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Good question, I need to know that also.
From Vrbo’s updated policies and push for last-minute bookings to Honolulu’s bold regulatory push, this week’s headlines highlight how platforms and policymakers continue to shape the vacation rental industry. Let’s dive in.
Forbes sat down with Larry Plawsky, general manager of Vrbo, to get insights into the ever-changing vacation rental market. Plawsky said the company has moved past simply adding supply and is now focused on building trust and delivering consistent quality for guests. “Travelers want consistency, reliability, and an uncomplicated stay,” he said, pointing to Vrbo’s policies such as the Book With Confidence Guarantee and Verified Reviews. He also noted a rise in last-minute bookings across the industry. In response, Vrbo is making it easier to secure last minute stays, with updated discounts playing a key role in that strategy.
Skift reported on a recent press release from Vrbo outlining a new policy to protect guests who are stranded and unable to access their booked home. Starting October 1st, U.S. hosts who cannot be reached to resolve these situations will face a 100% financial penalty. Vrbo may also temporarily suspend the property and cancel any future bookings. The policy is part of Vrbo’s ongoing effort to improve the guest experience and build trust between guests and the platform.
Hawaii News Now reported that the city of Honolulu is stepping up its crackdown on illegal vacation rentals by involving mortgage lenders in enforcement efforts. City officials are notifying lenders when property owners continue to operate rentals in violation of local laws, noting that mortgage agreements require borrowers to follow all regulations. Letters have been sent to both local and mainland mortgage companies, urging action against borrowers who ignore fines or continue operating illegally. The city says this approach is designed to protect neighborhoods while encouraging property owners to adhere to the law.
The New York Post reported on the strong performance of short-term rentals in the U.S., drawing on data from AirDNA. Despite economic uncertainties, July saw a record 26.4 million nights booked, a 3.6 percent increase from the previous year. The article notes that larger properties, particularly those with six or more bedrooms, experienced the most growth. Overall, the revenue per available rental (RevPAR) rose 5.7 percent year-over-year, reflecting a healthy market. While international tourism declined, domestic travelers filled the gap, with coastal destinations like Maui, Hilton Head Island, and Charleston leading the way. The report suggests that despite the uncertain economy, this trend points to strong potential returns for investors, especially if interest rates ease and supply growth stabilizes.
PropertyGuru released an interesting article on how Phuket’s vacation rental market is evolving in 2025. Despite a drastic slowdown across Thailand, arrivals to the island rose by eight percent in the first half of the year, driven by travelers from India and Russia, while Chinese arrivals fell sharply. “The market today is not about simply offering a villa—it’s about offering peace of mind. Guests want privacy, security, and the confidence that their stay will meet personal expectations,” said Femke Beekers of Elite Havens, noting that the industry needs to align product offerings with an evolving customer base. At the same time, new villas and condominiums are increasing competition and putting pressure on rates in the region. In response, property managers are focusing on homes that combine luxury with practicality, including wellness features, child‑friendly layouts, and flexible spaces for extended stays.
National Mortgage Professional reported that second-home buying is slowing down across the U.S., with vacation markets feeling the biggest impact. Using Redfin data, the article noted that sales in seasonal demand areas fell 3 percent year-over-year in July, compared with just a 1 percent drop in non-seasonal communities. “Many Americans who might have bought a vacation home a few years ago are now holding off, partly because of high costs and economic uncertainty,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. The continued shift in buyer behavior signals that affordability is reshaping how buyers approach second-home investments at the moment.
With evolving guest preferences and ongoing regulatory moves shaping the vacation rental industry, check back next week for more updates!
Anne, can you clarify how positions will work with the new Surcharges/Discounts then?
Alece, I don't believe there was any change to how positions work in this release. Discounts/Surcharges continue to work as before by letting you arrange the line items in the charges grid.
The ability to add positions to Supplemental and Advanced Discounts/Surcharges only was because it adds an additional layer of complication to the Discounts/Surcharges, and may not be supported by listing channels (e.g., Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.).
Anne, can you clarify how positions will work with the new Surcharges/Discounts then?
As September officially closes out summer, we didn't cool down the progress at OwnerRez. This product update covers some hot new features, including Ask Rezzy chat (on ownerrez.com), Rezzy Shared FAQs & Directives, the addition of Profile Photo, new Review Received trigger and four field codes, a Booking.com and Avalara roadmap update, and so much more. All designed to make your short-term rental business run as smoothly as possible.
Vacation rental reviews build trust, increase bookings, and boost revenue. With our September 24th release, OwnerRez has added four new Review field codes that now let you dynamically insert review text into message templates to either thank your guests for leaving a 5-star review or even send to your cleaning team to provide feedback.
Check out these new Review field codes.
| Field Code | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| {REVSTARS} | Review Stars | The number of stars left by the guest on the most recent review (from 1-5, or N/A if unavailable) |
| {REVTITLE} | Review Title | The review title, if any, written by the guest on the most recent review |
| {REVBODY} | Review Body | The public review body written by the guest on the most recent review |
| {REVPRIV} | Review Private Feedback | The private feedback, if any, left by the guest on the most recent review |
But that's not all...
Of course, OwnerRez couldn't release new Review Field Codes without adding a new Booking Review Received trigger type to fully leverage them in our September 24th release. When you select an Immediate Trigger Type, you can now choose Booking Review Received.
Want to send a thank you to a guest who left you a 5-star review? You can do that by including the {REVSTARS} Review Stars field code in your message template and pairing it with a Trigger that includes the Condition > Review Status > One of > Reviewed - 5 Stars.
Want to share feedback, positive or negative, with your cleaning crew? Include any pertinent Review field codes in message templates explicitly sent to them, pair the message template with a Trigger that includes the Condition > Review Status > One of >, and select Reviewed—1 to 5 Stars.
Check out our latest support articles with tips for using these new review triggers and field codes.
Adding a profile photo builds trust and credibility by putting a face to your name. It makes you more memorable, approachable, genuine, and personal in digital interactions, enhancing engagement beyond anonymous usernames.
Previously, users could upload a photo, but it was only available in the OwnerRez forums as part of your forum profile. OwnerRez has added the ability to upload Profile Photos under in-app Profile section in our September 24th release.
Upload your own image by navigating to your Profile area.
Upload your image or allow your device to take your photo by clicking on the camera icon.
Take a photo in the Profile Photo pop-up, click Upload, or drag photos to the area.
Adjust your image, use the Resize Image tool as desired, and then click Save Photo.
Your profile photo will now be displayed at the top of the Profile menu and your profile on the OwnerRez Forums.
It may seem like a small and unimportant addition, but there are future plans to use the Profile photo in other places. Stay tuned!
With our September 17th release, OwnerRez added a Support Code feature that allows secure OwnerRez account verification for users contacting support from unrecognized emails. This prevents unauthorized access while enabling legitimate OwnerRez account owners to receive Helpdesk assistance via a time-limited authentication method.
If you contact the OwnerRez helpdesk from an unrecognized email address, you can generate a one-time code valid for one week to verify your account access. To generate an account Support Code, navigate to your Profile > Safeguards > Support Code, and click Generate.
On the Generate Support Code pop-up, click Generate Code.
Click the copy icon to copy your Support Code on the Support Code Generated pop-up and share your Support Code with the OwnerRez Helpdesk team.
Your generated Support Code is valid for one week. The OwnerRez Helpdesk team can verify your Support Code to confirm your account access.
Please note, we will never solicit you for this code. We will only request this code if you've contacted OwnerRez Support for assistance and we are unable to verify your identity through our usual methods. This is all about safeguarding and protecting your account.
