Reservation Calendar Frequently Asked Questions

Vacation rental reservation calendar details

Q: What is the purpose of this availability calendar?
A: It is designed exclusively for owners and managers of vacation rental homes. Each calendar displays unavailable dates (already reserved) for ONE specific vacation rental property. Each calendar can be linked to many other webpages, allowing you to share your "universal" calendar with your rental prospects on several different internet advertising services -- plus your own "personal" webpage (if you have one).

Q: What does the calendar cost?
A: The new calendar is free. You can use the new calendar on HomeAway Connect (previously Rentors.org) without subscribing to any of the HomeAway Inc. listing sites (HomeAway.com, CyberRentals.com, A1Vacations.com, GreatRentals.com, and VRBO). We only ask that you agree to our terms of service.

Q: How do I sign-up for the new calendar?
A: No sign-up or registration process is required if you already have a membership on the HomeAway Network (A1Vacations, CyberRentals, GreatRentals, HomeAway), VRBO or Rentors.org. You will be automatically upgraded to the new calendar.

Q: How do I sign-up if I don't already have a membership on one of the listed sites?
A: Click the Join link at the top of the page and complete the simple registration process. The service is free.

Q: Can I create calendars for more than one vacation rental property?
A: Yes. You can create as many properties and calendars as you like.

Q: Can I connect my calendar to my listings on other websites?
A: Use your HomeAway Connect (previously Rentors.org) account to connect your listings to your calendar. The directions for connecting your calendar to your listings depend on what sites you use. Automatic linking is supported by several sites. Please contact each site for specific linking details: A1Vacations, CyberRentals, Great Rentals, HomeAway Vacation Rentals, Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO).

Q: Can I link my calendar to ANY other vacation rental listing sites?
A: Yes. Your link is: http://www.homeawayconnect.com/calendar.aspx?propertyid=#. You must replace # with your Property ID number. Your Property ID number is identified at the bottom of your calendar.

Q: Can I connect my calendar to more than one listing?
A: Yes, you can connect your calendar to as many listings as you want.

Q: Can a listing connect to more than one calendar?
A: No. Each listing can only be connected to one calendar.

Q: How do I disconnect a listing from my calendar?
A: Contact our customer support team.

Q: How far ahead can I display reserved dates?
A: By default, each calendar displays the current month, plus the next 11 months -- a total of 12 calendar months. But if you have stored reserved dates beyond that time period, your calendar may display as many as 18 months.

Q: What should I do if I can't remember my email address or password, for login?
A: If you forget your password, you can request it by email, at the login screen. If you forget the email address that you use for your HomeAway Connect account, you must create a new account, then re-enter all of your information. We cannot help you to 'find' your old account, but the software will automatically delete your older, inactive account.

Q: I linked into my calendar through the "edit" option at the bottom of the calendar. I was able to edit my calendar without typing my email address and password. I know that I saved my login information in the "cookie" at HomeAway Connect, but I'm concerned that someone else could make changes to my calendar. Is that possible?
A: If you have saved your login information for future use, anyone using your computer (where the "cookie" is stored) can login automatically to edit your calendar. No one else can edit your calendar unless they know your email address and HomeAway Connect password.

Q: How will HomeAway Connect use my email address and other personal information?
A: HomeAway Connect will use your email address and other personal information to send you a monthly newsletter from the sponsors that may include the sponsors' promotional information. Your email address and other personal information will NOT be displayed on your calendar.

Q: How can I get assistance with my calendar?
A: The calendar is a free service, and it is 100% self-service. If you have questions, please carefully follow the online instructions whenever you create or edit your calendar -- and please review this FAQ frequently for more help.

Q: Can I change the formatting/coloring of my calendar?
A: No. We’ve designed the calendar with easy-to-read standard colors and fonts that can be viewed with the most popular web browsers- Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL, etc.

Q: Can I print the calendar?
A: Yes. You can print both the Calendar View and the Reservations View by clicking on the printer icon located in the right hand corner of both screens.

Q: What reports can I use?
A: The Reservations View can produce various reports about your rental activity. To sort and filter reservations by year or by status, use the “Filter By” search in the left hand corner of the screen. We plan on adding new reporting capabilities in the future.

Q: Can I keep track of pending reservations?
A: Yes. You can assign one of four statuses to each reservation:
  1. Reserved - reservation has been confirmed and you want to show the dates as unavailable to potential renters.
  2. Tentative - the reservation has not been confirmed yet, you want to track the potential reservation on your calendar and you want to show the dates as available to potential renters.
  3. Not available for rent - the property is not available to potential renters due to an event other than a reservation. Owners often use this status to block-off days for personal use, downtime due to maintenance, periods when the property is not offered for rent or when it is closed for the season.
  4. Cancelled - The reservation has been cancelled. When you cancel, the reservation is removed from the Calendar View and the dates on the calendar will display as available to potential renters.

Q: Why did you change the calendar?
A: The previous calendar system worked well, but there's always room for improvement. Over the years, we have received numerous requests for new calendar features. We've taken your suggestions and designed a new calendar system to meet your needs.

