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Barry Diller wants to own the world. Monopolizing airline and hotel and vacation rental bookings isn't enough for him. 

We’re excited to announce our latest integration with Flow Web Designs, offering fast, custom-built websites that sync directly with OwnerRez listing content, availability, and rates.

About Flow Web Designs

Flow Web Designs builds fast, custom websites for vacation rental brands, property managers, and service businesses that want to convert more of the traffic they earn. Every Flow site is designed around your brand, engineered on Cloudflare for speed and reliability, and structured for search and direct bookings. Flow then connects your website directly to OwnerRez, syncing your listings, availability, and rates in real time.

Features

• Custom, brand-first website design
• Live sync from OwnerRez (listings, photos, availability, rates, rules)
• Real-time direct booking powered by OwnerRez
• Clear conversion paths for guests and owner-prospects
• Destination SEO (location, guides, category pages)

Example Site

https://coastal.flowwebdesigner.com/

Pricing

Contact Flow Web Designs for a custom quote.

Ready to Connect?

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

This week’s roundup covers strong Q2 results from Airbnb and Expedia Group, Airbnb’s new partnership with Tripadvisor, and vacation rental policy changes in Pacifica, California. Let’s dive in.

Airbnb released its second-quarter 2026 financial results this week, reporting 17% year-over-year revenue growth to $3.6 billion. During the earnings call, Airbnb shared that Reserve Now, Pay Later now accounts for more than 20% of total bookings by value, first-time bookers grew 11% to reach their highest growth in four years, and nights booked through the Airbnb app increased 23% and now account for 64% of all nights booked. Hotels also saw strong growth in Q2, growing approximately three times faster than homes while still representing only a single-digit share of total nights. Looking ahead, Airbnb says food delivery is coming through a partner that has not yet been announced, AI-powered search remains in testing, and the company is developing its own AI pricing model for hosts.

In more financial news, Expedia Group, the parent company of Vrbo, announced its Q2 2026 results this week, reporting 12% year-over-year growth in gross bookings to $33.9 billion and 14% revenue growth to $4.3 billion. Consumer bookings, which include Vrbo, Expedia.com, and Hotels.com, increased 8% as the company recorded its strongest U.S. growth in 15 quarters. During the earnings call, Expedia also shared that more than 40% of Vrbo bookings were made on properties offering discounts funded by hosts or property managers. Expedia also became the first online travel agency to distribute Allegiant flights, giving it full coverage of U.S. commercial airlines. Looking ahead, the company plans to acquire car rental and insurance platform CarTrawler and says social media and Answer Engine Optimization are among its fastest-growing channels for reaching travelers.

Airbnb announced a new partnership with Tripadvisor on Tuesday that will bring a selection of Tripadvisor "experiences" to the Airbnb platform later this year. Tripadvisor currently offers approximately 425,000 experiences through its tours and activities business, though the company has not disclosed how many will be added to Airbnb. The announcement comes as Airbnb continues to expand its Experiences business, adding 1,000 new options across its most popular categories in Q2 and increasing supply by nearly 80% year-over-year. Airbnb says it is taking a gradual, long-term approach to growth, focusing on building a successful Experiences model in one market before expanding it to additional markets.

In short-term rental regulation news, the California Coastal Commission voted 6-4 on Wednesday to approve a modified version of Pacifica’s vacation rental ordinance following a nearly seven-month delay. The decision removed the city’s proposed primary residence requirement and doubled the annual cap for unhosted rentals from 60 to 120 days. The changes would divide Pacifica into two zones of vacation rental rules, with Highway 1 separating the Coastal and non-Coastal zones. If accepted, the new rules would create additional opportunities for vacation rental operators within the Coastal Zone. The Pacifica Planning Commission and City Council will now review the revisions and decide whether to accept them by October.

As major booking platforms continue to show strong growth and announce upcoming plans, the vacation rental industry continues to evolve. Check back next week for the latest news!

Episode Nineteen of Walk ’n Talk: The Business Behind Vacation Rentals podcast is now 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, the podcast gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the decisions, challenges, and lessons that have shaped OwnerRez over the years. Whether you’re an experienced business owner or just getting started, listen in and take away ideas from their journey building an elite vacation rental software company.