In case you missed our September 25th Integration With Stretchbill announcement, OwnerRez is pleased to announce the addition of a new payment method, Stretchbill, as part of our September 24th release.
Considering adding a new payment processor? Check out all of OwnerRez's payment processor options.
In case you missed it, OwnerRez added a Booking.com Content Sync channel integration entry to our September 24th Changelog. What is the Booking.com (BDC) Content Sync? The Booking.com Listing Sync channel integration expansion passes listing content, photos, amenities, property rules, standard surcharges, and taxes configured in OwnerRez to BDC. While it hasn't completely eliminated the necessity for the BDC Extranet, the Booking.com integration expansion is a big step forward. We'll have more to share about this in our October Product Update!
Announced in our September 24th Changelog, Avalara MyLodgeTax helps you manage your lodging tax compliance more easily: license, calculate, file, and remit for every property all in one platform. It minimizes manual work and offers accurate, real-time tax calculations for bookings across various jurisdictions and tax types.
OwnerRez's Avalara MyLodgeTax integration will be available for all OwnerRez users. Stay tuned for more details about Avalara.
Following up on our August 6th Rezzy AI Search Result Summaries, OwnerRez has enhanced our Rezzy summarized search results. When searching on ownerrez.com, Rezzy will still summarize the results, but you now have the opportunity to continue the chat with Rezzy to receive additional information by clicking on Continue chat with Rezzy.
You can also start a new chat by clicking on +Start a New Chat or view your Rezzy AI chat history by clicking the chat history icon.
The Rezzy AI Chat History pop-up displays your past Rezzy AI chats.
You can chat directly with Rezzy anytime by going to ownerrez.com, clicking on the Help menu, and selecting Ask Rezzy.
Repeating the answers to the same questions over and over can take a lot of time and be frustrating. When Rezzy AI debuted, you could create personalized Property-level FAQs so Rezzy could reference and respond consistently and accurately to your guests' most frequently asked questions for each property. That proved to be a lot of duplicate FAQ entries across properties for many users.
OwnerRez has added the ability to create Shared FAQs under Rezzy's settings, which are shared across properties! We've also added Directives, which allow you to lay out common scenarios and how you would want Rezzy to handle those things should it encounter them. Let's review these exciting additions!
First, we've added an FAQs tab to the in-app Rezzy AI area, where you can add account-level FAQs that apply to all properties. On the right side, you can add a new account-level or shared question by clicking on the + Add Shared Question, edit an existing FAQ by clicking on the pencil icon, or unpublish or delete an existing FAQ. Each existing FAQ has labels to easily identify the assigned properties and booking stages.
When you click on the + Add Shared Question button, the Add FAQ pop-up allows you to select the booking stages (Pre-booking, Pre-arrival, Mid-stay, Post-departure, or Canceled) and apply this FAQ to specific properties.
You can promote or demote account and property-specific FAQs for Rezzy to prioritize in order of importance by dragging the FAQ up to promote or down to demote using the left double kebab icon.
The in-app Properties > specific Property > General Info > FAQs shows both shared or account-specific and property-specific FAQs.
Property-level FAQs are still managed under each property.
Second, in the same Rezzy settings area, you can now add Directives. Directives are meant for managing AI directives that guide automated responses for specific scenarios. Think of them as standard operating procedures, that aren't meant to be guest-facing but how situations are handled should they arise when dealing with a guest.
Once you're on the Directives tab, on the right side, you can add on by clicking the + Add Scenario button.
You can give your directive by describing the scenario and then laying out the directives to follow. Like FAQs, you can select which Booking Stage(s) it applies to and, lastly, which Properties.
Learn more about Rezzy and all that is in Beta at this time here.
Some of the most frequent questions hosts receive from potential guests concern upcoming availability. While Rezzy AI responded well, she didn't always adequately account for blocks or scheduled gaps for cleaning or maintenance. With our September 3rd release, Rezzy AI now correctly accounts for availability for blocks or scheduled gaps in guest responses.
Wondering how your short-term vacation rental can benefit from AI? Consider requesting access to OwnerRez's Rezzy AI.
Location is crucial for vacation rental success as guests prioritize proximity to attractions, beaches, restaurants, and transportation. Displaying prime locations prominently in hosted websites attracts more guests and commands higher rates. OwnerRez has improved property locations on hosted websites (only) by now displaying map pins instead of unclear location bubbles or blobs when multiple properties appear on the map as part of our September 24th update.
Here's an example of the previous hosted website map when hosts have multiple properties in close proximity.
With this release, users can adjust their property location by navigating to Properties > their specific Property > Listing Content > Location > click on the pencil edit icon > Location Map, where you can configure the following.
This map display option is only available on OwnerRez hosted websites. Property locations displayed on listing channels (e.g., Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, etc.) remain the same.
By default, the Ribbon Calendar display shows all your bookings, but you can filter them using the Filter button options (if you have more than 1 property in your account). Before you could filter properties by keyword search. So, if you wanted to see any property in your account that had "Bay" in it, you could search to see those. However, filtering by specific properties hasn't been available until now. With the September 24th release, OwnerRez added the ability to filter by property on the Ribbon Calendar view.
You can now filter properties when you click on the filter icon on the Ribbon calendar.
That will open the filter pop-up where you can select the properties you want to return.
Spot Rates offer precise nightly pricing control, overriding complicated seasonal rates. They allow quick adjustments for demand, events, or market shifts while making rate management easier for vacation rental properties. With our September 3rd release, OwnerRez introduced an improved process for clearing spot rates, minimum nights, maximum nights, and changeover rules to simplify the process. Instead of repeating the Clear Rates process for each property, you can now easily clear spot rates and settings for all selected properties simultaneously.
To check out this enhanced capability, navigate to the Rate Calendar > Spot Rates tab and click the X Clear Rates button.
On the Clear Rates pop-up window, you can select which properties to clear rates and settings, the dates, and the rules you want to clear.
Tracking booking statuses before and after stays and expense categories helps manage finances and generate accurate reports for your property management business. As part of our September 10th release, OwnerRez added Booking Statuses (pre/post stay) and Expense Category columns to the PM Statement Export files for improved business financials for expenses collected across multiple properties.
Using the Nights in Period booking column for Owner Statement Views and Custom Formulas helps property managers generate precise owner statements. With the September 10th release, OwnerRez restored the Nights in Period cloumn option for Owner Statement Views and Custom Formulas.
Property Management companies earn percentage-based commissions from rental income for managing vacation properties, and tracking these commissions is vital. As part of our September 3rd release, OwnerRez added a commissions column to the PM Statement to separate management fee revenue from reimbursed expenses, providing a clearer performance indicator.
Are you managing properties for others? Check out the OwnerRez Property Management premium feature!
OwnerRez's September 10th release introduced two new options in the Batch Update for QuickBooks Sync tool. The first is a Property Filter, allowing users to refine their Batch Update for QuickBooks Sync based on specific properties. The second is the ability to include or exclude individual bookings created before the designated QuickBooks start date, providing greater flexibility and control.
The Property Filter is similar to other in-app property filters.
When the Bookings to Update are displayed, you now have the option to exclude (default) or include bookings by unchecking the booking from the Exclude column.
Are you searching for a new accounting tool? Take a look at OwnerRez's Accounting integrations.
Managing booking windows optimizes revenue by controlling reservation timing—extending windows captures early planners and last-minute bookers, while restricting them prevents low-value bookings and maintains pricing flexibility. With our September 17th release, users can now allow or disallow departures after the window (as long as arrival is within the booking window) or disallow departures that exceed the window by navigating to Properties > the specific Property > Rules > Booking Window > Max Availability > Allow or disallow departures after booking windows.
