first turnover, add your properties with every detail a cleaner needs. This is the part that pays for itself — you set it up once, and every pro for the rest of time gets the right instructions automatically.

You: Add 789 Beach Rd. 3bed/2bath, 1,400 sqft.
     Gate code #4521, park in driveway.
     Lockbox on side door, code 8832.
     Extra linens in hall closet.
     Hot tub needs cover replaced after every clean.

OpenClaw: ✓ Property created: 789 Beach Rd
          3 bed / 2 bath / 1,400 sqft
          Access: Gate #4521, lockbox side door #8832
          Parking: Driveway
          Special instructions saved (linens, hot tub cover).
          All pros will see these details automatically.

The special instructions matter. "Hot tub needs cover replaced" is the kind of detail that gets lost in a text chain but lives permanently in TIDY. Add as many property-specific notes as you want.

The Core Workflow: Booking Turnovers

This is what you'll do most often. Guest checks out, new guest checks in, and a cleaning needs to happen in between:

You: Guest checks out of Beach Rd Saturday 11am.
     New guest at 4pm.

OpenClaw: ✓ Turnover scheduled at 789 Beach Rd.
          Saturday 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM (3 hours).
          Buffer: 30 min after checkout, 90 min before check-in.
          Pro: Maria S. (your preferred cleaner)
          She'll receive access details and special instructions.

Notice you didn't have to specify the address fully, the duration, or which pro. OpenClaw remembers your properties, TIDY calculates the window, and your preferred pro is assigned automatically. You just provide the guest times.

When Plans Change (They Always Do)

Guests extend. Flights get delayed. Bookings cancel. The old way: log in, find the job, update it, re-notify the cleaner. The new way:

You: Beach Rd guest wants to check out at 1pm
     instead of 11am. Can we still make it work?

OpenClaw: Updated. Turnover moved to 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.
          ⚠ Tight window — next guest arrives at 4pm.
          Only 30 min buffer before check-in.
          Maria has been notified of the new time.
          Want me to ask the incoming guest if 5pm works instead?

The assistant doesn't just execute — it flags problems and suggests solutions. More examples:

"Cancel the turnover at Oak Ave. Booking fell through."

"Guest at Surf Ln flight is delayed. Push check-in to 8pm and extend the cleaning window to 5 hours for a deep clean instead."

"I have a same-day booking at Palm Dr. Checkout was at 10am. Can anyone clean it by 3pm?"

Back-to-Back Turnovers

High-season weekends with multiple properties turning over on the same day are where things get complex. This is also where the AI setup earns its keep:

You: Busy Saturday coming up. Here are the turnovers:
     Beach Rd: out 10am, in 4pm
     Oak Ave: out 11am, in 3pm
     Surf Ln: out 10am, in 5pm
     Palm Dr: out 11am, in 4pm

OpenClaw: ✓ 4 turnovers scheduled for Saturday:

     789 Beach Rd — 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM (Maria S.)
     456 Oak Ave — 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM (Carlos R.)
     123 Surf Ln — 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM (Maria S.)
     321 Palm Dr — 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM (Carlos R.)

     ⚠ Maria has Beach Rd and Surf Ln back-to-back.
     Surf Ln starts 0 min after Beach Rd ends.
     Want me to assign Surf Ln to your backup pro instead?

TIDY detects scheduling conflicts across your pro roster and flags them before they become a problem Saturday morning.

Upsells: Early Check-In, Late Checkout, Mid-Stay Cleans

These are revenue opportunities that most hosts leave on the table because coordinating them is a hassle. With OpenClaw + TIDY, they're one text:

"Guest at Beach Rd wants early check-in at 1pm. Can we get the turnover done by then? I'll charge them $50 for it."

"Guest at Oak Ave is staying 10 nights. Schedule a mid-stay clean on day 5."

"The Surf Ln guest asked for late checkout at 2pm. Push the turnover to 2:30pm and let me know if the next guest arrival time still works."

