Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Suzie asks: I am new to co-hosting and I want my contract to be thorough, but not too nitpicky. What are some items you would add to your co-hosting contract today that you didn't think of when you were first starting out? Repair and maintenance times? Supply purchasing, design fees? Do I charge for my time? (00:01:44) Suzie Asks...

Today’s expert guest is Isaac French, the visionary creator behind Live Oak Lake, a stunning 7-cabin landscape hotel nestled in the heart of Texas. Having recently sold the venture, Isaac is now channeling his passion and expertise into Experiential Hospitality, a vibrant community and masterclass program for elite hospitality entrepreneurs. In this eye-opening conversation, we learn about how Isaac built his dream property from the ground up — and quickly sold it for a million dollars a...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Marie asks: We are wondering if we should get a PMS. We have four properties. They're all on Airbnb, and they're doing well. We're about to bring on a fifth and we're wondering if now is the time, but we are truly overwhelmed with all the options. How do we decide which PMS to use? How did you guys decide, and what is important to...

Today’s expert guest is Nick Taylor, driver of strategic direction at Nox Cape Town Villas & Apartments in South Africa, and steward of its real estate portfolio worth more than $150M USD. With an educational background in hotel operations, he saw early career success for a top hotel brand in London. After learning how to manage a top-of-class operation, Nick was inspired to bring his talents back to Cape Town, dedicating himself to one specific niche while going all-in on guest...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Katie asks: We're about to start our first short-term rental. My question right now is… How important is it to have drawers in the bedrooms? I currently don't have drawers. I don't really want to add them because I like the look and the space that not having them provides. There are big closets in both bedrooms where I have...

In today’s episode, we’re getting (painfully) real. We felt the need, after seeing a flood of negativity in online STR spaces, to bring this all back to its foundation – why do we work in hospitality, anyway? What does it mean to truly serve the guest? And, how can we go above and beyond in that mission? As open and honest as ever, we recount some educational examples from our recent, and not so recent, past – including breakdowns in delivery of service, frustrating lapses in communication,...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Megan asks: I have a question about how to handle an incident that occurred in one of my units. Some event or incident occurred that caused significant damage. This included wall repairs, couch cleaning, rug cleaning, and replacing some of the unit's supplies and decor. What are the steps that we can take through Airbnb? How do we...

Today’s expert guest is our new friend, Louis Andrews, President and Director of OVO Network, a company specializing in the short-term rental of high-end mountain chalets in authentic destinations, primarily in the French Alps. We met Louis on our castle STR retreat, and knew he’d provide great insight for our listeners. Under his leadership, OVO Network manages 218 properties, focusing on blending technological solutions with dedicated support to maximize rental revenue and enhance guest...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Megan asks: I live in the Dallas, Texas area and I am getting into the Airbnb business. I really wanted to start one in my local area, first, but Dallas recently banned short-term rentals in single-family areas. Right now, I'm limited to condos and apartments. I would love to start my first Airbnb in a condo, but I just wanted to...

Today’s special episode comes to you live from the showroom floor of the 3rd Annual IMN Short-Term Rental Forum in Austin. We sit down with a few expert attendees; recap our findings from presenters, sessions, and roundtables; and start to apply new lessons to our own businesses. Denise Poteet, from Safari for the Soul Glamping in Marble Falls, gives us some juicy tips for creating an audience-specific energy at their couples focused glamping property. Michael Chang, from Trustbnb and STR...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Elaine asks: We have an outdoor tub, but we do not have a hot tub. We've been getting some feedback from guests wishing that we had a hot tub. I would love to know a great brand, tips for upkeep, and insurance. Do you have to change the water every day? Is it more hassle or do you think it would bring in a lot more bookings? I'm...

As owner and co-founder of a European rental management company overseeing 900+ properties, Richard Vaughton has significant experience in short-term rentals and property management. He’s also got some surprising takes on where our industry is headed in the near and long term future. Uniquely plugged into the industry, and endlessly experienced with real-life work in our world (hello, cleaning toilets on a Saturday) – Richard delivers one of the most deeply impactful conversations we’ve ever...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Betsy asks: I wanted to talk about damage waivers using companies like Waivo. I'm using Waivo specifically and encountering some significant challenges. I quickly learned that the generous linen coverage that I thought Waivo provided was not that, that things like standard bodily fluids that don't come out in the wash are not...

