Latest Activity...
Will you be having a Webminar with Happy Guest to learn more about it??
Who is their competion? or, most similar to them that you integrate with also??
You need to scroll down beyond the form section. The Register button is located further down the page.
Being in Pinellas County, the County's new requirement is going to be met with a fury of lawsuits. Like so many of the beach towns in Pinellas County where I own and operate, the County is violating State Statute 162 which preempts all inspections to the state agency, DBPR. This is reckless behavior by the County Commission as ordinances around noise and trash already exist. For all those in Pinellas County unsure or worried about what is happening, get involved. I lead a group of 300+ property owners actively fighting back and winning against the radicalized city commissions. Find me IG @FirstChairVacations or FB Matthew Barrowclough.
Happy Friday!
The world of vacation rentals is never static, and this week, it's full of twists and turns. New regulations, fresh challenges, and some heartfelt stories show just how much the industry is changing. Ready for a closer look?
Things are heating up again in Hawaii. A recent report from the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization explores the impacts of Maui's proposal to phase out vacation rentals in apartment-zoned areas. While it could increase long-term housing by up to 6,127 units, the policy may also lead to significant economic losses, including a $900 million reduction in visitor spending, the loss of 1,900 jobs, and a drop in property values. Alternatives like raising TVR property taxes or gradual phase-outs are suggested to mitigate these effects.
Los Angeles is intensifying efforts to curb illegal short-term rentals, particularly in rent-controlled apartments, to alleviate the city's housing shortage exacerbated by recent wildfires and in anticipation of the 2028 Olympics. The City Council plans to enhance enforcement of the 2018 Home Sharing Ordinance by implementing measures such as requiring booking platforms to block unauthorized listings, allowing residents to sue violators, establishing a dedicated enforcement team, increasing fines, and hiring hearing officers for related cases. Murray Cox, founder of Inside Airbnb, supports these initiatives, emphasizing the importance of strict enforcement to prevent housing stock depletion and rent increases due to illegal short-term rentals.
A couple is preparing to welcome their first renters to their Manasota Key vacation properties since Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck in 2024. Eddie and Jen Powers invested heavily in restoring the rentals to their original condition, with Eddie, a retired airline pilot, depleting his retirement savings for the repairs. While they have received an insurance payout for one property, they are still awaiting an assessment for the second. The restoration process included labor-intensive tasks such as manually cleaning 30 tons of contaminated rocks. Despite their efforts, the couple is uncertain about continuing their rental business, expressing doubts about enduring another such ordeal.
Pinellas County is enhancing its vacation rental ordinance to improve enforcement, especially for noise complaints and property violations. Key changes include a cap on occupancy, stricter noise restrictions, and more precise definitions for bedrooms. Owners must register, undergo inspections, and face fines for violations. The county aims to crack down on disruptive rentals, including events like weddings. A new Certificate of Use Program was launched at the end of March to hold owners accountable.
That’s a wrap for this week! Be sure to return next Friday for more Industry News — from regulations to market shifts, we’ve got you covered.
Hey Megan,
Could I ask you to take some screenshots and email them in to help@ownerrez.com so we can take a closer look? We recently transitioned to a new platform for our webinars, so if there's an issue with the registration process we'll want to get that noted and addressed ASAP.
I registered for one of our webinars myself and didn't run into an issue. Let's find out what's going on for you!
Spring has sprung with our feature-packed April update! We're helping you streamline your operations with the addition of Limited Access for Staff, Automatic Vrbo 5-star Reviews, Offline Surcharges, and New Cancellation Grace Periods -- all ready to help your vacation rental business blossom.
OwnerRez's Team Access feature allows you to grant access to your Staff Members, each with their own login credentials, enabling them to view calendar availability and perform actions such as blocking off time or viewing owner statements. However, Staff Team Access was not restricted by property, meaning they could see and do almost everything in your account until our April 16th release, where you can now limit access to Staff Team Members to either Read Only or Full Admin rights by property.
What does "Limited Access" mean for Staff Members? Granting Limited Access allows current or new Staff Members to view and edit Bookings (including Booking financials), compose Inbox messages specific to all or particular properties granted access to, and access limited Tools menu options.
Users can configure "Limited Access" for new or current Staff Members by navigating to the Team Access > Staff tab, and either selecting an individual Staff Member or inviting a new Staff Member, choosing the Limited Access button, and then choosing either All properties or the default Specific properties.
When logged into their account, Staff Members with limited access (in this case, Suzie Staff) can only view and edit bookings, individual booking financials, and the Unified Inbox messages associated with their permissioned properties.
The Tools menu options for Staff Member Limited Access are limited to Quick Quote, Find or Create a Guest, and Communication History for the configured properties only.
Smart vacation rental owners recognize that guests who are likely to leave positive 5-star reviews often forget to do so, while dissatisfied guests tend to complain, leading to reviews. Even though Airbnb and Vrbo promote feedback, many guests don't participate. However, when hosts review first, it prompts guests to do the same, as Airbnb and Vrbo notify them to check out the host's review after submitting their own. This strategy effectively boosts guest reviews.
One of OwnerRez's long-awaited feature requests, Vrbo Automatic 5-star Reviews (which operates much like the Airbnb option), is now available as part of our April 23rd release.
To turn on your Vrbo Automatic 5-star Reviews, navigate to Reviews > the Host Reviews tab > and from the Automatic 5-Star Reviews dropdown list, select Turn On for Vrbo.
The Vrbo Automatic 5-Star Review Configure Settings are slightly different from Airbnb's. Vrbo host reviews of guests do not include a narrative, so there is no need for review content templates.
Another exciting development is that running Channel Bridge to import your Vrbo reviews is no longer necessary (if you're channel-integrated (a.k.a. API-connected)). Just like being channel-integrated with Airbnb and having reviews auto-imported in real-time, that is now the case for Vrbo.
Are you wondering about your Vrbo reviews from before this feature release? OwnerRez has imported older Vrbo reviews already, take a look!
For now, you can still use Channel Bridge to import Vrbo reviews (and Airbnb) if you're not API-connected.
As many of you know, price transparency has been a big push by Airbnb and Vrbo, among other channels, lately. That is primarily due to recent legislation, such as the 2024 California Legislation (AB-537), and advocates of the short-term vacation rental industry pushing for transparency of rates and fees and how they are displayed to all guests. For OwnerRez users, this posed a challenge in collection of offline surcharges while ensuring pricing transparency and compliance with laws and channel policies. OwnerRez has worked with Airbnb and Vrbo to be able to display and disclose these fees appropriately.
In our April 30th release, OwnerRez has added support for Offline Surcharges for Airbnb and Vrbo channel integrations. This allows guests to be properly notified about an offline or stay-collected fee charged on-site or by third parties.
Configure Offline Surcharges like any other surcharge by navigating to Settings > Pricing > Surcharges > + Create Surcharge > Description > and selecting Offline.
In the Conditions section, be sure to add the "Listing Site is > One Of > Airbnb, Vrbo" condition.
The Mode column will display the Offline surcharge mode in the Surcharges grid.
How are these Offline Surcharges displayed to channel-integrated guests during the checkout process? On Airbnb, these offline surcharges are displayed as individual line items in the Price Details and the Due to host at property sections.
Vrbo guests will see Offline Surcharges displayed in the Paid at property section.