Mid-stay cleans alone can add $50-100 per long booking. The $50 early check-in fee goes straight to you. TIDY's 3.9% platform fee applies only to the cleaning cost — on a $120 mid-stay clean, that's under $5.

Maintenance Between Guests

A guest reports an issue. You need it fixed before the next arrival. The clock is ticking:

You: Guest at Beach Rd says AC isn't cooling.
     Next guest arrives Thursday. This has to be fixed.

OpenClaw: ✓ Urgent maintenance issue at 789 Beach Rd.
          Issue: AC not cooling
          Priority: Urgent — next guest Thu
          Your HVAC pro has been notified.

          Beach Rd has a turnover clean scheduled Thu 11am.
          Want me to move it to after the AC repair is confirmed?

The assistant connects maintenance and cleaning schedules. It knows a turnover is coming and proactively asks if they should be sequenced.

"Has the AC at Beach Rd been fixed yet? I need a status update."

"The cleaner at Oak Ave noticed the shower drain is slow. Not urgent, but log it."

Inventory and Restocking

Running out of toilet paper mid-stay is a one-star review waiting to happen. Emergency supply runs cost 2-3x what bulk purchasing does and eat into your turnover window. Set up automatic supply checks:

You: After every turnover, have the cleaner report
     supply levels for TP, paper towels, trash bags,
     coffee, dish soap, and laundry pods.
     Alert me if anything is below 3 days' supply.

OpenClaw: ✓ Supply check rule created for all properties.
          After each turnover, I'll ask the pro to report
          levels on those 6 items and flag anything low.

After the next turnover:

OpenClaw: Supply report from Maria at Beach Rd:
          ⚠ Toilet paper: 2 rolls (below your 6-roll minimum)
          ⚠ Coffee pods: 0
          ⚠ Dish soap: almost empty
          ✓ Paper towels, trash bags, laundry pods: OK

          Next guest checks in at 4pm today.
          Want Maria to grab essentials on her way out?
          Estimated cost: ~$35.

You: Yes. Add $35 to her payout today.

OpenClaw: ✓ Maria notified. $35 supply reimbursement
          added to her Beach Rd payout.

Linen and Laundry Coordination

Laundry is the hidden bottleneck of turnover cleans. A 2-bed takes 90 minutes to clean but 3+ hours to launder. Many hosts use offsite linen services to eliminate this, but coordinating pickup and delivery adds another layer of logistics:

You: Set up Fresh Linens Co for Beach Rd and Palm Dr.
     They pick up dirty sets and drop off clean ones.
     They need 24 hours notice before each turnover.

OpenClaw: ✓ Linen service configured:
          • Fresh Linens Co, 24-hr lead time
          • Beach Rd (3 bed): 3 sheet sets, 6 towel sets
          • Palm Dr (2 bed): 2 sheet sets, 4 towel sets
          I'll auto-notify them the day before each turnover.

          Next: Beach Rd turnover Saturday.
          Fresh Linens will be notified by Friday morning.

You: What if I get a same-day booking?

OpenClaw: Fresh Linens needs 24 hrs, so they can't make it.
          I'll flag same-day bookings and suggest using
          your backup linen sets from the hall closet.
          Want me to track backup linen inventory too?

Damage Documentation

The "it was already like that" argument costs hosts thousands. Insurance claims and Airbnb Resolution Center disputes with timestamped before/after photos get resolved in days instead of weeks. Build the habit:

You: Maria found a burn mark on the Beach Rd
     kitchen counter and a broken slat on the
     bedroom blinds. Last guest checked out today.

OpenClaw: Damage logged at 789 Beach Rd:
          1. Kitchen counter — burn mark
          2. Bedroom blinds — broken slat
          Guest: John D. (booking #4821, checkout today)

          I have pre-stay photos from Maria's last
          turnover showing the counter clean and
          blinds intact.

          Can Maria take damage photos before cleaning?
          I'll pair them with pre-stay photos for the claim.

You: She's taking them now.

