Vacation Rental News & Insights

Good morning,

Here’s what’s going on in the vacation rental world this week:

The World Cup schedule went live and it’s already driving an early wave of bookings across host cities, Europe’s top Christmas market cities are seeing a surge in STR demand, and a new Marriott survey says 91% of Americans are planning to travel in 2026.

On the regulations front: Maui pushed Bill 9 forward to phase out 7,000 STR units, Kansas City opened the door to 90-day major-event hosting windows ahead of the World Cup, and Green Bay hit reset by scrapping its entire slate of proposed restrictions after pushback from operators.

Lets dive in. 

NEWS

Headline Roundup

• World Cup schedule release triggers early booking wave across hospitality markets (CoStar)

• Vacation rental demand climbs across Europe’s top Christmas market cities (The Host Report)

• Airbnb reveals their 2026 travel predictions (Airbnb Newsroom)

• Florida lawmakers push new pool-safety rules for homes and vacation rentals after 100+ drownings (News4Jax)

• Equity Residences launches direct-booking website for luxury vacation homes (Equity Residences)

• New Marriott Bonvoy survey shows 91% of Americans plan to travel in 2026 (PR Newswire)

• Fed expected to cut interest rates (Wall Street Journal)

• Airbnb invests $1.3M in Houston ahead of 2026 World Cup (Axios)

• Evolve acquires Guestworks from Vacasa, adding 1,000 homes (The Host Report)

• TravelAI acquires OwnerDirect, increasing its vacation rental footprint in North America (PRWeb)

Custom maps can boost bookings by 20-30%

You know your location is great. But does the guest know that in the first 3 seconds of seeing your listing?

The Booking Booster Map works like a 24/7 silent helper. It sits in your listing photos and answers the guest's #1 question ("Is this near where I want to be?") before they even ask it. When you add this one photo:

• Guests decide faster: They feel more confident booking your place

• You save time: Reduce pre-booking questions like “How far is the beach?”

• Protects your Superhost status: Clarity leads to 5-star location ratings

It takes less than 5 minutes to make, costs less than a cleaning fee, and it pays for itself with your very first booking. 

INTERESTING INSIGHTS

Out of 500M+ daily social media posts, only a few actually deserve your attention.

I scrolled, so you don’t have to.

Here are the 5 best vacation rental social posts I saw this week:

#1:

Design sells... on Airbnb, on social media, and in real life.

#2:

The business that prepares for every little detail is usually the one that wins big. 

One of my favorite mottos is “over prepare, then go with the flow”

#3:

Little things that drive big results (and don’t cost much): 

• Pre-arrival automation ($0) — Morning-of instructions cut "where do I go?" calls and check-in frustration drastically

• Welcome map ($2) — Trails circled and local spots recommended, review mentions up big

• Cold water at check-in ($2) — simple but highly appreciated

• Post-stay thank you ($0) — Rebooking rate up big

• Birthday acknowledgment ($0) — These guests become ambassadors

• Recommendations binder ($25) — Saved staff 2-3 hours/week

• Problem recovery ($20-40) — Turned 8 potential 1-stars into 5-stars

#4:

When NYC restricted STR’s in 2023, it wasn’t just Airbnb hosts that got hurt…

Neighborhood restaurants saw a 10–12% drop in spending, adding up to nearly $3 billion in lost revenue.

#5:

If you operate in any of the host cities in the United States (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle), Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), or Mexico (Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City), make sure your pricing is set for those key dates. Make sure your inventory is live on every channel. Make sure your team understands the opportunity in front of them.

Also, keep in mind that most European travelers use booking .com, not Airbnb 

MARKET INSIGHTS

Mortgage Rate Snapshot

Mortgage rates moved slightly higher this week, landing near three month highs. Markets are now waiting on the Fed meeting, which is expected to drive the next big move in rates.

Regulations Update

• Maui County Council advanced Bill 9 with a 5-3 vote to phase out approximately 7,000 apartment-zoned short-term rental units, potentially leading to significant job losses and economic impacts

• Kansas City, Missouri, updated its ordinance to allow a 90-day "major event period" for events like the FIFA World Cup, with applications opening December 15 at a reduced $50 fee

• Green Bay, Wisconsin, scrapped all proposed regulations including a 180-day operating cap and seven-day minimum stay requirement, directing staff to restart with stakeholder input

See this weeks full regulations report here: (The Host Report)