Are you looking to expand your marketing? Explore all of OwnerRez's direct channel integrations.
Recent California legislation (SB-644) requires hotels and short-term rentals to allow free cancellation within 24 hours of booking if the booking is made more than 72 hours before check-in. However, when bookings are canceled, most payment processors require hosts to pay the non-refundable card processing fees.
With our April 30th release, OwnerRez has implemented an authorization-only payment option to tackle the issue of non-refundable card processing fees for canceled bookings (except for last-minute bookings arriving within 72 hours). This option allows hosts to place temporary holds on funds through card authorization, which finalizes the charge after a configurable grace period expires for direct and channel-integrated bookings. In this example, we have it set for 24/72 hours (he second value is capped at 72 hours at this time; you can do less than 72 hours if need be).
Configure your Cancellation Grace Period by navigating to your existing Cancellation Policy or to create a new cancellation policy by going to Settings > Rules > Cancellation Policies > select either + Create Policy or your Cancellation Policy > Grace Period > Free cancellation period after booking, and add your cancellation Grace Period.
During the booking process on hosted websites, guests will see your Grace Period displayed with your Cancellation Policy.
How does that Grace Period appear in OwnerRez on a booking? On the Booking > Transactions > Scheduled section, payments will have the Pending and Authed (Authorized) labels displayed in the Status column.
While users should note that this Grace Period option allows hosts to fully comply with California laws, configured grace periods are not prominently displayed on listing channels such as Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com at this time.
Credit card payment field icons display accepted card types, utilize recognizable icons, and visually align with input format expectations to enhance user and guest confidence and payment completion rates. With our April 16th release, OwnerRez updated the payment field credit card icons. These updated payment field credit card icons are included on the in-app Billing, Payment Method, and Booking Transactions pages and the guest-facing Purchase Travel Insurance form.
With OwnerRez, you can grant access to Staff or Portal Users (whether owners, cleaners, maintenance staff, etc.) to view calendar availability and perform actions like blocking off time or viewing owner statements. The Team Access area received a design update that refreshes the Portal and Staff tabs and the + Invite Portal User button.
Effective communication with Airbnb guests via the OwnerRez Unified Inbox enhances your guests' experience by resolving issues quickly, leading to positive reviews and repeat bookings. With optimized webhooks, our April 9th release now allows Airbnb guests to update their messages within 15 minutes of sending, and the updated Airbnb message is automatically reflected in the OwnerRez Unified Inbox.
This release lays the groundwork for future Unified Inbox Airbnb Messaging improvements, including message read indicators, message updates, message deletion capability, and reactions.
OwnerRez's Unified Inbox organizes and displays your guest Activity Timeline communication across platforms. As part of our April 16th release, OwnerRez has updated how automated messages, including triggers, are shown to better distinguish between automated and manually sent messages in the Activity Timeline message stream.
Automated message templates sent by triggers are now displayed in the full-view Activity Timeline with a gray background and are collapsed by default to reduce information overload. While manually sent messages will open in another tab, automated message templates sent by triggers can be expanded in the Activity Timeline by clicking on the gray field.
Explore all of OwnerRez's dynamic messaging options.
OwnerRez field codes are dynamic placeholders that automatically insert relevant property, guest, or booking information into your custom message templates, saving time and allowing you to personalize your guest communications. With our April 2nd release, we've added the following Owner and Property Field Codes to offer users even more flexibility with their guest communication.
| Field | Name | Description |
| {OPHONE} | Phone Numbers | All of the owner's phone numbers |
| {OPHONEPR} | Primary Phone Number | The single primary phone number of the owner |
| {OPHONEI} | Primary Phone Number (Informal) | The primary owner phone number without +1 if USA based |
| {PCITY} | Property City | The property's city |
| {PSTPROV} | Property State or Province | The property's state or province |
| {PCNTRY} | Property Country | The property's country |
Breadcrumbs in search results show users their navigation path, improving orientation, enabling easy backtracking, and enhancing overall site usability. Navigating the OwnerRez public Support Center's comprehensive search results can prove challenging, so we've added breadcrumbs to the Support Center search results for clarity as part of our April 9th release.
Connecting with your OwnerRez peers on the expansive and busy OwnerRez Forums allows you to share best practices, learn about new features, and build a network among other vacation rental industry contemporaries. However, viewing individual posts required users to click on each one to discover its content. With our April 2nd release, we've introduced post previews when hovering over individual posts on the OwnerRez Forums. This lets you quickly assess the post content without clicking, saving time and enhancing your OwnerRez Forum experience.
Transparent Booking.com (BDC) additional guest fees eliminate surprises, build trust, improve conversion rates, and reduce guests' questions. That's why OwnerRez has optimized our Booking.com channel integration handling of additional guest surcharges or fees, including improved multipliers and information-friendly user error messages with our April 9th release.
Check out OwnerRez's direct channel integrations with all major vacation rental channels.
As OwnerRez users increasingly host international guests, OwnerRez recognizes the importance of offering multilingual options on the updated guest-facing Review, Travel Insurance, and Public Booking Link guest forms.
Following up on our July 2024 Multi-Language Support for Guest Forms release, OwnerRez now includes Turkish translation on these updated guest forms.
International guests can now select the Turkish language on the guest-facing Review, Travel Insurance, and Public Booking Link guest forms by clicking the upper right language button and selecting Türkçe.
Owner statements for vacation rentals are vital for fostering a transparent relationship between property managers and owners, detailing financial performance, income sources, and expenses like rental revenue and cleaning fees. However, following the October 2024 release of OwnerRez's PMv2 for New PM Users, we've realized that due to changes in the way that expenses are handled after PMv2 upgrades, that it's possible that some bookings not yet fully remitted prior to the update may not be rendered or displayed as expected on current Owner Statements due to the different way expenses are treated in legacy versus PM upgraded bookings.
While the underlying financial amounts are correct, legacy bookings may contain blank or display "--" amounts in expense columns, which may be confusing. It's important to note the following about these Owner Statements that contain legacy bookings.
As a workaround in the interim, PMs can consider removing these columns from their Statement Views until after they've completed remitting all legacy bookings.
How will you know which bookings are Legacy Bookings? Legacy bookings are identified with a gold Legacy label displayed in the Owner Statement Preview Status column so PMs can easily detect which bookings are actually pre-upgraded legacy bookings.
Are you managing properties for others? Explore OwnerRez's Property Management (PM) premium feature.
Hiding disabled integrations declutters your OwnerRez interface and helps you focus exclusively on your relevant, active integrations. Since our October 2024 Disabled Integrations release allows users to still access their disabled integrations if necessary, OwnerRez has decided to hide your disabled integrations by default on the following integration grids.
Users can still view and access their disabled integrations by clicking the Show All link at the top of the integration grids.
Email communication keeps your guests informed, builds trust, and ensures clear expectations, fostering positive reviews and repeat bookings for your vacation rental property. Viewing the activity of your Communication History emails for individual bookings identifies when your emails have been queued, sent, and delivered and when they've been opened. With our April 2nd release, emails will be organized and presented by activity for clarification. You can view the email activity organization by navigating to Tools > Communication History > Email tab and selecting an individual email or by going to an individual Booking > Email History > Email tab and selecting an individual email there.
Discover all of OwnerRez's dynamic messaging options.
