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Sounds like a success.

Next year invite them to stick around and then have a 2nd event with your OR users.

This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s 2026 Fall Update, Vrbo’s upcoming commission change, the latest STR regulation news in Maui and Annapolis, and the OwnerRez Hangout in Nashville, TN. Let’s dive in.

Airbnb dropped its Fall 2026 Update on Wednesday, which includes new AI and social features, more in-app services, and a few new tools for hosts. In the U.S., guests can now search using natural language, compare listings in a side-by-side display, use keywords to find and select filters, and see AI summaries in search results that highlight key features in listings. Airbnb also leaned into the social side of the platform by introducing Connect, Travel Map, and Neighborhood Pages. These new additions allow guests to connect with friends on the platform, view those users' past trips and reviews, and see local recommendations and insights for specific areas. The update also included new in-app service categories to house recently announced services, such as Instacart, which was covered in Industry News on September 25th. Lastly, for hosts, Airbnb announced a new multi-listing calendar, 3D floor plans, AI earnings insights, and a dynamic pricing tool.

Expedia Group announced this week that most Vrbo hosts will move to a new 12% commission structure. Hosts still on Vrbo’s legacy annual subscription plan will be moved to a pay-per-booking model, replacing the flat yearly fee with the new commission. It is still unclear whether Vrbo’s separate guest service fee will change. The new structure takes effect on October 29th.

Previously covered in Industry News on June 26th, Maui County approved Bill 88 earlier this year, creating two new hotel zoning districts, H-3 and H-4, that give some short-term rentals impacted by Bill 9 a path to continue operating. This week, the Maui Planning Commission recommended hotel rezoning for just five of the 48 properties being considered by the County Council. The properties supported for rezoning were either entirely timeshares or already approved to operate as STRs. The County Council will now make the final decision.

In more short-term rental regulation news, the Annapolis City Council in Maryland voted on Monday to raise the maximum fine for STR violations from $1,000 to $5,000, the highest amount allowed under state law. This follows a city report from last year that found nearly half of Annapolis short-term rentals were operating without a license, along with a decision to put in place a one-year pause on new STR licenses that began March 9th. Since the pause began, officials have opened 59 cases involving unlicensed rentals. 

The 2026 OwnerRez Hangout is Monday, October 5th, from 7–9 PM CT in Nashville! Come join us for FREE drinks, FREE food, LIVE music, and lots of opportunities to connect with the OwnerRez team and our incredible co-hosts: Lynnbrook Group, PriceLabs, Rental Guardian, and PetScreening. If you haven’t already, reserve your FREE ticket here! We can’t wait to see you there!

As OTAs introduce new features and make big changes in Q4, the vacation rental industry continues to take shape in 2026. Check back next week for the latest news!

I love that y'all did this! Getting that in-person connection and collaboration time together is transformative -- what a gift for the whole team!! 

I love it when you “kids” figure out stuff we old people knew all along 

The first-ever OwnerRez Work In Person Week is in the books! ✏️

Almost a year after OwnerRez co-founders Chris Hynes and Paul Waldschmidt had the idea of bringing everyone together to work side by side in person, 45 members of the OwnerRez team traveled from around the world to a meeting space in Northern Virginia. This was not another retreat or tradeshow. It was a week dedicated to removing the barriers created by remote work and to working side by side in person.

The idea was inspired by the early days of OwnerRez, when you could tap someone on the shoulder to share an idea and solve issues quickly. The goal of WIP Week was to bring back those quick conversations, remove friction, and create healthy habits that the team could bring back to their home offices.

The week was built around three themes: Huddle, Hustle, and Heal.

Huddle

Huddle was about bringing back the quick conversations and personal connections that can get lost in remote work. Each day, team members were paired with someone new. They sat together, did their normal work, talked through what they were doing, asked questions, and learned more about how each team functioned.

Hustle

Hustle was about finding friction and finding real solutions. For the week, team members were split into groups of three and challenged to focus on friction in their own work, within their teams, and between teams, including repeated steps, old workarounds, and processes that had become more complicated over time.