Triggering a full sync for your channel integration (e.g., Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.) immediately updates all property changes (rates, availability, rules, discounts) to listing channels after you modify your listing, ensuring a prompt synchronization. With our September 3rd release, OwnerRez has optimized channel integration sync statuses by adding a Collecting Changes sync status, and also allows you to stop the sync process if desired.
When you trigger a full channel integration sync, the sync will show the Collecting Changes status and more information about the property details being synced.
And if you want to halt the sync process, you can always click on the channel integrations Actions dropdown list and select Sync Now (Stop Collecting Changes).
Thinking about upping your marketing game? Check out all of OwnerRez's channel integrations.
The biggest design update was to the Property Rooms area, which has a brand new tile-based layout and pop-up style editing for the bedrooms, bathrooms, and other rooms.
Read our Create Rooms & Connect Photos to Rooms support article to learn more.
As OwnerRez continues preparing for design updates in other areas, we updated the design framework for the Bookings, Inquiries, Quotes, Portal, Property Sharing, and Widget settings areas during September.
Inquiries:
Quotes:
Portal:
Property Sharing:
Add Uniform Time Stamps in Inquiry/Quote/Booking Activity Areas. While time stamps were included in the Booking activity area, they were not included in the Inquiry and Quote activity areas. For consistency, time stamps have been added to both the Inquiry and Quote activity areas.
Identify Written but Unpublished Vrbo Reviews. OwnerRez now supports Vrbo's "GuestReviewSubmitted" webhook, which notifies the system when a guest has submitted a review on Vrbo before it is published, preventing review requests from being sent to guests who have already left a review on Vrbo.
Allow for Vrbo Amenities Details 50 Character Maximum. Since Vrbo limits amenity details to 50 characters, OwnerRez has added support for a 50-character limit to be enforced in amenity details.
Changed the Cursor to "Pointer" when Hovering Over Selectable Calendar Dates. While the cursor was the default arrow for selectable calendar dates, OwnerRez changed it to a more appropriate "pointer" when hovering over selectable dates in the calendar for a better user experience.
Improve Inquiry Spam Protection. Inquiries sent through widgets now include the client's IP address when checking against OwnerRez's spam detectors, helping to reduce unwanted inquiries.
Enhanced Vrbo Length of Stay Discounts. OwnerRez determined that the criteria for our Length of Stay (LOS) discounts were too restrictive, so we enhanced them to ensure they are correctly applied for Vrbo properties.
Add Explanatory Notification When Snoozing a Property. OwnerRez now shows detailed information when snoozing a property, including billing implications and how it differs from disabling.
Add Print Button to PMv2 Owner Statement Summary Report. OwnerRez added a print button to the PMv2 Owner Statement Summary report to maintain consistency with other PMv2 reports.
Ensure Property Review Time Zone Consistency. Property Reviews were using an inconsistent mix of UTC and local time zones. OwnerRez has updated guest reviews, Airbnb imported reviews, and Vrbo synced reviews to use the property's time zone consistently.
Improve Airbnb Review Notifications to Clarify Review Status. OwnerRez has improved Airbnb review notifications. When a guest submits a review before the host, the notification now clearly shows that stars are "Hidden until the host writes a review" instead of showing "N/A." Once the Airbnb review is published, a complete OwnerRez notification with the proper star rating and status is sent.
Truncate Email Subject Lines to 256 Characters. We observed that long email subject lines could lead to errors when sent through automated triggers. To ensure emails are correctly delivered, we now truncate subject lines to a maximum of 256 characters (with an ellipsis at the end to indicate they were originally longer).
Clarify Discounts and Surcharges Amount Type Help Text. The discounts and surcharges Amount Type help text incorrectly included references to irrelevant options. We clarified the discounts and surcharges Amount Type help text, making the information more accurate and less confusing for users.
Correct Channel Bridge Airbnb Export Date Format Error. Due to a change by Airbnb, the Channel Bridge failed to parse Airbnb's new date format, resulting in "Invalid Date" entries appearing in booking exports. OR fixed this bug so that the Channel Bridge handles Airbnb's new date format correctly.
Correct Misleading Google Vacation Rentals Listing Quality Analyzer Warning. Although Global Landing Pages are a valid option for Google Vacation Rentals landing pages, the Listing Quality Analyzer (LQA) incorrectly showed warnings about them. We resolved this issue to ensure the LQA no longer displays warnings for Google Vacation Rentals with Global Landing Pages configured as their landing page.
Fix Listing Quality Analyzer Airbnb Listing Description Warnings. Even though it only applies to the listing name, the Listing Quality Analyzer (LQA) incorrectly warned users about Airbnb's repeating characters rule for listing description fields. We fixed this bug so that the LQA delivers accurate warnings about Airbnb's repeating characters rule for the listing name only.
Fix Minor Surcharge Editing Design Issues. A code regression caused minor design issues, including incorrect styling and borders, in the in-app surcharges area. OR resolved these issues to ensure the correct design of the in-app surcharges area.
Fix Outdated Guest Booking Count from Preventing Guest Deletion. Under certain circumstances, a guest's booking count would get out of date when multiple bookings are deleted in quick succession, and this cached booking count would prevent the guest from being deleted even when no bookings exist for the guest. We corrected this glitch, so the booking count is updated correctly when attempting to delete guests.
Fix Spot Rate Editing for Spanish (Mexico) Culture. Users with Spanish (Mexico) culture settings could not modify spot rates due to date parsing problems. OR fixed this bug so the system correctly handles dates across different cultures.
Fix Team Access Grid Errors when Filtering for Accepted. Users inadvertently encountered Team Access grid errors when filtering for the Accepted status. We corrected this glitch so that filtering for the Accepted status filters properly on the Team Access grid.
Remove "Fixed Rate Per Stay" from Standard Rate Adjustment Surcharge for Airbnb Compatibility. While not supported by Airbnb, the Standard Rate Adjustment surcharge inadvertently allowed users to select "Fixed Rate Per Stay" for the Amount Type. OR removed the Standard Rate Adjustment surcharge Amount Type "Fixed Rate Per Stay" option for Airbnb compatibility.
Restore Disabled Season Conditions for Existing "Percentage of Rent" Discounts. Existing discounts that included "Percentage of Rent" discounts and seasonal conditions encountered errors. We corrected this glitch so that existing discounts that include "Percentage of Rent" discounts and seasonal conditions no longer encounter errors.
Restore "Per Booking/Per Guest" Setting to "Other" Surcharge Types. The Amount Type > Fixed Amount > Amount > "Per Booking/Per Guest" setting was inadvertently removed from Other Surcharge types. OR fixed this bug to restore the Per Booking/Per Guest" settings to Other Surcharge types.
Restore Reports Printing Options. Due to a code regression, printed reports contained incorrect headers and printing options. We resolved this issue to ensure that Reports are printed correctly.
Restore the Scrollbar in the Settings Menu. The scrollbar was missing in the in-app Settings Menu and several pages, including Seasons, Rates, Taxes, Pricing Preferences, and Widgets. OR restored the scrollbar on these affected in-app pages to ensure proper scrolling functionality throughout the settings area.
Revise Google Vacation Rentals Discount Handling in Direct Rate Tester. While Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) allows multiple discounts, the Direct Rate Tester didn't correctly handle multiple discounts, resulting in possible price accuracy errors. We resolved this issue so that the Direct Rate Tester correctly handles multiple GVR discount combinations to match GVR's actual behavior.
