Short-Term Rental and Vacation Rental News

When venture money dries up, “democratization” becomes the next best story to tell.

Media stories about "Airbnb squatters" in France make for viral headlines. But the real data and legal nuance reveal a very rare, if still unnerving, risk for hosts.

Airbnb's bid to vastly expand its hotel business will be labor intensive and a years-long effort. The job openings it is advertising are just the start.

The creation of business profiles for property managers on Airbnb would be a step forward in the name of transparency. Guests would be better served if they have a preference for individual versus professional hosts.

Airbnb will launch some type of membership program to give guests a reason to book a hotel on Airbnb rather than earn points elsewhere. It certainly won't be a clone of hotel group loyalty programs — that's not Airbnb's style.

It's a critical moment for Airbnb to do some explaining — and listening — to its largest hosts about policy changes. Many of the policy tweaks also dramatically affect individual hosts, who won't be represented.

Category search lost its utility for Airbnb when it expanded beyond one product, homes. It was telling that none of Airbnb's online travel agency multi-product rivals implemented their own version of Category search, which Airbnb touted as being so innovative.

Branded homes already carry a price premium in Dubai, and big hotel brands are racing to partner up with developers.

Airbnb is following the money on Services, and investing in the ones that are most popular. Test and learn, as they say.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky detailed the company's massive reinvention at the Skift Global Forum, which includes leaning more into experiences, hotels, and international growth.