🎙️ Episode 19 Now Live

EP19 - Leading With Persistence

In Episode Nineteen, Paul and Chris discuss what it means to lead with persistence and humility. Drawing from their years of experience building OwnerRez, they talk about focusing on what can be done now, taking big, painful steps forward even when it means stepping back, and learning once the rubber meets the road. They also discuss the unique human ability to push past setbacks, the humility needed to undo or rebuild, and the maturity to know when to push through or hit the brakes.

You’ll hear about:

• Doing the best you can with what you know now
• Learning what can be improved once the rubber meets the road
• Taking big, painful steps forward without being afraid of taking two steps back
• Having the humility to undo, refactor, or build again
• Knowing when to push through and when to put the brakes on

It’s a real conversation about leading with persistence and staying humble enough to change course when needed.

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 Booking Holdings’ strong Q2 performance, Airbnb’s latest push into hotels, and proposed short-term rental regulations in Pittsburgh and Carson City. Let’s dive in.

Booking Holdings, the parent company of Booking.com, released its second-quarter 2026 financial results this week, reporting continued growth. Room nights booked reached 325 million, up 5% year-over-year, while gross bookings increased 9% to $51 billion, driven in part by strong domestic travel in the U.S. Booking.com reported continued growth in its Connected Trip transactions, where travelers book multiple parts of the same trip, such as a flight, stay, and rental car, through the platform. The company also highlighted its Genius loyalty program, with higher-tier members accounting for nearly 60% of nights booked. Despite growing interest in AI-powered travel search, Booking says traffic from large language models remains significantly below 1% of total nights booked through the platform.

Airbnb took another step into the hotel space this week by announcing a new partnership with boutique hotel operator Lark Hotels. The distribution agreement will add more than 75 properties across the U.S. to Airbnb, including Lark’s full portfolio of brands such as AWOL, Blind Tiger, and Bluebird. Lark says the partnership will give its hotel owners a more diverse mix of booking channels and direct access to Airbnb travelers seeking distinctive stays. This is the latest move by Airbnb to expand into boutique and independent hotels, previously covered in Industry News on September 19th.

Previously covered in Industry News on February 13th, Pittsburgh’s long-running effort to regulate short-term rentals is moving forward, with two proposals expected to receive further consideration this fall. If passed, the zoning proposal would prevent new non-owner-occupied vacation rentals from opening in residential areas zoned for single-family homes, duplexes, or triplexes, but would allow existing operators to apply to be grandfathered in. A separate licensing bill would require operators to obtain a license, designate a local contact, and comply with new guest and operating requirements. The Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing on the zoning proposal on September 8th, and the City Council expects to hold a tentative committee vote on the licensing bill on October 21st. For vacation rental operators in Pittsburgh, now is a great time to get involved and make your voice heard on these proposals.

Carson City, Nevada, is considering new vacation rental regulations following more than a year of community outreach. If approved, operators would pay a $25 application fee, a $500 annual business license fee, and the city’s increased transient lodging tax. The rules would also require annual safety inspections, limit occupancy to two guests per bedroom, establish quiet hours, and require a local contact. Vacation rentals would be allowed in most residential zones but remain prohibited in apartment buildings, industrial zones, and public districts. City leaders say the goal is to preserve neighborhood character while supporting business and tourism.

As the top booking platforms continue to show signs of growth and local governments consider new vacation rental regulations, the industry continues to take shape this summer. Check back next week for the latest news!

This week, we are excited to feature Karen Tillery, a longtime OwnerRez user and the designer, builder, and vacation rental manager behind Restoration Log Cabins in North Alabama. Over the last 30 years, Karen has turned her passion for restoring old cabins and saving pieces of history into a successful career in design, construction, and vacation rental management.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

I’m Karen Tindall Tillery, but my friends call me KT. I’m a Southern girl born in Birmingham, a follower of Jesus, and an Auburn University graduate. A go getter at heart, I run 2 crazy, fun, and amazing businesses: Restoration Log Cabin Rentals and Karen Tillery Designs. I love all my jobs, from Mom and Gigi to designer, builder, and cabin rental manager. I started working with old, reclaimed buildings and materials over 30 years ago, and renovated my first cabin 22 years ago.

I later got my builder’s license so I could begin designing and building for other people. Since then, I have built cabins for clients and helped them set up their own vacation rentals through OwnerRez. My love for restoring log cabins and barns from the 1800s also led to an awesome career later in life as a designer on “Barnwood Builders.” My passion is taking the worn, weathered, and forgotten and turning it into something beautiful and new, while saving pieces of history along the way.