Adjust Mobile Search Input Alignment on OwnerRez.com. Because it was incorrect, we adjusted the alignment of the mobile search input field outline on OwnerRez.com.
Allow Door Lock Access for Property Booking Changes with Overlapping Shared Locks. Previously, when bookings were moved to different properties, the system would revoke access to all locks from the old property, including shared ones, due to functional race conditions. OwnerRez fixed this bug to ensure guests retain access to those shared locks.
Allow Field Definition Deletions on Deleted Bookings. We resolved an issue where field definitions couldn't be deleted if they were linked to fields on deleted bookings. Now, when a booking, guest, owner, or property is removed, all related custom fields are automatically deleted, and users can delete field definitions without encountering errors.
Always Send Booking Notification Messages for Owner Block Quotes. OwnerRez corrected a glitch in which booking notification triggers didn't fire consistently when quotes were created from owner blocks, ensuring proper booking notifications are sent.
Clarify Warning When Connecting Airbnb RTB Properties on Instant Book Channels. We updated the warning message related to connecting a property that uses Request to Book on Airbnb to an Instant Book channel to offer more precise guidance, making it easier to understand the conflict and the required action.
Correct Cancellation Policy with Partial Refunds and Grace Period Error. OwnerRez fixed an issue where the system incorrectly rejected setting cancellation policies that included partial refunds and a free cancellation grace period. Now, users can create policies with any combination of refund levels and grace periods.
Correct Missing Gridlines on Rezzy AI Page. We corrected some missing gridline layout issues on the Rezzy AI settings page.
Fix Errors Caused by Empty Vrbo Reviews. Empty reviews could cause errors when processing Vrbo guest review submissions. OwnerRez fixed this bug by adding a validation check for empty reviews.
Fix Errors for Read-only Users. We resolved an issue where users in read-only mode encountered errors during certain read operations, ensuring a smoother experience for users with limited permissions.
Fix Listing Quality Analyzer Error Formatting. OwnerRez fixed the formatting of error messages in the Listing Quality Analyzer (LQA) so long messages properly wrap instead of pushing the table off-screen. LQA error messages are now displayed with appropriate line breaks while maintaining readability.
Fix Lock Icon Position on Lock Integration Overview Page. Lock icons were not always properly aligned on the lock integration overview page, so we fixed the alignment of lock icons and text to be displayed on the same line.
Improve Error Message When Saving Vrbo and HomeToGo House Rules that Exceed Length Limits. Because users received unhelpful error messages when attempting to save Vrbo or HomeToGo house rules that exceeded the length limits, OwnerRez improved the error message for clarity.
Improve Visibility of Failed Deposits Dropdown Indicator. Due to the previous lack of visibility, we improved the visibility of failed deposit details with a clearer dropdown indicator.
Preserve Attachments when Choosing Channel Template in Unified Inbox. OwnerRez corrected a glitch where selecting a channel template within the Unified Inbox failed to include file attachments. Channel templates with attachments will now correctly include those files when inserted into replies in the Unified Inbox.
Resolve Incomplete Vrbo Listing Imports. Because the Vrbo listing import tool didn't always import complete property details, we improved our data retrieval process to provide more comprehensive property information by accurately fetching beds, baths, and location details previously missing for some properties.
Resolve Intermittent Stripe 2FA Sign-in Issues. OwnerRez resolved an issue where payments requiring 3D Secure authentication would fail if the property had an active cancellation grace period. The payment system now provides the necessary authentication information to complete these payments.
Correct Airbnb Lead Time Calculation Logic. Some Airbnb lead time hierarchy rules were not properly calculated. We fixed this bug to properly follow the Airbnb hierarchy: property channel rule first, then linked account value, and finally the property default to ensure accurate availability rules are sent to Airbnb.
Correct Infants and Children Property Suitability Issue. Property suitability rules that allowed infants incorrectly did not permit children. OwnerRez resolved this issue to ensure that property suitability rules for infants and children are correctly applied.
Correct Line Item Pivot Report Commission Calculations. Line Item Pivot Report commission calculations were incorrectly calculated, resulting in incorrect commissionable totals. We fixed this bug so that the Line Item Pivot reports, owner statements, and custom field calculations are reported accurately.
Ensure that Deleted SMS Number Defaults to Another Configured Number. When users with multiple SMS numbers configured deleted one of the SMS numbers, the deleted number was removed from their default theme. OwnerRez corrected this glitch by automatically setting the alternate preconfigured SMS number as the default instead of clearing it, ensuring themes and settings work properly without manual intervention.
Fix Double Arrows in Properties Dropdown. Two arrows were incorrectly displayed in the properties dropdown menu. We fixed this formatting issue so that only one arrow is displayed correctly.
Fix Error in Preexisting Quotes that Prevent Bookings. Guests who attempted to pay for a booking with a preexisting, but incomplete, quote encountered unhelpful errors preventing them from completing the booking. OwnerRez corrected this glitch so that guests will see a proper error message instead.
Fix Property Room Name Display Issues. When multiple bathrooms were created, but unnamed, the bathroom name incorrectly defaulted to "Bathroom 1" for each additional bathroom on the property rooms page. We resolved this issue so that each bathroom is displayed with a unique number when no name is provided.
Fix Setup Wizard Navigation Arrows Overflow on Smaller Screens. The navigation arrows in the new account setup wizard sometimes overflowed and blocked other items on small screens. OwnerRez corrected this glitch to ensure that the navigation arrows are displayed correctly on smaller screens.
Improve Unified Inbox Attachment Styling. Some Unified Inbox attachment styling was inconsistent with other in-app areas, so we improved the styling for Unified Inbox attachments for better visual clarity and separation.
Prevent Channel Messages from Attaching File from Previous Message Template. Sometimes, sending an ad-hoc channel message caused the system to incorrectly attach a file from the previous message template. OwnerRez fixed this bug to ensure that ad-hoc channel messages are sent correctly.
Prevent Second Payment Errors by Adding Maximum Limit of 1000 Days. Some properties with second payment calculation maximum days set to excessively high values experienced second payment errors. Therefore, we have added a maximum limit of 1000 days for second payment days across the system to prevent date calculation errors.
Allow Booking Update Process on Departed Airbnb Bookings. Occasionally, booking charges for departed Airbnb bookings failed to update properly during the booking remerging process. OwnerRez resolved this issue so that the Airbnb booking update remerge process correctly reflects updated financials, even for bookings that have already departed, while still maintaining any manually added charges.
Ensure PMv2 Statement List Displays Booking Property Management Breakdown. PMv2 statement details were inadvertently missing from the Booking > PM > Earnings Breakdown > Profit section. We fixed this bug to ensure the list of PM statements containing expenses related to the booking is displayed correctly.
Ensure Property Room and Bathroom Updates are Saved Correctly. Due to a code regression, some property room and bathroom information were not properly updated after changes were made. OwnerRez corrected this glitch to ensure that property room and bathroom information are updated correctly.
Ensure Tag Automations Account for Scheduled Security Deposit Failed Statuses. Tag automations weren't properly evaluating the "Failed" security deposit condition. We fixed this bug to accurately check regular and scheduled security deposits to identify failures, avoiding false triggers when pending scheduled deposits are present.
Fix Credit Card Processing Report Time Zone Handling. Due to time zone handling, credit card payments made near the end of the day did not consistently appear on Credit Card Processing reports when filtered by date. OwnerRez resolved this issue so that reports now correctly display data based on the user's time zone.
