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Killing that state 1 step at a time. Killing this country with government finding one more way to get their hand in your pockets.

I am annoyed as a business owner and I'm annoyed as a traveler.

Here's an idea to make things more affordable - STOP taxing people to death.

Illinois is always good for some heavy taxation!

This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s 2026 Summer Release, AI’s growing role in the guest booking journey, Booking Holdings’ long-term growth strategy, Nashville preparing for the 2030 Super Bowl, and a proposed statewide short-term rental tax in Illinois. Let’s dive in.

Airbnb announced on Wednesday its highly anticipated 2026 Summer Release. The update introduces new service categories, including grocery delivery, airport pickups, luggage storage, and car rentals. Airbnb also continued its push into hotels with the addition of boutique and independent hotels, along with a new featured hotels program that gives guests a 15% Airbnb credit when booking participating hotels through the platform. Lastly, Airbnb unveiled several new AI-powered features, including review summaries, listing comparisons, shared trip planning tools, and expanded customer support capabilities. The update continues the trend we’ve seen from Airbnb over the past few years, as the company expands further beyond vacation rentals with the goal of becoming a more complete travel platform.

In response to Airbnb’s 2026 Summer Release, Rental Scale-Up by PriceLabs published an interesting article discussing the impact Airbnb’s new AI features may have on property managers. Focusing particularly on the new AI-powered review summary, listing comparison, and “ask about this home” features, PriceLabs points out that AI is quickly becoming a larger interaction layer between property managers and potential guests, especially at key decision points. This gives property managers less control over a guest’s first impression and could begin shifting which parts of a vacation rental operation separate the amateurs from the pros.

Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, the parent company of Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak, and more, shared his thoughts on long-term growth during a recent investor conference, calling AI “an absolute net benefit.” Fogel discussed Booking Holdings’ developing “Connected Trip” strategy, similar to Airbnb's direction in recent years, and highlighted Booking.com’s “Genius” loyalty program as a major part of the company’s long-term strategy to improve guest loyalty and reduce marketing costs.

The NFL announced on Tuesday that Nashville, TN, will host the 2030 Super Bowl. With short-term rental regulations already in place across the city, residents are already asking for special exceptions for the event. Over the past year, we’ve seen several cities introduce temporary permits or special exemptions for high-demand events, and it will be interesting to see how Nashville approaches the situation. If you are a vacation rental operator in the area, now is a great time to start planning for the increased demand the Super Bowl is expected to bring to the Nashville area.

Illinois lawmakers are currently considering House Bill 5776, a proposal that would add a new statewide 4% tax on short-term rentals booked through OTAs like Airbnb and Vrbo. If passed, the tax would begin on January 1, 2027, with the revenue directed toward a new Community Land Trust Fund to support affordable housing initiatives. The proposal continues a trend we’ve seen in recent years, as more cities and states look to short-term rentals as a way to help fund housing-related programs and affordable housing efforts. With the bill still under consideration in the Illinois General Assembly, now is a great time for local operators to make their voice heard.

As AI tools continue expanding across travel platforms and local governments revisit short-term rental policies, the vacation rental industry continues to evolve. Check back next week for the latest news.

June is here, and we've got a full lineup of webinars to help keep your operations running at an elite level this summer! 🌊

This month’s webinar schedule includes live demos, Q&A sessions, and Focus Sessions covering Quotes and Triggers. We’ll also be joined by Dana Young, Founder of AIPEX, for a special webinar showing how OwnerRez Hosted Websites, together with AI-assisted “vibe coding,” can be used to create a customized vacation rental website experience.

OwnerRez will also be attending the 2026 Short Term Rental Wealth Builders Conference in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on June 19th. If you’re attending, be sure to stop by our booth to ask questions and to grab some swag!

Webinars:

 6/4/2026 OwnerRez Demo

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

Register now!

 6/8/2026 Focus Session - Quotes

In this Focus Session, we’ll give an in-depth walkthrough of quotes, including where they are located throughout the system, how to create them, and the various settings available when using them.

Register now!

 6/9/2026 AIPEX/OwnerRez - Build a Custom OwnerRez Hosted Site with AI: Fun, Easy, and No Coding Required

Join us for a live webinar with Dana Young, Founder of AIPEX, to see a real-world example of how OwnerRez Hosted Sites, together with AI-assisted “vibe coding,” can be used to create a more customized vacation rental website experience.

Register now!

 6/11/2026 OwnerRez Demo

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

Register now!

 6/12/2026 OwnerRez Q&A

Join us for a live Q&A! Please write in questions prior to the webinar so we can start off by answering those right away.

Register now!

 6/18/2026 OwnerRez Demo

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

Register now!

 6/23/2026 OwnerRez Demo

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

Register now!

 6/24/2026 Focus Session - Triggers

In this Focus Session, we’ll cover how scheduled, immediate, and the brand-new Recurring Triggers feature can help automate guest and team communication for your vacation rental business.

Register now!

