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I'd like to see a version of the ribbon calendar widget that works on mobile phones.   The current one is not responsive at all.

I have two properties that id like to show on an integrated availability calendar on my website.  The booking calendar in the monthly view is exactly what I'm looking for but there is no iCal export for it.

 

Hi,

Please write our Helpdesk at help@ownerrez.com, providing them links to the pages and / or widgets you're concerned with. We'd like to take a closer look to see what's going on given that you've said it is not responsive on mobile!

Our calendar widgets do not have an iCal association other than reflecting availability in OwnerRez (which can sometimes come from iCal syncs), but each property does have its own iCal export available. I'm afraid I'm not quite understanding your question. Our Helpdesk team should be able to assist if supporting details are provided. 

Thanks!

Sheila Dickinson’s vacation rental journey began with a single home in Bremerton, Washington, and quickly expanded to include properties in Panama City Beach, Vancouver, and Whitefish. With a focus on thoughtful design and guest connection, she now manages a growing portfolio of short-term rentals through her business Escapes By Sheila, all powered by OwnerRez at the "heart" of her operations.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

My first short-term rental was in Bremerton, Washington, and it was because I moved to Vancouver to marry my husband, Scott. I loved my house and didn't want to sell it, and I also wanted to use it occasionally. My second was in Panama City Beach in 2017, because I knew and loved the area, and believed that my son would settle there; so it was a snowbird/close to family investment. It did so well that we kept buying there. We also own in Whitefish, Montana, and even owned in Puerto Rico for a while. Panama City Beach is where we spend winters and rent out our Vancouver, WA, house while we are gone.

What is your background?

I am an accountant, and had a career in federal civil service in Panama City Beach, FL, Bremerton, WA, and Vancouver, WA. I retired in 2021. I started my first STR in 2016, and grew that to four by my retirement, and then added 5 more since then. I also co-host for a few clients and have a wallpaper installation business!

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

I lived in Panama City Beach from 1989-2013, moved to Bremerton in 2013 (for a promotion and to be near my parents) and Vancouver WA in 2016 (that's where I graduated from high school so it wasn't new to me).

What do you love the most about the vacation rental business?

I love connecting with guests, learning why they chose my properties, and creating memorable experiences through thoughtful decor and amenities that make their vacations special with family and friends.

What do you dislike the most about it?

I dislike the bookkeeping (and I'm an accountant!) and other admin paperwork (LLC renewals, city/state licensing, insurance policies, etc).

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

I use lots of software, but OwnerRez is the heart. I couldn't live without it! I use it constantly, to check daily bookings, to block out time when needed, check rates and payments, damage protection, reports for my KPIs and taxes, and more!

What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?

Being able to see all of my bookings at a glance, and the reports.

Sheila’s journey from a single home to a multi-market portfolio is a testament to her eye for detail and commitment to hospitality. We’re excited to see Escapes by Sheila continue to grow while creating thoughtful, memorable stays for guests across every destination.

This sounds awesome and can't wait to try it out!!

This week’s roundup covers Skift’s optimistic short-term rental outlook, rising last-minute bookings, and a lawsuit against Airbnb in Los Angeles. Plus, Booking.com’s removal of illegal listings in Spain. Let’s dive in.

Skift’s State of Travel 2025 report predicts strong growth for short-term rentals, with bookings expected to surpass hotels in key markets. Social commerce is booming, with Skift Research estimating $7 billion in bookings originating from social media for hotels, airlines, and rentals. Other notable insights from the report include Airbnb maintaining dominance with 44% of the global vacation rental market as of 2024. However, increased regulation, including new licensing and occupancy caps in high-demand areas, could pose challenges to continued growth.

Ocean City’s new 3% short-term rental occupancy tax has sparked controversy. Airbnb argues the tax, which requires hosts to pay a levy on rental bookings, is illegal and unconstitutional. The platform claims the tax disproportionately targets short-term rentals, while excluding hotels and other lodging types. Local officials argue the tax will generate much-needed revenue for the city, though the dispute is expected to lead to legal challenges.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office has filed a lawsuit against Airbnb, accusing the platform of allowing price gouging and unverified listings at more than 2,000 rentals following the January firestorm in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. The lawsuit claims some hosts inflated prices, taking advantage of displaced residents and emergency workers. Airbnb is also accused of permitting properties to be listed under fake identities, complicating efforts to provide safe housing. While Airbnb disputes the allegations, the case is expected to lead to further legal challenges.

AirDNA reports a significant rise in last-minute bookings in 2025. When looking at reservation lead times, booking behavior has clearly shifted. Travelers are increasingly waiting until the last minute to book. In August 2023, just 16% of U.S. reservations were made within five days of check-in. By January 2025, that share had nearly doubled to 31%, and sits at 24% in May. Experts speculate that travelers are catching on to pricing trends and waiting for property managers to lower prices to fill inventory, with economic uncertainty also driving more spontaneous bookings across all markets.