OpenClaw: ✓ Photos received and timestamped.
          Damage report created with before/after comparison.

          Estimated repair:
          • Counter repair: $200-400
          • Blind replacement: $50-80

          Ready to file through Airbnb Resolution Center
          or your damage protection provider. Which one?

Guest Complaint Triage

A guest texts you at 9pm that the WiFi is down and the hot water is lukewarm. You need to triage, respond quickly, and get the right people dispatched — all while not ruining your evening:

You: Guest at Oak Ave says WiFi is down and hot
     water is lukewarm. She's not happy.

OpenClaw: Two issues at 456 Oak Ave. Triaging:

          1. WiFi — Quick fix attempt first:
             Router is in the office closet (Netgear Orbi).
             Power cycle usually fixes it.
             Want me to send the guest reset instructions?

          2. Hot water — Likely needs a pro.
             Water heater at Oak Ave is a 50-gal tank in
             the garage. Could be a tripped breaker or
             failing element.

          Suggested guest message:
          "So sorry about this! For WiFi, try unplugging
          the router in the office closet for 30 seconds.
          For hot water, I'm sending someone first thing
          tomorrow — should be resolved by 10am."

          Want me to send that and dispatch your plumber?

You: Send it. Dispatch the plumber. If WiFi isn't
     fixed after the reset, send my IT guy too.

OpenClaw: ✓ Guest message sent via Airbnb
          ✓ Plumber dispatched for tomorrow morning
          ✓ Monitoring WiFi — if guest reports still down
            in 30 min, I'll dispatch your IT contact

The assistant knows what equipment is at each property, suggests DIY fixes before dispatching pros, and drafts a guest-friendly response so you don't have to compose one when you're stressed.

Hot Tub and Pool Maintenance

Hot tub properties command $50-100/night premiums, but maintenance between guests is a real operational challenge. A full water change (drain, scrub, refill, heat) takes 6+ hours — longer than most turnover windows:

You: Beach Rd hot tub needs a water change between
     guests. Checkout Saturday 11am, check-in 4pm.
     That's too tight for a full drain/refill.

OpenClaw: Right — full drain/refill + heating takes
          about 6 hours at Beach Rd. Options:

          1. Ask outgoing guest to check out by 9am
             (hot tub ready by ~3pm, tight but doable)
          2. Chemical shock + filter clean instead of
             full water change this time (1 hour)
          3. Do the water change Friday night after
             the guest is done using it

          For future bookings, want me to auto-flag
          any Beach Rd turnover under 7 hours as a
          "hot tub conflict"?

You: Yes, flag those. And do the chemical shock
     this time. Schedule pool guy Saturday 10am,
     before Maria's turnover at 11:30.

OpenClaw: ✓ Hot tub conflict auto-flag: ON for Beach Rd
          ✓ Pool service: Sat 10:00–11:00 AM
          ✓ Turnover clean: Sat 11:30 AM (after pool)
          Sequenced: pool first, then clean.

Quality Control

Bad reviews from cleaning issues are the most preventable problem in STR. Set up photo verification and track quality over time:

You: I want photo proof after every turnover.
     Cleaners should send pics of each bedroom,
     each bathroom, kitchen, and front entrance.

OpenClaw: ✓ Photo checklist created for all properties.
          After each turnover, pros will upload photos of:
          1. Each bedroom (beds made)
          2. Each bathroom
          3. Kitchen counters
          4. Front entrance

          Photos timestamped and stored in TIDY.
          Want me to send you every set, or only flag
          issues?

You: Only flag problems. But for new cleaners,
     send me full photo reviews until they've
     done 5 cleans.

OpenClaw: ✓ Established pros: photos stored, flagged only if issues
          ✓ New pros: full review sent for first 5 cleans

Track performance over time:

"How did Maria's last 5 cleanings at Beach Rd go? Any issues reported?"

"Which properties had guest complaints about cleanliness this month?"

"Find me a backup cleaner near Beach Rd in case Maria can't make a turnover."