 6/25/2026 OwnerRez Q&A

Join us for a live Q&A! Please write in questions prior to the webinar so we can start off by answering those right away.

Register now!

 6/30/2026 OwnerRez Demo

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

Register now!

In-Person Event:

2026 Short Term Rental Wealth Builders Conference

At STR Wealth Builders, they believe big dreams start small. That’s why they created a one-day conference designed for hosts and owners who are just starting out or managing a handful of rentals. It’s for everyday entrepreneurs building their future one stay at a time. Hosted in the breathtaking lake city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, this event blends education, networking, and celebration all under one stunning roof. From expert-led breakout sessions to a lively atmosphere with great food, exciting giveaways, and a beautiful venue, every detail is designed to inspire and energize. Register here!

When: June 19, 2026

Where: Coeur d'Alene, ID

This week’s roundup covers World Cup-driven demand, housing concerns in major event markets, short-term rental enforcement in Hawaii, and new data on professional property managers. Let’s dive in.

Short-term rental demand continues to build ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, especially in Miami. New AirDNA data reported by Axios shows nightly demand for some Miami match dates is up between 54% and 118% year over year. At the same time, many listings remain unbooked, suggesting some travelers may wait until matchups and travel plans are clearer before booking.

In Los Angeles, officials are considering whether to temporarily loosen short-term rental rules during the 2028 Olympics. The proposal would allow some second homes to be rented short term through the end of 2028, with supporters pointing to lodging demand and city revenue. Critics argue the change could pull more homes out of the long-term housing market and create additional enforcement challenges.

Housing concerns tied to major events are also growing across World Cup host cities. A Guardian report this week highlighted concerns from housing advocates that increased short-term rental activity could worsen affordability and displacement pressures in cities preparing for the tournament. The report also notes that some host cities are seeing more STR listings and higher nightly rates as the event approaches.

In Hawaii, HGTV’s Renovation Aloha stars were reportedly fined $40,000 by Honolulu for operating illegal short-term rentals. According to the report, the properties were rented for stays under 30 days without the required permits, highlighting how cities with strict STR rules are continuing to pursue enforcement against non-compliant operators.

New industry data from Rentals United and PriceLabs also points to continued professionalization in the short-term rental market. Their 2026 outlook report found that dynamic pricing, channel diversification, and operational efficiency are becoming increasingly important, with professional property managers controlling a large share of major STR markets. The report also warns that relying too heavily on one booking channel is becoming a bigger risk for operators.

As we move further into 2026, the short-term rental industry continues to evolve across major event demand, regulation, enforcement, and operational strategy. Check back next week for the latest updates.

We are happy to announce our integration with PX, an AI-powered trust accounting audit platform.

About PX

PX is the AI-powered trust accounting audit platform built for short-term rental property managers. It connects to OwnerRez, cross-references every payout record, and checks every guest invoice line by line, flagging where an owner received more or less than they were owed. Payout errors, miscoded expenses, misallocated cancellations, and tax gaps are all caught and can be resolved automatically before a single owner statement goes out wrong. In a recent portfolio audit, PX found $78,000 in overpayments across 300 listings. Setup takes five minutes and works right on top of OwnerRez with no stack replacement.

Features

• AI issue detection
• Real-Time Syncing
• Smart Alerts
• Portfolio Insights
• Smart issue suggestions
• Targeted workflows
• Cost leak detection
• Automatic fixes
• Per owner payout rules
• Compliance tracking
• Flexible terms
• At risk owner alerts
• Auto coding by property and owner
• Owner ready breakdowns
• Custom chart of accounts

Pricing

Three plans: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. Every plan includes the AI diagnostic center, auto expense entry, and guest & hotel tax remittance audit. CPA-managed tax filing available as a paid add-on. 14-day free trial, no credit card, cancel anytime. Learn more here.

I signed up with Wander last week and requested full since three times and sent multiple emails and no response. Love to get connected but no response.

I started the process with them last December and officially went live in April, but only stayed active for about a week. They had assured me the transition would be seamless, but that wasn’t my experience. I ended up reworking all of my listings myself, about 60 hours spent fixing ads, amenities, and details.

Not everything syncs through OwnerRez, so some updates still have to be managed directly in the Wander back office, which added another layer of complexity. Between the bugs and ongoing hiccups, I ultimately decided to disconnect and return to my OwnerRez hosted site.

I really do love the look and potential of their platform, but it still feels like they have some kinks to work through. I’d absolutely consider revisiting them down the road once things are more dialed in.

Matt Tassello, mt@wander.com is the account exec that brought me and Justin Vazquez, justin@wander.com was the one who did my onboarding.  Maybe they can help get you started.  

This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s latest earnings results, new short-term rental regulations in Europe, and changing summer travel trends. Let’s dive in.

Airbnb reported its Q1 2026 earnings this week, showing continued growth despite broader economic uncertainty. Revenue increased 18% year over year to $2.68 billion, while gross booking value reached $29.2 billion. The company also raised its full-year outlook, pointing to resilient travel demand and continued international growth. At the same time, Airbnb noted that rising travel costs and geopolitical uncertainty are beginning to influence booking patterns in certain markets.