What is your background?

My background is in design and construction. I built and opened my first vacation rental in 2005 and, at one point, had 7 vacation rentals.

Were you always in vacation rentals or property management? If not, what did you do before?

I started my career in 1989 as a graphic designer at Southern Progress, best known for Southern Living Magazine, and then started dabbling in interior decorating in 1992. In 2004, I began my first cabin project. I went on to do my second cabin in 2008 and my third in 2012. In 2015, I started my fourth and largest cabin project, and in 2016, I transitioned to working full-time as a designer, builder, and rental manager.

The fifth cabin came quickly on the heels of the fourth and opened in 2017. I then undertook the design and construction of a 66-acre wedding venue consisting of seven structures. It opened for business in 2019. After that, I built two more cabins for clients and helped them set up their own vacation rentals through OwnerRez.

Are you from the geographical area where your properties are located, or did you move there later?

I only live about an hour from all of the rentals I built. Everything was centered around Lake Guntersville and the beautiful mountains overlooking that area.

What do you love most about the vacation rental business?

The flexibility of being able to manage my business from anywhere.

What do you dislike the most about it?

You can never get away from it, and if you run it all yourself, there is no such thing as a vacation.

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

I use OwnerRez for everything from managing my calendar to keeping up with payments and invoices to keeping track of my taxes. I use the automated trigger emails, and most of my business is on autopilot.

What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?

The calendar syncing and the ability to share with my cleaning, maintenance and lawn care as well as pest control a link so they can see in real time when the cabin is open and when it is occupied and set up their service schedules accordingly.

Karen has done an incredible job of turning her passions into a successful career. We are proud to support her business and to help keep her day-to-day operations running on autopilot.

This week’s roundup covers AirDNA’s breakdown of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Airbnb.org’s latest emergency housing efforts, and two short-term rental regulation stories from Florida and Nevada. Let’s dive in.

AirDNA released its final report on the 2026 FIFA World Cup this week, breaking down the tournament’s impact on short-term rental revenue across all 16 host cities. According to the report, short-term rental revenue increased by an estimated $276.7 million compared to the same period last year, with 84% of that growth driven by higher nightly rates. Additional nights booked accounted for just 16% of the increase, as a large rise in available inventory ahead of the tournament stabilized and even declined occupancy across many host cities. The report highlights the importance of quickly adjusting to demand and creating a strong pricing strategy.

Airbnb.org announced that it is providing free emergency housing to residents displaced by recent flooding across Central and South Texas. Through partnerships with Catholic Charities, the Archdiocese of San Antonio, All Hands & Hearts, and Operation Blessing, Airbnb.org is helping connect displaced families and first responders with temporary stays near their communities. Airbnb.org is also providing emergency housing to people displaced by wildfires in Spain and France. Since 2020, Airbnb.org has provided 1.6 million nights of free temporary housing across nearly 140 countries.

Hernando County Commissioners in Florida rejected a proposed short-term rental ordinance on Tuesday following hours of debate. The proposal would have required all vacation rental operators in the county to register their properties, limit each rental to 10 guests, require one off-street parking space for every three occupants, and establish new emergency contact, safety, and inspection requirements. Supporters argued that the ordinance would help reduce complaints and neighborhood concerns, while opponents said existing parking and code enforcement laws should be enforced instead of creating additional rules specifically for the vacation rental industry.

In other short-term rental regulation news, Clark County, Nevada, is considering a new ordinance that would prevent Airbnb and Vrbo from processing bookings for unlicensed short-term rentals. The proposal would still allow unlicensed properties to be advertised, but platforms would be prohibited from completing the transaction. It would also require booking platforms to retain transient lodging tax records for 3 years in the event of an audit or discrepancy. County officials say the changes are intended to reduce the number of unlicensed rentals, while local operators have criticized the county’s slow licensing process and raised concerns that the proposal is a step towards further regulations. For vacation rental operators in Clark County, now is a great time to get involved and make your voice heard. 