When you close your OwnerRez account, disconnecting your Stripe account allows you to take your Stripe account with you. As part of our release on April 9th, we have made this process easier by automatically disconnecting Stripe accounts when users close their OwnerRez accounts.
Considering other payment processor options? Explore all of OwnerRez's payment processing choices.
Sometimes, you may need to disable or re-enable a property, such as when it's sold or is no longer offered as a vacation rental. Disabling the property in OwnerRez disabled the channel integrations, like Airbnb and Vrbo. However, it didn't disable the listing on the listing channel (e.g., Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.), necessitating users to pause or delist it on each platform individually, which was cumbersome for those managing multiple properties.
With our release on April 9th, OwnerRez will automatically disconnect or unpublish property listings from the listing channel (e.g., Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, etc.) when a property is disabled.
While OwnerRez initially deprecated several Legacy Payment Methods with one of our September 2024 releases, we determined that the PayFlow Pro, Plug'n Pay, and USA ePay payment processors should be restored with our April 2nd release. PayFlow Pro, Plug'n Pay, and USA ePay will be maintained as "supported connections" for the foreseeable future.
Are you considering a new payment processor for your vacation rental business? Check out OwnerRez's recommended payment processors and gateways.
Plug'n Pay Technologies is an online payment gateway provider and a merchant account provider, that enables merchants to accept credit cards using a secure online environment. They also include fraud prevention tools, offer extensive online reporting for managing transactions, and provide easy bank reconciliation. Their one-page merchant account application makes it easy to apply and get approved for a merchant account for the US and Canada, as well as limited assistance in the Caribbean.
In our April 23rd release, OwnerRez optimized our Plug'n Play integration to ensure that it is fully updated to support hosts with their online payments.
Anchor Search Bar When Scrolling Down in Support Center Sidebar. The Support Center top-left search bar wasn't always displayed as expected when scrolling. We corrected this glitch to anchor the Support Center's top-left search bar when scrolling.
Don't Add Extra Hosted Site Header Row on Save. When users clicked on Save, additional hosted website header rows were inadvertently added. OR resolved this issue so that hosted website header rows are saved correctly.
Don't Clear Listing Number/Linked Account Token When Importing Vrbo Listing. Vrbo listing numbers and/or linked account tokens were inadvertently cleared during the Vrbo listing import process. We corrected this glitch to ensure that Vrbo listing numbers and/or linked account tokens are retained during the Vrbo listing import process.
Don't Match Deleted Bookings in Airbnb Deposit Processing. This edge case occurred when an Airbnb deposit was incorrectly associated with a previously deleted booking. OR fixed this bug, and Airbnb deposits will not be matched to previously deleted bookings.
Fix Ability to Change Main Font in Hosted Website Settings. The Main Font dropdown menu was unclickable on the hosted website Fonts & Colors tab, which prevented users from changing the main font on their hosted website. We corrected this glitch so that the Main Font dropdown menu is available, and users can change the main font on their hosted website.
Fix API Message Send to Use Property Preference or Primary Host for Airbnb. Some channel-integrated Airbnb messaging failed to correctly select and display the configured primary host. OR resolved this issue to ensure that the configured primary host is displayed in channel-integrated Airbnb messaging correctly.
Fix Branded Portal Errors. Branded portal sites were inadvertently generating errors. We corrected this glitch to ensure that branded portal sites no longer generate errors.
Fix Delayed Negative Review Scheduled Date. While the review was actually sent on the correct date, automatic delayed negative review banners displayed incorrect scheduled dates for the review's sending. OR fixed this bug to display the correct date on the automatic negative delayed review banners.
Fix iCal Parsing When File Has Leading Whitespace. iCal import files with leading whitespace (space characters at the beginning of a file or folder name) encountered import failures. We resolved this issue by now skipping leading whitespaces when importing iCal files.
Fix Internationalization Validation Error. We encountered internationalization validation errors on account billing pages. OR corrected this glitch to ensure that there are no longer any internationalization validation errors.
Fix Row Strikethrough on Booking Cancellation Screen. Canceled bookings did not correctly display strikethrough text on the booking cancellation screen. We fixed this bug so that the strikethrough text on the booking cancellation screen is displayed correctly.
Fix Sending of Selected Notifications When Batch Deleting Bookings. Even when configured to be sent, Booking is Deleted notifications failed to be sent after bookings were deleted through the Execute Batch Operation. OR corrected this glitch to ensure that configured Booking is Deleted notifications are sent after bookings are deleted.
Fix Single Property Hosted Site Photo Display When Caption Text Preceded by Periods or Pound Sign. Photos with caption text preceded by period or pound sign characters were not displayed correctly on single property hosted websites. We resolved this issue, and photos with caption text preceded by period or pound sign characters will be displayed correctly on single property hosted websites.
Log Airbnb Listing Publish/Unpublish Errors and Show Listing as Pending. This edge case occurred when a user encountered an Airbnb publishing error with an unhelpful error message. OR fixed this bug so that Airbnb publishing errors will be displayed as pending.
Match Widgets to Correct URL Paths. Occasionally, Availability/Property Search widgets for multi-property websites always matched to the first property with an index path if the first property had no URL configured. We corrected this glitch to match widgets to the correct URLs.
Prevent Security Deposit Reauthorization Failure With OpenEdge. This edge case occurred when a user encountered security deposit hold reauthorization failures with their payment processor, OpenEdge. OR resolved this issue to prevent deposit hold reauthorization failures with OpenEdge.
Show Note Preview When Hovering Over Notes Column Icon on Contacts Grid. When the Contacts grid Notes column icons were hovered upon, previews did not display the first 200 characters of the note as expected. Additionally, when clicked, they incorrectly redirected to the Conversation view instead of the guests' note. We fixed this bug to display the Contacts grid Notes column icon previews correctly when hovered upon, and when clicked, they are correctly redirected to the guests' note.
Track Airbnb Bookings That Come in as Request to Book Due to Rule Violations. Following the Channel Booking Mode February 26th release, OwnerRez realized that we recognized the need to accurately track bookings passed to OwnerRez as Request to Book (RTB) due to rule violations for channel-integrated Airbnb properties configured as Instant Book mode. OR resolved this issue, and the correct Booking Mode is now displayed as "Request To Book (listing was Instant Book mode, so this is a request for a rules override)" on the Booking > Overview > General Info section if RTB bookings passed to OwnerRez are due to rule violations for any channel-integrated Airbnb properties configured as Instant Book mode.
Update Worldline Branding to "Bambora (Worldline)." Since the payment processor Worldline has rebranded to Bambora (Worldline), OwnerRez has updated the logo.
Unified Inbox:Use Selected Theme When Populating Template Headers and Footers. Some template header and footer themes selected were not correctly populated as expected. OR resolved this issue so that the selected themes are correctly populated.
Add Ability to Delay Good Reviews and Clarify When Auto Reviews Don't Apply. Users were prevented from postponing positive reviews, and the language displayed indicating when automatic reviews do not apply was unclear. We fixed this bug so that users will be able to delay positive reviews and clarified the language displayed indicating when automatic reviews do not apply.
Allow Top-level Domains Longer Than 5 Characters in Hosted Website Header Email Address Link. This edge case occurred when a user's hosted website header email address link had a top-level domain longer than 5 characters, resulting in errors. OR resolved this issue by now allowing top-level domains longer than five characters in hosted website header email address links.