Airbnb also revealed that boutique hotels are becoming one of the fastest-growing categories on the platform. While vacation rentals still dominate Airbnb’s business, hotel inventory is growing at more than double the pace of the broader platform. The trend highlights how major booking platforms continue expanding beyond their traditional business models as competition across accommodations increases.

Meanwhile, Europe is preparing for one of the biggest coordinated regulatory shifts the short-term rental industry has seen. New EU rules taking effect later this month will require standardized registration systems and expanded data sharing between booking platforms and governments. Airbnb warned this week that several countries are still not fully prepared for the rollout, while operators across Europe are now preparing for increased compliance and reporting requirements.

Summer demand trends are also continuing to evolve. New data released this week shows travelers are increasingly waiting longer to book summer trips, creating a shorter booking window for many hosts heading into peak season. Analysts say the shift is making pricing strategy and occupancy forecasting more difficult, especially in markets with rapidly growing supply. The trend reflects continued consumer caution around travel spending despite overall demand remaining relatively strong.

As we move further into 2026, the short-term rental industry continues to evolve across demand, regulation, and platform strategy. Check back next week for the latest updates.

We are pleased to announce our integration with Guestwise, helping users simplify guest interactions and reduce manual tasks.

About Guestwise

Guestwise adds a modern guest experience layer to your OwnerRez workflow by centralizing communication, automating repetitive tasks, and enhancing every guest interaction. With AI-powered replies, unified messaging, and built-in upsell capabilities, Guestwise helps you respond faster, reduce manual work, and deliver a more consistent, personalized experience across every stay.

How the Integration Works

Through the integration, OwnerRez continues to power your reservations, operations, and data, while Guestwise handles the guest-facing side, bringing together conversation history, branded GuestGuides, and contextual upsells into one seamless system. The result is a more efficient operation and a better guest experience from booking through post-stay.

Pricing

Guestwise pricing is as low as $7 per property per month, with scalable tiers based on the number of properties managed. Learn more here. 

Ready to Connect?

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

Spring is wrapping up, and so is another month of improvements to OwnerRez. May delivered Passkey support for faster, more secure logins, the redesigned "new card" guest form that streamlines the payment experience, more visible support of new listing discounts for Airbnb & Vrbo, and OwnerRez-powered lock notification additions.

• New Features
  • Passkey Sign-In Option
  • New Card Guest Form
  • Airbnb & Vrbo New Listing Discounts
  • OwnerRez-powered Locks Notifications
• Enhancements
  • Triggers
    • Copy Existing Triggers
    • Disabled Notifications
  • Broadcast
  • Tasks
  • Credit Card Voids
  • Standard Discounts
  • Smart Reviews
  • Rezzy AI Messaging
  • Airbnb Channel Onboarding
  • Type-ahead Filters
    • Single-select
    • Multi-select
• Tweaks
  • May 6th Release with 4 Tweaks
  • May 13th Release with 3 Tweaks
  • May 20th Release with 3 Tweaks
  • May 27th Release with 2 Tweaks

New Features

Passkey Sign-In Option

Passkeys enhance security by preventing phishing and password theft, enabling sign-in with biometrics like Face ID, Touch ID, or hardware security keys rather than passwords. OwnerRez implemented optional passkeys as part of our May 13th release, allowing users to add one to their OwnerRez accounts.

To add a passkey, navigate to your Profile > Safeguards > Passkeys > + Add a passkey.

You may have to verify your identity by entering the code sent to your email during this process. On the Add a Passkey pop-up, click the Create Passkey button.

On the Add a Passkey pop-up, add an optional name for your passkey, and click Save Passkey. Continue following the prompts to determine where to save your passkey (e.g., in the browser, an authenticator app, etc.). Once your passkey is saved, it will appear in the Passkeys list.

New Card Guest Form

There may be times when hosts need to request a new credit card from guests if a guest's card expires or is declined. OwnerRez redesigned the New Card guest form for enhanced user and mobile-friendliness, allowing guests to easily update their payment information with our May 13th release.

To see this new guest form in action, navigate to an individual Booking > Transactions > Request > Request New Credit Card > Request new credit card from Guest Name > Preview.

Airbnb and Vrbo New Listing Discounts

Offering Airbnb and Vrbo new listing discounts helps your property gain early traction by attracting first bookings faster and by generating ranking signals that drive long-term visibility and guest confidence. On May 6th, OwnerRez introduced standardized 20% new-listing discounts for Airbnb (automatically disabled after the third booking) and Vrbo (automatically disabled after 90 days) listings to help attract initial bookings more quickly. These New Listing Discounts are available for all new Airbnb and Vrbo channel integrations.

Create your new listing discount by navigating to Settings > Pricing > Discounts > + Create Discount > Channel Specific Discounts, then selecting New Listing Discount for Airbnb or Vrbo.