The first-ever OwnerRez Roadshow kicks off this weekend! The OwnerRez team will be joined by Rental Guardian, Lynnbrook Group, Turno, Avalara, and StayFi for three FREE full-day events in Blue Ridge, GA, Gulf Shores, AL, and Tampa, FL. Each event will feature talks from STR industry experts, roundtable discussions, an all-speaker Q&A panel, FREE coffee, a FREE lunch, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the OwnerRez team and co-hosts. Whether you’re new to the vacation rental industry or a seasoned operator, we hope you’ll join us! There are still a few tickets left, and you can sign up for free using the link here.

As we evaluate the impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and local governments continue to revisit short-term rental regulations, the vacation rental industry continues to take shape in 2026. Check back next week for the latest news!

Hey Robert, thanks for listening to the pod.

Personally, one of the great breakthroughs I had in life was learning to connect with others by using terms I don't necessarily agree with, but that provide a bridge to a broader conversation or audience. Having grown up in a fundamentalist household, I have a deep-seated disdain for dogma and legalism. Forcing myself to never say "Airbnbs" just to toe a dogmatic line in the sand just isn't my style.

You mentioned "Vacation Rental, or a Short-Term Rental, or a Vacation Home".  Which one is your term of choice?

I have contacted them and Sam was super helpful. They don't have an option yet to do Sex Offender background lists so I'll need to stay with TRUVI for that for now until the update that feature, as we need that for the city we have our listing in. They have varying $$ amounts and they will send that info to you if you can't do a call. I was most interested as when I had a small claim with TRUVI they wanted a receipt for my sheets, which I didn't have. Also, they wanted to only send me the bottom sheets. They did finally pay it but told me I would need a receipt of the purchase next time. I checked with Sam and he said that would not be required for them. This is why I changed.

What's an "AirBnB" that you kept referring to in this podcast?

It's two things:

1) A Pubic Company worth Billions of Dollars

2) A Website where people can book accommodations (and now services and other things)

It's NOT a Vacation Rental, or a Short-Term Rental, or a Vacation Home.

Those are appropriate terms for private homes that people rent out for short term stays to travellers.

Calling a Vacation Rental an AirBnB is SUCH a gigantic faux pas!

1) AirBnB has enough money and business and market share. They don't need you promoting them and their name for free!
(For someone involved in the industry the way you are, this is additionally shocking. You have a business relationship with VRBO and Booking.com and other websites. How will they feel about your promoting their competitor? You need to keep yourself 'clean' and stop the obvious favouritism!)

2) Calling a Vacation Rental an AirBnB gives psychological weight to the idea that guests are dealing with and booking from AirBnB, instead of a private owner or manager. This is dangerous to the industry, and to the guest's themselves. For the good of everyone involved, guests need to understand that listing websites are NOT a party to the booking, and in reality have no legal control or input into what goes on between the guest and the host. Online booking will be much safer when everyone understands that and learns how to independently keep themselves safe conducting business online. Of course, the big listing sites don't want that to happen; they want customers scared so they'll stay on platform and be 'protected' by using a name brand site. But we all know guests pay for this, and unreasonably so. So why are you promoting one site's brand?

3) It gives 'ownership' of the guest to AirBnB, not the host owner or manager, leading to more business, bookings, and repeat stays for AirBnB, not the hosts. This is to the detriment of the hosts, who (at least in my market) make LESS money per booking than AirBnB does; and the guests, who pay roughly 18% more on average for the 'privilege' of booking through AirBnB. Guests need to understand that listing sites should be conduits to building a relationship with a great host, and are not the entity that is actually taking care of them.

4) It excludes those in the business who are NOT beholden to AirBnB for their bookings. They DO exist. And they don't rent out Verhbohs or Bookings either! Don't those owners have a right to participate equally in the industry? Or do you want a portion of your customers to be made to feel like second-class citizens that don't belong?

Sure, lots of people refer to vacation rentals as 'AirBnB's but that started with people, who generally speaking, were ignorant of what it means for the industry and for hosts when people do this. But for people within the industry to do it?

Exactly who do you work for? Where do you make your money, and who's business are you trying to promote and build? Those of your customers?

Or a multi-billion dollar internet company that's run for the good of its shareholders FIRST, and certainly NOT YOUR CUSTOMERS... or their customers!

Ending the reference to vacation rentals as 'AirBnB's' (or limiting the growth of it) must start with those that know better (or at least should!).

The most successful and profitable vacation rentals in the industry are those that don't operate as serfs to the big listing sites. Your software should be helping your customers to do this as much as possible. Perhaps it doesn't because the leadership's own thinking is just as beholden to AirBnB as the casual guest's is?

