Where the vacation rental trade thinks out loud
Long-form articles for owners and professionals on the subjects that shape the sector year after year — what guests expect, how management is becoming a profession, the technology hosts depend on, how rentals reach travellers, and how they are designed and run. No news cycle, no invented quotes: just the subjects that last.
Cover story · OperationsWho runs vacation rentals now? The professionalisation of management
The image of the vacation rental host is still a private owner letting a spare flat. In many cities, the listing data tells a more mixed story.
What guests expect now: from novelty to reliability
Guest expectations in vacation rentals have shifted from novelty to reliability. The standards guests now take for granted, and the ones that still set a stay apart.
Dynamic pricing, explained without the jargon
What dynamic pricing tools actually do, the signals they use, where they fail, and how vacation rental owners can stay in control of a price set by software.
Direct booking: the long game
The promise and the reality of direct bookings for vacation rentals: what a direct channel requires, who it suits, and why it is built over years rather than launched.
The case for distinctive stays
Why vacation rentals with a real character — a story, a setting, a point of view — stand out in a market of look-alike listings, and how to build character without gimmicks.
From the data
Three articles built on public listing data from Inside Airbnb, with every figure sourced and its limits explained.
Who runs vacation rentals now? The professionalisation of management
Who actually runs vacation rentals? Public Inside Airbnb data for Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent shows how many active homes belong to multi-listing hosts — and what that shift means for owners.
Seasonality: reading the shape of the year
When do vacation rental guests actually stay? Review activity by month in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, London and Dublin, from public Inside Airbnb data, and how to plan around the seasonal curve.
Minimum stays: one setting, several trade-offs
How vacation rental hosts set minimum stays, what public Inside Airbnb data shows about the minimum stays used in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent, and how to think about the trade-off.
GuestsAll
How guests research a vacation rental, and what it means for your listing
Guests rarely pick a vacation rental in one go. They filter, shortlist, cross-check and reread. What that research process looks like from the host's side, and how to meet it.
Reading and answering reviews like a professional
Reviews are the closest thing a vacation rental has to a quality report. How to read them for patterns, answer them well, and turn them into operational changes.
OperationsAll
Seasonality: reading the shape of the year
When do vacation rental guests actually stay? Review activity by month in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, London and Dublin, from public Inside Airbnb data, and how to plan around the seasonal curve.
Minimum stays: one setting, several trade-offs
How vacation rental hosts set minimum stays, what public Inside Airbnb data shows about the minimum stays used in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent, and how to think about the trade-off.
The turnover: the hidden core of the business
Cleaning and preparing a home between two guests is where most vacation rental reviews are won or lost. How professional operators organise turnovers, inspections and inventory.
Working with a property manager: what to look for
What an owner should expect from a vacation rental manager: the questions to ask, the reporting to demand, and how to read a management agreement before signing.
Host technologyAll
Smart locks and keyless arrival: designing a check-in that just works
How smart locks, keypads and key boxes work in vacation rentals, what can go wrong, and how to design a self check-in that guests find easy and owners find secure.
Guest messaging: fast without sounding like a machine
How vacation rental hosts use scheduled messages, templates and automation to answer guests quickly — and where a human reply still matters most.
The host software stack, layer by layer
A vendor-neutral map of the software behind a vacation rental operation — property management systems, channel managers, pricing, locks, cleaning and accounting — and how the pieces connect.
DistributionAll
Multi-channel distribution: being everywhere without losing control
Why vacation rentals are listed on several platforms, what each additional channel really costs, and how to keep listings, calendars and prices consistent everywhere.
Repeat guests and the value of a relationship
Why returning guests matter so much to a vacation rental, how hosts can stay in touch respectfully, and what makes a guest want to come back.
Design & sustainabilityAll
Designing for longer stays and remote work
What changes when guests stay a week or a month rather than a weekend: workspace, storage, kitchen, laundry and the small comforts that make a rental liveable.
Sustainability in vacation rentals: what actually makes a difference
Practical ways to run a vacation rental with less energy, water and waste — from heating controls and laundry to supplies and furnishing — and how to talk about it honestly with guests.