Configure your new Airbnb or Vrbo New Listing Discount.

OwnerRez-powered Locks Notifications

Proactively tracking door access events and battery levels, and automating alerts for timely battery replacements, is essential for a successful short-term vacation rental business. On May 6th, OwnerRez implemented a release of notifications for door lock usage and low battery levels for our OwnerRez-powered Schlage, igloohome, and Hubitat door lock integrations.

On individual bookings, you can see the door lock attempts by clicking on the booking Overview > Door Code section and clicking on the Actions attempted icon.

And the Actions attempted pop-up will display the time when the door was attempted to be opened or unlocked.

Here is a preview of the First Action Is Attempted by Guest push notification.

These highly requested features include the ability to set when you get notified about a low battery level.

Users can configure device notifications for when guests first attempt to use the door lock, or anytime they use the lock, and to receive a low battery warning notification by navigating to their Profile menu and selecting Notifications > Device notifications.

Here is a preview of the Low Battery Warning push notification.

Interested in exploring OwnerRez-powered locks? Check out our Schlage, Hubitat, and igloohome support articles.

Enhancements

Triggers

Copy Existing

Adding multiple triggers with different conditions and settings was time-consuming. With our May 27th release, OwnerRez added the ability to copy existing triggers to new ones, allowing you to duplicate them in an automatic draft status and then tweak as needed before saving. Copying existing triggers is an excellent way to start configuring your triggers with various conditions and settings.

In the Triggers grid (Settings > Messaging > Triggers), click on an existing trigger dropdown list and select "Copy to New Trigger" to automatically generate a copy in an automatic draft status.

Disabled Notifications

OwnerRez triggers enable users to automatically send system or custom messages (via email, channel, or SMS) based on specific conditions or events. However, some older triggers have conditions that will never match again. The OwnerRez system now automatically detects and disables triggers with conditions that will never match any bookings, quotes, or inquiries with the May 20th release.

When a trigger is disabled, the account owner will receive an email notification explaining which conditions caused the issue, along with a link to edit and reactivate the trigger if needed.

Broadcast

Urgent situations may require notifying all guests. OwnerRez Broadcast messages can inform guests of unplanned maintenance, emergency storms, or any changes affecting multiple guests. With our May 13th release, we improved the Broadcast feature, which now displays sending results by listing channels with detailed delivery success or potential error summaries before sending, removes the 30-day date-range restriction, and allows sending Broadcast messages to up to 20 bookings per property.

When users verify that they want to send a Broadcast message, a pop-up appears that displays summary details about the listing channel messages and SMS messages. Click Send Broadcast.

After you click Send Broadcast, the Sending Broadcast Name of your Broadcast pop-up will confirm that your message has been sent.

After you click View Messages, you'll be taken back to the Inbox, where you'll be able to view all of the Broadcast messages sent. Individual filtered Broadcast messages will appear in the Inbox. Click the small X next to your Broadcast Name filter to clear it.

Tasks

OwnerRez's Task area helps you stay organized by creating and tracking tasks, requests, and issues across your properties by centralizing management for housekeeping, maintenance, and other property-related tasks. OwnerRez improved the Tasks grid to display the most recent activity, display photos and attachments inline, and link URLs automatically with our May 20th release.

The Tasks grid now sorts by last activity (instead of created date) by default, shows photo and file attachment counts in a dedicated column, and automatically converts URLs in task descriptions into clickable links.

Photo and File attachments allow for quick preview access and can now be viewed in a full-screen carousel that includes all images from all notes on the task.

Email notifications for new Task notes display attachment counts.

Credit Card Voids

Nobody wants to see a booking canceled, but guests sometimes cancel within 24 hours for various reasons, including booking the wrong dates or changing plans. When that happens, voiding the charge before it settles means the guest never sees a debit on their statement, avoiding refund delays and fees. OwnerRez attempts to void the credit card charges for cancellations (excluding Stripe) within 24 hours when eligible first, before refunding for recent unsettled credit card charges, with our May 27th release.

Standard Discounts

While strategic OwnerRez Standard Discounts can significantly boost your vacation rental's performance, it was frustrating when those discounts were unintentionally stacked with direct bookings. With our May 20th release, OwnerRez updated Standard Discounts behavior to prevent stacking on direct bookings.

Smart Reviews

Airbnb and Vrbo encourage guest reviews, but many guests don’t leave them. Hosts can encourage guest reviews by writing one themselves or using OwnerRez Smart Reviews, which automates Host Reviews for Airbnb and Vrbo bookings. OwnerRez added Smart Reviews status information to the existing and new Airbnb and Vrbo channel integration setup process with our May 20th release.

When connecting a new Airbnb or Vrbo channel integration (Settings > Channel Management > Channel Integrations > + Connect a Channel), you can enable Smart Reviews by clicking the Manage Smart Reviews button during the connection process.