In continued news regarding Spain's court ruling against short-term rentals, previously reported on May 23, June 20, and July 18, Booking.com has removed 4,000 vacation rental listings in Spain to comply with new consumer protection laws. These listings violated one of three infractions: lack of required licences, failure to specify the legal status of landlords, or displaying incorrect licence numbers. Spain is intensifying its efforts against short-term rentals amid a housing crisis, with the government having already ordered Airbnb to remove over 65,000 illegal listings.

As regulatory changes, shifting booking trends, and legal challenges continue to shape the vacation rental industry, stay tuned for more updates. Check back next week for the latest news!

Can Rezzy create tasks from a review? We sometime hear about critical issues in reviews and in private comments in reviews. That would be helpful! Looking forward to trying Rezzy! Thanks

That's a great question, Donna! No, Rezzy AI cannot currently create tasks based on reviews. But we encourage you to submit that idea as a Feature Request.

Can Rezzy create tasks from a review? We sometime hear about critical issues in reviews and in private comments in reviews. That would be helpful! Looking forward to trying Rezzy! Thanks

Any timeline on roll out? We are hoping to put our 35 properties to the test.

thanks,

VWM

We don't have an ETA on the Rezzy AI public release at this time, but request access to the Rezzy AI Private Beta so you can put Rezzy through her paces.

So far, well, ok I guess. Rezzy has proposed responses to a bunch of guest emails. I’ve had to throw them all away. 

I tried to change the settings, specifying that the tone of the AI should be “terse, no wasted words, polite but to the point, zero fluff” but it’s still breezy, verbose, and relentlessly cheery. Unusable, unfortunately, for now.  

I’m perfectly capable of writing emails; I suspect most people here are, I don’t need AI for that, I rarely write anything anyway because everything is canned. I also don’t need a list of tasks, especially when they are generated from guests who complain that something “doesn’t work” when in fact it just needs to be turned on.

The areas that AI could help me (and OwnerRez) with are (1) report generation so that I can produce reports that are useful for me (2) do things like “send an email to all current guests” or “send a message to any guest who will be staying over on Wednesday,” or otherwise bypasses current OwnerRez limitations.  

I expected it to make mistakes, but I didn’t count on annoying.  I’m hoping for improvements because there’s a lot of potential here.

Thank you for the feedback, Undercard_Wonder! I suggest that you continue to add more suggestions for your Conversation Tone. Those are some intriguing ideas surrounding reports, and they would make good Feature Requests.

So far, well, ok I guess. Rezzy has proposed responses to a bunch of guest emails. I’ve had to throw them all away. 

I tried to change the settings, specifying that the tone of the AI should be “terse, no wasted words, polite but to the point, zero fluff” but it’s still breezy, verbose, and relentlessly cheery. Unusable, unfortunately, for now.  

I’m perfectly capable of writing emails; I suspect most people here are, I don’t need AI for that, I rarely write anything anyway because everything is canned. I also don’t need a list of tasks, especially when they are generated from guests who complain that something “doesn’t work” when in fact it just needs to be turned on.

The areas that AI could help me (and OwnerRez) with are (1) report generation so that I can produce reports that are useful for me (2) do things like “send an email to all current guests” or “send a message to any guest who will be staying over on Wednesday,” or otherwise bypasses current OwnerRez limitations.  

I expected it to make mistakes, but I didn’t count on annoying.  I’m hoping for improvements because there’s a lot of potential here.

Any timeline on roll out? We are hoping to put our 35 properties to the test.

thanks,

VWM

Can/will the Task area be available for everyone?  I don't know how helpful AI will be for me but the Task Area would be a huge asset. 

Thank you

Kimberly, this Tasks area is only available as part of the Rezzy AI private beta, but feel free to upvote the Task Management feature request. We take Feature Requests seriously at OwnerRez.

Thank you for replying. 

AirBnB does a good job translating messages. Booking.com does not and direct booking via website has same problem. I send out messages in English, but they cannot read them. So requiring the guest to select a language will not work for me. Needs to be based on the language they use to ask a question or the address they use. Best would be English and the local language based on the address they use, until a language can be determined. They cannot figure out how to sign the lease or pay the deposit. Can you determine the language setting on the device they are using? Like AirBnB. Then translate everything automatically?

John, some of our guest forms can be translated by the guest to their preferred language. For more information, see our International Guests and Guest Culture support articles. But I suggest you also contact our Helpdesk directly for other suggestions.