Heal

Heal was about creating healthy rhythms. Working from home removes the commute, but it can also remove the healthy divide between work and home. Every day, team members were asked to take a 20-minute walk with their assigned partner to help the team connect and to take time away from the screen.

What comes next?

WIP Week proved something we cannot unsee. When people from different teams sit together and are given permission, space, and trust to solve things, great things happen fast. Now that everyone is back home, we want to keep those conversations going, continue working on the ideas that came out of the week, and make sure none of that energy evaporates.

The energy from WIP Week was not a one-time event. We had an incredible time working together in person and look forward to the next OwnerRez WIP Week!

One aspect I haven't seen discussed yet is the potential impact on reviews. Hosts already get dinged for things beyond their control, and now we're introducing another guest-facing experience that the host doesn't manage. If an order arrives late, contains poor substitutions, or has quality issues, guests may not always separate that experience from the stay itself - they often translate those experiences into the review process.

I dug into some of the operational and review-related concerns hosts are raising and put together a deeper analysis here: https://www.dreamstayvacationrentals.com/post/airbnb-grocery-delivery-what-property-owners-need-to-know-about-the-new-instacart-integration

Ummm, yes. Who is going to put that away? Our properties are in the mountains that have bears. Good luck!

The new in-app grocery ordering looks like it is being offered by the host. We recently had a guest order groceries and let us know after-the-fact they assumed we would put them away as they were not arriving until late. Airbnb does not have a way to opt -out of this as it is different than their 3rd party services and they say it’s a “ad” that pops up in their messaging that the guest clicked on. They will not take responsibility for the incurred costs to have someone rush over to put away several hundred dollars worth of steaks & food (in rural Montana where we have bears prevalent). 

This is the letter that our guests are being sent.

Booking at Edgewater

Suggested task

Ensure security deposit received

Due on Sept 24                                      remind me

Carlton Enterprise, LLC

Hi Jenna

I wanted to remind you about the security deposit for your upcoming booking at Edgewater.

Your security deposit is due by Sept 24, 2026 which is 10 days from now.

Click on the following link to view security deposit instructions:

Security Deposit form for Booking # ORB15420884

https://orez.io/v1/s/25cd260e7f9345afae9b76bb4fb6d343

This needs to be done as soon as possible. Please remember that you are responsible for making sure your security deposit is received by Sept 24, 2026. Any manual/offline security deposits must be received and cleared by the due date.

We have already dismantled the "Security Deposit" message.

Please help me in this matter asap. Thank you.

This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s Instacart rollout, AirDNA’s "Hidden Gem" markets, discussions around the future of OTAs, and Airbnb’s new Farm to Stay grants. Let’s dive in.

On Tuesday, Airbnb announced the U.S. rollout of in-app grocery ordering through its partnership with Instacart, continuing its push to add more services to the platform. Guests on eligible trips across the U.S. can now place an order up to three weeks before check-in, with the property’s address automatically populated and no separate Instacart account required. In Phoenix and Orlando, hosts can also opt in to receive and put away groceries for guests before they arrive. Airbnb says it wants groceries to feel like a “natural part of a stay, not another errand,” and plans to bring the service to Canada in the coming weeks.

AirDNA published an interesting article this week that ranked the top short-term rental submarkets in the U.S., calling them “hidden gems.” Using data from more than 15 million listings across over 120,000 markets, AirDNA identified submarkets with 400 to 1,000 active listings, positive growth in supply and RevPAR, and a small percentage of professionally managed properties. Topping the list were Rockford, Illinois, with a 14% gross yield, followed by Akron, Ohio, at 13% and Warner Robins, Georgia, at 12%. These yields compare potential annual revenue with average home values, giving investors a good starting point for researching smaller markets to invest in.