Q: Will there be additional changes to the calendar?
A: The new calendar is around to stay. Over the next year, we'll periodically release new calendar features. New features are designed with three goals in mind:
  1. Simplifying the management of your vacation rental.
  2. Improving the traveler experience.
  3. Giving more exposure to your vacation rental.

Q: Will the calendar look different to the travelers?
A: No. The traveler will continue to see and use the same calendar they do today.

Q: Will travelers be able to see all the details?
A: No, only you will be able to see all the details. The traveler will continue seeing only available or unavailable dates -- that's it. The remainder of information including tentative reservations, guest and booking information are for your eyes only.

Q: Will travelers be able to search/sort by availability?
A: The new features do not impact traveler features on the listing sites. Some listing sites already have search/sort by availability, while others do not. Keep a lookout for new traveler features on each listing site.

Q: How are tentative reservations displayed to travelers?
A: Tentative reservations are shown as available dates to travelers. This way, you can keep track of potential renters without taking your availability off the market.

Q: What happened to the Rentors.org website?
A: HomeAway Connect has replaced Rentors.org. HomeAway Connect supports all the same features as Rentors.org and more.

Q: Why did you replace Rentors.org?
A: The name changed but HomeAway Connect and Rentors.org goals remain the same- to give owners the tools and resources they need to succeed. HomeAway Connect offers you the best tools available in the industry today to make the advertising, marketing and management of your vacation rental, easier than ever before.

Q: What happened to my Rentors.org account?
A: Your account has been converted to a HomeAway Connect account. We've automatically moved all of your properties and data (calendar and guestbook) to your new HomeAway Connect account.

Q: Will my Rentors.org login name and password stay the same?
A: Yes, you can login into HomeAway Connect using the same Rentors.org name and password as you do today.

Q: Is HomeAway Connect free?
A: Yes. All of the same features you enjoyed for free on Rentors.org will remain free on HomeAway Connect. You can continue using:
  • Your free account
  • HomeAway Connect to update your calendar across multiple listing sites
  • Your free calendar on any site
  • Your free guestbook on any site

Q: Can I change back to the old calendar?
A: No. We want to continue bringing you new features to help you manage your bookings. By standardizing on a single calendar we can ensure availability information on your calendar is consistent if you list your vacation rental and use a calendar on more than one website.

Q: What happened to the data from my old calendar?
A: All the information is still there; it just looks different. Consecutive date ranges from your old calendar were imported as a single reservation (a single bar) on the calendar. To learn how to update your new calendar, go to "Updating from the old calendar" under the Reservations menu.

Q: What are the benefits of using the calendar?
A: Enjoy the following benefits:
  • Stay organized with central reservation recordkeeping.
    • The calendar lets you update availability, track bookings, and enter guest information- all in one place.
  • Save time managing calendars across multiple sites
  • Receive more inquiries and ultimately, more bookings
    • The calendar makes it faster for travelers to find rentals. When travelers visit your property listing, they know exactly which dates are available for rent.
  • It's free to use.
    • The new calendar costs nothing. You can use the new calendar on HomeAway Connect (previously Rentors.org) without subscribing to any of the HomeAway Inc. listing sites (HomeAway.com, CyberRentals.com, A1Vacations.com, GreatRentals.com, and VRBO).

Q: Is the calendar mandatory?
A: The display of the calendar is mandatory on the HomeAway Network (A1Vacations, CyberRentals, GreatRentals and HomeAway).

Q: Why is it important to keep my calendar updated?
A: If your calendar is kept up-to-date, travelers are more likely to inquire about your property. Furthermore, your listing will appear higher in the search rankings on HomeAway, A1Vacations, CyberRentals and GreatRentals. Old information can discourage potential renters and can impact the number of inquiries you receive.

Q: How often should I update my calendar to keep it current?
A: Update your calendar every time you take a new reservation. To update your calendar, sign in to your account. On the Owner's Homepage, click "Update Calendar". Make sure that all dates are current and designated as Available OR assigned one of the three reservation statuses: Reserved, Tentative, Not available for rent.

Q: What are the major new features?
A:

Q: How does the Calendar View differ from the List View?
A: There are two ways to view calendar information.
  1. Calendar View displays reservations for a single month.
  2. List View displays a list of reservations by guest name and booking dates.

Q: How do I switch between the two views?
A: On the top right hand corner of your screen, there are two tabs- Calendar View and List View. Simply, click on the tab for the view you wish to see.

Q: What do the bars on the calendar mean?
A: Each bar on the calendar represents a consecutive date range of activity at your rental. The meaning of the bar is different based on the status you select: reserved, tentative or not available for rent.

Q: Why do some bars on my calendar look different than others?
A: The appearance of each bar is determined by the status you select: reserved, tentative, not available for rent.
  • Reserved - a solid color without a pattern
  • Tentative - a repeating diagonal line pattern
  • Not available for rent - a repeating X pattern

Q: What do the different reservation statuses mean?
A:
  • Reserved - The reservation has been confirmed and you want to show the dates as unavailable to potential renters.
  • Tentative - The reservation has not been confirmed yet, you want to track the potential reservation on your calendar and you want to show the dates as available to potential renters.
  • Not available for rent - The property is not available to potential renters due to an event other than a reservation. Owners often use this status to block-off days for personal use, downtime due to maintenance, periods when the property is not offered for rent or when it is closed for the season.
  • Cancel - The reservation has been cancelled. When you cancel, the reservation is removed from the Calendar View and the dates on the calendar will display as available to potential renters.