Can/will the Task area be available for everyone?  I don't know how helpful AI will be for me but the Task Area would be a huge asset. 

Thank you

Thank you for replying. 

AirBnB does a good job translating messages. Booking.com does not and direct booking via website has same problem. I send out messages in English, but they cannot read them. So requiring the guest to select a language will not work for me. Needs to be based on the language they use to ask a question or the address they use. Best would be English and the local language based on the address they use, until a language can be determined. They cannot figure out how to sign the lease or pay the deposit. Can you determine the language setting on the device they are using? Like AirBnB. Then translate everything automatically?

Will this be able to translate from other languages? Translate messages sent and received.

How will this work with direct booking from the website? Will there be a chat feature? 

Great questions, John.

Regarding language translations, Paul stated above the following: "Great question.  At the moment, no.  But that's a great one and definitely on the list of what we are looking to support, as we recently expanded our new guest forms to include other languages."

Rezzy AI can respond to your direct booking guests in the Unified Inbox utilizing SMS messaging. 

Regarding the hosted website chat feature, the blog post states: "💻 Website chat widget that answers guest questions using your property info, and sends anything else to your inbox. (coming later)" However, I don't have an ETA on that.

Give Rezzy AI a test drive, and feel free to add a Feature Request for a hosted website chat feature!

It says it will be an add on.  If you aren't messing around with chatgpt or perplexity you are missing out on some serious fun and unbelievable tools ( for making life easier, more enjoyable, deeper). Your loss. 

Will this be able to translate from other languages? Translate messages sent and received.

How will this work with direct booking from the website? Will there be a chat feature? 

Same!! Our team is pumped.

over my dead body.  Can we turn this off?  In fact, this will make me consider leaving OR.  Hmm.  I guess I will have to research that.  Last thing I want is to be paying for an AI tool I will NEVER use.  I have already been pretty appalled by the crappy AI generated dragons in your ad.  I will NEVER use AI to communicate with any guest, because I'm trying to have a personalized experience where I actually CARE about my guests.

We are not too fond of AI ourselves, but this is a no-problem feature: it is OPTIONAL, you do not need to/do not have to turn it on. 

This week’s roundup covers Dearborn’s new short-term rental rules, rising UK countryside bookings, a shift toward vacation homes among wealthy travelers, efforts to cut food waste in rentals, and European hotels challenging Airbnb’s over-tourism claims.

The Dearborn City Council approved new short-term rental regulations set to take effect January 1, 2026. The ordinance prohibits short-term rentals in single-family residential neighborhoods. A city representative said, “We believe that limiting short-term rentals to commercial areas, like our downtown districts, will protect housing stock for residents, including long-term renters."

Airbnb has shared its picks for the top ten family-friendly destinations in the UK this summer. The list includes seaside favorites like Dorset and Ceredigion, alongside popular countryside spots such as the Peak District and the Isle of Wight. According to Airbnb, family travel bookings to rural areas in the UK grew nearly 60 percent from 2019 to 2024, reflecting a broader trend toward quiet escapes. In 2024, the majority of guest nights stayed on Airbnb in the EU, almost 60 percent, were outside of cities.

According to a recent Forbes report, wealthy Americans are increasingly turning to vacation homes instead of traditional luxury hotels. Companies like Exclusive Resorts and Iconic House are seeing significant growth, driven by a demand for more privacy, space, and personalized services. Wealthy travelers are opting for the flexibility and intimacy of private stays over the standard hotel experience. This shift contributes to the global vacation rentals market, which, according to Statista, is expected to generate $105 billion in revenue this year and reach $125 billion by 2029.

A recent report highlighted in Parade points to food waste as a growing issue in short-term vacation rentals, with U.S. vacationers generating an estimated $2 billion in wasted food each year. Guests say they would welcome information on how to donate or compost unused food before checkout. With vacation rentals on the rise, these small steps could help reduce environmental impact while enhancing the guest experience.

Following our May 23rd and June 20th Industry News updates on Spain’s court ruling against unlicensed Airbnb listings, European hotel leaders are now challenging Airbnb’s recent report on overtourism. Airbnb’s “Overtourism in the EU” report claimed that hotels account for most tourist stays and suggested that short-term rentals help ease crowding by spreading visitors beyond city centers. The report also pointed to airlines and cruise ships as key drivers of overtourism. Meliá Hotels CEO Gabriel Escarrer pushed back, noting vacation rentals in Spain have grown 135 percent over the past decade, far outpacing hotels, which face stricter rules. Accor, another major hotel group, echoed the call for balanced tourism policies and stronger oversight of short-term rentals.

As the vacation rental industry navigates shifting regulations, market trends, and traveler expectations, we’ll be watching for what’s next. Check back next week for more industry updates!