Shares of Airbnb, Expedia Group, and Booking Holdings all fell on Wednesday as investors reacted to Meta’s new AI agent, Muse. Muse can help travelers book trips without visiting an OTA site, raising questions about how AI tools could change the way guests book travel in the future. Expedia Group also announced plans to offer hotel bookings through Muse, with Expedia still handling the transaction and acting as the merchant of record. The launch date for this integration has not been announced, and the integration does not currently include vacation rentals.

Airbnb announced a new grant program this week in partnership with American Farmland Trust. The Farm to Stay Grant Program will offer U.S. farmers and ranchers up to $10,000 to help prepare their properties for guests and to help create farm-based experiences. Airbnb reported that hosts who categorized their listings as “Farm Stays” in 2025 earned around $8,000 and wants to help more farmers earn extra income. Applications open in November, and Airbnb will host free online workshops over the next couple of months covering how to start a farm stay or experience.

As Airbnb continues to expand its services and new AI tools raise questions about how travelers may book in the future, the vacation rental industry continues to shift in 2026. Check back next week for the latest news!

Episode Twenty-Three of Walk ’n Talk: The Business Behind Vacation Rentals podcast is live!

Welcome to the Walk ’n Talk podcast, hosted by Paul Waldschmidt and Chris Hynes, CEO and CTO of OwnerRez. Inspired by their weekly walks, each podcast episode captures the honest conversations that have shaped product decisions and strategy over the years at OwnerRez. Whether you’re a host, manager, entrepreneur, or just curious how the industry works, listen in and walk away with ideas you can apply to your own business.

🎙️ Episode 23 Now Live

EP23 - Huddle, Hustle, and Heal

In Episode Twenty-Three, Paul and Chris share their vision for the inaugural OwnerRez Work In Person Week. They discuss what gets lost in remote work and how the week’s three themes, Huddle, Hustle, and Heal, are meant to help the team connect, remove friction, and build habits they can carry with them back home.

You’ll hear about:

• The connection and empathy that can get lost in remote work
• Finding and removing friction within and between teams
• Building habits around physical and mental health

Listen Now

Watch Now

Walk ’n Talk: The Business Behind Vacation Rentals is available on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

New episodes are already in the works, and we can’t wait for you to join us on the walk.

We are happy to share our new integration with SafeGuest, offering OwnerRez users a new seamless way to handle guest screening, risk assessment, and damage protection.

About SafeGuest

Short-term rentals have become incredibly sophisticated. The guest screening process... not always. SafeGuest helps close that gap with guest verification, intelligent risk assessment, and damage protection before check-in. Their Arrival Briefing verifies guest identity, assesses reservation risk, and creates financial accountability, giving hosts greater confidence with every booking. Best of all, it's free for hosts; guests pay a damage waiver or security deposit, while SafeGuest assumes liability up to the selected coverage limit. With a seamless integration with OwnerRez, SafeGuest helps hosts reduce fraud, prevent costly incidents, and create a safer, more trusted guest experience.

Features

• Screen: Every guest is verified automatically the moment they book. Free, triggered by OwnerRez.
• Score: Each booking gets a Risk Status in seconds: Green, Yellow or Red, plus an AI-written guest briefing. It informs the call. You still make it.
• Protect: Optional, and separate from the free bit. Damage support up to $20,000 on Green, $5,000 on Yellow, and a Red Cancellation Payment up to $1,000.

Pricing

Safeguest Prevent is free for hosts. Safeguest Protect is separate and optional, at $29 per stay, for listings enrolled before verification.

View full pricing info here.

Ready to Connect?

Get started with SafeGuest by visiting here, and check out the OwnerRez support article for integrating OwnerRez with SafeGuest.

Episode Twenty-Two of Walk ’n Talk: The Business Behind Vacation Rentals podcast is live!

Inspired by their weekly walks, OwnerRez co-founders Paul Waldschmidt and Chris Hynes started the Walk ’n Talk podcast to share the raw discussions they’ve had for years, debating ideas, talking through the business, and unpacking problems. Whether you’re a host, manager, entrepreneur, or simply curious how vacation rental software is built, listen in for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the conversations that shape OwnerRez.