Alternatively, when editing an existing Airbnb or Vrbo connection (Settings > Channel Management > Channel Integrations > and selecting an existing  Airbnb or Vrbo connection), you can edit your Smart Reviews by clicking on the Manage Smart Reviews button.

Smart Reviews will remain disabled by default if they are turned off on another channel, preventing accidental activation.

Rezzy AI Messaging (Private Beta)

Rezzy AI, OwnerRez's messaging assistant, knows your properties' availability, bookings, cancellation policies, and guest history, and messages directly within the Inbox for seamless communication. OwnerRez modernized Rezzy AI messaging in the May 20th release by adding structured reasoning and automatic quality validation.

What does that mean? OwnerRez reviewed your Rezzy AI thumbs-up or down feedback (e.g., Drafts, Draft Deletions, Host Preferences, Escalation, Timing, and Conversation Tone) to improve Rezzy AI by mapping Rezzy's responses within a strict "step-by-step" procedure that meets predefined specifications, ensuring Rezzy provides the most accurate guest messaging possible.

Looking to incorporate AI guest messaging into your own tech stack? Explore OwnerRez's Rezzy AI!

Airbnb Channel Onboarding (Private Beta) 

Airbnb's global marketplace connects your property with millions of travelers, delivering built-in trust, streamlined booking tools, and exposure that could take years to build on your own. With our May 6th release, OwnerRez improved our Airbnb channel integration by allowing you to select the sync type before going live, providing more granular import controls, rate adjustment options, and a simpler disconnect process.

When importing a listing from Airbnb (Settings > Channel Management > Channel Integration > + Connect a Channel > Connect Airbnb, or an existing Airbnb channel integration > Connect Properties > From Airbnb to OwnerRez > Import Listings from Airbnb > What to Import), you now have the ability to select the sync type (Everything or Only Availability) and what content (e.g., Amenities, Bedrooms & Bathrooms, Description, Nightly rates, Photos, Rules, Surcharges) you want to import.

On the Change Property Mappings > Import Listings > Import Listings from Airbnb page, users can easily disconnect their property by clicking on the Action to Take dropdown list and selecting Disconnect and Save.

Type-ahead Filters

Type-ahead filters or searches suggest and filter results instantly as users type, enhancing speed by removing non-matching data, reducing keystrokes, and updating suggestions in real time.

Single-select

With our May 6th release, OwnerRez enhanced single-select type-ahead searches for 10+ items across the app, including quotes, surcharges, locks, triggers, and more. An example of a single-select type-ahead search appears in the Tasks > Add Task > Property dropdown list.

Multi-select

OwnerRez improved the layout of multi-select type-ahead dropdowns by making the "Select all" and "Clear all" controls clearer across the app, including properties, rates, PM, and more, with our May 20th release.

Users can click Select All to select all, click it again to deselect all, click Clear All to clear their selection, and use type-ahead in the Filter fields that contain 10+ or more items to search for specific items or properties.

Tweaks

May 6th Release with 4 Tweaks

Add support for the Fijian Dollar (FJD) currency. OwnerRez added support for the Fijian Dollar (FJD) currency.

Adjust the check-in or check-out times for Booking.com channel-integrated properties to the nearest half-hour upon connection (rounding later for check-ins and earlier for check-outs). Since non-half-hour check-in or check-out times are not supported by Booking.com. OwnerRez will adjust the check-in or check-out times for Booking.com channel-integrated properties to the nearest half-hour upon connection (check-ins rounded later and check-outs rounded earlier). A warning is displayed in Listing Quality Analysis showing which times will be rounded and their new values.

Ensure hosted website videos open directly in the gallery with auto-play and sound enabled. Rather than having to click the gallery to open it, then locate and click the video again, OwnerRez has improved hosted website videos so they open directly in the gallery with auto-play and sound enabled.

Improve Rezzy AI Quality Center promotional messaging. OwnerRez improved the Quality Center's visual design and messaging when Rezzy AI is disabled, enabling users to enable Rezzy AI directly in the Quality Center rather than directing them to the in-app Settings page.

May 13th Release with 3 Tweaks

Add property filter to Quality Center to filter properties without owners. OwnerRez added a property filter to the Quality Center Overview, Reviews, Listing Health, and Sentiment pages that allows hosts to filter by individual properties or property groups and supports selecting properties without owners.

Clarify that Guest Applied Discounts are only applicable for direct bookings. The Guest Applied Discounts section (Settings > Pricing > Discounts > + Create Discount) now displays a subheading, "Only supported for Direct Bookings," to help users understand when these discounts are available. Additionally, the Qualifying discount tile now includes an example "(e.g., Military, AARP)" to clarify what types of qualifying discounts can be created.

Relocate Reviews menu item to Quality Center. OwnerRez has removed the Reviews section from the main in-app menu and permanently relocated it to the Quality Center area.

May 20th Release with 3 Tweaks

Add grace period details, when in effect, to the cancellation policy section on the Confirm & Pay guest forms. When a cancellation policy includes a grace period but otherwise offers no refunds, the Confirm & Pay guest form now displays a "View Details" link that shows the full grace period information, rather than just stating "no refunds."