Fix Google Vacation Rentals Channel Integration Length of Stay Error. Some users reported Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) channel integration length of stay errors. We corrected this glitch, so the GVR channel integration length of stay settings no longer cause errors.
Fix Hosted Website Theme and Layout Tabs Not Working in Firefox. Hosted website theme and layout tabs did not function correctly in the Firefox browser. OwnerRez fixed this bug to ensure that the hosted website theme and layout tabs function correctly in the Firefox browser.
Fix Owner Statements Percentage Calculations. Some percentage values in owner statements were inconsistently rounded, resulting in incorrect calculations. We resolved this issue, so all percentage calculations consistently use values between 0 and 1, and are properly formatted as percentages when displayed.
Fix Scheduled Review Cancellation Failure. Occasionally, users encountered errors when trying to cancel a scheduled review because of read-only mode restrictions. OwnerRez corrected this glitch so that users can now successfully cancel both scheduled and automatic reviews.
Fix Search Results Text Display. Rezzy AI-generated search results overflowed the margins, obscuring filters. We fixed this bug to ensure search results are displayed within the designated margins.
Fix Seasonal Rate Export in Tabular Format. Seasonal rates exported in tabular format displayed incorrect headers and values. OwnerRez resolved this issue so that seasonal rates exported in tabular format show the appropriate data in the correct format.
Hide Owner Portal View Statement Legend. The owner statement legend was accidentally displayed to owners on the Owner Portal despite the popover indicating "hidden from owner." We fixed this glitch so that it now correctly hides the owner statement legend when viewed by portal users.
Prevent Marking Older Airbnb Messages as Read. Even when unread, Airbnb messages older than 14 days were inadvertently marked as read. OwnerRez resolved this issue so that any unread Airbnb messages are marked as unread, no matter how old.
Fix Quote Errors when Discount code is Applied. This edge case happened when a discount code was used on a quote, causing an error. We fixed this bug to ensure that discount codes applied to quotes no longer cause errors.
Revise Checkout Error Message when Guest Phone Number is Missing. Some guests received unhelpful error messages when they did not enter their phone number (or it was invalid) during the reservation checkout. OwnerRez has now added a more descriptive guest error message explaining the problem when that occurs.
Update Review Summary Text. The Review summary text was grammatically incorrect, so OwnerRez revised the Review summary text from "The guest chose to not provide text" to the correct "The guest chose not to provide text."
Awesome! Thanks for these fixes and improvements!
I noticed in the new method of creating Surcharges and Discounts that the position value is no longer an option. Are we moving away from that entirely?
Thanks, Alece! Not at all. Positions are still available on Supplemental and Advanced Discounts and Surcharges.
Awesome! Thanks for these fixes and improvements!
I noticed in the new method of creating Surcharges and Discounts that the position value is no longer an option. Are we moving away from that entirely?
September is shaping up to be an exciting month here at OwnerRez. 🍂 We have a packed lineup of live webinars and an in-person event to help you get the most out of OwnerRez and grow your vacation rental business.
We are hosting live demos, Q&A sessions and deep dives into key features like surcharges, discounts and listing content. You will also hear from industry partners like Jervis Systems about how to simplify your workload with smart access technology. Whether you are looking to refine your settings, streamline day-to-day tasks or keep your listings competitive across all platforms, there is a session for you this month.
Plus, the 2025 FAVR Vacation Rental Xtravaganza is happening in Orlando on September 16th-17th. This two-day conference brings vacation rental professionals from across Florida together to learn, connect, and stay ahead of industry trends. OwnerRez will be there in person as a proud sponsor. Stop by the OwnerRez booth to meet the team, ask questions, and grab some swag!
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 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.
Join us for a live webinar on the newly redesigned surcharges and discounts menus inside of OwnerRez. We’ll go over the improved layout, show you how to create and manage surcharges and discounts, and share practical tips to help you get the most out of these updated features.
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 to learn how to transform your existing smart access setup into a complete "set-it-and-forget-it" system that works around the clock to help manage your STR workload with a simple tech setup.
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 Engagement Team.
Join us for an in-depth focus session on Listing Content! We’ll dive into the redesigned Accommodations, Amenities, and Location pages and share practical tips for keeping your listings fully optimized across all your connected channels.
The FAVR Xtravaganza is designed to educate, connect, and inspire those involved in the thriving vacation rental industry in Florida. This conference caters to the thousands of vacation rental professionals that own, rent, manage or sell vacation rentals in Florida. Receive the latest news, information, trends, and vacation rental education all in one place. Meet with 80+ exhibitors in our Vacation Rental Marketplace. This event offers attendees the opportunity to build connections and to learn alongside experienced vacation rental professionals. Conference sessions are designed to be hands-on and personalized. Participants are encouraged to share ideas and build solutions together. Expect the best in keynote speakers, industry intelligence, demonstrations and so much more to help you grow your vacation rental business. Get your tickets now!
When: September 16-17, 2025
Where: Orlando, Florida
i noticed this evening that VRBO is now stating this also. Is this a similar change like Airbnb?
We’re excited to share our new integration with Alertify, giving OwnerRez users a simple way to streamline guest management and protect their properties.
Alertify optimizes property management by pre-arrival guest upselling and ID collection, coupled with vigilant real-time monitoring for noise, smoking, and unauthorized parties.
Benefit from detailed incident reports to effectively manage guest, OTA, and credit card dispute resolutions, ensuring both guest satisfaction and property protection.
Alertify is built for larger and enterprise operators, without neglecting the little guy. Alertify streamlines the setup process, has advanced customization options for alerts and provides industry first after incident reporting. To top it all off, each device comes with access to Alertify's guest verification portal at no additional cost for OwnerRez users.
Learn more here.
Alertify makes it simple to protect your rentals from smoking, noise, and air quality violations. Pricing starts at $15 per month per device ($180/year), including hardware and access to your online dashboard. Upgrade to Alertify AQ+ for $20 per month per device ($240/year) to unlock full air quality insights, CO₂, humidity, and mold risk detection. Use code OWNERREZ10 to receive 10% off when purchasing a device.
Learn more here.
Get started with Alertify by visiting here and checking out the OwnerRez support article for integrating OwnerRez with Alertify.
Meet Nicholette Brous, CEO and Founder of BNR Concierge. In just nine years, she’s gone from renting out spare rooms in her home to running a successful management company that oversees more than 50 properties across South Florida.
It all started over 9 years ago when I began renting rooms in my house. At first, I just wanted to make sure people felt comfortable, and before I knew it, I realized I was a great host! Word of mouth took off, my online presence grew, and here we are today. Today, we manage 53 properties with a well-oiled team and top-notch guest relations. It's no easy feat, but somehow we've pulled it off, and I’m proud to say we’ve consecutively earned the coveted 5-star Superhost status along the way!
Back in the day, I was cleaning houses myself to ensure every stay was perfect. But as we grew, I realized I couldn’t do everything from guest relations to cleaning, so I brought in some amazing people to help. The team has only gotten stronger and more dedicated since then.
I was born and raised here in sunny South Florida. I hold a Political Science degree from FAU in Boca Raton (Go Owls!). I spent 10 years abroad, owning multiple vitamin stores, then came back to the U.S. 9 years ago, and jumped headfirst into property management and became a realtor! Now, I also specialize in helping people buy and sell vacation rentals. I’m also finishing up my CAM (Community Association Manager) license so I can take on managing buildings and complexes with HOAs in the near future.
I love it because we're really good at it. We've built systems that work like clockwork and allow us to keep everything running smoothly. From fantastic clients who trust us with their properties to an exceptional team that keeps things on track, I’m constantly amazed at what we’ve built.