🎙️ Episode 22 Now Live

EP22 - Which STR Fees Need to Go?

In Episode Twenty-Two, Paul and Chris let listeners in on a conversation they’ve been having about commonly accepted fees and rules in the vacation rental industry. From additional guest fees to maintenance charges, they question whether these practices still belong in today’s STR market and discuss the real costs they create for guests and operators.

• Why some common fees and rules no longer make sense
• Knowing what to enforce and what to let go
• Balancing operational costs, margins, and guest goodwill

Listen Now

Watch Now

Walk ’n Talk: The Business Behind Vacation Rentals is available on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

New episodes are already in the works, and we can’t wait for you to join us on the walk.

This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s Housing Accelerator program, AirDNA’s August market reviews, and new vacation rental regulations in Maryland and Minnesota. Let’s dive in.

Airbnb announced its Housing Accelerator program on Monday, which includes an initial $250 million investment to help finance affordable housing developments stuck “on the one-yard line” and in need of funding to move forward. Airbnb estimates that its investment could help unlock $5 billion in capital investments over the next ten years. The program will also support community leaders who are promoting changes to zoning, permitting, and building codes to make it easier and cheaper to create housing. Airbnb also announced its plans to launch a City Index, giving the public access to data on housing policies and their effects, and to offer five $1 million innovation prizes to entrepreneurs developing ways to reduce the cost and time needed to build housing.

AirDNA released its August 2026 STR market reviews this week for both the U.S. and European markets. On the surface, the U.S. report showed year-over-year declines in major metrics, including RevPAR and occupancy, but AirDNA noted that much of this was due to Labor Day weekend falling completely in September this year, rather than partly in August as it did in 2025. Digging deeper, daily demand in August actually outpaced 2025 until the very last weekend. AirDNA is predicting a strong U.S. market this fall, despite economic uncertainties. In its European report, the key takeaways included a 7.5% increase in average daily rates (ADR) compared to last year, along with slight declines in demand and occupancy.

In short-term rental regulation news, Montgomery County, Maryland, introduced a bill on Tuesday that would require OTAs such as Airbnb and Vrbo to verify a property’s license before publishing a listing. The bill would also prohibit platforms from processing payments for unlicensed rentals, require annual occupancy reports, and establish penalties for noncompliance. The proposal is similar to Clark County, Nevada’s recent ordinance prohibiting platforms from processing payments for unlicensed STRs, previously covered in Industry News on July 31st. Both proposals shift the responsibility away from the government and onto the booking platforms to help enforce local rules. A public hearing is scheduled for October 6th, so now is a great time to get involved if you are a vacation rental operator in Montgomery County.

In Minnesota, the Duluth City Council voted unanimously on Monday to approve new vacation rental restrictions prohibiting the conversion of single-family homes into short-term rentals. Existing STRs will be grandfathered in, but their permit will no longer be transferable. Duluth also shared plans to add staff to support enforcement and to move permitting under the Fire Department’s Safety Division. The city reported that there are currently around 200 permitted short-term rentals, but it suspects around 400 vacation rentals are operating without a proper permit.

As booking platforms find new ways to give back and local governments continue to refine STR regulations, the vacation rental industry continues to shift in 2026. Check back next week for the latest news!

This week, we are featuring Meredith Tracy, owner of Pineapple Properties of the Florida Keys and an OwnerRez user for over five years. After years of visiting the Keys with her family, Meredith and her husband made the move and have built a thriving vacation rental business, now managing 19 properties along the coastline.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

I'm a 5th-generation Floridian and grew up in Ocala. My first trip to the Florida Keys was when I was 18 years old. I've always loved the beach and being by the ocean, but I had never fished before and had never seen anything like the Florida Keys, with its blue and turquoise waters and special island experiences. I was enamored and wanted to return. So, I continued to visit with my husband and our children when we could over the years.

As the area where we raised our family became busier and more populated, we wanted to move to a small town. We decided we wanted to be by the water and where it is mostly warm all year round, so we chose the Florida Keys. At the time, I was a loan originator and could work from anywhere. When we moved, my husband started his real estate career.

