This Week’s News & Insights

Good morning,

Here’s what’s going on in the short-term rental world this week:

Airbnb shifts its entire 15.5% service fee burden onto hosts, a new venture is pooling property managers together to chase higher private equity valuations, and TikTok’s new partnership with Booking.com can turn viral videos into instant reservations.

This week in the markets: Mortgage rates fell to their lowest point of the year, Las Vegas hosts won a pause on unlicensed listing removals, and Aspen’s permit limits are holding steady but with 62 lapses leaving room for new entrants.

Lets dive in. 

NEWS

Headline Roundup

• Airbnb pushes 15.5% service fee entirely onto hosts (The Host Report)

• New company allows property managers to join forces for higher PE valuations (StakeholdersVR)

• TikTok Users Can Now Book Hotels via Booking.com (PhocusWire)

• US tourism slumps in 2025 but major events offer relief (Hospitality Investor)

• STR operators face rising costs as tech tools shift to pay-to-play (PhocusWire)

• Mews integrates room keys with Apple and Google wallets (Mews)

• The Coastal Commission approves Monterey County’s vacation rental ordinance (Monterey County Now)

• HomeToGo closes $200M Interhome acquisition (Skift)

• STR company UnderTheDoormat raises $7 million (PhocusWire)

• Seraya raises $1.8M to scale STR hospitality in the Middle East (Zawya)

Custom Maps: The Easiest Way to Boost Your Bookings

INTERESTING INSIGHTS

Use AI to Get More Bookings, Not Just Reply Faster

Everyone's using AI for guest messaging. That's old news. 

But not many people are using AI to actually get more bookings. 

If you ask any expert what matters most on your Airbnb listing, they'll tell you:

The hero photo is everything.

It’s the first thing guests see. It determines whether they click or keep scrolling.

But here’s the problem: Most hero shots are taken in less-than-ideal lighting.
No golden hour. No cinematic glow. Just a flat image that doesn’t do the property justice.

What if AI could fix that in 10 seconds?

This is a new Airbnb in California’s wine country:

Its a gorgeous home… but the skyline wasn’t cooperating on the day they had their photos taken.

This is what I’m talking about:

Before:

After:

Same house. Same hero photo. It’s just 10x more compelling.

I bet this one simple change would drive a meaningful increase in their bookings.

So, I'm thinking about building a simple product that would let hosts & property managers turn their hero photo into a sunset-optimized, scroll-stopping thumbnail in less than 10 seconds. 

But before I put too much time into it, I'm curious if anyone else thinks this is as cool and valuable as I do. 

Does this seem like something you’d be interested in?

If you're interested, reply to this email - would be happy to connect and I’ll do this (completely free) for one of your listings just to keep testing it out. 

MARKET INSIGHTS

Mortgage Rate Snapshot

Mortgage rates touched 2025 lows last week, with the average 30-year fixed dipping to 6.50% with minimal day-to-day volatility. September opened with a small 0.03% uptick, but rates remain near their lowest point since October 2024.

Regulations Update

• Clark County, Nevada, received a temporary court reprieve blocking requirements for Airbnb to remove unlicensed listings, though stricter enforcement could still follow

• Aspen, Colorado, maintained its 190-permit cap in residential zones, though 62 permits have lapsed since 2022, potentially creating new opportunities

• Cape Coral, Florida, is considering hiking STR fees from $35 one-time to $350 annually, with potential fines reaching $2,000 for unregistered properties starting January 2026

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