Natasha,

The clue is in the word you used, "personalized."  That means an approximation of personal, not quite personal, personal-ish. That is no doubt what you offer, it can hardly be otherwise if you have a lot of guests and you tell them the same thing every time. I mean, how many different ways can you lend a personal touch to "checkout is at noon" or "the patio light switch is just inside the side door"?

Furthermore, this is what the majority of guests want. For every guest who wants to spend hours getting to know you and telling you about their grandchildren, there are 10 who just want an easy check-in, clear instructions, appliances that work, and a comfy bed with NO personal interaction. 

If you cared about your guests, 9 times out of 10 you'd just leave them alone. AI can help with that, leaving you time to lavish your personalized attention on the few who want it. 

I think this will be very useful in a number of way, for both the users and for the company, to whose future we hosts are at least somewhat tied:

1. The obvious. AI will automate things even more. Since hosts and guests exchange the same pleasantries and instructions at every interaction, this is not much of a heavy lift for the AI, and most hosts, being lazy like myself, will love it unless it acts badly or erraticly.  

2. Will (hopefully) flag large issues before they get bigger. If a water leak, bad HVAC, noise complaint, or other major problem rears its head, reaction time is key -- both to get the issue fixed, but perhaps more importantly to respond to the guest and acknowledge the issue. If the new AI can message a guest and alert me in a timely way, that alone will be worth the monthly fee. 

3. Shows that OwnerRez is committed to matching or beating the competition. While a skeptic might say that OwnerRez introduced AI because they were shit-scared that they would be eaten alive by other companies who beat them to the punch, a better perspective might be that they're going to fight to make their product competitive and feature-rich. This makes me feel that the time and money I've put into OwnerRez won't go to waste. I don't mind them being a little scared if it brings me a better product. 

4. Makes co-hosting/property management more efficient, and this makes me more competitive. I can easily see myself lowering my rates to attract new customers even as AI makes me more productive so I can handle more clients without substantially more effort (on the customer side at least -- if only I could get the owners to stop taking up all my time...)

5. As the blog post mentions, it's just the beginning. I can imagine a ton of things that AI could help with...

        ...BUT...

To make this truly useful, I'm going to need to put the information and tasks that it generates into the hands of cleaners, owners, and tradespeople that I work with. And that means that the UI, particularly on mobile, needs to be a LOT more friendly. At the moment, I have to force people to use it, pretty much, and they just don't. All the AI in the world doesn't help if the messenger can't get in to deliver the message. 

All in all, a great step forward, and unexpected. A nice surprise. 

Natasha, It's clear you didn't read the details.  This is an opt-in feature (optional) and it's free while in beta anyway.  Could it be possible that caring about your guests would include quicker responses than you can humanly offer, including a response while you are sleeping?  I'd suggest using it before you condemn it and offer your dead body in defiance.

Can we turn this off?

It's not on. You have to request access and get approved to even turn it on.  For those that do, it's easy to turn off at any time. Look at the screenshot tour in the support doc.

Last thing I want is to be paying for an AI tool I will never use.

It will not affect your pricing if it is turned off.

I will never use AI to communicate with any guest, because I'm trying to have a personalized experience where I actually care about my guests.

Answering guests is only one part of Rezzy.  The other super cool thing it does it watch communication and generate tasks based on what is said, and it's very accurate in the tasks it creates.  Even for small host/PM shops that don't have staff, it's very helpful to see a list of management tasks to keep track of.  Caring about guests is important, as you pointed out, so it's nice to have tools that keep track of action items so that don't forget things.

Will you be able to customize its tone so it doesn't sound so AI generated?

Yes. There is a conversation tone setting where you can write instructions on how it should sound. It is very good. You can say things like "Be informal, don't give long flowery answers, prefer short sentences to long ones" or other things.  Use the Sandbox to play with that and see what kind of answers it gives.

In the future, we plan to add some enumerated options around tone so you can pick from a list if you don't want to have to customize it on your own.

Is it able to answer in any other language like Spanish?

Great question.  At the moment, no.  But that's a great one and definitely on the list of what we are looking to support, as we recently expanded our new guest forms to include other languages. 

Then don’t use it.

over my dead body.  Can we turn this off?  In fact, this will make me consider leaving OR.  Hmm.  I guess I will have to research that.  Last thing I want is to be paying for an AI tool I will NEVER use.  I have already been pretty appalled by the crappy AI generated dragons in your ad.  I will NEVER use AI to communicate with any guest, because I'm trying to have a personalized experience where I actually CARE about my guests.

Is it able to answer in any other language like Spanish?

Will you be able to customize its tone so it doesn't so AI generated?

I’ve been using ChatGPT to draft messages and would love to see this integrated into OR.