Simple tips and lessons from managing short- and mid-term rentals.
Sonder’s trajectory from founding and SPAC listing to its 2025 Chapter 7 filing, distinguishing transaction value, room counts and the author’s industry views, with a 46-night Bellevue advance booking.
Read the articleA hypothetical million-dollar property illustrates cost segregation, bonus depreciation and material participation, with specific distinctions between deductions and tax savings, old-law percentages and eligibility, plus a 22-night Shoreline case.
Read the articleWhy did short-term rental operations feel harder in 2025? The author examines three turning points: review disputes, competition affecting budget homes and shifting supply and demand, considering the challenges to familiar hosting practices.
Read the articleHow should hosts respond when guests want to leave early? The author describes reopening the unused dates and refunding the corresponding portion if they rebook, exploring the tension between cancellation terms, communication and review pressure.
Read the articleFrom telephone appeals to form-based review, the author recounts experiences disputing Airbnb reviews in 2025. The article covers complaints outside a host’s control, reviews after no-shows and retaliation following damage claims.
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Why can budget rentals struggle even as guests seek value? Using the author’s 2025 operating observations, this article explores how discounted higher-end homes, guest expectations and ongoing costs put pressure on lower-priced properties.
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Does a barbecue’s contribution to the guest experience justify its cleaning, fuel and management costs? This article considers the trade-offs for different property positions and shifts attention from adding amenities to reviewing unnecessary spending.
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When guests report bed bugs, what evidence can hosts provide? The author recounts arranging professional inspections and submitting written reports, emphasizing the role of cleaning records and verifiable evidence in handling disputes.
Read the articleA discussion of Strict and Firm cancellation changes and hosts’ choices in 2025, preserving the original policy table with date and short-stay/monthly-stay context, plus a 30-night Bellevue booking.
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A look at Airbnb’s market stages through industry life-cycle theory and Amazon’s seller ecosystem, with differentiated homes, professional service and a 75-night Kirkland booking case.
Read the articleA host’s response to Airbnb’s 2025 services-and-experiences redesign: traffic, support and liability concerns, distinctive homes, multiple platforms and direct bookings, plus a Seattle extended-stay case.
Read the articleWhy is Airbnb expanding accommodation, services and experiences together? This installment looks at competition with hotels and considers how private chefs, massages and local activities could change guest choices and affect hosts.
Read the articleThis article reviews the services, experiences and social features presented in Airbnb’s summer 2025 release. It outlines the product changes the author believes hosts should watch before turning to the platform’s broader strategy.
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Written amid NBA expansion discussions in May 2025, this article considers possible off-season demand in Seattle, practical hosting preparations and a 91-night advance booking.
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As demand and competition change, should hosts keep their old pricing and amenity plans? The author discusses aggressive rates, guest communication and nonessential spending, sharing a 2025 approach focused on operating risk and costs.
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Renting by the room may bring more rent but also more communication, vacancy and disputes. The author compares the daily workload with whole-home renting, explaining the return to that model and why headline revenue is only part of the decision.
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What happens when a booking request involves a family member’s end-of-life care? Recalling an application for a home near a hospital, the author reflects on the difficult balance between compassion, owners’ feelings and a manager’s responsibilities.
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What can go wrong when a listing promises an EV charger but provides only an outlet? The author recounts a refund dispute over an amenity description and stresses checking that photos and wording match the equipment guests actually receive.
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How might tariffs affect rentals beyond the cost of imported goods? This article looks at mortgage rates, business travel and household holiday budgets to explore how economic uncertainty can feed into rental supply and demand.
Read the articleA video about guests leaving Gucci and other valuables prompts a discussion of lost-property communication, storage and house rules. The video is an external story, not a Snowball Rentals case.
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A source-attributed summary of Toby Mathis and CPA Kurt Bergfjord’s rental-tax discussion, with checks of average stays, material participation, C corporations and Section 1031, plus a 39-night Sammamish case.
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A February 2025 look at Washington’s proposed 6% short-term rental tax, the response from Airbnb and hosts, and a 61-night booking illustrating seasonal rental operations. The tax was a proposal; case figures retain the original basis.
Read the articleA look back at the 2025 HB 1334 proposal, distinguishing taxing-district revenue limits from individual bills and identifying the source’s 3% versus 5–6% discrepancy, plus a 26-night Kirkland booking.
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Behind a co-host’s flexible schedule are check-in problems, late-night repairs and holiday cover. Through everyday situations, this article describes the service work involved in rental management and the demands of systems, guest support and ongoing learning.
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From a ghost being less friendly than advertised to other unexpected refund requests, this article considers different guest complaints and the role of accurate descriptions, communication and records when disputes arise.
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How can hosts respond when a guest leaves a negative review after paying for damage? This article presents the author’s early-2025 observations on retaliation, evidence and compensation trade-offs, with an emphasis on professional communication.
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A look back at the proposed Casago–Vacasa transaction in early 2025 and the author’s views on management at scale, clarifying announcement-stage status and portfolio claims, plus a Bellevue winter booking.
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