by Paris Achen | Nov 1, 2023 | Advocate Engagement, Community Engagement, Leadership, Local Government, Politics & Elections, Press and Media, Short-Term Rental Regulation, STR Advocacy 101
Despite vacation rentals’ tenure and a pandemic-driven spike in popularity, misconceptions about VRs abound. Hearing them called Airbnbs can be particularly divisive. Nevertheless, Airbnb has become the deonym for all short-term rentals. “Airbnb … got lucky because...
by Paris Achen | Oct 31, 2023 | Humans of Short-Term Rentals
Like many hospitality professionals, Wil Slickers is a people person. He’s known for his magnetic charm and ever-growing media empire, Hospitality.FM. Hospitality seems to run so deep in his DNA that new listeners to one of his multiple podcasts might assume Wil comes...
by Paris Achen | Oct 26, 2023 | Nuisance Prevention, Responsible Renting, Rules and Regulations
When you think of squatting, you might think of someone unlawfully occupying a vacant or abandoned property. While empty vacation rentals are at risk for squatters, another kind of squatting has grabbed headlines in recent years: guests who refuse to leave a...
by Paris Achen | Sep 20, 2023 | Humans of Short-Term Rentals
Feature Image: John Hildebrand, Hilde Homes and Dana Lubner, Rent Responsibly “Reading, let alone reading in public, is like the biggest fear on Earth to me,” said John Hildebrand, founder of Hilde Homes. He has dyslexia. “In school, when I had to do public speaking,...
by Paris Achen | Sep 14, 2023 | Guest Communications, Hosting and Management, Marketing, Property Care, Safety
The growth and diversity of the vacation rental industry has captured the imagination and curiosity of entrepreneurs and travelers alike. As a result, vacation rental shows have opened up the world of short-term rentals to a wider audience and air on major streaming...
by Paris Achen | Sep 7, 2023 | News, Regulatory News, Responsible Renting, Rules and Regulations
Does the vacation rental industry need accreditation? This is a question more vacation rental professionals are posing as they cope with a constant influx of new hosts on the market. Approximately 900,000 new listings worldwide joined the Airbnb platform in 2022, out...
by Paris Achen | Aug 25, 2023 | Hosting and Management
As the vacation rental industry has gained momentum, so has the proliferation of vacation rental podcasts. And it’s no surprise. You can gain useful strategies, tips, and best practices in bite-size portions and develop as a vacation rental professional through...
by Paris Achen | Jul 20, 2023 | Hosting and Management, Marketing, Responsible Renting, Supporting Local Businesses
Listing on online booking sites like Vrbo and Airbnb is a great way to draw eyes to your vacation rental listing and get more bookings especially if you’re new to hosting. But as your vacation rental gains a trail of happy guests, getting more direct bookings will...
by Paris Achen | Apr 4, 2023 | Advocate Engagement, Community Engagement, Hosting and Management, Humans of Short-Term Rentals, Local Government, Property Care, Rules and Regulations, Short-Term Rental Regulation
Like many in the short-term rental advocacy sphere, proposed regulations at the local City Council brought hosts Annette Grant and Sarah Karakaian together. Both had come to speak at the Columbus City Council meeting in spring 2018 to oppose a proposal that would have...
by Paris Achen | Apr 3, 2023 | Responsible Renting, Rules and Regulations, Taxes
Vacation rental taxes aren’t always straightforward, and as a responsible host, you’ll want to make sure you are in compliance with all local, state, and federal tax rules. Certain tax questions are common, so to make your tax season a little less taxing, we’ve...