Fix Ability to Move Bookings Across Airbnb Mutually Blocked Properties. Following the March 19th Moving Bookings Between Mutually Blocked Properties release, it became evident that moving bookings across mutually blocked properties did not work correctly for Airbnb bookings. We corrected this glitch to ensure that Airbnb bookings can be moved across mutually blocked properties correctly.
Fix Booking Statistics Report Not Retaining the Settings. The Booking Statistics report failed to retain consistent results based on Arrival or Booked Dates. OR resolved this bug, and the Booking Statistics report will run and display the results correctly.
Fix Custom Fields for Deposit and Payment Dates to Align With Property Timezone. Deposit and payment date custom fields failed to properly display dates on templates in alignment with the property timezone. We corrected this issue so that the deposit and payment date custom fields will display dates correctly in templates.
Fix Error When User Removes Lock From Property Mapping. Some users encountered errors when attempting to remove Schlage locks from property mapping. OR resolved this glitch to ensure that users can remove Schlage locks from property mapping correctly.
Fix Link to Last Text Message Sent for a Booking Under Booking > Messages. Clicking on the link for the last SMS or text message on the Booking > Messages page resulted in errors. We fixed this bug, and users will be able to click on the link for the last SMS or text message on the Booking > Messages page correctly.
Fix Location Rendering of Date Picker Dropdown on Hosted Website Templates. The hosted website Mountain template dropdown calendar selection was displayed too far away from the Arrival or Departure fields. OR resolved this issue, and the dropdown calendar selection is now displayed appropriately to the Arrival or Departure fields on the hosted website Mountain template.
Fix Navigating Back in Browser to a Page in a Grid Should Return to the Correct Page. When attempting to return to a previous page of a table/grid (e.g., bookings, inquiries, quotes, etc.), the browser incorrectly returned users to the first page of the table/grid. We corrected this glitch to ensure that navigating to previous pages of a table/grid will navigate correctly.
Fix Not Sending Notifications When Receiving Vrbo Inquiries Without Text. Vrbo inquiries without additional information or text (only dates and/or guests) failed to send notifications to users. OR resolved this issue to ensure that Vrbo inquiry notifications are always sent to users, regardless of whether additional information or text is included.
Fix Padding on Communication History. The margin spacing or padding on the Communication History page was incorrect. We fixed this bug, and the padding on the Communication History page was corrected.
Fix QuickBooks Customer Creation and Update to Prevent Duplicates. QuickBooks integrated users noticed that some guests with the same first name were created as duplicates in QuickBooks. OR corrected this glitch so that guests with the same first name are not created as duplicates in QuickBooks.
Fix Typo in Limited Cancellation Policy in Airbnb Channel Integration Dropdown. We fixed the typo within the Limited Cancellation Policy shown in the Airbnb channel integration dropdown list.
Fix Update CVV Button When Editing Billing Info. The Update Card Verification Value (CVV) button for entering your 3 or 4-digit security code to update account billing information was not functioning properly. OR resolved this issue to ensure that users can update their account billing information correctly.
Photos Downloads From SMS Should Include File Extension. Photos downloaded from SMS messages sometimes failed to include file extensions (e.g., jpeg, jpg, png, etc.). We fixed this bug so that photos downloaded from any message thread will include file extensions.
Polish Amenity Editor Checkboxes and Icons. Following up on our January 22nd Amenities release, we decided to further optimize and enhance the selection of property amenities for easier checkbox and icon selections.
Display Security Deposit Status on Single Record View. Expired security deposits showed the incorrect status of "Reserved" on the individual Booking > Transactions > specific security deposit Status. We resolved this issue so that the security deposit Status is correctly displayed.
Display User-friendly Error Message While Attempting to Purchase Travel Insurance From an Unsupported Location. Unhelpful error messages appeared for guests residing outside covered locations when they attempted to purchase travel insurance. OR corrected this glitch to display more user-friendly error messages to guests residing outside covered locations when they attempt to purchase travel insurance.
Fix Airbnb Messages Being Sent From the Wrong Host Account (Co-host Instead of Host). Some users who enabled Airbnb co-hosting encountered issues with messages incorrectly displaying as if they were sent from the co-host instead of the host. We fixed this bug to ensure that messages display the sender correctly.
Fix Airbnb Resolution Payout Currency Parsing. Some Airbnb resolution deposits encountered currency parsing issues. OR corrected this glitch to better handle Airbnb resolution deposit currency parsing.
Fix Applicable Nights Not Working With Per Stay Tax on Google Vacation Rentals. Taxes configured for the first Initial Night/s of a Booking Only are not supported by Google Vacation Rentals (GVR), resulting in GVR sync errors. However, that limitation was not included in the Listing Quality Analyzer (LQA). We resolved this issue to include this tax limitation in the LQA for potential GVR channel-integrated properties.
Fix Issue With Booking Widget Using Incorrect Theme Header and Footer. This edge case occurred when a user's booking widget used and displayed an incorrect theme header and footer. OR fixed this bug to ensure that booking widgets use and display the correct theme header and footer.
Fix Issue With Scheduled Security Deposit Processing. This edge case occurred when a scheduled security deposit collection date failed to update after a booking was changed. We resolved this issue to be sure that scheduled security deposit collection dates are updated after a booking is changed.
Fix Line Item Pivot Report Total Commissionable Amount Being Short of the Tax Amount. Despite the Total Tax Amount already being deducted in non-commissionable expenses, it was incorrectly deducted again from the Total Commissionable Amount in the Line Item Pivot Report. OR fixed this bug to ensure that the Line Item Pivot Report calculates correctly.
Fix Property API v2 to Return Correct Room ID for Booking.com Bookings. The OwnerRez Property API v2 failed to return the correct room_id field necessary for Booking.com bookings. We resolved this glitch by correcting the Property API v2 to return the correct room_id field necessary for Booking.com bookings.
Fix Stripe Payment Methods From Being Disabled When Updated. Some Stripe payment methods were inadvertently disabled when users attempted to update them. We corrected this glitch so that Stripe payment methods can be updated correctly.
Fix Surcharge Dates Condition While Pushing it to Channels. Some surcharge date conditions were not processing the logic correctly when pushed to listing channels. OR fixed this bug to ensure that surcharge date conditions are processing the logic correctly when pushed to listing channels.
Fix to Cancel Channel-managed Bookings on Property Disable. Some channel-managed bookings were not correctly canceled when a property was disabled. We resolved this issue, and channel-managed bookings will be canceled when the property is disabled.
Fix Triggers Grid From Showing Duplicate Records if There are Multiple Conditions With Same Type. The Triggers grid incorrectly displayed duplicate records for triggers that contained multiple conditions of the same type. OR corrected this glitch so that the Triggers grid displays triggers correctly.
Fix Vrbo Channel Bridge Tax and Fee Discrepancies. This edge case occurred when a Channel Bridge (CB) export contained duplicate tax values, which caused tax and fee discrepancies. We fixed this bug to ensure that the CB process handles tax and fees correctly
Fix UI Issues for Inbox, Contact Info & www Site Menu. Some small User Interface (UI) issues continued to exist in the Unified Inbox, Contact Info section, and the public www website menu, which we resolved with our April 16th release.