Integrate rate adjustments directly into nightly rent calculations rather than display them as separate surcharges. Rate adjustments now appear as included in the nightly rent amount on quotes, bookings, and channel pushes, ensuring that percentage discounts (e.g., "rent only") and taxes apply to the adjusted rate. The per-night rate shown to guests reflects the final adjusted amount, and channel integrations send the adjusted rate rather than a separate surcharge line item.

Simplify door lock push notification format to only display device, property, and time. Push notifications for door lock and unlock events now display as "Door Name locked/unlocked at Property Name at Time" with a 12-hour time format, making it easier to quickly understand when and where the event occurred.

May 27th Release with 2 Tweaks

Add Bar and Non-smoking rooms facilities to Booking.com channel integration property sync. OwnerRez now pushes Bar and Non-smoking rooms facility information through the Booking.com (BDC) channel integration. Properties with a Bar room type or smoking set to No will automatically sync these facilities, removing the "answer required" status in the BDC Extranet.

Remove Select All and Clear filter options from Airbnb host review tag dropdown. The Airbnb host review form now displays category tag dropdowns (cleanliness, communication, house rules) without Select All or Clear buttons, simplifying the interface.

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

Hosted by Paul Waldschmidt and Chris Hynes, the CEO and CTO of OwnerRez, the Walk ’n Talk podcast brings their long-running weekly walks to life. What started as casual conversations about ideas, challenges, and product decisions has become a chance for you to listen in and take away insights you can apply in your own business.

🎙️ Episode 12 Now Live

EP12 - What It Really Means to Be Elite

In Episode Twelve, Paul and Chris are joined by Dan Waldschmidt, an international business strategist, speaker, author, and extreme athlete. They talk about what it really means to be elite, and why it is not just about talent, luck, or having the best idea. They unpack the mindset behind OwnerRez’s long-standing “Elite” messaging and explore how ordinary people and companies can build toward extraordinary results through discipline, adaptability, and a constant drive to improve.

You’ll hear about:

• What “Elite” actually means beyond marketing language
• Why discipline and consistency matter more than big moments
• How adaptability helps people and companies keep moving forward
• Why being “never satisfied” can be freeing when balanced the right way
• How running, business, and product development all connect through tenacity

Listen Now

Watch Now

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

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

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

I'm in a market that doesn't have Uber as a ride source. I'm very curious to see how that will impact our area's roll out and if guests choose to book through Uber.

This week’s roundup covers Uber’s move into vacation rentals, new enforcement data out of New York City, and broader trends shaping the short-term rental market. Let’s dive in.

Uber announced a major expansion into travel this week, partnering with Expedia to allow users to book hotels directly inside the Uber app. Importantly for the vacation rental industry, Vrbo listings are expected to be added later this year, bringing short-term rentals into one of the most widely used apps in the world. This could significantly change how travelers discover and book accommodations, creating a powerful new distribution channel for hosts.

In New York City, strict short-term rental rules remain firmly in place, even with the World Cup approaching. A recent city review found that more than a quarter of approved listings are still operating illegally, highlighting ongoing enforcement challenges. While platforms are complying with registration requirements, enforcement continues to be a major hurdle at the local level.

Many hosts are also facing uncertainty around World Cup demand itself. While bookings are up in some markets, a new report shows many hosts who invested heavily ahead of the event are still waiting for reservations, with factors like high airfare, pricing expectations, and travel uncertainty slowing bookings. The data suggests demand may not be as evenly distributed as expected, reinforcing the importance of pricing strategy and realistic expectations heading into major events.

Short-term rental regulations also continue to expand at the local level, with new rules targeting tax collection and data transparency. In New York, Saratoga County recently approved a new framework requiring a county-wide registry, occupancy taxes, and mandatory data sharing from booking platforms. The move reflects a growing push by local governments to better track STR activity and ensure compliance, signaling where regulation may be heading next in other markets.

As we move further into 2026, the short-term rental industry continues to evolve across distribution, demand, and regulation. Check back next week for the latest updates.

We will be at the Michigan STR Conference. We will see you there!

reach out to Dom Dawkins at dom@wander.com

Anyone actually able to get ahold of someone at Wander to make this integration happen?  I signed up last week and no reply.  Reached out again this week and no reply.  Someone from Wander sent me an email asking if I was looking to book a property so I replied stating I was on the site to connect as a host, and they didn't reply, even though the initiated the conversation.  Not sure if they are overwhelmed with new sync requests, but from the host and the end user side, not a great experience thus far.  Can't see how they attract "better" guests with worse customer service than the main channels.

We’re excited to share that OwnerRez has earned Booking.com Premier Partner status for 2026!

