Short-Term Rental and Vacation Rental News

Few issues are as divisive among short-term rental hosts, property managers, online travel agencies and guests as refund policies following hurricanes, wildfires, and pandemics.

Dublin-based Hostelworld has integrated its own social network into its business to such a degree that is materially helping its financials.

Vrbo reversed its longstanding guest-refund policy for the wildfires in Maui – for the first time, guests would be entitled to full refunds.

Vrbo risks a host backlash but is doing the right thing for guests. As opposed to the articulated policies, how this all works out in practice is another matter.

Regulators have been going after short-term rentals. Now homeowners are fighting back.

German vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo recorded profits on an adjusted basis for the first time in a second quarter.

Hungarian short-term rental hosts on Booking.com face significant payment delays, causing potential business closures. Despite Booking.com attributing delays to system updates, payments have not resumed as initially promised.

What is a Sonder-managed property these days? It's a very eclectic mix of apartments, hotels and resorts. It's tough to create an identity that way, but the company is betting that such diversity works.

A New York state court judge dismissed an Airbnb lawsuit against New York City, ruling the city had a right to require host registration and licenses, and that it was reasonable to require that Airbnb — and other platforms — verify that listings have licenses, or face penalties.

Luxury travel is sensitive to travel demand changes and more susceptible lately to pricing pressures. Inspirato's story is a lesson in managing the pace of growth.