Like any job, there are challenges. For me, the hardest part is that it’s a 24/7 job. Being the leader of the operation means there’s never really a “day off,” and downtime is rare.
I rely on OwnerRez to keep everything organized, from owner statements and expenses to managing our website and securing those beloved direct bookings.
From renting out spare rooms to leading a 5-star operation, Nicholette’s journey is a testament to hard work. With OwnerRez helping her keep everything organized from owner statements to direct bookings, we look forward to seeing BNR Concierge continue to grow.
This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s upcoming service fee changes, TikTok’s new in-app hotel bookings, surging Canadian travel, and the latest short-term rental policy battles in Los Angeles and Maui. Let’s dive in.
Airbnb announced this week an upcoming change to how service fees work for hosts who use property management software like OwnerRez. Currently, Airbnb charges hosts a 3% service fee and guests an additional 14-16% fee. Under the new "single-fee" structure, which goes into effect October 27th, a flat 15.5% service fee will be deducted from the host payout, and guests will only pay the price set by the host. Airbnb says the change will improve transparency for guests, make it easier for hosts to see the guest total, and allow hosts to more easily set competitive pricing. To keep your payouts consistent, you may need to adjust your rates upward by ~15.5% before October 27th. To easily make this change inside of OwnerRez, go to Settings > Channel Integrations, then select Airbnb. On the Airbnb Channel page, click Change at the top and on the following page, set your Rate Adjustment to “Adjust both rent and surcharges” and “Increase by” and set the amount to 15.5% (or the amount you’d like). We recently sent out an email blast with more details. If you'd like to check that out, please click here.
TikTok has launched in-app hotel booking through a partnership with Booking.com, allowing users in select U.S. markets to view availability, pricing, amenities, reviews, and complete reservations all without leaving the platform. As part of the partnership, Booking.com will participate in TikTok's creator program, TikTok Go, which lets approved influencers earn commissions or travel vouchers by tagging hotels in their content and driving bookings. Observers say the move could push more travel planning and transactions onto social media, strengthening the role of online travel agencies while giving creators a direct stake in distribution. This marks an exciting shift in the travel industry, and it will be interesting to see how quickly these advancements are adopted for vacation rentals.
Airbnb reports a continued surge in Canadian travel during the first half of 2025. Domestic bookings increased by over 10% compared to 2024, with 12 out of 13 provinces and territories experiencing growth. Notably, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan saw year-over-year increases exceeding 20%. Smaller towns and rural areas are gaining popularity, with destinations like West Kelowna, Regina, Gatineau, Langley, Whistler, Canmore, Blue Mountain, and Ucluelet among the top trending locations. Internationally, Canadians are exploring beyond the U.S., with significant growth in bookings to Japan, Brazil, France, the Philippines, Thailand, and Mexico. Top international destinations include Sumida, Naniwa Ward, Nakano in Japan; Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo in Brazil; Casablanca in Morocco; Paris in France; and Los Cabos, Bahia de Banderas in Mexico.
Airbnb has launched a campaign advocating for expanded short-term rentals in Los Angeles, proposing that the city allow a limited number of second homes to be rented as vacation rentals. The company says the move could generate significant tax revenue and help preserve union jobs. Justin Wesson, Airbnb’s senior public policy manager, emphasized that new revenue from tourists could provide funding for city services and support jobs at risk. The campaign, promoted by the "Save Our Services" coalition, has faced criticism over transparency, as Airbnb is funding and organizing the effort. While the coalition’s website lists union endorsements, some unions, including SEIU 721, have publicly opposed the campaign, citing concerns about housing affordability for their members.
In continued coverage of Maui County’s proposed vacation rental phase-out, previously reported in Industry News on June 6, June 13, July 4, and August 1, property owners are preparing for a potential legal challenge. The Maui Vacation Rental Association and individual owners have indicated they may sue if Bill 9 is enacted, arguing that the legislation infringes on property rights. As amended, the phase-out would begin in 2028 in West Maui and in 2030 for the rest of the county. Legal battles could be the next chapter in this ongoing debate, adding another layer of uncertainty to the island’s vacation rental market.
As the industry adapts to new fee structures, partnerships, and travel trends, expect more updates on the evolving vacation rental landscape. Check back next week for the latest news!
We’re excited to announce our new integration with Crewdogs, a veteran-owned travel platform built to serve the military community. This gives OwnerRez users a direct way to reach service members and their families while also supporting veteran and military-focused nonprofits.
For property owners, Crewdogs is a gateway into the military community, nearly 10% of the U.S. population, or about 22–25 million Americans. Hosts don’t have to be military themselves to join, but by listing on Crewdogs, they gain direct access to this audience while offering something unique: every property is automatically discounted for military travelers, and platform fees are lower than the big booking sites. That means when someone asks, “Do you offer a military discount?” hosts can proudly say, “Yes, you can book my place on Crewdogs.”
Crewdogs is a veteran-owned travel platform founded in 2020, built exclusively to serve the military community. Think of it as “Airbnb for the military," a trusted, verified network where every guest’s service status is confirmed through ID.me. Over the past five years, the platform has grown across the U.S. and abroad, with listings supporting everything from PCS moves and TDY assignments to government travel and vacations.
In addition, every booking on Crewdogs helps support veteran and military-focused nonprofits such as Folds of Honor, K9s for Warriors, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. It’s not just another booking platform; it’s a mission-driven way for hosts to stand out, support service members, and tap into one of the most loyal and travel-ready communities in the country.
Get started with Crewdogs by visiting here and checking out the OwnerRez support article for integrating OwnerRez with Crewdogs.
We’re excited to announce our new integration with Direct Booking Tools, giving OwnerRez users access to a powerful price comparison tool, forward-looking demand data analytics, and more to help boost direct bookings.
Direct Booking Tools is the vacation rental industry's first and only price comparison tool with forward-looking demand data analytics.
Everything they are developing focuses on building trust with the consumer, increasing direct booking revenue, making marketing costs more effective, providing operational insights, driving bottom line profits and educating the public. Their goal is to revolutionize the vacation rental industry by developing and delivering user-friendly, data-driven technology solutions that streamline property management operations, increase revenue, and enhance the guest experience, while being easy to install and use.
Give your website visitors a Best Price Guarantee while proving it to them instantly, and you will drive sales!
Try the suite of products free for 30 days with no strings attached. Cancel anytime.
Get started with Direct Booking Tools by visiting here and checking out the OwnerRez support article for integrating OwnerRez with Direct Booking Tools.
At this time, we only support businesses that use these banks in these locations:
Powertranz supports many other banks and locations, but the above list is the only ones supported by OwnerRez at this time due to 3DS limitations.
This is great news! Also Jamaica can be added to the list as they also work with CIBC and other banks too.
This week’s roundup covers Airbnb’s new “Reserve Now, Pay Later” feature, Casago’s latest moves following its Vacasa acquisition, and the growing trend of autism-friendly vacation rentals. Plus, updates on Monterey County’s new STR ordinance, Airbnb’s new pool safety tool aimed at protecting guests and Gathern’s Series B funding. Let’s dive in.
Airbnb has rolled out a new "Reserve Now, Pay Later" feature, allowing guests to secure bookings without paying anything upfront. Guests who select this option won’t need to pay the full booking amount until shortly before the end of the listing’s free cancellation period. Available immediately for U.S. based listings with a moderate or flexible cancellation policy, this feature is designed to offer more flexibility for travelers, particularly those making last-minute plans or coordinating group trips. The move aims to streamline the booking process and increase reservation conversions for hosts.