Q: What are the small sidebar calendars and how do I read them?
A: The smaller sidebar calendars are on the left side of the Calendar View screen. They provide a quick view of your property's availability over several months. Use the arrows on either side of the calendar to view months in the past or ahead. Unavailable nights are bolded. Tentative nights are blue. Dates without special treatment are available.

Q: Can I view past reservations?
A: Yes. You can go back in time to view past reservations. The "Filter By" search allows you to filter your reservations by year. You can even add historical information to your calendar.

Q: How do I update my reservations imported from the old calendar?
A: You can separate a reservation into multiple reservations by changing the end date of the existing reservation and then creating new reservations for each of the missing reservations. Alternatively, you can leave it as a single reservation. Either way, it displays the same to the traveler. Need more help updating your reservations from your old calendar? View a demo

Q: Why did you convert multiple reservations into a single reservation?
A: On the old calendar, you only knew if a day was available or unavailable. The new calendar allows you to organize dates into individual reservations. When we converted your existing data to the new format we used consecutive date ranges to identify individual reservations.

Q: Is there a way I can update my calendar from another system?
A: No. You must log into HomeAway Connect (previously Rentors.org), VRBO or the HomeAway Network (HomeAway, A1Vacations, CyberRentals, GreatRentals) to update your calendar. Currently, no interface exists which allows you to update your calendar from another system.

Q: How do I create a reservation/book dates?
A: There are two ways to create a reservation:
  • In the Calendar View, click on a blank part of a day on the calendar or the date for the day.
  • Click the "Create Reservation" icon at the top of the page.
Need more help creating a new reservation? View a demo

Q: Can I create reservations for renters departing and new renters arriving on the same day?
A: Yes, you can create reservations for back-to-back renters. Make sure the check-out time for the departing renter and the check-in time for the newly arriving renter don't overlap.

Q: How far into the future can I create a reservation in my calendar?
A: Generally, you can create a reservation on your calendar up to two years in the future.

Q: Do I need to enter all of the guest information to create a reservation?
A: No. The only required information is the arrival date, departure date and the status (reserved, tentative, not available for rent).

Q: How can I view available dates?
A: From the Main Calendar on the Calendar View tab:
  • Available dates are the days that do not have a blue reservation bar. Dates that have a diagonal blue line tentative reservation bar are also available.
From the Sidebar Calendars on the Calendar View tab:
  • See "Small Sidebar Calendars" under the Getting Started menu for further details.
Need more help on how to view availability? View a demo

Q: How do I make dates available?
A: There are many ways you can make dates available.
  1. Cancel the reservation.
  2. Delete the reservation.
  3. Change the reservation status to tentative to make the dates display as available to the traveler.

Q: How do I edit an existing reservation?
A: From the Calendar View:
  1. Click on the bar for the reservation you want to edit.
  2. A popup summary box will appear.
  3. Next, click the "Edit Details" button.
From the List View:
  1. Click on the guest name for the reservation you wish to edit. It will expand.
  2. Next, click the "Edit Details" button.
Need more help editing a reservation? View a demo

Q: What happens when I cancel the reservation?
A: When you cancel, the reservation is removed from the Calendar View and the dates on the calendar will display as available to potential renters. Don't worry, you can still find the reservation and the guest information in the List View in case you need to refer to it in the future.

Q: When should I cancel the reservation and when should I delete the reservation?
A: Remember, canceling the reservation is very different than deleting the reservation. If you wish to save guest information for recordkeeping, cancel the reservation. If you want to permanently remove all guest information from the system, delete the reservation. Tip: It's always wise to save the guest information. You may want to email renters to encourage them to visit the following year. Or write renters to offer them a special rate when you're trying to book weeks during the off-peak season.

Q: How do I cancel a reservation?
A: You can cancel the reservation by changing the reservation status.
  1. Edit the reservation you want to cancel.
  2. Change the status to cancel.
  3. Save the changes.
  4. The reservation will be removed from the Calendar View, but the guest information will remain visible on the List View.
Need more help cancelling a reservation? View a demo

Q: How do I delete a reservation?
A: Deleting the reservation permanently removes all guest information from the system. Once you delete a reservation, you will not be able to retrieve it. If you want to save all guest information, cancel the reservation vs. deleting it.
From the Calendar View
  1. Click on the bar for the reservation to cancel.
  2. A popup summary box will appear.
  3. On the popup click the "Delete" link.
  4. Click "OK" in the confirmation box to delete the reservation.
From the List View
  1. Click on the guest name for the reservation you wish to delete. It will expand.
  2. Click the "Delete" link.
  3. Click "OK" in the confirmation box to delete the reservation.