Fix Ability to Change Contact Tags From Conversation Sidebar. The link for changing tags on the guest conversation's left sidebar did not successfully open the Change Tags pop-up window. OR fixed the link for changing tags on the guest conversation's left sidebar, and it will successfully open the Change Tags pop-up window.
Fix Announcements Read More/Dismiss Buttons Not Working From Some Pages. When clicked, the Read More or Dismiss button of some in-app global announcements did not open the pop-up correctly. We corrected this glitch to ensure that all Read More or Dismiss buttons of in-app global announcements open the pop-up correctly.
Fix Color Selector on Widgets. We encountered a regression that impacted the color selectors of hosted website widgets. OR resolved the issue so that the color selectors for hosted website widgets function correctly.
Fix Guest Instructions Spacing on View Page. There were no spaces between the Check Out Tasks list task words on the Guest Instructions page. We fixed this bug by including spaces between the Check Out Tasks list task words on the Guest Instructions page.
Fix Mergeability of Channel Guests With Non-Channel Guests. Even though the guest contact info was identical, the system prevented merging a channel guest with a non-channel guest. OR corrected this glitch so that channel and non-channel guests can be merged.
Fix Missing Anchor Button When Editing a Hosted Website. The Anchor button was missing from the hosted website editor. We resolved this issue so that the Anchor button is available on the hosted website editor.
Fix Sign-in With Google Not Following Redirect. After users logged out completely, OwnerRez links did not redirect correctly to a link entered following a Google sign-in. OR corrected this glitch to redirect users correctly following Google sign-ins.
Fix Tax Rate Being Rounded to 2 Decimal Places From 4 Decimal Places. Properties configured with four decimal percentage tax rates experienced incorrect rounding to two decimals for bookings or quotes, leading to inaccurate tax rate calculations. We fixed this bug to ensure that tax rates are calculated correctly.
Fix Validation of Advanced Notice When Creating a Quote Via APIv2. Some partner listing channel quotes incorrectly encountered "minimum advanced notice not met" errors. OR corrected the API v2 by ensuring advanced notice validations when creating quotes via API v2.
Fix Various Bugs Surrounding New Team Access Staff Limited Access Permissions. Following the April 16th Limited Staff Team Access release, OwnerRez encountered a code regression that, among other things, prevented Full Admin Access Staff Team members from filtering bookings. We resolved these issues to ensure that the Full Admin Access Staff Team members have all granted functions.
Unified Inbox:Allow Disabling a Property That has Already Been Disconnected on Booking.com. This edge case occurred when a user encountered errors when attempting to disable a property already disconnected from the Booking.com (BDC) channel integration. We corrected this glitch to ensure that properties can be disabled without errors.
Better Leverage Guest and Property Validation During Booking Creation Via API. Properties and bookings created purely for testing during a partner OwnerRez API v2 integration process could not be deleted correctly. OR resolved this issue by enhancing guest and property validation for bookings created through the OwnerRez API v2, allowing properties and bookings to be deleted.
Clean Up Overlap and Alignment Issues on Hosted Site Hero Unit Page. When adding custom photos to hosted website hero units, the photo layout experienced overlap and alignment issues. We fixed this bug, so custom photos added to the hosted website hero units are displayed correctly.
Don't Resend Notifications for the Same Channel Message. Notifications were resent for the same channel message because the system incorrectly detected a change, possibly due to an emoji reaction or a message deleted by the guest, which OwnerRez does not currently support. OR resolved this issue, and channel message notifications will not be resent for the same channel message.
Fix Duplicate VAT Fee Record for Airbnb Bookings. Some duplicate Airbnb value-added taxes (VAT) were incorrectly recorded in OwnerRez bookings. We corrected this glitch, and Airbnb VAT records will be added correctly.
Fix Error When Syncing Vrbo New Listing Discount. Some Vrbo errors caused an OwnerRez error during the synchronization of new Vrbo listing discounts. OR fixed this bug so that Vrbo errors do not trigger OwnerRez errors during synchronization of new Vrbo listing discounts.
Fix Hosted Website Amenities Icon Display. Some amenity icons were not correctly displayed on hosted websites with four or more properties. We resolved this issue, so all hosted website amenity icons are displayed correctly.
Fix "Looking for delete?" Link on Rates Calendar. The Rates Calendar "Looking for delete?" link was incorrect and has been updated with the correct URL.
Remove Incorrect Date Verbiage From {BTRAVINS} Field Code. The language rendered and displayed in the {BTRAVINS} travel insurance field code contained incorrect dates. OR corrected this glitch to ensure the {BTRAVINS} travel insurance field code renders and displays correct dates.
Shorten Secdep Renewal Before Expiration. Some security deposit renewals occurred 36 hours before the credit card hold expired, which was frustrating for guests with 5-day security deposit holds or shorter. We resolved this issue so that security deposit renewals run 2 hours before expiration and exclude security deposits scheduled to be released within the next 26 hours.
Show Indication of Disabled Listing Site on Booking Overview Tab. The bookings overview tabs did not accurately display listing sites with the Disabled text if the listing site was disabled after the booking was made. OR fixed this bug, and disabled listing sites will be accurately displayed with the Disabled text if the listing site was disabled after the booking is made.
Show Sent Date in Inbox for Old Outbound Channel Messages. Some sent dates were not correctly displayed for older outbound channel messages. We resolved this glitch so that the sent date is displayed for older outbound channel messages.
Update bnbfinder to Savvy. bnbfinder has been renamed Savvy with a new logo, and both the name and logo have been updated in the app and Support Center.
With a strong foundation in home décor, woodworking, and property management—backed by years of hands-on experience—the journey of Pineapple Cove Vacation Rentals has been one of creativity, resilience, and passion. From managing properties to weathering Florida’s unpredictable hurricane seasons, Christina's commitment to crafting unique spaces and delivering unforgettable guest experiences remains at the heart of her business.
In 2018, we had to move out of our home due to a severe mold infestation in the walls, leaving us with little savings and an urgent need for a place to live. While searching online, I found a woman looking for an onsite caretaker to maintain her estate. To my surprise, she also had seven short-term rentals on the property. It felt like fate—especially since I had spent the past year immersing myself in everything related to short-term rentals through videos, podcasts, and research.
Like many, I felt stagnation during the pandemic. I realized I didn’t just want to be a consumer; I wanted to be a creator. That’s when we decided to start our own company. We found investors with blank canvases and got to work on our dream—creating unique, standout spaces in the short-term rental market.
My husband, Tamás, was born in Hungary and earned a degree in automotive collision repair. After graduating, he worked at a Peugeot dealership in his hometown before selling everything he owned in 2000 to move to America. He arrived without knowing the language but found an opportunity in the Tampa Bay area to work with a Hungarian-born general contractor. Over five years, he gained extensive experience in home building and renovation.
I am a St. Pete, FL native, but I traveled extensively as a child due to my parents’ work. My love for home décor and woodworking led me to manage and create for my family’s shops, where I developed a passion for decorating and woodworking.
My journey with vacation rentals began in the early 2000s when my mom and I worked as onsite caretakers for a 10,000 sq. ft. luxury vacation rental—long before Airbnb existed!
We love the Tampa Bay area—it offers abundant activities, adventures, and opportunities for residents and visitors.
The ability to create! We’re not just passive consumers—we’re actively involved in shaping our business, designing unique spaces, and providing memorable experiences for guests.