Following its acquisition of Vacasa in May, Casago has announced a partnership with its Casago San Diego franchise to manage 150 coastal vacation rental properties previously handled by Vacasa. This follows a similar deal with Bolivar Vacations, which has assumed management of over 90 former Vacasa properties on the Texas Gulf Coast. The move is part of Casago's broader strategy to transition from centralized management to local operators, offering more personalized service while leveraging the strength of a national brand.
A growing number of vacation rentals are being tailored for guests with autism, offering specialized features designed to make stays more comfortable and accessible. In places like Fire Island, Yucca Valley, and Florida’s Gulf Coast, homes are being equipped with sensory-friendly amenities such as quiet spaces, adjustable lighting, and additional exterior door locks to help families with autistic members enjoy stress-free vacations. These inclusive accommodations are part of a broader trend to make travel more accessible to everyone, ensuring that families with unique needs have a welcoming place to stay while on vacation.
Monterey County's new vacation rental ordinance has been approved by the California Coastal Commission. The updated rules will ban vacation rentals in specific regions, add stricter permit requirements, and more. Planning staff aim to present the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors on September 23rd, with regulations set to take effect on October 24th, if passed. Unpermitted rentals will have two months to apply for permits or cease operations.
Airbnb has introduced a new pool safety tool designed to enhance guest safety. The feature will appear in message threads for guests who book listings with pools or those near bodies of water. Once a booking is confirmed, guests will receive automated prompts encouraging them to ask their host safety-related questions, such as questions about water access, available safety equipment, and any potential hazards. Developed in collaboration with Safe Kids Worldwide, the tool aims to increase awareness and reduce risks during stays.
Gathern, a Saudi Arabian vacation rental platform, has raised $72 million in its Series B funding round to expand its operations. The platform is focused on tapping into the growing demand for short-term rentals across the Middle East, offering a diverse range of properties for both local and international travelers. With this new capital, Gathern plans to enhance its technology, improve the user experience, and grow its market share in the region. The funding marks a key milestone as the company aims to strengthen its position against global players in the vacation rental market.
As the vacation rental industry adapts to new features, regulations, and trends, we’ll continue to see changes that impact both hosts and guests. Check back next week for more updates on how these developments are shaping the future of the market!
Meet Cathie Harrison, owner of My Galveston Getaway. What started as a personal investment in 2004 has grown into a thriving vacation rental business with 80 properties across Galveston Island. With a background in logistics and a love for the island she now calls home, Cathie has built a company focused on strong partnerships, exceptional service, and creating memorable guest experiences.
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, my family was a bunch of vagabonds. To know I moved from Texas (two houses) to Puerto Rico (when I was 3, where I lived in two houses) to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to Pittsburgh, PA, then Chicago, then Pittsburgh, then Chicago, then Houston and finally Galveston, one would think we were military, but alas not the case. My father was a forensic accountant whose employer would relocate the family when new facilities were built to train others in their accounting practices.
My educational background is in Logistics Management. I worked in that field for a while in household goods transportation, mainly in the corporate realm. In 2004, I purchased my first Galveston property. My dream was to be there every weekend, but being the mom of athletes who competed every weekend, it became an investment property, and the bug had bitten and infected me. When my kids were in high school, I became a stay-at-home mom by choice. I purchased property number two a couple of weeks before a significant hurricane hit Galveston, Texas (Ike), and due to its location, it had power restored quickly, and though the paperwork had not hit the county records yet, I was getting multiple phone calls daily from contractors wanting to rent it long-term during the restoration process. I have never spent a single night in that second condo.In 2010, when my youngest was a college senior, I started managing my properties after trying several property managers in Galveston who I didn’t think were treating me, my property, or my guests as they should. A few other owners asked me to manage theirs as well. I learned, however, that in Texas, managing a property owned by someone else for 30 days or longer requires a real estate license. I also learned that beginning January 1, 2011, the regulations for obtaining a real estate license were changing, and your 4-year college degree would not count for some of the credits. I apologized to the owners I was working with, and instead of saying ok, we’ll find someone else they said, "Well, what will it take to get your license?"
So, in October, I enrolled in the real estate courses, studied, and in December, I earned my real estate license. My Galveston Getaway was born with a $3,000 personal investment and eight properties. It has grown 100% organically to 80 properties, a fantastic team in the office, and amazing partner/vendors in housekeeping, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and handymen. One of the bedrocks of the company is that if we have an invoice on a Thursday, you get paid on Friday. That and true partnerships have earned us the “most favored customer” status to the point that if we have a need at 10:00 pm on a holiday weekend, our partners will take our phone calls.
Initially, we had individual calendars for each property that would toggle back and forth between Airbnb and Vrbo. We just hoped that we didn’t get double bookings. After about 20 properties, we realized that a PMS was needed. We worked with one that worked well for that initial number of properties, but customer service was not their strong suit, and technology was not mine. We then went on a seemingly exhaustive search for a new provider and found OwnerRez to be the most user-friendly and understanding of my personal technological challenges.
Not only is OwnerRez our PMS, but they also designed our new website and made tremendous recommendations for verbiage, photography, and so much more. We continue to be solicited by PMS companies, and while we are thrilled with OwnerRez (and still tired from the transition), not a single one has offered the personal attention we continue to receive from OwnerRez. Jen specifically is absolutely amazing. She seemingly never tires of me asking the same questions over and over, though I wouldn’t blame her for rolling her eyes when she is not on screen in a video call, walking me through something for the umpteenth time.
While I’m not “originally” from Galveston, I have said my whole life it is where my heart sings. My mom was raised here, my maternal grandmother lived here, and I spent a lot of summers on the island. One of my happy places is the free ferry from Galveston to Port Bolivar, where I can see dolphins and feed seagulls from the rear of the boat that moves people and cars from the island to the peninsula. I love it so much that my Lamaze tapes (and yes, I’m old enough that they were tapes) were called “seagulls over the ferry”. I moved to Galveston permanently in 2011 and haven’t looked back; working my tailfeathers off and loving the fact that I get to help others with their travel plans and make them happy on “my island” as well as assisting property owners with their investment goals, some of whom are great friends now.
Ironically, what I love most about the industry is sometimes what I dislike as well. Learning that you cannot make everyone happy no matter how hard you try, that the customer is not always right, and that there is such a thing as “bad business” has been learned from the school of hard knocks in this business. I have found it tremendously freeing to be able to pick and choose who my property owner clients are and to terminate such relationships when they are no longer fitting with the company philosophy.
When I started, all properties were "good properties." Have we been fired by clients? Absolutely, we have. Perhaps one of our most significant accomplishments is that 80% of those who once thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence have returned to be our clients again. I remember a call one afternoon from one such owner, “Would you take us back?” I’ve not always said yes, whether it had been a personality issue or it was a property that didn’t fit quite right in our portfolio, but just being asked is a tremendous accomplishment.
The other thing I don’t always find to be the most fun is governmental involvement. I fully recognize that this is an island where many people call home, and many of those don’t want to see it as the tourism industry that it is, regardless of how the impacts of that tourism industry help keep their tax bills lower or assist with obtaining things like governmental grants for island improvements. Tourism is either the #1 or #2 industry on the island; it changes occasionally. Without it, I cannot imagine where the City of Galveston would be financially. But the ever-changing landscape of who is responsible for the hotel occupancy taxes and how those funds are spent, community involvement from folks who don’t see themselves as impacted by the industry, and things of that nature can be frustrating.