Some may dismiss this as 'no big deal' but it's actually huge, and the impact of what it represents is massive upon all of our businesses. Trust me on that, even if you don't understand why. Labels matter, and can and do steer the choices and activity of millions of people. And what happens with their billions of dollars.

You have a responsibility, and owe it to your customers, to do better.

Agree. Is there a compelling reason to change from what we use now?

do you have cleaners to do the job? 

Would be curious how they charge before engaging with them. Thank you in advance if anyone has comments or thoughts. 

Hi Denise and Vince,

STR TV does automatically log out of all streaming apps (or a specific set of apps if preferred) at the end of guest checkout. We also lock down the TV to prevent guests from accessing system settings, ensuring a secure, consistent experience across every property — just like a high-end resort.

Also synced with OwnerRez, STR TV AutoWakes TVs 2 hours before check-in and 1 hour before checkout to ensure we greet the guest with an unforgettable first impression and drive rebookings, extended stays, and on-site stay reviews at checkout.

I’d be happy to answer any additional questions or show STR TV in action on a quick demo. If interested, you can grab a time that works best for you here.

We use this on BetterSTR Tv, there is an option to logout of specific apps or all apps. The tv turns on at the guests checkin time etc and turns off at checkout with the apps logged out. 

you can also lock the device down to specific apps, like a kiosk and reorder the apps etc. 

If you figure out how to reset the TV to a state where guests are completely logged out of all apps and anything installed is deleted then I am in.  Biggest challenge I have with the TVs in our rental is guest experience from apps. 

Hi everyone! To clarify how our partnerships work, OwnerRez did not select STR TV after evaluating different options. Rather, STR TV approached us because they were interested in building an integration with OwnerRez.

Any company that wants to become an official OwnerRez integration partner and be formally recognized across our integrations directory, blog, support documentation, and other marketing channels must complete our standard partnership process. This includes having our team test and review the integration to ensure OwnerRez data is syncing and being used properly. Partners must also agree to our standard partnership terms, which include specific requirements related to data usage, privacy, security, and other important protections.

By partnering with third-party apps and service providers, we give OwnerRez users the flexibility to build the technology stack that works best for their individual business needs. OwnerRez currently supports more than 150 officially integrated companies, which you can view here.

Hi Parrot Head,

Thank you for these excellent questions - we absolutely value transparency, so I wanted to make sure to address your questions.

OwnerRez Pilot & Vetting: Yes, after evaluating and testing the integration, OwnerRez has integrated STR TV.

Affiliation: STR TV is an independent company with no ownership affiliation to OwnerRez. This is a standard technology integration that OwnerRez makes available to its users.

OwnerRez’s Benefit: By partnering with tools like STR TV, OwnerRez helps their property managers and owners deliver a more modern, hands-off, high-end experience - leading to happier guests, better reviews, fewer support tickets, and stronger overall performance for their portfolios. It’s a win for everyone in the ecosystem.

If you have any additional questions, I’d be happy to answer them.

Hey Vacation Rental,

The $20 per unit pricing is positioned for the premium, done-for-you experience it delivers: a branded smart TV app that greets guests by name with your property logo and welcome video, high-quality 4K local content (attractions, restaurants, activities), a comprehensive digital house manual that dramatically reduces inquiries, private pre-review feedback, and built-in upsell opportunities.

For most owners and managers, this quickly pays for itself through higher guest satisfaction (better reviews and repeat bookings), time savings on operations, and additional revenue streams like vendor commissions and real estate leads. Many of our partners tell us it's one of the highest-ROI upgrades they've made for their rentals.

Also please keep in mind the pricing is per property, no per TV - which is good. You can load it on as many TVs as you'd like and the monthly price does not change.

If you have any additional questions, I'd love to show you what we've built and why so many professional operators have made the switch. If you have 15 minutes, you can grab a time here

Hey Ed,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts - we completely understand the focus on keeping costs down, especially after cutting cable expenses. We designed STR TV to deliver strong ROI through meaningful time savings and revenue opportunities that go well beyond a printed welcome book or fridge note.

