Industry News
Stay informed on the latest developments in the vacation rental and short-term rental industry. This category provides vacation rental managers and short-term rental managers with news on industry growth, trends, events, and insights into the future of short-term rental property management. From major updates across European markets to professional insights into industry shifts, explore the news shaping the landscape of vacation rentals.
Airbnb Is Borrowing from Booking.com’s Playbook, but Only Where It Fits
📌TL;DR- Airbnb and Booking.com are looking more alike in 2025, but only on the surface. Airbnb is copying Booking where it boosts conversions (cancellations, payments, discovery), while rejecting the loyalty programs and corporate tone that define Booking’s DNA. The big takeaway: Airbnb is becoming an OTA with personality, and that hybrid strategy may give it a long-term edge.
Airbnb’s Fourth Pillar: How AI Became a Strategic Defense Against an AI Future
📌TL;DR- Airbnb’s “fourth pillar” is here, and it’s powered by AI. Moving beyond operational efficiency, Airbnb now treats artificial intelligence as a strategic moat against the rise of general-purpose AI platforms. CEO Brian Chesky’s vision centers on using AI to deepen personalization, protect its marketplace, and ensure Airbnb remains the platform where human connection meets machine intelligence.
Will Airbnb Hosts See a Rise in Cancellations in 2026?
📌TL;DR: Airbnb now gives every booking a 24-hour grace period and has introduced more flexible refund options for guests. While this change aims to increase traveler confidence and conversions, it could also lead to more last-minute cancellations in 2026. For hosts, that means adapting pricing and cancellation settings to balance flexibility with revenue protection — especially as Reserve Now, Pay Later expands and Airbnb tests Dynamic Cancellation Policies.
Airbnb’s Hotel Pilot Explained: What It Is, Why It Matters, and What to Watch
📌TL;DR: Airbnb is quietly expanding into hotels, adding boutique and independent properties in select cities. The Airbnb hotels pilot reflects the company’s strategy to diversify supply, balance regulatory pressures, and keep travelers within its ecosystem. It’s a pivotal step toward making Airbnb a full travel marketplace, not just a home-sharing platform.
Where Guests Are Really Booking in 2025: Beyond Airbnb, Booking.com & Vrbo
📌TL;DR: Major OTAs still drive bookings, but property managers are losing control over visibility, pricing, and policies. This article explores the best alternatives to Airbnb and Vrbo in 2025 — including Holidu and Whimstay — and explains how to choose the right channels for your guests, region, and business goals.
New Vrbo Updates Show It’s Making Reliability Its Core Identity
📌TL;DR: Vrbo has introduced a new suite of updates centered on trust and reliability. The rollout includes VrboCare, a refreshed guarantee program, a new “Loved by Guests” badge, and stricter, listing-level Premier Host standards. Together, these changes reinforce Vrbo’s positioning as the “safe to book” platform, focused on consistent, verified guest experiences. For property managers, the takeaway is clear: reliability is now the metric that drives visibility.
Maui U-Turns on Ban, Boom Launches AI Ops Agent, Airbnb Sees Italy Surge & Seniors Flocking South
Maui is pulling back from its full short-term rental ban, proposing to preserve 4,519 legacy STR units through new hotel zoning, while Boom has launched “BAM,” an AI-powered ops agent designed to automate STR management workflows post a $12.7M funding round. Meanwhile, Airbnb’s early winter 2025–26 trends (based solely on platform data) show Italy booming ahead of the Olympics, US families booking longer rural stays, and retirees heading to Florida.
From Reel to Reality: How Expedia Using AI to Turn Instagram Inspiration into Bookable Trips
Expedia’s new AI Trip Matching feature lets travelers turn Instagram Reels into real-world itineraries. Here’s how it works, what problems it solves, and what it reveals about the future of discovery for short-term rental managers — where visibility begins long before the search.
