Off-Market Real Estate Strategies Every STR Host Should Know If you’re serious about scaling a short-term rental business, relying solely on Zillow and the MLS can limit your upside. Some of the best STR deals never hit the public market . Off-market properties give hosts a powerful advantage: less competition, more negotiating power, and better cash-flow potential. In this guide, we’ll break down what off-market properties are, why they’re attractive to STR hosts, and practi

What to Do If a Guest Smokes in Your Short-Term Rental Smoking is one of the fastest ways to damage a short-term rental, and one of the hardest issues to fix after the fact. From lingering odors to fire risk and costly deep cleans, smoking can quickly turn a profitable booking into a headache. While Airbnb doesn’t allow hosts to charge an official “smoking fee,” there are  smart, enforceable ways to prevent smoking in your rental and recover costs if a guest breaks your house

Can Airbnb Hosts Deny Emotional Support Animals? Here’s the Truth If you manage a short-term rental, it’s only a matter of time before a guest books with a service animal  or requests to bring an emotional support animal (ESA) . Understanding Airbnb’s policies, and how federal and local laws apply is essential to staying compliant, avoiding penalties, and delivering a professional guest experience. This guide breaks down the difference between emotional support animals and se

Can Airbnb Guests Become Squatters? What Every Host Needs to Know Hosting a short-term rental can be highly profitable, but it also comes with risks many hosts don’t anticipate. One of the most serious (and stressful) is dealing with squatters . Airbnb squatters are guests who refuse to leave after their reservation ends , sometimes attempting to claim tenant or squatter rights under local laws. Unlike parties or minor damages, squatters can quickly turn into a legal and fina

Direct Booking Websites for Short-Term Rentals: A Complete Guide As a short-term rental host, growing your direct booking website  is one of the smartest ways to increase profit and regain control over your business. Every booking that comes directly through your website means no OTA commissions , stronger guest relationships, and more predictable revenue. In this guide, we’ll break down proven strategies to increase traffic, improve conversions, and turn your direct booking

Airbnb Market Research: Demand Drivers Every Host Must Know Understanding what drives demand in your local Airbnb market is one of the biggest advantages a short-term rental host can have. Demand isn’t random, it’s influenced by predictable patterns such as seasonality, location, amenities, and guest behavior. By leveraging Airbnb market research and demand data, hosts can price more strategically, improve occupancy, and maximize revenue year-round. Below are the most importa

How to Protect Your Airbnb From Guest Damage No matter how well you screen guests, damage can still happen in a short-term rental. Accidents, spills, broken furniture, or rule violations are part of hosting at scale. That’s why successful hosts don’t rely on luck or platform guarantees alone, they implement a complete Airbnb damage protection strategy . True damage protection goes far beyond insurance. It includes prevention, real-time intervention, and recovery systems  that

How to Optimize Your Short-Term Rental for Business Travelers Corporate travelers are one of the most profitable and reliable guest segments in the short-term rental industry. They often book longer stays, have higher budgets, follow house rules, and are more likely to become repeat guests. If you want to tap into Airbnb corporate housing  and attract more business travelers, your listing needs to be positioned differently than a typical leisure rental. This guide breaks down

Charging Airbnb Cleaning Fees the Smart Way Setting the right Airbnb cleaning fee is one of the most overlooked, but most important pricing decisions short-term rental hosts make. Charge too little, and you’re covering costs out of pocket. Charge too much, and guests may skip over your listing entirely. In this guide, we’ll break down the average cleaning fee on Airbnb , what it should cover, how to set it correctly, and how to avoid guest complaints while keeping your operat

Struggling With Airbnb Hosting? These 10 Hacks Fix Everything Running an Airbnb can feel overwhelming especially when you’re juggling guest messages, cleanings, pricing, and reviews. The good news? A few smart systems and small upgrades can dramatically reduce your workload while improving the guest experience. Whether you’re a new host or scaling multiple listings, these Airbnb hosting hacks  will help you save time, reduce stress, and earn better reviews without working har