Our resort-level smart TV platform provides a true premium guest experience: personalized greetings with the property logo and welcome video, stunning 4K local visuals (restaurants, activities, real estate, and cross-promoting your properties), a comprehensive digital house manual that cuts guest questions dramatically, private feedback collection before public reviews, and even Extend a Stay or (optional) Late Check Out options that bring in significant additional revenue for owners. Many of our partners see quick payback through higher guest satisfaction (leading to better reviews and repeat bookings), upsells (extra nights, golf carts, mid-stay cleanings), and local vendor partnerships.

The host controls advertising and allows you to promote the very best of the local restaurants for your guests, as well as support the local economy. STR TV does not display third-party advertising in your guest experience. STR TV turns the TV into an always-on concierge that actively enhances the stay while working for you 24/7. We'd be happy to set up a quick demo tailored to your 8 properties and show exactly how the numbers work for your portfolio—many multi-property managers find it more than pays for itself.

Happy to answer any specific questions!

Hi Shane,

Member of the STR TV team here 👋. Thanks for writing in.

STR TV supports both Spanish and English translations. For each guest, if you know that the guest is Spanish-speaking or English-speaking ahead of their stay, you can switch the language preference in our admin portal:

The guest at any time can also switch their language preference using the language buttons in the top right of the STR TV screen:

And here is a screenshot of what the Spanish translation view looks like:

Please let me know if you have any questions! Here to help.

August is here! As we round out the summer booking season, we’ve got a full lineup of webinars and in-person events to help you increase revenue and protect your portfolio. 🍉

This month’s schedule includes live demos, two Focus Sessions on optimizing surcharges and discounts and customizing your Hosted Website, plus a partner webinar with Right to Rent on navigating rising regulatory threats. We’re also launching OwnerRez Live - New Features, Tips & Q&A, a new recurring webinar featuring discussions on new releases, sneak peeks, practical tips, and a live Q&A!

Plus, the first-ever OwnerRez Roadshow is hitting the road early this month with stops in Blue Ridge, GA, Gulf Shores, AL, and Tampa, FL.

Webinars:

 8/4/2026 OwnerRez Demo

Join us for a live demo of OwnerRez! Our client engagement team will give a high-level demonstration of how OwnerRez looks across all of its menus and features.

Register now!

 8/11/2026 Right to Rent/OwnerRez - Protect Your Backyard

Join us for a live webinar with Julie Marks, Executive Director of Right to Rent, to learn how the Right to Rent OwnerRez integration gives property managers a simple, automated way to help protect their portfolios amid rising regulatory threats.

Register now!

 8/12/2026 Focus Session - Optimizing Surcharges & Discounts

Join us for a live webinar on surcharges and discounts. In this Focus Session, we’ll show how to set them up, share real-world examples and practical tips, and cover how newer features, such as channel-specific discounts and optional surcharges, can help increase revenue.

Register now!

 8/13/2026 OwnerRez Demo

Join us for a live demo of OwnerRez! Our client engagement team will give a high-level demonstration of how OwnerRez looks across all of its menus and features.

Register now!

 8/14/2026 OwnerRez Live - New Features, Tips & Q&A

Join us for OwnerRez Live - New Features, Tips & Q&A, a new webinar series created to keep you up to date on everything happening at OwnerRez. During each session, we’ll walk through newly released features, share sneak peeks at what’s coming next, give practical STR tips, and answer your questions live.

Register now!

 8/20/2026 OwnerRez Demo

Join us for a live demo of OwnerRez! Our client engagement team will give a high-level demonstration of how OwnerRez looks across all of its menus and features.

Register now!

 8/25/2026 OwnerRez Demo

Join us for a live demo of OwnerRez! Our client engagement team will give a high-level demonstration of how OwnerRez looks across all of its menus and features.

Register now!

 8/26/2026 Focus Session - Hosted Website Setup & 3 Easy Customizations

Join us for a live webinar on Hosted Websites. In this Focus Session, we’ll walk through how to set up your website from start to finish and share three easy customizations you can make to improve SEO and create a better guest experience.

Register now!

 8/28/2026 OwnerRez Live - New Features, Tips & Q&A

Join us for OwnerRez Live - New Features, Tips & Q&A, a new webinar series created to keep you up to date on everything happening at OwnerRez. During each session, we’ll walk through newly released features, share sneak peeks at what’s coming next, give practical STR tips, and answer your questions live.

Register now!