What is your background?

My husband was an entrepreneur, and I helped him with his companies part-time while raising our 3 children. At 40, I became a loan originator and worked in that industry for 15 years.

Were you always in vacation rentals or property management, or is this a second or third career?

I guess you could say it is a 3rd career: Mom, Loan Originator, and now Vacation Rental Company Owner.

What do you love most about the vacation rental business?

Helping people make happy memories that they will take home with them and enjoy for a lifetime! I have guests who return year after year; it has become a tradition in their family!

What do you dislike the most about it?

Managing difficult guests who break things and don't leave the property the way they found it. I also find that more and more guests have such high expectations, and it can be difficult to please them.

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

I look at OwnerRez as the "hub" of my "airline"; almost everything goes out from it. It allows me to do almost everything I need to do in one place. It is also like having an assistant for much less money!

What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?

For me, the most useful aspect of OwnerRez is the ability to send check-in information effortlessly once it is set up. Specifically, the ability to automatically send guests helpful and important information about the property (including their personal one-time code) to (hopefully) facilitate a smooth check-in. Sometimes the trick is getting them to read it. 

Meredith has done an excellent job of building a vacation rental business that creates lasting memories for guests. We’re excited to see Pineapple Properties of the Florida Keys continue to grow and to keep building tools that give Meredith more time to enjoy the Keys!

We are excited to announce that during this year's VRMA International Conference in Nashville, TN, OwnerRez will be hosting a FREE Hangout event! 🎸

Join us for FREE drinks, FREE food, LIVE music, and lots of opportunities to connect with the OwnerRez team and co-hosts.

This year’s Hangout will be on October 5th, 2026, from 7-9 PM at the historic Acme Feed & Seed building, just a 10-minute walk from the Music City Center, where the conference will be held.

OwnerRez is co-hosting this event with a select group of our integrated partners, PriceLabs, Rental Guardian, Lynnbrook Group, and PetScreening.

Whether you've been with OwnerRez from the beginning or are just getting started, this is a great opportunity to connect, give us feedback, share ideas, and meet the people behind the tools you use every day.

Event Details

• Date: October 5th, 2026
• Time: 7-9 PM CT
• Location: Acme Feed & Seed (101 Broadway St., Nashville, TN 37201)
• Admission: FREE. Space is limited to 200 guests, so reserve your free ticket in advance.

Reserve your FREE ticket today! We can’t wait to see you there!

This week’s roundup covers the EU’s Affordable Housing Act, changes to Google Vacation Rentals, AirDNA’s latest data on minimum nights, and a proposed vacation rental ban in Japan. Let’s dive in.

The European Commission officially proposed its Affordable Housing Act on Wednesday, which included a new framework for regulating short-term rentals. Under the proposal, officials seeking to introduce new vacation rental restrictions would need to identify a local housing problem, show that short-term rentals have made housing less affordable or harder to find for at least three years, and explain why less restrictive options would be less effective. Before any new rules take effect, authorities will also need to make the evidence behind the rule public, specify where the rules would apply, and state how long they would remain in place. While this new framework could lead to more restrictions, it would also give vacation rental operators a clearer path to challenge future restrictions. The proposal will now require agreement from EU countries and the European Parliament before it can become law.

On Tuesday, Google began removing its Vacation Rentals section from Search results for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to comply with the Digital Markets Act. The move follows a €460 million fine imposed by the European Commission after it found that Google gave its own services better placement than competitors' in Search. The removed section displayed vacation rental listings, prices, and allowed travelers to click through to direct booking sites. The removal applies specifically to people searching from within the EEA. Travelers outside the EEA can still use the feature, including when searching for properties in Europe. Vacation rentals also remain eligible to appear on Google Maps and Google Hotels. Google says it hopes to bring the feature back to the EEA in the future.

