A Global Perspective on Hosting from the Thanks for Visiting Team This week’s episode takes us across the pond to Knowsley Hall, a 600-year-old estate now offering five-star hospitality experiences—and the backdrop for one of the most inspiring short-term rental gatherings we’ve attended. Surrounded by international founders and operators, we sat down with four leaders […]

Is Your Airbnb Midterm-Ready? A Beginner’s Guide to 30+ Day Rentals Wondering if it’s time to pivot your short-term rental strategy? Midterm rentals—stays of 30 days or longer—are gaining serious traction, and in this week’s episode, we unpack why. Whether it’s to deal with seasonality, local STR regulations, or just burnout from constant turnovers, more […]

A Deep Dive with California Design Den Founder Deepak Mehrotra As a host, you probably don’t spend your nights thinking about sheets—but your guests do. From wrinkled beds to stained pillowcases and scratchy duvets, the bed is one of the first places guests notice if something’s off. In this week’s episode, we sat down with […]

How to Furnish Your Short-Term Rental (Even If You Have No Eye for Design) This week’s Hosting Hotline question comes from Joanna—a new host who describes herself as design-challenged but eager to make her short-term rental look professional, cohesive, and guest-ready. If you’re staring at an empty space and wondering if you should hire a […]

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to walk away from a stable career and build a short-term rental business from scratch—this story is for you. This week on the podcast, we’re featuring one of our Hosting Business Mastery members who made a bold leap from chemical engineering into the world of Airbnb. What started […]

What Sheets Are Best for Airbnb Hosts? A Practical Guide from the Hosting Hotline If you’re tired of snagged sheets, wrinkle-filled beds, and lint rolling every turnover, you’re not alone. This week’s Hosting Hotline question comes from Sarah in Redwood, Mississippi, who’s hosted over 30 stays in just six months—and wants sheets that actually hold […]

From Design Firm to Direct Booking Success: How Janice Built a Thriving STR Brand with Resilience and Smart Marketing When Janice Thayer launched her short-term rental business, Curated Properties, she wasn’t just starting a new venture — she was reinventing her entire career. After decades of running an interior architecture and design firm, Janice found […]

Should You Add a Safe to Your Airbnb? Here’s What Hosts Need to Know Valerie called into the Hosting Hotline with a great question: she’s looking for a programmable guest safe—like the kind you find in hotel rooms—that guests can use to secure their valuables during their stay. But when she tried to find one […]

Pricing Isn’t Just Math—It’s Strategy: Wendy Doris on Revenue Management That Works If you’ve ever second-guessed your Airbnb pricing strategy or felt like dynamic pricing software is a mystery you’ll never solve—you’re not alone. This week on the podcast, we sat down with Arizona-based co-host and STR educator Wendy Doris of Mostess, who shared how […]

Can You Still Use StayFi with Airbnb’s New Policy Updates? Here’s What Hosts Need to Know When Airbnb announced its new Off-Platform and Fee Transparency Policy rolling out in May 2025, many short-term rental hosts had immediate questions about what it meant for guest communication—and third-party tools like StayFi. One of our Hosting Hotline listeners, […]

Are Minimum Stay Rules Costing You Bookings? If you’re a short-term rental host wondering why bookings have slowed down, this episode is for you. Hosts everywhere are reporting fewer reservations—but when we take a peek behind the curtain, the culprit is often hiding in plain sight: minimum stay rules. While setting a two- or three-night […]

On May 10, 2025, Airbnb’s updated Off-Platform and Fee Transparency Policy goes into effect—and if you’re a short-term rental host, there are important changes to understand. While some of the updates may seem like clarifications of existing rules, they come with new levels of enforcement and implications for how you operate your Airbnb listing. In […]

Should You Bake the Cleaning Fee Into Your Airbnb Rate? If you’ve been hosting for a while, you’ve likely wrestled with how to structure your cleaning fee—especially if your properties are larger or more luxurious. In this episode of the Hosting Hotline, listener Penny called in with a great question about whether she should keep […]

Spring Maintenance Checklist for Your Airbnb or Short-Term Rental As temperatures rise and peak season approaches, now is the time to refresh your short-term rental. Prevent emergency repairs, avoid guest complaints, and extend the life of your property with a strategic spring maintenance plan. Whether you’re a hands-on host or managing a team, this checklist […]

Are Your Airbnb Bookings Down? Let’s Talk Data, Strategy & Staying Competitive If you’ve found yourself staring at your Airbnb calendar lately wondering, “Where did the bookings go?” — you’re not alone. On this Hosting Hotline episode, a host named Courtney called in with a concern we hear often: fewer bookings and more cancellations. But […]

5 Tax Mistakes Short-Term Rental Hosts Should Avoid (and What to Do Instead) Taxes and short-term rentals — they don’t have to be scary, but they do require strategy. Whether you’re managing your own property or working with a team, understanding the tax landscape of short-term rentals (STRs) can save you thousands of dollars each […]

How to Collect Payment for Airbnb Upsells Like Early Check-In and Late Checkout If you’ve been hosting for a while, you likely know there are plenty of opportunities to earn extra income beyond just your nightly rate. One of the simplest ways? Upsells—things like early check-in, late checkout, pet fees, special occasion decor, or even […]

Spring Cleaning for Your Airbnb: 7 Deep Cleaning Tasks You Can’t Ignore When’s the last time you moved your furniture and looked underneath? Or washed your mattress protector? If you’re running a short-term rental, the answer needs to be recently. We know you care deeply about cleanliness (you’re a TFV host after all!), but the […]

Is Your PMS Holding You Back on Airbnb? Choosing a property management system (PMS) is supposed to streamline your short-term rental business, not create more headaches. But what happens when it feels like the PMS you’ve chosen is limiting your ability to fully optimize your Airbnb listings? That’s exactly the issue our listener Leslie called […]

5 Mistakes Airbnb Hosts Are Making Airbnb hosting can be incredibly rewarding, but even experienced hosts can make mistakes that cost them bookings and revenue. Many of these errors stem from misinformation, outdated strategies, or simply not seeing things from a guest’s perspective. If you’re not getting the bookings or revenue you expect, you might […]

How to Handle Guest Scams and Bed Bug Claims as an Airbnb Host If you’ve hosted for any length of time, chances are you’ve dealt with some kind of guest complaint. But when those complaints involve something serious—like bed bugs—and you’re not sure the claims are true, it can be hard to know what to […]