In-Person Events:

2026 OwnerRez Roadshow

This August, we’re hitting the road with our co-hosts Rental Guardian, Lynnbrook Group, Turno, Avalara, and StayFi for three FREE full-day events bringing together vacation rental owners, property managers, and industry partners for a day of education, networking, and community building. We'll be making stops in Blue Ridge, GA, Gulf Shores, AL, and Tampa, FL!

📍Blue Ridge, GA

• August 1st, 2026
• University of North Georgia – Blue Ridge Campus

📍Gulf Shores, AL 

• August 3rd, 2026
• SpringHill Suites Orange Beach at The Wharf

📍Tampa, FL

• August 5th, 2026
• USF CAMLS

The day will feature talks from STR industry experts, roundtable discussions, an all-speaker Q&A panel, FREE coffee, a FREE lunch, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the OwnerRez team and co-hosts. Whether you’re new to the vacation rental industry or a seasoned operator, this is a great opportunity to learn, connect, and meet the people behind the tools you use every day.

Has Ownerrez piloted and vetted this product?  

Can you please provide public reviews?  

Does Ownerrez have any affiliation with owner of this product?  

What is Ownerrez’s benefit for promoting?

Hey Ed,

If you're looking for an alternative, checkout BetterSTR integrated into OwnerRez they have a TV product that is global; same offering for $2 per TV, free for 3 months to trial all the features, and best part is they have a free version after the 3 months if you don't take on the premium features. See https://betterstr.com/services/tv/

Barry

Seems pricey.  Especially considering they can embed their own advertising within the listing material.  It wasn't that long ago I jettisoned cable to help reduce recurring expenses.  I have 8 properties; for $2k/year, I'll stick with my welcome books and sign on the refrigerator telling the guest how to log onto the internet.

I was ready to sign up until I saw $20 per unit. 

Not all guests read/write English.  We frequently host Spanish and Portuguese speaking guest, sometimes other languages. 

Is there a means to switch the language a guest sees?  We could read messages from a guest to determine their language.

This week’s roundup covers two major short-term rental regulation stories from Wisconsin and South Carolina, Airbnb’s latest effort to crack down on illegal listings in the UK, and PriceLabs’ 2026 Global Host Report. Let’s dive in.

In a major win for vacation rental operators in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a short-term rental regulation enacted by the Village of Sister Bay in 2023 violated the state’s Right to Rent law. The regulation limited short-term rentals to four bedrooms and three guests per bedroom, preventing some owners from renting their entire homes and carrying penalties of up to $5,000 per day. Four short-term rental owners challenged the ordinance in 2024, and after a drawn-out battle, the court ruled that the bedroom cap did violate state law. The ruling could affect how municipalities across Wisconsin approach short-term rental regulations moving forward.

In more short-term rental regulation news, Charleston’s Planning Commission voted Wednesday to defer the first major update to the city’s short-term rental ordinance since 2018 after facing strong opposition from local vacation rental operators. The proposal would have replaced the city’s current occupancy rules with limits based on bedroom size and capped all short-term rentals at 8 guests, regardless of home size. Following the Planning Commission’s decision to defer the proposal, local short-term rental operators are hopeful they can work with city leaders to reach a compromise. The city will now revise the proposal before bringing it back to the Planning Commission for review.

Airbnb announced this week a new partnership with the UK government to help identify and crack down on illegal short-term rentals operating out of subsidized social housing. Through the partnership, participating councils will be able to compare social housing records with Airbnb listings to identify unauthorized rentals and return homes to people in need. Early results from the program have already identified 470 potential cases of tenancy fraud. Airbnb says it is the first short-term rental platform to proactively share listing data with the UK government and is encouraging other booking platforms to join the initiative.

The 2026 Global Host Report, organized by PriceLabs, is now accepting responses from short-term rental hosts managing between one and five listings. This host-first research initiative, which included more than 1,400 responses in 2025, aims to better understand the challenges, opportunities, and realities of hosting in today’s market. The anonymous survey takes around 10 minutes to complete. To help shape the final report and for a chance to be featured, follow the link here.

We are almost 2-weeks away from the 2026 OwnerRez Roadshow! The OwnerRez team will be joined by Rental Guardian, Lynnbrook Group, Turno, Avalara, and StayFi for three FREE full-day events in Blue Ridge, GA, Gulf Shores, AL, and Tampa, FL. Each event will feature talks from STR industry experts, roundtable discussions, an all-speaker Q&A panel, FREE coffee, a FREE lunch, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the OwnerRez team and co-hosts. Whether you’re new to the vacation rental industry or a seasoned operator, we hope you’ll join us this summer! You can sign up for free using the link here.