AirDNA published an interesting article this week highlighting the importance of nightly minimums in a vacation rental pricing strategy. Using reservation data from 2025 across the 50 largest U.S. vacation rental markets, AirDNA found that there is no single “correct” nightly minimum, with guest booking patterns varying greatly by market, season, property size, and arrival day. AirDNA noted Myrtle Beach as a great example, with seven-night stays accounting for nearly 25% of reservations in June and July, compared with just 2% to 5% in January and February. As we transition from summer to fall, now is a great time for vacation rental operators to review their pricing strategies and evaluate minimum-stay trends in their specific markets.

Shinjuku, a popular tourist destination in Japan, announced plans on Tuesday to add new vacation rental restrictions following a steady increase in complaints from local residents. The proposed changes would largely ban vacation rentals in residential areas and near schools, affecting more than half of Shinjuku’s vacation rental supply, roughly 4,000. Currently, vacation rentals in commercial areas would still be allowed, but the annual limit would be reduced from 180 to 120 days. The changes have not yet been finalized, and Shinjuku plans to gather public comments before moving forward with the revised ordinance.

As governments consider new vacation rental restrictions and OTAs are forced to make changes, the vacation rental industry continues to shift this month. Check back next week for the latest news!

I did an AI search and found this information:

Commission Rate: Marriott takes a standard 15% commission on nightly booking rates and cleaning fees. They act as the merchant of record for processing payments.

Booking Model: Properties are required to be on Instant Book configuration.

Cancellation Deadlines: Standard cancellation policies are tightly restricted. Most integrations default to a firm policy allowing free cancellation only up to 30 days prior to check-in (with a brief 48-hour grace period upon booking). 

So if we own under 10 we still can’t connect?!  When should we expect to be able to use this? 

I have tried searching - what is the Marriott Bonvoy commission or fee % if our property is booked through their site??

This week’s roundup covers Vrbo’s new features, Airbnb’s “direct booking” pilot, and short-term rental regulation updates from two neighboring Florida counties. Let’s dive in.

Expedia Group announced several updates to Vrbo on Tuesday, including the global rollout of Sponsored Listings, previously covered in Industry News on August 21st. Additional features included in the announcement, but already live, include same-day bookings, welcome guides, and two new flexible cancellation policies. There were also several new features announced that will be coming soon, including the ability to book Vrbo properties as part of an Expedia flight or car package, a non-refundable rate option that will allow hosts to offer both refundable and lower-priced non-refundable rates, and Limited Time Offers, which will give hosts the ability to opt in for additional visibility during sales such as Black Friday. Expedia Group also shared plans to introduce Host with Confidence on Vrbo, a damage protection program designed for hosts. Similar to Airbnb’s AirCover, the program is intended to cover property damage and income loss tied to damage caused by guests.

Rental Scale-Up by PriceLabs released an interesting report this week on a new Airbnb pilot testing lower service fees through what it calls “direct booking” links. In the pilot, select hosts can create a link to their Airbnb listing and share it through social media or other marketing channels. When a guest books through the link, Airbnb’s standard 15.5% host fee is reportedly reduced to either 6% or 10%, and hosts can choose to pass some of the savings to the guest through a new direct booking discount. While Airbnb is calling it a “direct booking” link, the booking, payment, and guest data all remain on Airbnb. Airbnb has not yet published any official details about the pilot.

In short-term rental regulation news, Hillsborough County Commissioners voted 7-0 on Wednesday to approve new regulations for vacation rentals in unincorporated Hillsborough County, including communities immediately outside Tampa. The rules do not currently affect properties within Tampa city limits, although the city can choose to adopt the same requirements in the future. Beginning January 1st, 2027, owners will be required to register their properties annually, pay a $200 fee, and designate a local contact who is available 24/7 and can reach the property within one hour. Owners must also show proof of state registration and tourist-tax status and agree to Code Enforcement inspections when requested. County officials estimate the regulations will affect around 3,000 vacation rentals.

