Uvika Wahi

Statue of Justice holding scales in front of the Colosseum, representing the Italy short-term rental tax 2026 proposal and the political debate it sparked.

Italy Moves to Scrap Tax Break on Short-Term Rentals, Prompting Fierce Debate

Uvika Wahi

📌TL;DR- Italy’s draft 2026 budget proposes replacing the 21% flat tax that applies to a host’s first short-term rental property with a uniform 26% rate on all rentals. The Italy short-term rental tax 2026 plan is still under debate and faces political backlash.

Googles-New-AI-Mode-Could-Rewrite-How-Guests-Discover-and-Plan-Trips.

Google’s New AI Mode Could Rewrite How Guests Discover and Plan Trips

Uvika Wahi

📌TL;DR- Google’s new AI Mode is transforming how travelers discover and plan trips, combining conversational search, live pricing, curated itineraries, and Google Maps into a single, seamless experience, without ever leaving Google. For short-term rental property managers, this shift could redefine visibility, as AI Mode favors high-quality, structured content and even highlights short-term rentals over hotels in family or group searches. With visual search, paid placements, and direct booking potential on the horizon, managers must optimize their Google listings, metadata, and imagery to stay competitive.

Laptop screen displaying the Airbnb logo and the words “Host-Only fee” with “Deadline” circled below, emphasizing urgency. A coffee cup sits beside the laptop on a wooden desk.

Airbnb Host-Only Fee Deadline Is Almost Here: Your 5-Point Pricing Audit Before October 27

Uvika Wahi

Airbnb’s Host‑Only Fee model officially begins on October 27, 2025, replacing the old split‑fee structure. That means hosts will cover the full 15.5% service fee, unless they adjust prices. This 5‑point pricing audit walks you through how to update markups, cleaning fees, and owner communications to stay margin‑neutral and avoid payout surprises.

Perplexity Travel for Vacation Rentals How AI Is Powering Trip Search.

Perplexity Travel for Vacation Rentals: How AI Is Powering Trip Search

Uvika Wahi

More than six in ten travelers have already used AI to plan or book a trip, according to a recent ...

Vrbos-Performance-Milestones-Visibility-Is-the-New-Currency-scaled

Vrbo’s Performance Milestones: Visibility Is the New Currency

Uvika Wahi

Vrbo is introducing Performance Milestones in 2026, a new tiered framework that reshapes how hosts and property managers earn recognition, ...

Vrbo Payments: Expedia Takes Over as Merchant of Record Expedia Group has announced a pilot for Vrbo Payments, a new system that makes Expedia the merchant of record for vacation rental transactions. It’s a big shift for a platform that, until now, often left payment processing in the hands of property managers or third-party providers. For short-term rental managers, the change has implications for how bookings are processed, how money flows, and how Vrbo connects with Expedia’s broader loyalty ecosystem. What Vrbo Payments Means When Expedia acts as merchant of record (MoR), it is the entity that: Charges the guest’s credit card or digital wallet. Collects booking fees and holds funds before disbursement. Issues refunds and handles chargebacks or disputes. Appears as “Expedia” on the guest’s payment statement. In short, Vrbo managers won’t be the ones directly processing guest payments anymore, Expedia will. Implications for Property Managers The Upside Reduced payment risk: Chargebacks and fraud are handled by Expedia, not managers. Simpler onboarding: Less compliance paperwork and integration hassle. Guest trust: Many travelers feel safer paying “Expedia” than an unfamiliar management company. The Trade-offs Less control over payouts: Expedia sets the payout schedule; managers can’t customize it. Policy limitations: Cancellation and refund rules may be standardized, with less flexibility for managers. Increased dependency: If payments run through Expedia, it becomes harder to operate outside the platform’s ecosystem. Why Expedia Is Making This Move Airbnb has always been merchant of record. Booking.com is increasingly shifting from its older agency model (guest pays host directly) toward facilitated payments. Vrbo has been an outlier, one of the last major OTAs where managers often collected payments themselves. By stepping in as MoR, Expedia is: Aligning Vrbo with industry norms. Streamlining guest experience (fewer unfamiliar charges, more consistent refunds). Centralizing financial control within the Expedia ecosystem. The Loyalty Angle: OneKeyCash Perhaps the biggest reason for Vrbo Payments is loyalty. Expedia’s unified program, One Key, rewards travelers with OneKeyCash that can be spent across Expedia, Hotels.com, and now Vrbo. Before: Guests could earn OneKeyCash when booking Vrbo, but couldn’t always spend it there, because Vrbo wasn’t the merchant of record. Now: With Expedia processing payments, OneKeyCash can be applied directly to Vrbo stays. For property managers, that means more visibility to loyalty-driven travelers who might otherwise choose a hotel. For Expedia, it’s a powerful way to keep travelers within its ecosystem. What Managers Should Watch For Payout timing: How quickly will managers get their money after Expedia collects? Airbnb’s schedule, for example, is predictable but rigid. Fee structures: Will MoR change Vrbo’s commission model, or add processing fees? Policy control: How much flexibility will managers lose in setting payment, deposit, or refund policies? Adoption timeline: The pilot is limited, but Expedia hasn’t said when or if Vrbo Payments will roll out universally. The Takeaway Vrbo Payments brings Vrbo in line with how the rest of the OTA world already operates. For managers, it reduces risk and expands access to loyalty demand, but it also shifts more control into Expedia’s hands. As Expedia continues to integrate Vrbo into its global machine, payments are no longer just a back-office function. They’re a strategic lever for guest trust, loyalty, and platform control.