As local governments continue to reevaluate short-term rental regulations and booking platforms take new steps to improve compliance, the vacation rental industry continues to change. Check back next week for the latest news.

Episode Eighteen 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 episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the conversations that have shaped OwnerRez over the years and the ideas driving the business today. Whether you’re a seasoned business professional or just getting started, listen in and learn from the experiences of building a business in the ever-changing vacation rental industry.

🎙️ Episode 18 Now Live

EP18 - When to Build and When to Buy

In Episode Eighteen, Paul and Chris discuss the philosophy that has shaped OwnerRez from the beginning: building what matters. They compare their approach to Ferrari’s mentality of building everything in-house, discuss when it makes sense to build versus buy, and explain why owning and having full control over the product experience has helped OwnerRez stay nimble over the years.

They also discuss how AI has impacted software development through the rise of vibe coding and point to the importance of sticking with a product and not sacrificing the refinement stage.

You’ll hear about:

• How OwnerRez approaches building vs. buying
• The value of owning and controlling the full product experience
• Vibe coding and its limitations
• Why great products are built through years of refinement

It’s a real conversation about product development, the value of ownership, and why staying the course has been their approach to building an elite product.

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 AirDNA’s 2026 mid-year outlook, new pricing tools from PriceLabs, tighter short-term rental restrictions in Málaga, and continued booking growth across the European Union. Let’s dive in.

AirDNA released its 2026 mid-year report this week, pointing to positive signs in the short-term rental market. With fewer new listings being added than expected, potentially due to mortgage rates remaining above 6% and ongoing global conflicts, established vacation rental operators are seeing greater pricing power. AirDNA expects both demand and available listings to grow 2.7% this year, with occupancy averaging 57.4%, slightly above pre-pandemic levels. Revenue per Available Rental (RevPAR) is also projected to increase 2.9%, driven largely by stronger nightly rates. While AirDNA expects demand to dip slightly during the second half of 2026, limited supply growth should continue to create a favorable market for established short-term rental operators.

PriceLabs announced three new product updates this week aimed at giving vacation rental operators more flexibility and control over their pricing. The first is a new mobile app for iOS and Android that allows users to monitor performance and make pricing updates while on the go. The second is a new AI connector that lets users connect their account to AI tools like Claude and use natural language prompts to analyze performance, build revenue strategies, and make pricing changes. Lastly, PriceLabs expanded its Customer API, giving users additional ways to automate pricing tasks, build custom dashboards, and connect PriceLabs data with their internal systems.

Málaga City Council in Spain is making the news this week after passing new planning restrictions that will make it more difficult for short-term rental operators to create new listings. The new regulations will require proposed hotels, hostels, and short-term rentals to go through a planning modification process and demonstrate that the project would provide a public benefit to the surrounding area. The move builds on Málaga’s 2025 block on new short-term rental registrations and aims at slowing investors from converting residential housing into rentals across the city.

A new Eurostat report, tracking booking data from January through March 2026, shows a 9.7% increase in nights booked across the European Union. During the first quarter of 2026, guests booked 144.3 million overnight stays through online platforms. Malta saw the strongest growth, with overnight stays up 30.5%, and larger markets such as Germany and Italy each reporting increases of nearly 15%. Every EU member state recorded year-over-year growth during the quarter, pointing to continued strength in short-term rental demand across Europe.

Registration is now open for the 2026 OwnerRez Roadshow! This August, the OwnerRez team will be joined by Rental Guardian, Lynnbrook Group, Turno, Avalara, and StayFi for three FREE full-day events in Blue Ridge, GA, Gulf Shores, AL, and Tampa, FL. Each event will feature talks from STR industry experts, roundtable discussions, an all-speaker Q&A panel, FREE coffee, a FREE lunch, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the OwnerRez team and co-hosts. Whether you’re new to the vacation rental industry or a seasoned operator, we hope you’ll join us this summer!

As the vacation rental market shows positive signs across the U.S. and Europe, and cities continue looking for new ways to regulate short-term rentals, the industry continues to evolve. Check back next week for the latest news!