We’re making progress on our Hocking Hills glamping project with cabin demo, prefab purchases, and creative financing. Check in for an honest, relatable recollection of the development process from two eager investors knee deep in a long term legacy build. First, we take you behind the scenes on Day 1 of cabin demo, a delightfully quick process with some fun creative questions to answer (roll-away bed or no roll-away bed?). Along the way, we sing the praises of our investment team,...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Elaine asks: We get a lot of couples that stay at our romantic gazebo cottage. I had a guest that reached out to me who wanted to know if we have any add-on packages to help celebrate an anniversary. Unfortunately, I did not, but I would like to offer something. I don't know what to include or how to find it. Any insight that...

Today’s expert guest is Ellyn Vollmer. She’s got a wild pain-to-purpose story that many hosts will find eerily familiar. She and her husband Devin live in Pittsburgh, PA and recently launched their first STR property in Oceanside, CA after a long and winding road filled with false starts and regulatory red tape. We talk all about how their six-month plan turned into a two-year (and more!) ordeal that involved almost every possible hurdle, spending the first year creating a rental experience...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Brandy asks: We host on a 10-acre property. We also live on this 10-acre property. But we continue to have guests that will break our terms and conditions, even though it is stated very plainly that we do not allow parties or gatherings of larger than six people. The last one, I walked in on their vows and was like… What's going...

Today’s expert guest is Lisa Roads, a seasoned short-term rental professional, whose journey began as a property investor in her early twenties. As Lisa continued to grow her property portfolio, she recognised the potential for early adoption in an emerging market in Cyprus. This investment move created the opportunity to start her second business venture, providing a fully managed service for hands-off investors like herself. Focusing on high-quality coastal properties and leveraging her...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Melissa asks: I am going to be a new host, and I have a question about bed frames and headboards. I have a couple headboards that are upholstered. What are your thoughts about using those and cleaning those instead of buying new headboards that are wood or washable? I would love to know because it could save me a lot of money if I...

In today’s solo (duo?) episode, we unpack an expansive recent experience we shared in England, learning about this amazing industry. From an STR business retreat hosted in a towering castle, complete with moat, to the Short Stay Summit 2024 in London – we’ve come home with a wider and more full picture of what hosts are doing and seeing around the world. Our journey begins at Middleton Castle, where our new friend, Humphrey Bowles of Superhog, expertly curated a thought leadership retreat for...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Patrick asks: It's Patrick with Farmhouse805 on the beautiful central coast of California. I have a big question for you… We've been having a lot of success with our STR. We've got a nice patio with a gas fire pit and a commercial grade barbecue, but we just don't have the budget to do a swimming pool. And I'm not a big fan of the...

Today’s expert guest is Colleen Chrien, a hyper-engaged member of our Hosting Business Mastery Method, mom of four young kids, and owner of Picket Fence Properties and Fully Furnished Charleston where she manages a portfolio of 38 long-term rentals and 21 furnished rentals – a mix between short, mid, and long term listings. We learn all about how she launched her business and landed in Charleston as a long term hub of operations, detail a few pain points on her initial projects, and unpack...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Becky asks: I have an ADT security system and my control panel has a little camera on it. It takes a picture of the person who is setting or disabling the alarm. Nobody ever sets the alarm in the Airbnb, but it is in the hallway. I was wondering… Does that count as a camera for Airbnb? If I put a sticker over it, would that work...

Today’s expert guest is the ultra-informed researcher and short-term rental historian, Brumby McLeod, Ph.D., an associate professor at the College of Charleston, School of Business in the Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management. He is also a research fellow with the Office of Tourism Analysis and the Riley Center for Livable Communities. The focus of his research is in overnight accommodation with a primary focus on housing, short-term rentals, and tourism. Dr. McLeod walks us...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between. Taylor asks: Can you please break down the Airbnb summer release for us? What do we need to know? Thank you so much. Can't wait to hear your response. (00:01:13) What’s New with the Airbnb Summer Update? (00:01:32) NEW Airbnb Icons: Sadly, Mostly Marketing (00:04:35) Guest-Related Updates in Airbnb’s Summer Release (00:06:39)...