Automated Morning Briefings

OpenClaw supports cron-based automations. Set up a daily briefing and never start the day wondering what's happening:

You: Every morning at 7am, send me today's turnovers,
     any unconfirmed cleanings, and open maintenance issues.

OpenClaw: ✓ Daily briefing scheduled for 7:00 AM.
          I'll message you here every morning.

The next morning at 7am, you get:

OpenClaw: Good morning. Here's today (Sat Mar 28):

          🏠 Turnovers today:
          • 789 Beach Rd — 11:30 AM (Maria S. ✓ confirmed)
          • 456 Oak Ave — 10:30 AM (Carlos R. ✓ confirmed)

          ⚠ Needs attention:
          • 123 Surf Ln — Tomorrow's turnover, pro not yet confirmed

          🔧 Open maintenance:
          • 789 Beach Rd — AC repair (in progress, HVAC pro scheduled today)

          No other issues across 8 properties.

You scan it over coffee. Everything's confirmed except Surf Ln tomorrow. One text fixes that before you're out of bed.

Full Session: Peak Season Thursday

It's Thursday afternoon. You have 12 properties and the weekend is fully booked. This entire session happens in WhatsApp while you're picking up groceries:

You: What does this weekend look like?

OpenClaw: Weekend overview (Sat-Sun):
          6 turnovers, 1 deep clean, 2 mid-stay cleans.

          Saturday:
          • Beach Rd — Turnover 11am (Maria ✓)
          • Oak Ave — Turnover 10am (Carlos ✓)
          • Palm Dr — Turnover 11am (Carlos ✓)
          • Surf Ln — Mid-stay clean 10am (Maria ✓)

          Sunday:
          • Pine St — Turnover 11am (Maria ✓)
          • Lake Dr — Turnover 12pm (unassigned ⚠)
          • Cedar Ct — Deep clean 9am (Carlos ✓)

          ⚠ Lake Dr Sunday has no pro assigned.

You: Assign Lake Dr to Sarah, my new backup cleaner.

OpenClaw: ✓ Sarah K. assigned to Lake Dr, Sun 12:30–3:30 PM.
          She'll receive property access details.

You: Actually, I just got a last-minute booking at Elm St.
     Guest arrives Saturday at 5pm. Can anyone do a
     quick 2-hour clean before that?

OpenClaw: Checking pro availability Saturday afternoon...
          Carlos finishes Palm Dr at ~2pm.
          He could do Elm St 2:30–4:30 PM.
          Want me to book it?

You: Yes. And text me if anything changes tomorrow morning.

OpenClaw: ✓ Cleaning booked at Elm St, Sat 2:30–4:30 PM.
          Carlos notified. I'll alert you to any changes.

Power User Workflows

• Connect your PMS: Link Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify, or 40+ others to TIDY. Turnovers get scheduled automatically when reservations come in. OpenClaw handles exceptions and last-minute changes.
• Team Slack channel: Connect Slack alongside WhatsApp. Your co-host or VA sees every booking and can respond to the assistant too.
• Voice commands: OpenClaw supports voice on macOS, iOS, and Android. Tell your phone "schedule a turnover at Beach Rd for Saturday" while driving.
• Market rate checks: "What's the going rate for a turnover clean at Beach Rd?" before committing to a new pro's pricing.
• Seasonal deep cleans: "Schedule a deep clean at all properties during the off-season gap in January."

Get Started

OpenClaw is free. TIDY's skill is free to install. You pay TIDY's platform fee of 3.9% when you book pros — that's 90% less than a traditional property manager, who typically charges 25-40% of rental income.

1. Create a TIDY account
2. Install OpenClaw: npm install -g openclaw@latest
3. Run onboarding: openclaw onboard --install-daemon
4. Install the skill: clawhub install tidy-property-management
5. Add your properties and book your first turnover

More resources:

• TIDY OpenClaw plugin page
• OpenClaw guide for single-family rentals
• Manage Airbnb with Claude Code