“We’re delighted to see OwnerRez earn this designation for the first time ever this year. They delivered excellence in the software solutions they provide for our customers and mutual accommodation partners, and they’re working towards a seamless experience that meets their properties’ needs and supports their success." - Eddy Veldhuizen, Senior Director Connectivity Partnerships at Booking.com

What Premier Partner Status Means

The Booking.com Premier Partner status recognizes connectivity partners for their excellent performance and quality of service. Each year, Booking.com evaluates all of its connected partners and chooses only a select group as "Premier Partners." To achieve this status, connectivity providers must deliver excellence across these three categories: 

• Adding Business Value
• Implementing Product Features
• Developing a Quality Connection with the Platform

Built to Deliver Better Performance and More Revenue

Over the past year, we’ve made significant advancements to our Booking.com integration, bringing it in line with the full-featured channel connections OwnerRez is known for. Enhancements include:

• Expanding beyond basic rate and availability syncing to now support full listing content, including property details, photos, surcharges, and taxes, all managed directly from OwnerRez
• Enabling support for multiple Booking.com accounts, giving property managers greater flexibility and scalability
• Reducing reliance on the Booking.com Extranet by centralizing more configuration and control within OwnerRez

These improvements mean less manual work, fewer opportunities for discrepancies, and a more streamlined, reliable connection between OwnerRez and Booking.com.

A True Collaboration

We’re grateful for our partnership with Booking.com and their outstanding team. Together, we’re committed to delivering the very best product solutions for vacation rental operators and to raising the bar for reliability and performance. And a big thank you to our users for trusting us with your business, especially the 87 OwnerRez users who helped test and shape the new Booking.com integration along the way. Here’s to another year of "continuous improvement" and to setting the standard for reliability and performance.

This week’s roundup covers surging World Cup demand, ongoing restrictions in New York City, and broader trends shaping the short-term rental market. Let’s dive in.

Short-term rental demand is already ramping up ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with bookings in U.S. host cities up significantly year over year. Some markets are seeing increases as high as 58%, with major spikes around match dates. Cities like Miami, Fort Worth, and Kansas City are leading the way, and nearby markets are benefiting as travelers look for alternative accommodations. This is shaping up to be one of the biggest demand drivers the industry has seen. At the same time, rising airfare driven by higher jet fuel costs could begin to impact international travel.

In New York City, strict short-term rental rules remain firmly in place, even with the World Cup approaching. Local officials have declined to loosen restrictions, continuing to prioritize housing availability over short-term rental expansion. As a result, demand is spilling into nearby markets like Jersey City and Newark, where occupancy is surging well beyond typical levels.

Other nearby markets are preparing accordingly. Cities in New Jersey are actively evaluating and enforcing their own rules, with requirements around primary residence, registration, and rental limits becoming more standardized. This reflects a broader trend we’re seeing across the U.S., where regulations continue to evolve toward clearer frameworks, even as approaches vary by market.

In Florida, Navarre Beach is seeing pushback from short-term rental owners over a proposal to significantly increase fire assessment fees specifically for STR properties. The plan would effectively double certain fees, with officials citing increased demand on emergency services from vacation rentals. Property owners argue the change unfairly targets STRs and adds to an already growing list of costs and compliance requirements, highlighting ongoing tension between local infrastructure needs and rental operators.

As we head deeper into 2026, the mix of global events, regulation, and changing traveler behavior continues to reshape the short-term rental landscape. Check back next week for the latest updates.

Congrats, OR team!!! 🎉🎉🎉 I appreciate y'all and your excellent work!

Love OR and congratulations for the well deserved recognition.

CONGRATS!  This is well deserved.

They are constantly improving and listening to the needs/wants of their customers.  Makes my life easier!

Proud to be a subscriber! 

I’m very happy with ownerrez but am frustrated that I have zero bookings on Airbnb. We’re doing very well on other platforms but not sure how we can have zero bookings on ABB. I followed all the suggestions and even called them. I’ve run discounts on their platform as well. 

Congratulations to all the hard working people at Owner Rez ! Great product and glad AirBB recognizes that 😊😊🏆

Congratulations!! Great software and amazing customer support.

We’re very impressed so far—the connection has been excellent.

Your Airbnb API Rocks. Love it!

OwnerRez has once again been recognized as an Airbnb Preferred+ Software Partner! 🎉

We’re honored to be one of the select few to receive the Preferred+ Software Partner status and to meet Airbnb’s highest standards for integration quality, performance, and reliability. This recognition reflects the strong, ongoing collaboration between OwnerRez and Airbnb over the years and is a result of our shared vision to create a seamless, high-quality experience for short-term rental hosts and property managers. 

Why This Matters

Reaching Airbnb Preferred+ status means we've not only met, but we've exceeded Airbnb’s technical and performance benchmarks. It’s awarded to only a small group of partners who consistently deliver a high-quality connection and continue to invest in strong collaboration with Airbnb. You can learn more about the program and what it means for OwnerRez users here.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

Over the years, we’ve worked closely with the Airbnb team to continuously improve our integration and to deliver a more seamless experience for OwnerRez users. That strong collaboration continues to drive behind-the-scenes improvements and new features, like the brand-new Quality Center, which seamlessly brings Airbnb listing health insights, reservation issues, and review category analytics directly into OwnerRez.