Just south of Hillsborough County, Manatee County Commissioners held a public workshop on Wednesday and directed staff to prepare a revised short-term rental ordinance. Previously covered in Industry News on June 19th, the county has been considering occupancy and parking limits, local contact requirements, inspections, and increased penalties. Commissioners say the goal is to create a better framework for dealing with “bad actors” without punishing vacation rental operators who are following the rules. For operators in unincorporated Manatee County, now is a great time to get involved and make your voice heard on this upcoming ordinance.

As booking platforms roll out and announce upcoming features, the vacation rental industry continues to shift in 2026. Check back next week for the latest news!

Thank you, Patricia, for pointing this out! The blog post has been updated. 

There appears to be a pricing discrepancy. Who should we reach out to for clarification on pricing?

Great example of how OwnerRez continues to expand its partner ecosystem. The photo documentation and checklist features stand out to me - having a centralized way to verify turnover quality and document property condition can be incredibly valuable for professional property managers. Looking forward to seeing how users leverage this integration.

Is Airbnb' Backup Codes the same as Airbnb' Backup Entry Methods? If I try to use backup codes, I'm forced to enter 2 codes (can't use it to offer lockbox access in the event the smartlock fails). Entering the same code, twice, didn't work either. 

Ariel, I think OwnerRez's Airbnb Seamless Entry integration (requires two different 4 to 8-digit backup door codes) is different from Airbnb's Backup Entry, which is added directly on the Airbnb platform.

We are excited to feature and share the story of Mark & Antoinette Campbell, founders of Las Gaviotas Rentals. Starting with a single property in 2003, they’ve built a thriving vacation rental business in Baja California that now includes their grown children and allows them to give back to the local community.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

I grew up in San Diego, California. My parents took us camping along the beaches of Baja California, and I used to sneak down to Mexico to surf after school on weekdays and weekends in high school in the 80s, before there were cell phones. My wife, Antoinette, and I met at California State University, Fullerton, at the Catholic club on a trip to bring food and clothing to an orphanage in Baja. Later, while married and with our five children, we stayed at the complex, Las Gaviotas, where we eventually bought our first rental home. Surfing in front of the complex is well known among the Southern California surf community. I still surf whenever I am there.

What is your background?

My major was in International Business with a Minor in French Language and French Business Practices. I studied in Southern California and in France. Out of college, I worked three years for a Korean/Japanese Joint Venture on Guam as a Project Manager building the Hyatt Regency Guam. From there, three years of internal sales processing for a San Diego-based computer chip manufacturer. Then, I worked for 29 years with the US Department of Justice. Three of those years, our family lived in Managua, Nicaragua, working at the US Embassy.

Were you always in vacation rentals or property management, or is this a second or third career?

This is a fun side hustle for me that helps support a family of seven. I enjoy the creativity of website building and the joy of providing vacations to families while enjoying the homes ourselves.

What do you love most about the vacation rental business?

Guests of the vacation rental business are always happy to speak with you. They like discussing their vacation, family, plans, and experiences. It is almost always pure joy. If you provide a good product, rarely is there a difficult conversation. Our now-grown children work in the family business. One daughter creates social media content. Another is an interior decorator. And one of our sons helps manage our website, which is hosted through GoDaddy but uses the OwnerRez widgets.

What do you dislike the most about it?

Occasionally, in the busy season, in our case, July and August, things get hectic, and family time suffers.

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

I cannot imagine life without OwnerRez. We own three properties that are automated with OwnerRez. Guests use the OwnerRez “Book Now” feature with credit card processing and the guest portal, making our job easy.

What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?

The OwnerRez feature we like most is the Availability Calendar. Our guests can search their desired weekend for homes that are available and glance at the names and size of homes. Guests can also do this by using the filter when conducting a search (dates, number of guests allowed, oceanfront vs oceanview, price, etc). The widgets that OwnerRez provides allow us to be creative with the WordPress website that we manage.

Mark and Antoinette have built a strong family business in Baja California by combining their love for the area with a passion for giving back. We look forward to seeing Las Gaviotas Rentals continue to grow!