Dealing with the Federal Government when it comes to insurance regulations and windstorm requirements from a construction standpoint are struggles as well. If I could just make people happy 24/7 through our business without having to deal with beurocracy and paperwork it would be nirvana.
OwnerRez has been a godsend to us. They are a wealth of knowledge and information about not just what they do, but the industry as a whole, and have made recommendations that have nothing to do with them, from dynamic pricing solutions to vendors who are available to all OwnerRez customers. I am convinced that we made the right decision when we selected them as our PMS and look forward to a longstanding relationship with them.
Rooted in strong partnerships, exceptional service, and a love for Galveston, Cathie has built My Galveston Getaway into a thriving vacation rental business. With OwnerRez supporting her operations, we can’t wait to watch her company continue to grow while making a positive impact on both guests and the local community.
What security features do you have in place?
Hi Debra,
Thank you for your input. We use the Authorize.net Advanced Fraud Detection Suite, which includes 13 configurable fraud filters to help us identify, manage, and prevent suspicious activity.
With the AFDS, we can customize rules-based filters and tools to fit our specific business needs. This includes setting minimum transaction thresholds and country limitations.
When a filter is triggered, we have several options for handling the transaction:
Decline the transaction: The transaction is automatically declined.
Hold for review: The transaction can be placed in a "Pending Review" state for manual review before it is authorized or settled.
Process as normal and report: The transaction is processed but flagged for reporting.
We also have a built in fraud tool as part of our services to help ensure a secure payment environment.
Best
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your input if you are referring to recurring billing capabilities from a merchant stand point we can most definitely help you out
Best.
It would be great if we could get "automated monthly recurring bills" in-between all of these integrations with new partners.
Some open questions:
#1 - How do they handle refunds? If the average processing is 2.45% is it 2.45% for incoming and outbound (refunds) transactions? So a $10,000 booking that is cancelled would cost $490.00 in processing fees. $245 for the inbound transaction, another $245 for sending the money back?
#2 - Do they have total cost down to the per booking in regards to reporting and statement of fees? (i.e. Ascent sends a lump sum statement and doesn't allow us to know which bookings had which processing fees associated with which booking (disappointing, but super low processing rates -- sub 2.5%). The same with Priority Payment Systems. Who do they use? Do they use Priority Payment Systems?
#3 - Do you use Authorize.net for your gateway?
#4 - Are you just white labeling Lynbrook or Ascent or some other provider?
Hi Jason and Thank you for your input
1. We only charge processing fees on incoming transactions. Refunds are charged a flat $0.10 each.
2. Yes, each transaction and its associated fee is itemized on your merchant statement. We do not use Priority Payment Systems (PPS).
3. Yes, we use Authorize.net as our payment gateway.
Best
Is it cheaper than the Stipe transaction fee?
Hi Jargal and hank you for your input,
Yes! Our processing rates are lower than Stripe’s standard transaction fees, which can result in meaningful savings over time, especially for higher volume transactions.
How does Reverse My Fees model work with VRBO? Will the traveler be shown the CC processing charge up front?
Hi Monish,
Thank you for reaching out. If you are set up as the merchant of record for your VRBO integration, the Reverse My Fees model will automatically include the credit card processing charge in the total rate displayed to the traveler.
Do they allow security holds?
Hi HTH Stays team,
Thank you for reaching out. Yes, it supports security holds.
Yes!!! I thought I was getting the ability to allow a customer to select ACH or credit card when checking out and then passing the cc processing fee on when I signed up with Yapstone, but I believe this is an OwnerRez issue. I was told we can only offer 1 form of payment collection (outside of manual payments). I hope I am wrong and someone can show me how to set this up.
Correct Nicole, OwnerRez doesn’t currently allow guests to choose between ACH and credit card at checkout while automatically passing along credit card processing fees. At the moment, only one payment method can be offered through the automated checkout process (outside of manual payments).
Thank you for reaching out.
Is there a option to automatically add the credit card charge to the tenant / client if they choose to use credit card, and have no fee to them if they choose debit or ACH? The lack of that feature would be a deal killer for us.
Hi Brian,
Thank you for reaching out. OwnerRez doesn’t currently offer a built-in ACH option. If you’d like to accept ACH payments, it would need to be set up and processed manually through Authorize.net.
Best
This week’s Industry News covers fast-growing luxury OTA Elivaas’s big funding round, Capital One’s new 5x rewards for vacation rental bookings, and Airbnb’s “and not an or” approach to hotels. Plus, Parade’s take on what travelers are looking for in vacation rental listings in 2025. Let’s dive in.
Gurugram-based startup Elivaas raised $10 million in a Series B round to expand its luxury vacation rental offerings. Targeting affluent travelers, Elivaas competes with Airbnb by focusing on India’s premium market with curated high-end homes and personalized services. The funding will support growth into new destinations, add vetted properties, and enhance guest experiences. Backers highlight Elivaas’s technology-driven approach and strong focus on trust and guest satisfaction, positioning it to scale rapidly across India and other growing markets.
Select Capital One cardholders can now earn 5x rewards when booking vacation rentals through the Capital One Travel portal, a benefit that was previously unavailable. Vacation rentals were already bookable on the platform, but this big change reflects the growing consumer demand for short-term rentals and makes booking through Capital One Travel more rewarding for cardholders.
Building on last week’s Industry News report of Airbnb’s Q2 2025 earnings call, Fortune has released an article highlighting the company’s push to expand its hotel inventory. CEO Brian Chesky described this on the earnings call as an “and not an or” strategy. Airbnb will keep its focus on the core vacation rentals while also growing its hotel supply, especially in international markets where many hotels are independent. Airbnb aims to fill booking gaps during peak periods and in cities where home availability is limited. Chesky also pointed to HotelTonight as a successful acquisition and said the company is open to more deals as part of its broader travel and living strategy.
A new Parade article on “7 Things to Know Before Booking a Vacation Rental Right Now” offers insight into what guests are prioritizing and looking out for in 2025. One standout tip from the article is that a lack of neighborhood information is a red flag for many travelers. Highlighting proximity to public transportation, restaurants, and attractions such as beaches, lakes, or hiking trails can help boost booking confidence. In the article, Parade encourages guests to book vacation rentals with detailed property descriptions, clear and fair cancellation policies, and transparent pricing with no surprise fees.
Over 10,000 hotels across Europe have joined a class-action lawsuit against Booking.com, alleging that its long-standing “best-price” clauses prevented them from offering lower rates on their own websites or other platforms. The clauses, in place from 2004 to 2024, were ruled anti-competitive by the European Court of Justice last year and have since been dropped under the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
As August continues, watch for more moves in investment, guest preferences, and platform expansion across the vacation rental market. Check back next week for the latest updates.
Some open questions:
#1 - How do they handle refunds? If the average processing is 2.45% per transaction, is it 2.45% for incoming and another 2.45% for outbound (refunds) transactions? So a $10,000 booking that is cancelled would cost $490.00 in processing fees. $245 for the inbound transaction, another $245 for sending the money back?
#2 - Do they have total cost down to the per booking in regards to reporting and statement of fees? (i.e. Ascent sends a lump sum statement and doesn't allow us to know which bookings had which processing fees associated with which booking (disappointing, but super low processing rates -- sub 2.5%). The same with Priority Payment Systems. Who do they use? Do they use Priority Payment Systems?
#3 - Do you use Authorize.net for your gateway?
#4 - Are you just white labeling Lynbrook or Ascent or some other provider?
Is it cheaper than the Stipe transaction fee?
It would be great if we could get "automated monthly recurring bills" in-between all of these integrations with new partners.