Being a Florida native, I thought I understood hurricane season, but 2024 was unlike anything we had ever experienced. We lost multiple properties and are now in the process of rebuilding. That’s the most challenging part of this business—focusing on a specific area vulnerable to natural disasters. It’s 364 days of paradise, but one bad day can completely upend everything.
We’ve tried several other platforms before, but nothing compares to OwnerRez. We rely heavily on it for automated messaging, owner statements, price adjustments across all platforms, and eliminating double bookings.
For us, the owner statements and comprehensive reporting features deliver crucial insights that illuminate our operations and ensure seamless operation.
It’s inspiring to see how Christina and Tamás have built Pineapple Cove Vacation Rentals with creativity, resilience, and passion. Despite the challenges, they continue to craft unique spaces and deliver unforgettable experiences for their guests. Wishing them continued success as they rebuild and grow their business!
While utilizing "register now" feature, the application does not allow entries to save in order to complete registration after answering all questions/required fields.
After turning a passion for real estate into a thriving business, Rupa Sunder co-founded Serene Stays, a boutique vacation rental company offering luxurious, thoughtfully designed homes. She and her husband KC transitioned from long-term rentals to custom-built vacation homes in destinations like 30A and the Smoky Mountains.
Real estate investing has been a passion! My husband KC and I began purchasing homes in Philadelphia. When we moved to Austin, we continued buying homes, gradually building a portfolio of homes for long-term rentals. In 2017, a family trip to Gulf Shores inspired us to purchase our first short-term rental, sparking a new venture. From there, we expanded—adding another STR (short-term rental) property and then acquiring land to build custom homes. Over the next five years, we built five vacation homes, growing our portfolio to include both long-term and short-term stays. Today, we run Serene Stays, our boutique vacation rental company dedicated to providing luxurious vacation homes.
I initially studied cell biology and biochemistry, as my parents hoped I'd pursue a career in medicine. My husband studied marketing and holds an MBA. We both ended up working in staffing—I was in sales, and he was in recruiting. It was a natural step for us to partner together and co-found our tech staffing firm, Calibro Corp. While we both have backgrounds in tech, our shared passion for real estate, design, and hospitality ultimately led to the creation of Serene Stays.
Real estate has always been part of our lives, but vacation rentals are our second career. We both had corporate jobs, launched our tech firm, and initially focused on long-term rentals. Over time, we expanded into vacation rentals, merging our entrepreneurial spirit with our love for design and hospitality.
I live in Austin, TX, and don’t reside full-time in the areas where I host. However, I absolutely love visiting our homes, especially in 30A and the Smoky Mountains. Each location offers its unique charm, and we enjoy soaking in the local atmosphere when possible.
30A is renowned for being a charming family beach getaway, and when we built our first property there, we immediately saw its potential as an investment. Its appeal as a year-round vacation destination made it the perfect place for a vacation rental. With their natural beauty and tranquil charm, the Smoky Mountains also felt like an ideal location for creating welcoming retreats. Both areas have a unique draw, making them perfect spots to share with guests looking for relaxation and adventure.
What I love most about the vacation rental business is the ability to combine my passion for decor and design with the opportunity to generate passive income. Designing beautiful, thoughtfully curated spaces allows me to tap into my creative side, while the strategic aspect of managing the properties remotely is rewarding. Our vision from the start was to build a business that provides passive income, and our Airbnbs have been incredibly successful in helping us achieve that. With the right systems in place, we can manage multiple properties from afar while still ensuring a seamless experience for our guests. The glowing reviews and the knowledge that we’re providing a memorable stay make all the hard work worth it. Plus, the financial success has allowed us the flexibility to focus on other ventures and spend more time together as a family.
Unpredictability—unexpected maintenance issues, last-minute guest requests, and managing properties remotely—comes with challenges. But having the right systems in place makes a huge difference.
OwnerRez is the backbone of Serene Stays. There is no way we'd be able to manage 6 short-term rentals (10 long-term rentals, a tech firm, and family life) without OwnerRez. The platform’s intuitive design streamlines everything, and we rely heavily on its integrations for seamless operation. We use it to manage lock systems, coordinate housekeeping, adjust pricing, and more. The automation and messaging templates save us so much time and keep everything organized, from guest communication to booking confirmations. Whether booking management or handling day-to-day tasks, OwnerRez keeps everything running smoothly and efficiently.
The automation and messaging templates are truly game-changers for us. They allow us to focus on the bigger picture while handling routine tasks automatically. The seamless booking and channel management integrations also make it easy to oversee multiple properties, ensuring that everything is in sync across different platforms. We also really value OwnerRez’s exceptional customer service. They always provide timely support and consistently innovate to meet our business's evolving needs. It’s an essential tool for keeping Serene Stays running efficiently.
Rupa and KC’s journey from long-term rentals to custom vacation homes is a true testament to their entrepreneurial spirit and passion for design and hospitality. We wish Serene Stays continued success as they create luxurious and memorable stays for guests!
April showers bring fresh flowers and fresh insights!🌷Join our upcoming webinars this month to grow your knowledge and stay ahead this season.
This month, we are offering a mix of in-depth product demos, expert-led focus sessions, and industry collaborations designed to help you maximize your use of OwnerRez and streamline your short-term rental operations. Whether you're looking to refine your DNS settings, enhance guest engagement, automate turnovers, or dive into trust accounting, we've got a session for you!
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.
Join Adrielle from our Onboarding Team as she shared an in-depth session on DNS Settings for Hosted Websites and Verified Email Domains.
You'll learn about ways to do this with AI-driven virtual concierges, in-property smart devices, and automated messaging, along with practical strategies to streamline communications and increase revenue through personalized guest engagement.
Join us for a live Q&A Session with Steve from our Engagement Team.
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.
We'll explore how automating your cleaning and turnover process can save time, reduce errors, and improve your bottom line.
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.
Join us for a live Q&A Session with Steve from our Client Engagement Team!
In this webinar, we’ll dive into the essentials of trust accounting for property managers and how OwnerRez can streamline your processes, ensure compliance, and build trust with your clients.
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.
Join Adrielle from our Onboarding Team as she discusses team communication tools in OwnerRez.
Happy Friday!
The Spring season is here, bringing fresh air, longer days, and exciting updates to the short-term rental world! As travelers gear up for summer vacations and property managers prepare for the busy season, the industry is seeing shifts in regulations, technology, and market dynamics. Let’s dive into it!
Spain's Consumer Affairs Ministry has identified over 15,200 unlicensed vacation rentals in Madrid, significantly exceeding the 1,131 officially licensed units. This prevalence of illegal rentals contributes to rising housing costs and the displacement of residents. In response, the Ministry has urged the Madrid City Council to remove these unauthorized listings from online platforms and impose sanctions on violators. This initiative is part of a broader national effort to regulate the vacation rental market and alleviate housing pressures in urban centers.
The vacation rental cleaning software market is projected to experience steady growth from 2025 to 2032, driven by technological advancements and increasing demand for efficient property management solutions. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is enhancing operational efficiency by automating task assignments and providing real-time cleanliness tracking. The shift towards cloud-based platforms also facilitates seamless coordination among managers, cleaners, and property owners. As the short-term rental market expands, the emphasis on guest satisfaction and adherence to hygiene standards is prompting vacation rental businesses to invest in robust cleaning software solutions.