Airbnb’s October 2025 Host Upgrades: New Tools for Pricing, Cancellations, and Payout Visibility
📌TL;DR- Airbnb’s October 2025 host updates bring new tools for pro managers: dynamic cancellation policies, improved year-ahead price tips, earnings dashboards with YoY comparisons, and payout previews. These features signal Airbnb’s push to become an all-in-one platform for pricing, cancellations, and analytics, reducing the need for third-party tools.
Airbnb’s AI Era Isn’t About Automation, It’s About Emotion and Understanding
📌TL;DR- Airbnb is using AI not just for efficiency, but to make travel more human. New features like “Connections,” improved maps, and flexible carousels aim to foster emotional loyalty by helping guests connect with each other and explore meaningfully. It’s a shift from automation to empathy, making AI a tool for belonging, not just booking.
Airbnb’s New Social Features Reveal a Plan to Link People, Places, and Possibilities
📌TL;DR- Airbnb’s new Connections feature turns Experiences into a social network, letting guests see who’s attending, message each other, and build ongoing travel relationships. Combined with smarter discovery tools and AI-driven personalization, it’s a clear shift: Airbnb wants to be more than a booking app — it’s building a social travel platform. For property managers, this means more emotionally engaged guests, deeper retention loops, and a platform that’s evolving fast toward community and connection.
Hostaway Hits $1B Valuation, Dallas Pushes Rental Ban Ahead of FIFA, San Diego Mulls $5K/Bedroom Tax
📌TL;DR- Hostaway just became the first PMS to hit unicorn status with a $1B valuation, setting a new bar for vacation rental software. Meanwhile, Dallas is pushing to enforce its STR ban ahead of the FIFA World Cup, despite legal roadblocks and rising guest demand. In San Diego, a proposed tax of $5K per bedroom on STRs and second homes could squeeze smaller operators.
Italy Moves to Scrap Tax Break on Short-Term Rentals, Prompting Fierce Debate
📌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.
Airbnb’s 15.5% Host-Only Fee: Why It Feels Like a Tax Hike (But Isn’t One)
📌TL;DR- Airbnb fee changes in 2025 have some hosts worried about higher taxes. But despite the new 15.5% host-only commission, this shift is tax-neutral for most U.S. operators. Here’s why it feels like a tax hike, and how income, gross receipts, and occupancy taxes are actually affected.
Learn How to Reduce Reliance on Platforms at the Direct Booking Success Summit 2025
📌TL;DR- The Direct Booking Success Summit 2025 is a free, online event taking place November 4–6, designed to help short-term rental professionals reduce their reliance on OTAs and strengthen their direct booking strategies. Now in its 5th year, the summit features 30+ expert speakers covering topics like SEO, branding, social media, automation, and guest experience, offering actionable insights for everyone from solo hosts to large-scale property managers.
How the Franchise Model Helped a Vacation Rental Manager Deliver Better Hospitality
📌TL;DR- Michael LeClerc, a former Michelin-starred chef and now the founder of SkyRun Vacation Rentals in Park City, Utah shares how embracing a hybrid franchise model helped him scale his short-term rental business without losing sight of hospitality. In an interview with Uvika Wahi from RSU by PriceLabs, Michael reflects on managing over 100 properties in a competitive ski market by blending high-touch guest service, operational simplicity, and local responsiveness.
Google’s New AI Mode Could Rewrite How Guests Discover and Plan Trips
📌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.
Airbnb Host-Only Fee Deadline Is Almost Here: Your 5-Point Pricing Audit Before October 27
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.
Why the Vacation Rental World Summit 2025 (VRWS) in Rome Is a Must-Attend Event
The Vacation Rental World Summit (VRWS) is back for its 12th edition, and this time it’s landing in the ever-so ...
2025 Airbnb Professional Host Summit: Why Property Managers Should Care
Where & when: Early October 2025, Airbnb headquarters, San FranciscoWho: ~150 invited professional hosts/property managers (per attendee reports)Why this was ...
