As we slide into the last couple of months of the year, we’re continuing to work hard to bring our users more and more tools to help elevate their hosting experience. To ensure you never miss a beat, we’ve implemented a “What’s New” popover. Here, you’ll find all of our recent updates in one centralized spot so you never miss a thing.
For example, in the last few weeks, we’ve added some great new features that we want to make sure you’re aware of. From new options for calendar rules to added security and more, check out this blog post to ensure you’re up-to-date on the exciting changes here at Host Tools.
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
Check out the What’s New popover
Log in to your Host Tools account, and you’ll now see a new icon. Looking like a megaphone, our “What’s New” popover shows you both new and improved features to pay attention to. Here, you’ll find the feature, when it launched, and a brief description of what to expect from it. We’re constantly making helpful updates to our platform, so be sure to check this button at least once a week. In the following section, we’ve broken down just a few examples of our latest updates.
1. Set calendar rules that repeat every year
Do you like to block off certain dates around the holidays? Or, perhaps you update your minimum night stay requirements as we approach Thanksgiving. If you’re a creature of habit who knows you want specific calendar rules applied to your listing every single year, we’ve made an update for you. We’ve introduced two new rule types:
- Same Dates Every Year (for example, December 20 through January 5)
- Nth Weekday of a Month (for example, the 4th Thursday of November, with up to 14 days before and after
You can now set these rules one time, and it will be applied annually unless you choose to shut it off. The rule form shows the next dates it will cover, and there are yearly template options in the template picker. Learn more about these new rules here.
2. Review listing changes before sending them to Airbnb and Vrbo
Are you someone who likes to triple-check the details? We get it. Another great update is the opportunity for hosts to review any changes to their listings before they are sent to Airbnb and/or Vrbo. With Content Sync, when you click on Save on a listing’s Content page, you’ll now see a Review Changes page first. This option gives you another opportunity to double-check that everything is appearing on your listing exactly as you want it to be. For each channel, the page shows what the channel has now and what Host Tools expects to send to Airbnb and Vrbo. Nothing is saved or sent until you click Save and send.
3. Add an extra layer of security with signed webhooks
Further, we’ve added even more security to your listings. Now, Host Tools adds a digital signature to every webhook sent through its API. This lets your server verify that the request genuinely came from Host Tools and isn’t somebody else up to no good. Of course, this signature verification is completely optional.
4. View or manage listing fees and taxes through the API or MCP Server
You can now view and update a listing’s fees and taxes using the Host Tools API or MCP server. Each update replaces the entire list of fees or taxes, and changes that don’t meet the platform’s rules won’t be saved. This option is also available on direct booking quotes. Read more about the MCP server here.
5. View a reservation’s full history
If you’ve ever needed to go way back and find a specific piece of information in a specific reservation’s history, that’s now possible. Users can see information about a reservation regarding changes to booking status, dates, guest details, pets, and listing assignments, as well as reviews, door unlocks, lock codes, and payments. This feature works on your direct and internal bookings, Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Houfy.
Final thoughts
We’re always working to improve the user experience for hosts like you. However, our work doesn’t stop with these five great updates. Stay tuned for more and more changes specifically designed to improve your hosting experience as we finish out 2026 and head into 2027. Keep an eye on the “What’s New” popover to make sure you never miss a beat.
Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!