With summer approaching, Martha’s Vineyard rental agents are seeing an unusual number of open weeks, even in peak July and August. Economic uncertainty, high rental costs, and an oversupply of vacation homes are key factors. Homeowners are advised to adjust pricing as travelers are increasingly hesitant to commit. Changing booking habits, such as shorter stays and last-minute reservations, are also influencing trends. Despite the slowdown, some agents remain optimistic that late bookings will fill the gaps as summer nears.
Vrbo took a bold marketing swing at Airbnb with a cheeky billboard right outside Airbnb’s San Francisco headquarters. The ad positioned Vrbo as "Airbnb’s hotter, cooler, friendlier, long-lost twin that never has hosts," emphasizing its focus on whole-home rentals. Airbnb quickly dismissed the move, calling Vrbo “desperate” and “confused,” implying the campaign gave Airbnb more attention than intended. While playful rivalries are nothing new in business, this one certainly turned heads in the vacation rental space.
At the end of the day, competition is healthy—but a little humor doesn’t hurt either. What do you think of this confrontational advertisement? Let us know in the comments, and check back next week for more industry news!
Beautiful place! Congratulations! Lisa
We're thrilled to announce our partnership with Name.com, a trusted domain registrar and online presence provider. When you purchase your domain through Name.com, your OwnerRez-specific DNS settings will automatically be applied to it. This collaboration makes set-up easier than ever.
Founded in 2003, Name.com is a close-knit team dedicated to empowering customers with the tools they need to create authentic digital identities. Driven by curiosity, empathy, and a customer-first approach, they’ve spent over two decades delivering a truly human experience—something rare in the tech industry.
Name.com helps entrepreneurs and businesses find the perfect domain name, build a professional online presence, and drive a steady stream of highly qualified traffic to their websites. With a user-friendly, all-in-one dashboard, managing your domain and web presence has never been easier.
Setting up your custom domain name often feels like navigating a maze of technical settings and obscure configuration options. OwnerRez has partnered with Name.com to provide users with a quick and straightforward way to purchase a discounted domain name. And even more importantly, your OwnerRez-specific DNS settings will automatically be applied to your domain purchased through Name.com
Visit Name.com to explore domain options and read the OwnerRez support article for integrating OwnerRez with Name.com.
Friday’s here, and so is your industry news! This week, we’re diving into the growing vacation rental demand at the Jersey Shore, legislative moves in North Carolina and Montreal, and Anna Maria Island’s ongoing recovery. Keep reading for the highlights.
Vacation rental demand at the Jersey Shore is rising for summer 2025, with bookings up 4.1% compared to last year, according to AirDNA. However, travelers are waiting longer to confirm their stays, reflecting ongoing economic uncertainty. While demand is strong, supply has tightened, with 5.1% fewer rentals available as some homeowners scale back their listings. At the same time, guests are booking later than in previous years, continuing a post-pandemic trend. Despite economic concerns, the Jersey Shore is set for a solid summer, though property owners may need to adapt to last-minute bookings and shifting traveler expectations.
North Carolina Senate Bill 291 clarifies homeowners' rights regarding short-term rentals. The bill prevents local governments from banning STRs, limiting rental nights, or requiring owner occupancy. It allows for regulations such as capping renters at two adults per bedroom, requiring one parking space per bedroom, restricting STRs to residential zones, and ensuring that the host or an authorized agent is within a 50-mile radius during rentals. Local ordinances can impose a permit fee of up to $25, with the possibility of revocation after five health and safety violations within a year, permitting hosts to contest issues. Overall, the bill protects homeowners’ rights and acknowledges the benefits of STRs for transient workers.
Montreal has tightened short-term rental rules following a 2023 fire that killed seven people, including six Airbnb guests. Rentals are now only allowed from June 10 to September 10, with fines of up to $2,000 for violations. The city hopes to return 2,000 units to the long-term market while enforcing stricter compliance. Alex Howell, Airbnb's policy lead for Canada, stated that the city's decision is “jeopardizing over $400 million in economic activity and more than 4,400 jobs”. The city plans to monitor the outcomes and adjust policies as necessary.
After the 2024 hurricanes, Anna Maria Island's vacation rental market is rebounding. A vacation rental company managing 600 island properties reported that by Thanksgiving 2024, 50% of their inventory was operational, increasing to 70% by Christmas, and they aim for 90% by early May 2025. Occupancy rates are nearing historical norms, with March 2025 at over 80%, compared to the typical 85%. Bookings for summer 2025 are strong, indicating a positive tourism outlook.
Vrbo has revealed its 2025 Vacation Rentals of the Year, featuring 10 standout properties across the U.S. These homes, ranging from three to nine bedrooms with nightly rates between $400 and $4,000, are located in top destinations like the Florida Panhandle, Scottsdale, and Gatlinburg. Selected based on guest ratings, host experience, and sought-after amenities like private pools and entertainment rooms, the properties cater to families and group trips. This year’s honorees also align with Vrbo’s trend report, showcasing destinations ideal for quiet escapes and reconnecting with loved ones. The list highlights the importance of Premier Hosts who ensure exceptional guest experiences.
That wraps up this week’s updates! As our industry evolves, we’ll be here to bring you the latest trends, regulations, and insights. Be sure to check back next week for more industry news and updates. Have a great weekend!
You’re absolutely right, and we always ensure that the minimum size requirement is clearly communicated. Unfortunately, this information was not provided to us earlier. I have reached out to Xplorie for clarification on this restriction, and we appreciate you and others bringing it to our attention. Once we have confirmed the details, we will update our documentation accordingly.
I learnt from another property rental manager about Xplorie.
At the least, we pay $25/night of booking and they give one ticket free to some local attractions. One ticket, to each attraction, and the rets of the guest have to buy at a discounted price, but still it is a cost!!
Even if guests don't use the tickets, we end up paying $25/night(so called, collected from guests).
A request for OwnerRez:
Since you have such a variety of users, both in scale and scope, and owners and managers, some basic information about the company and its offering placed on these announcements and the integration page would be a very helpful thing.
For example; pricing, minimum size of customer, the company's ideal customer profile.
Like others, I too spent a bit of time fishing around an unhelpful website that only explains a basic concept, and provides no details about how what is on offer actually works, or what it costs.
Including this basic info on the OwnerRez pages about the integration would be extremely helpful to your user base.
Thanks!
yeah exactly. I really dislike websites/companies like this where you have to take the time to do an actual call with the people to find out basic info to know if you're even interested or it would work for you. Thumbs down!
that sounds really interesting but when I click to their website, they give no pricing whatsoever. That’s really annoying, you have to actually book a call to get any kind of actual pricing. When Owner Rez partners with someone it would be really helpful if we as your clients could actually have all the information needed.
What do they actually do. I've visited their site and there isn't much information that can be gained without signing up to a sales call?
I just contacted them also and they said must have at least 10. Is there some way to have that requirement waived since it would be in connection with OR listed properties?
At least you received a response… I reached out to them earlier this week and still haven’t heard back.
I contacted them a few weeks ago and at that time, they said you have to have a minimum of 10 properties to work with them. It would be nice if they would do something like a GPO for those of us without that portfolio size currently.
