Short-term Rental News Digest – December 2019

The last month of the year has arrived and what a year 2019 has been! While the festive season is upon us, it’s also important that hosts and guests remember to behave responsibly. So, be sure to familiarize yourself with Airbnb’s new safety directives. 

New regulations and tax rules in certain cities might have made it taxing for some, but other cities have enjoyed new-found popularity this past year. You can read all about the latest trending destinations in the reports included in this month’s digest. Let’s find out more about the headlines that the short-term rental industry has helped to create during the last month of 2019. 

Airbnb Announces a Set of Safety Directives

Airbnb has announced three steps on how they will keep their guests and hosts safe moving forward. To help them introduce their new safety innovations, they have set aside $150 million.

Firstly, the penalties for breaking a host’s trust will be communicated more clearly by Airbnb. Their new guest standards will include unapproved guests, smoking and parking as well as excessive noise and serious problems relating to cleanliness.

Secondly, they will finalize a policy that will ban party houses. This ban will only apply to unauthorized events or parties. Airbnb acknowledges that many hosts successfully work together with guests to help them host a respectful gathering. This policy is instead aimed at those guests and hosts who behave recklessly.

Thirdly, they will be introducing a dedicated line that city officials and mayors can use to reach out to an Airbnb rep. This dedicated line will be explained in more detail next year. 

Major Resignations Hit Expedia Group

The CEO, Mark Okerstrom, and CFO, Alan Pickerill, of Expedia Group have announced their resignations. Peter Kern and Barry Diller have been entrusted with the responsibility to look after the executive leadership team for the foreseeable future. Another change in the light of these resignations is that Eric Hart will fill the role of acting CFO. 

Neither Kern nor Diller is new to Expedia Group. Kern has served as director of Expedia Group for more than a decade, while Diller has served as chairman of Expedia Group board for 17 years. 

Ariane Gorin, the president of Expedia Partner Solutions, will be promoted and will now act as president of Expedia Business Services.

These resignations come after the group’s disappointing results for the third quarter and overall performance during the past year. According to Diller, the board and senior management also failed to reach an agreement regarding strategy.

HotelTonight Shares Its 2019 Trend Report

The booking platform HotelTonight has revealed its trend report for 2019. The results are in and Mallorca in Spain has been identified as the number one trending international destination. Another finding that this report revealed is that in the US, the East Coast has the most trending destinations. For the full report with more information about interesting booking behavior and predictions for the new year, you can click here.  

Predictions for 2020

Staying with reports, Vacasa has put together a list with predictions for 2020. In this report, the property management company focuses on the holiday preferences of Americans and the short-term rental industry, in general.   

Two of the primary findings are that most travelers prefer a remote destination and that the need for pet-friendly accommodation is on the increase. Both of these trends are expected to continue in 2020.

Airbnb Is Exploring New Great Heights

Airbnb is planning to open its first Natiivo condo tower. If all goes according to plan, this tower will open in 2022. The 48-storey condo will be situated in Downtown Miami and will boast more than 600 units of which more than half have already been sold. Airbnb will manage and rent all of these units.

Cornwall Still UK’s Top Staycation Destination

Research completed by a prominent high-street bank has revealed that almost a third of British “staycationers” planned a trip to Cornwall this year. During the 2018/19 financial year, more than 460,000 travelers passed through its airport alone. According to Spot Blue International Property, the domestic holiday home market that has grown has helped boost Cornwall’s popularity. Better transport and the lack of certainty regarding Brexit have also played a role.

Booking.com and the Short Stay Show to Join Forces in 2020

The Short Stay Show has announced that Booking.com will be its official presenting partner for next year’s event. The event is scheduled for 12 March 2020 at ExCel London. It is one of the main events in the hospitality industry and intended for investors, owners, and managers who want to begin or grow their rental business. 

The popular booking platform will guide a discussion on the obstacles and opportunities that stakeholders can anticipate. Diane Lloyd, the co-founder of the Short Stay Show, commented that by partnering with Booking.com attendees could learn from the platform’s 20 years of experience. They can then use the tips to improve what they offer to travelers.