Vrbo Payments: Expedia Takes Over as Merchant of Record

Uvika Wahi

Expedia Group has announced a pilot for Vrbo Payments, a new system that makes Expedia the merchant of record for ...

Vrbo Tightens Its Premier Host Standards What Property Managers Need to Know

Vrbo Tightens Its Premier Host Standards: What Property Managers Need to Know (UPDATED)

Uvika Wahi

Expedia Group just expanded Vrbo’s demand funnel, and now it’s tightening the rules on who gets to benefit from it. ...

Bright comparison image of Vrbo and Expedia logos over fishbowls with goldfish, illustrating vacation rental booking platforms.

Vrbo Just Got a Lot Bigger By Tapping Into Expedia’s Global Network

Uvika Wahi

Expedia Group has announced a slate of updates for its vacation rental brand Vrbo, but one stands out as the ...

Screenshot from Airbnb Stay Grounded ad showing icons for Homes, Experiences, and Services

Airbnb’s “Stay Grounded” Ad Marks the Official Start of Its Identity as a Lifestyle Platform

Uvika Wahi

Airbnb has a new commercial out called Stay Grounded, animated in its signature whimsical style, set to George Michael’s Freedom! ...

How Airbnb Is Pushing for Softer Short-Term Rental Rules in New York, Two Years After the Crackdown.

How Airbnb Is Pushing for Softer Short-Term Rental Rules in New York, Two Years After the Crackdown

Uvika Wahi

New York City welcomed nearly 63 million visitors in 2024, generating over $74 billion in economic impact. It is the ...

Calendar marked with Airbnb payout date, symbolizing Airbnb Host Fee Change and impact on host earnings

Airbnb Host Fee Change Correction: How to Actually Keep Your Payout

Uvika Wahi

Last week, we explained Airbnb’s shift to a 15.5% host-only fee. But we need to clarify something important: our original ...

AI Airbnb Scams in 2025 How Artificial Intelligence Is Powering Fraud

AI Airbnb Scams in 2025: How Artificial Intelligence Is Powering Fraud

Uvika Wahi

A London traveler booked an Airbnb in Manhattan and nearly walked away with a $16,000 bill for damage she never ...

Vrbo’s Host-Initiated Cancellation Policy Why Property Managers Are Worried

Vrbo’s Host-Initiated Cancellation Policy: Why Property Managers Are Worried

Uvika Wahi

When guests arrive at a property and can’t get in, it’s more than a bad first impression. It’s a breach ...

Airbnb Connections and Past Trips new features shown in app with Airbnb logo

Airbnb Connections: New Feature Turns Trips Into Social Networks

Uvika Wahi

Airbnb has quietly launched a new feature called Connections, now visible in user profiles. At first glance, it’s a simple ...

oman-short-term-rentals-underthdoormat-

Oman and UnderTheDoormat Join Forces to Build a Professional Short-Term Rental Ecosystem

Uvika Wahi

If you’re a short-term rental manager in the Middle East, Europe, or the U.S., you’re used to hearing one narrative ...

3D map of Europe with red border, representing platform tourism in Europe and regional travel data

How One Viral Statistic Is Skewing Europe’s Short-Term Rental Debate

Uvika Wahi

Few industries are as routinely scrutinized, and misunderstood, as short-term rentals. Media coverage doesn’t just inform the public; it often ...

Vrbo Q2 2025: Expedia Group chart showing room nights booked and average daily rates across all accommodation brands.

Vrbo Q2 2025 Results Show Clear Shift Toward Promotions, Shorter Stays, and Bundled Value

Uvika Wahi

Vrbo’s Q2 2025 results confirm a clear shift: the U.S. market is growing, but just barely, and the brand is ...

Booking.com Q2 2025 Alternative Accommodations Get Stronger as Platform Woos Pro Hosts

Booking.com Q2 2025: Alternative Accommodations Get Stronger as Platform Woos Pro Hosts

Uvika Wahi

Booking.com’s Q2 2025 earnings reveal strong performance driven by its expanding alternative accommodations segment, home to its short-term rentals, as ...

PriceLabs Dynamic Min Stay

From Empty Gaps to Extra Bookings: PriceLabs’ Dynamic Min Stay Tackles Lost Revenue

Uvika Wahi

Every property manager has wrestled with the same question: what’s the right minimum stay rule to balance revenue, operations, and ...

PriceLabs' integration with Booking.com helps host get back pricing control

New PriceLabs–Booking.com Integration Helps Hosts Gain Back Pricing Control

Uvika Wahi

PriceLabs, the global revenue management platform trusted by over 500,000 listings, is now officially integrated with Booking.com. Hosts and property ...

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