I got a quote on my 12 properties for $12.24 per night (x 2370 nights in 2024 would have cost $29,009.00 last year). Even considering it might replace my current liability coverage, it has deductibles of $50 for contents, $2500 for real property, and $3500 for liability ... so I'm not sure the cost is worth it, for me anyway. Hope this helps.
Thank you, Sky Ventures! We love feedback and user experience from Property Managers. It helps us improve our insurance programs and technology. We would love the opportunity to provide more details on our SmartSTR insurance, if you would like to set up a call or have additional questions, our team can be reached at support@tint.ai.
At least OR's original insurance plan I paid for was $27 per booking. After 185 bookings and spending $5000, I put in 2 claims for a few hundred dollars and was denied. I dropped all future plans like a hot potato. I took it upon myself to cover my property and not pass the costs to my guests because as we all know added fees are killers. They are still available if the guest wants to pay for them but I don't add them or raise pricing to cover it. I just decided to self insure and put the money in a separate account. Should something come up, I am covered.
We are sorry that your experience was not great under another program. We wanted to note that the $27 rate listed above shows only contents damage protection for up to $1500 in the Cost and Coverages. The SmartSTR program is a bundle program and has comprehensive coverage built with short term rentals in mind. We welcome suggestions and feedback as it gives us the ability to improve our programs, technology, and user experience. If you would like to share some of your wish list, our team can be reached at support@tint.ai.
What is the pricing? From what I can tell $12-$15 per night is expensive
We are happy to share details on our SmartSTR program!
We love hearing feedback and experience from Property Managers, as it helps us work toward providing the best insurance and product. From prior feedback, we are working with our insurance partners to add a per stay rate, in addition to the nightly rate. In this process, we are also working on getting a reduced rate for the nightly program as well. When possible, we do encourage the rate be added to the booking to offset the cost of damage. This replaces the large security deposits. If you would like to set up a call or have additional questions, our team would love to help and can be reached at support@tint.ai.
I went to request info and it does not accept GMAIL addresses - which is what my business email is. I also could not find any pricing or estimates.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention! Our team is happy to help troubleshoot why there was an issue with your gmail address. We are also happy to answer any questions you may have about SmartSTR insurance. Our team can be reached at support@tint.ai.
This is great! We've been satisfied with Tint on our Turo car-share fleet.
However, the pricing here seems almost secretive - I don't see it posted anywhere and it appears we have to provide all of our booking information to even see it.
Thank you for sharing your Turo experience with us!
The SmartSTR pricing varies depending on which level of coverage is selected for the Contents Property Damage. We are happy to answer any questions you have regarding pricing or SmartSTR coverage. For additional information our team can be reached at support@tint.ai.
After rekindling her love for vacation rentals, Stacy transformed The Utmost Host from a small passion project into a thriving cohosting business managing 40 cabins. With a background in education, business coaching, and a deep understanding of hospitality, she empowers short-term rental owners to streamline operations and maximize success.
Stacy’s love for vacation rentals began in 2007 when she owned a cabin in Winter Park, CO. She enjoyed summers there with her kids and rented it out during ski season. After selling the cabin, she ran a tutoring franchise for 10 years but always missed having a getaway.
In 2020, just before the Covid shutdown, she sold her business and used the profits to buy a cabin closer to home in Broken Bow, OK. As she reentered the short-term rental world, she discovered OwnerRez and realized many local owners were still relying on traditional property managers. Drawing from her own experience managing rentals remotely, she created a program to teach others how to self-manage using technology to streamline operations.
What started as an educational initiative quickly evolved into The Utmost Host, a cohosting business offering owners a hybrid management model. Owners handled cleaning and maintenance instead of full-service property management, while Stacy’s team took care of everything else—listings, bookings, and guest communication. Originally planning to keep it small, Stacy’s business has since grown to cohost 40 cabins and has helped over 250 owners nationwide take control of their rentals!
Stacy has always been passionate about teaching, coaching, and business. She spent a decade as an elementary school teacher before diving into entrepreneurship, successfully running a tutoring franchise for 10 years. She then transitioned into coaching, helping franchise owners grow their businesses and later advancing to Director of Coaching Performance & Growth, overseeing 130 franchise coaches. Today, she serves as a VP of Operations for a franchise brand while leading The Utmost Host, the vacation rental company she founded in 2020. What began as a small passion project has become a thriving business, helping rental owners nationwide succeed.
As for me—Stacy’s husband—I’ve been in hospitality my entire career. Born and raised in Slovenia, I started in upscale restaurants before working as an assistant maître d' on cruise ships, where I met Stacy in 2012. After moving to Dallas to be with her, I continued in fine dining before transitioning to car sales, where I spent five years at VW, loving the challenge of delivering great customer experiences.
When The Utmost Host took off, we decided to go all in. I left car sales to become COO, managing day-to-day operations while Stacy drives growth and strategy. Together, we combine her expertise in business and coaching with my hospitality background to help short-term rental owners thrive!
We live about 2 ½ -3 hours from Broken Bow. I go up there quite often, usually just for a day to get work done on our cabins. It's a nice drive through the country!
Texas is primarily flat and has little natural scenery— even the lakes tend to be brown! So when we discovered Broken Bow, we were blown away. The rolling hills, crystal-clear lakes, rivers, and forests were just a short drive from home. We loved the idea that whenever we needed a break from it all, we could just hop in the car and escape to our cabin in the woods.
What I love most about this business is hospitality—connecting with people and creating exceptional experiences. There’s something incredibly rewarding about knowing a guest had a fantastic stay because of our care and attention to every detail. Even when challenges arise, I genuinely enjoy stepping in to resolve issues and find solutions. Turning a tough situation around and ensuring everyone walks away happy is one of the most fulfilling parts of what I do.
What I dislike most about the business is dealing with OTAs. When issues arise, they rarely consider the owner's perspective, and trying to get real support from them can be frustrating. Thank goodness for direct booking websites! Another challenge is hiring—this business runs on unpredictable hours, and finding the right people to handle that flexibility is tough. It makes scaling and stepping out of the day-to-day operations harder than in a traditional business.
We use OwnerRez to its full capacity! We have all 40 of our properties in OwnerRez. We use everything from the email templates and communications to the OTA connections, individual websites for each cabin, and a multi-unit website for The Utmost Host. We also love the custom fields to keep track of individual cabin information such as passwords, master door lock codes, cleaner phone numbers, etc. We also use the PM for client statements and reports to keep track of our KPIs. We really use it all!
It's hard to pick just one. For me, one of the best features of OwnerRez is the customizable communications and dynamic fields that can be used in almost everything. As we grew, we explored other PMS systems and realized this is unique to OwnerRez. A great example is the rental agreement—guest behavior evolves, and we constantly need to update our terms to prevent issues in future stays. With OwnerRez, it’s as simple as going into the system and tweaking the agreement on the spot. Other PMS platforms require you to upload a new PDF and remap all the fields every time you make a change, which is a hassle. OwnerRez just makes it so much easier.
It's always exciting to see how OwnerRez empowers vacation rental businesses to reach new heights! Wishing The Utmost Host continued success as they elevate their operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences.
I got a quote on my 12 properties for $12.24 per night (x 2370 nights in 2024 would have cost $29,009.00 last year). Even considering it might replace my current liability coverage, it has deductibles of $50 for contents, $2500 for real property, and $3500 for liability ... so I'm not sure the cost is worth it, for me anyway. Hope this helps.
