Glossary
Short-term rental terms,in short.
The glossary briefly explains the terms you meet in short-term rentals: the paperwork (guest registration form, guest register, occupancy record), invoicing (e-Factura, SPV), channels (OTA, channel manager, iCal) and the metrics (ADR, RevPAR, occupancy). Romanian legal terms are explained for international readers.
Message us on WhatsApp01A to Z
The terms, in alphabetical order.
Every term has its own address: you can share the link to a definition directly.
- ADRAverage Daily Rate
Accommodation revenue divided by the number of nights sold in a period. It shows what you earn, on average, for an occupied night. Together with occupancy, it explains whether revenue moves because of price or because of the number of nights.
- Booking engineDirect booking engine
The module that takes bookings directly on the property’s own website, without an intermediary platform: the guest picks dates, sees the price and pays online. Direct bookings land in the same calendar as channel bookings, so they never overlap.
- Channel manager
Software that automatically syncs bookings, availability, prices and restrictions between a central calendar and the sales channels (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia and others). A new booking on one channel immediately closes the same nights on the others.
- Classification certificate„Certificat de clasificare” (Romania)
The document by which the tourism authority certifies the category of an accommodation unit (for example, the star rating of an apartment or a guesthouse), based on minimum criteria for amenities and services. In Romania it is one of the conditions for operating short-term rentals.
- Dynamic pricing
Nightly prices that adjust to demand, season, events and local competition, instead of a fixed rate. They can be calculated by a dedicated tool and sent automatically to every channel.
- e-FacturaRO e-Factura (Romania)
Romania’s national e-invoicing system, run by the tax authority (ANAF). Invoices are sent in a structured electronic format, and their status (sent, validated, rejected) is visible in the Virtual Private Space (SPV). Who must use it depends on how you operate: check your case with an accountant.
- Guest register„Registrul de evidență a turiștilor” (Romania)
The record of guests who stayed in a unit, kept on the basis of the registration forms. It serves authority checks and reporting. In a PMS it fills in automatically from check-in data.
- Guest registration form„Fișa de anunțare a sosirii” (Romania)
The form each guest fills in on arrival, with identity details, the dates of the stay and a signature, required by the rules on guest records in Romanian accommodation. It can also be completed digitally, before arrival.
- Housekeeping
Cleaning and preparing the unit between two guests: changing linen, checking amenities, restocking supplies. In a PMS, cleaning tasks are scheduled from departures and arrivals and assigned to the team.
- iCalCalendar sync
A standard format through which two calendars periodically exchange their booked days. It is simpler than a channel manager, but it only syncs availability (not prices or restrictions), with a delay, so the risk of double bookings is higher.
- Minimum stayMin stay
The minimum number of nights a guest can book, set per day or per period. For example, at least 2 nights at weekends or 7 nights in high season. It is sent to the channels together with the price and availability.
- Occupancy rate
The share of available nights that were sold in a period. For example, 20 nights sold out of 30 available is 67% occupancy. It is tracked per property, per channel and per month.
- Occupancy record form„Fișa de ocupare a capacității de cazare” (Romania)
The form approved by Romania’s tax authority (ANAF) for taxpayers earning income from accommodation services or from short-term rental of rooms in privately owned homes, used from 2026. It is filled in following the instructions in the order that approves it.
Source: ANAF Order no. 381 of 24 March 2026 (Official Gazette no. 250 / 31.03.2026)
- Online check-in
Guest registration before arrival, through a link: guests enter their details, photograph their ID and sign on their phone. The host receives the data ready for the records the law requires, with no paper forms at the front desk.
- OTAOnline Travel Agency
An online platform where guests search for and book accommodation, such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo or Expedia. For the host, each OTA is a sales channel with its own rules, costs and cancellation policies.
- OverbookingDouble booking
When the same nights of the same unit are sold twice, usually on different channels. It happens when calendars do not sync in time; a channel manager reduces the risk by closing the nights on every channel right after a booking.
- PMSProperty Management System
The software that runs an accommodation business: bookings and the calendar, guests, check-in, housekeeping, payments, invoices and reports. For short-term rentals, it usually includes a channel manager.
- Rate plan
A price variant for the same unit, with its own rules: for example, non-refundable, with breakfast or for long stays. A rate plan can follow the base price through a rule (for example, minus 10%) and can have its own minimum stay.
- Regim hotelierRomanian term for short-term rentals
The Romanian expression for renting out a home (apartment, house, villa) for short periods to tourists, as an accommodation service. It comes with specific obligations: classification, guest records, local taxes and invoicing.
- Registration number (EU)
The unique identifier given to a short-term rental unit where a country runs a registration system. Under Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, which applies from 20 May 2026, the host provides it to platforms and shows it in listings.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 of 11 April 2024 (EUR-Lex)
- RevPARRevenue per Available Room
Accommodation revenue divided by the number of available nights (not only the nights sold). It can also be calculated as ADR multiplied by the occupancy rate. It shows what each available night earns, on average.
- Room type
A group of identical rooms in a hotel or guesthouse (for example, “Standard double”), sold on channels as one product, with availability equal to the number of rooms of that type still available.
- Self check-in
A guest arrival without meeting the host: after the online check-in, the guest gets the instructions and an access code (for example, for a smart lock) valid only for the stay.
- Smart lock
A lock that opens with a code, an app or a card, managed remotely. For rentals, it allows a unique code for every stay, active only between check-in and check-out.
- SPVVirtual Private Space (Romania)
The taxpayer’s online account with Romania’s tax authority (ANAF), used to file returns, receive tax documents and follow e-Factura invoices. Access is with a username and password or a digital certificate.
- Stop sellClosed dates
Temporarily stopping sales for certain nights, on every channel or only on some, without changing prices. It is used for renovations, personal use or when you want to sell only direct.
- Tourist taxCity tax
The local tax paid for tourist stays, set by each locality through a local council decision in Romania. The amount and the calculation (per night, per stay or as a percentage of the rate) differ from one city to another.
What is a channel manager?
Software that automatically syncs bookings, availability, prices and restrictions between a central calendar and the sales channels (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia and others), so the same nights are never sold twice.
What is the difference between a PMS and a channel manager?
A channel manager syncs the calendar with the channels. A PMS is the software where you run the whole business: bookings, guests, check-in, housekeeping, payments, invoices and reports. For short-term rentals, a PMS usually includes a channel manager.
What do ADR and RevPAR mean?
ADR is the average revenue per night sold. RevPAR is the average revenue per available night (sold or not), that is ADR multiplied by the occupancy rate.
Are the legal definitions advice?
No. They are general information, with the official source where an act is cited. For your own case (individual or company), always check with an accountant.
From terms to practice
Everything on this page, BnBFlow does automatically.
The registration form, the guest register, invoices and the calendar on every channel, in one place.