This week’s roundup covers Booking.com’s partnership with ChatGPT, a proposed short-term rental tax in San Diego, reports on Airbnb’s potential business profiles, and smart TV liability risks in vacation rentals. Let’s dive in.
Booking.com has been selected as one of the first partners to launch an app inside ChatGPT, joining a small group that includes Spotify, Expedia, and Zillow. The integration lets guests explore destinations, search for stays, view photos and amenities, and compare options directly within ChatGPT. Once a stay is selected, guests are directed to Booking.com to complete their booking. This exciting partnership between Booking.com and OpenAI aims to make trip planning more seamless and conversational, potentially leading to added visibility for vacation rental operators.
San Diego officials are turning their attention to short-term rentals as they look for new ways to close a year-long budget deficit. A proposal introduced this week would establish a new tax on vacation rentals, with the funds allocated toward affordable housing and homelessness programs. If approved, the measure could introduce new costs and reporting requirements for short-term rental operators, making it crucial for hosts in the San Diego area to stay informed and act quickly as the proposal takes shape.
In the wake of Airbnb’s first-ever North American Host Summit, Skift reported that property managers were introduced to Airbnb’s new concept for business profiles. The feature reportedly would allow hosts to group multiple listings under a single profile, showcase their vacation rental brand, and access enhanced performance insights. These exciting reports seem to point towards Airbnb wanting to help professional hosts manage their portfolios more effectively and draw a line between professional and individual hosts on the platform. No official announcements have been made, but these reports share a potentially interesting path forward for Airbnb.
Short Term Rentalz released an article this week discussing the liability of smart TVs in vacation rental properties. The article highlights the importance of credential clearing, which ensures that previous guests’ streaming accounts and personal information are removed during the turnover and before new guests check in. Failing to clear logins can expose hosts to potential legal issues. An easy solution for removing this potential liability is to utilize Roku Guest Mode. For vacation rental operators already using Roku TVs in their properties, check out our guide on How to Use Roku Guest Mode in Your Vacation Rental here.
With exciting new partnerships and evolving regulations, the vacation rental market continues to undergo rapid changes. Check back next week for the latest news!