We’re grateful for our partnership with the Airbnb team, and most of all, for our users who make this possible!

What's Next

We are proud to receive the Airbnb Preferred+ badge for 2026, and look forward to continuing to push the boundaries for what's possible this year! Our focus remains on delivering a reliable, lightning-fast connection so you can focus on growing your business.

Thanks for being part of the journey. Lots of exciting things ahead!

Interesting discussion. One thing I've come to learn over the years I've been doing this is I really don't like taking people's money without providing something of value. It makes me feel a little sleazy, and makes the guest hate my business forever. You might get some money in the transaction, but you can guarantee they will NEVER book your place again, and they'll bad-mouth it to all their friends.

We have a cancellation policy of providing a full refund up to 5 days prior to arrival, no refund after that point. However, I take each cancellation on a case-by-case basis. If the guest has a plausible reason for cancelling that's not just for convenience I will generally provide a credit that can be used for a future stay. 10 out of 10 times, that guest will book with us in the future, and many times this policy will result in multiple bookings from that person.

Treat others how you would like to be treated yourself is always good business practice.

Meet Bianca Han, co-founder of Sapphire Vacations, a collection of luxury beachfront rentals in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. After falling in love with the island in 2010, Bianca and her husband, Paul, built a thriving business by designing beautiful spaces and building efficient systems that allow them to manage everything remotely.

Can you tell us a little bit about your history?

At Sapphire Vacations, my husband Paul and I own and manage multiple luxury beachfront vacation rentals in the East End of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Our journey began in 2010 while we were vacationing at a beachfront condo on Sapphire Beach. We completely fell in love with the island, especially the breathtaking, ‘to-die-for’ views from our balcony. That experience inspired us to turn our passion into a business.

We started by purchasing and renovating our first Caribbean property, blending modern New York-style interiors with the natural beauty of the oceanfront setting. Our goal was to create a space where guests could enjoy both comfort and elevated design while still feeling fully immersed in the Caribbean experience. From there, we’ve grown into managing multiple luxury properties, all focused on delivering seamless and memorable stays.

What is your background?

My background combines business ownership and design, while my husband brings an engineering mindset and a spirit of adventure. Together, we’ve traveled extensively, and those experiences have deeply influenced how we think about hospitality and guest experience. Through experiencing different places and levels of service around the world, we developed a clear vision of what makes a stay truly special.

That perspective naturally shaped how we built our business. As co-owners of a luxury vacation rental company, we’ve focused on blending thoughtful design, efficient systems, and seamless remote management. My role has been centered on creating a cohesive, elevated experience for our guests, where every detail feels intentional, comfortable, and effortless.

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

My entrepreneurial career in the U.S. began in the 1990s with a textile design and manufacturing company. I spent over 25 years building and running that business in New York City, focusing on product design, quality, and brand development.

Alongside that, I co-founded an e-commerce technology company, where I spent about a decade gaining experience in digital systems, operations, and scaling a business. These experiences gave me a strong foundation in both design and technology, which I now bring into our vacation rental business, combining aesthetics, functionality, and seamless operations to create an elevated guest experience.

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

No, we’re not originally from the area; we’ve been based in New York City since the 1990s. We discovered St. Thomas through travel, and what began as a vacation quickly turned into a long-term connection and business.

What do you love most about the vacation rental business?

What I love most about the vacation rental business is the ability to create meaningful, memorable experiences for our guests. Hospitality, at its core, is about how people feel, and we have the opportunity to shape that, from the moment they arrive to the memories they take home with them.

I also really enjoy the blend of creativity and strategy, designing beautiful spaces, building efficient systems, and managing everything seamlessly behind the scenes. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that something we’ve created becomes part of someone’s special trip or celebration.

What do you dislike the most about it?

One of the more challenging aspects is that hospitality is truly 24/7; guests expect a seamless experience at all times, and that requires constant attention and responsiveness. There are also factors outside of our control, like weather or travel disruptions, that can impact a guest’s stay. The key is how you respond, staying proactive, solution-oriented, and always putting the guest first.

How do you use OwnerRez to manage your business?

We use OwnerRez as the backbone of our operations. It allows us to manage reservations, guest communication, payments, and reporting all in one place. Because we operate remotely, having a centralized system is essential. OwnerRez helps us stay organized and responsive, while also automating many of the behind-the-scenes processes. That efficiency allows us to focus more on delivering a seamless, high-end guest experience.

What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?

The automation features in OwnerRez are incredibly valuable to us, especially for guest communication and booking workflows. They allow us to maintain a high level of consistency and responsiveness without having to manage every detail manually. That’s essential for running a remote business and ensures our guests always have a smooth, well-coordinated experience.

Bianca and her husband, Paul, have built a strong remote business by staying proactive, solution-oriented, and always putting the guest first. We look forward to seeing Sapphire Vacations continue to grow in 2026!