This week, we are highlighting Jeff and Sandra Bright, founders of Bright Haus Condos and OwnerRez users for over six years. With more than 30 years of rental experience, they've built a successful vacation rental business in Breckenridge, Colorado, focused on direct bookings, repeat guests, and helping families create lasting mountain memories.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

Bright Haus Condos was born out of thirty-plus years of long-term and short-term rental experience. After watching the short-term rental industry go through several transformational changes from 2000 to 2016, we decided to take control of our STR destiny and create our own direct booking site. We felt the key to success was great branding and ease of use to generate repeat guest stays. Building the website was a challenge, and that was what led us to OwnerRez in 2017.

We now see more bookings from our OwnerRez page than from any other single source. We’ve always focused on keeping our properties in premium condition and adding thoughtful touches that create lasting memories. Today, our properties have earned more than 900 five-star reviews, all located at the Village at Breckenridge in Breckenridge, CO. Our children have followed in our footsteps and now manage their own properties at the Village as well. The family connection and shared love for the area are a big part of what makes this business so meaningful to us.

What is your background?

My passion for mountain real estate started at age 17, dreaming of owning short-term rentals in Colorado ski towns. I watched my grandparents run rental properties as a child and saw the value in that type of business. Jeff’s grandparents subdivided their farm and built seven rental properties to generate secondary income during WWII, and afterward, they lived in one of those properties for 10 years. After we married, we both felt that we should take what we learned from our families and follow in their footsteps. We purchased our first rental property two years after we were married. Throughout our careers, real estate was always our “fun job," long before side hustles were a trend.

Were you always in vacation rentals or property management, or is this a second or third career?

We’ve always been involved in rental management in some form, even while working full-time careers. Vacation rentals became our later-career passion, but real estate has been part of our lives from the beginning. Our enthusiasm has led to our family, in-laws, and friends joining us on this adventure, and we've enjoyed watching them succeed in vacation rentals as well.

If a later career, what did you do before?

I worked in healthcare management and medical sales. Jeff served in the Navy as a pilot and later worked in national medical sales leadership. Real estate rentals were always running in the background, the constant thread through every chapter.

Are you from the geographical area where your properties are located?

Yes, we were both born and raised in Colorado as our families arrived here several generations ago. We both had the chance to fully explore Colorado while we were young. While our professional journey took us to many other parts of the US and overseas, we were always comparing those locations to Colorado. And none of them quite gave us the same sense of wonder the we get from the Rocky Mountains. That is why we always knew we would be back here one day.

What do you love most about the vacation rental business?

Vacations are an important part of life. We love hosting and helping create lasting vacation memories for guests. Every property we personally remodel with our signature warm mountain-modern design, creating that “aww” moment when guests walk in and instantly feel at ease, like they left their work life on the other side of the mountains. Our goal is for guests to leave everything behind and simply be present on their vacation.

What do you dislike the most about it?

The constant changes across booking platforms and the increasing fees charged to guests and owners. There are too many middlemen, and restrictive policies often make it harder to deliver the best value and experience, something we’ve been committed to for decades.

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

OwnerRez is our central hub. It integrates our properties across multiple platforms, making it easy for our family team to assist any guest or property at any time. The messaging templates, automation, and overall ease of use make it a true one-stop shop for managing our portfolio.

What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?

The ability for guests to book direct and find us again and again, without being diverted to other listings, is the biggest advantage. OwnerRez’s pricing is fair, and we appreciate that features can be added as the business grows rather than being forced into an all-in-one package. Creating a website is simple, and the integrations and automated templates make guest communication seamless.

Jeff and Sandra have done an incredible job of building a vacation rental business with a strong direct-booking model, loyal repeat guests, and a recognizable brand. We’re proud they’ve chosen to partner their family business with OwnerRez and look forward to seeing what they do next.

most have 35 homes or more

Is Airbnb' Backup Codes the same as Airbnb' Backup Entry Methods? If I try to use backup codes, I'm forced to enter 2 codes (can't use it to offer lockbox access in the event the smartlock fails). Entering the same code, twice, didn't work either. 

Maybe this?