How long does it take to switch PMS?

What sets the timeline

• Portfolio size. Setting up ten properties takes longer than setting up one, even with the same steps.
• Channel count. Every connected channel needs to be reconnected and re-verified one at a time.
• How much history you bring. Importing years of past reservations and guest records takes longer than starting fresh.
• Your own testing time. Confirming that rates, availability, and messages all behave correctly before going live is time well spent, not time to skip.

Migration checklist

1. Pick your switch date. Choose a date in your shoulder season and list every channel, payment processor, smart lock, and integration your current system connects to today.
2. Export and set up your data. Bring over properties, rates and seasons, fees and taxes, upcoming reservations with the payments already collected, guest contacts, owner details, and message templates, then check the totals on a sample quote against your old system.
3. Enter future direct bookings and test payments. Add every direct and phone booking that checks in after your switch date, link your payment processor, and make a test booking on your own website. Ask your onboarding contact how existing channel bookings come across, so nothing is entered twice.
4. Reconnect channels one at a time. Connect your existing listings rather than creating new ones, and confirm availability, rates, and a test booking on each channel before you move to the next.
5. Switch on automations last. Turn on guest messages, payment reminders, and housekeeping notices once bookings are flowing correctly, and keep the old system for one more month as a reference before you cancel it.

Airbnb publishes its own steps for switching to a new property management software (checked October 19, 2026). It says to remove your current software's access to your Airbnb account first, which disconnects every listing connected to that software automatically, and then connect the new software right away. If you are not ready to connect immediately, Airbnb suggests you temporarily unlist or snooze the listing. Airbnb's article on creating listings through your software provider (checked October 19, 2026) adds that connecting your existing listings keeps their content and reviews and avoids creating duplicates.

When is the best time to switch?

The safest window is your shoulder season, right after the busiest stretch ends: booking volume is low, and you have weeks rather than hours to verify each channel.

Plan for date-sensitive details too: gift certificates or credits guests haven't redeemed, and scheduled messages the old system would have sent next month.

Will you lose reviews or rankings when you switch?

Usually not. Your reviews, ratings, and listing history live on the channel, not inside your management software, so a new system that connects to your existing listings through the channel's API keeps that history. Creating brand-new listings instead is what resets it. What can change is content: photos, descriptions, and rate rules re-synced from a new source can overwrite what the channel had, which is why you verify each channel one at a time.

How Lodgix handles the move

Onboarding and training are free with every plan. Schedule an online meeting with any member of our support team and we will provide both guidance and setup advice that will save you time and get you up and running as quickly as possible. Every plan includes a free 30-day trial, with no credit card requested. That means you can run the entire rehearsal (properties, rates, a test booking) before the first invoice.

Lodgix pricing is transparent and our plans are self-serve. See how the channel manager handles reconnecting channels, or contact us with questions specific to your portfolio. If you're leaving a specific platform, the Hostaway, Guesty, OwnerRez, and Lodgify comparison pages cover what changes when you land on Lodgix.