Vacation Rental Management 411

Book excerpt: Renting a room or an entire home to guests for short stays can be profitable, or it can create loss and liability. Understanding and applying proven strategies can benefit you and your guests. This book presents best practices for vacation home / short-term rental management, including an overview of this industry, regulations, accounting, marketing, reservations, guest and neighbor relations, maintenance, housekeeping, design, decor, security, technology, opportunities, challenges, and more! This is a valuable resource for all hosts, as well as the approved textbook for college courses, industry seminars, and the STR certification course. Whether youve been renting your home for years or are new to this emerging industry, there is much within these pages to help you become a better STR host. If you think you cant learn any more about the short-term rental business, think again. You can! This book runs the gamut of advising you how to operate a short-term rental with professionalism and class! This is a must for anyone in the hospitality industry; I highly recommend this small investment to better your business (Mike Jensen, longtime vacation rental host and travel broker, Fine Travel Experiences). The vacation rental class and the valuable information in this book exceeded my expectations! Learning guidelines and standards are essential to professionalizing this emerging industry (Paula Caballero, realtor, property manager, and international STR host). Often the most complicated of issues unravel unless a new course is achieved through education and open communication. Once everyone is educated on an issue and is willing to discuss it rationally, a compromise can be found (Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman, city of Las Vegas).