Hanley Economic Building Society Adds Holiday Let Mortgages
The Stoke-on-Trent mutual now writes mortgages for holiday let purchases, giving owners another lender to shop against as the tax breaks that once favored the sector have disappeared.
Industry News
Mallorca Water Shortage Raises Alarm for Summer Rentals
Greenpeace warns Spain's water reserves built up over winter are already being drained by heat and overuse, with the Balearic Islands and northern Spain flagged as most exposed heading into peak season.
New Tools Flag Insurance Gaps Before Claims Get Denied
A new wave of coverage-review checklists is pushing short-term rental operators to check their policies for gaps before a guest incident turns into a denied claim.
Airbnb's New Car Rental Feature Runs on CarTrawler
Airbnb has begun offering car rental bookings inside its app, sourced through Dublin-based travel technology firm CarTrawler, extending its push into services beyond stays.
Spanish Rental Firm Gaiarooms Triples Revenue to €15.2 Million
Gaiarooms says first-half revenue jumped 211% year-over-year to €15.2 million and it is holding to a forecast of more than €4 million in full-year EBITDA.
Woodstock, Illinois Ends Airbnb Tax Break Starting Jan. 1
Woodstock, Illinois will start taxing short-term rentals on January 1, closing an exemption that let Airbnb and Vrbo hosts skip the lodging tax hotels already pay.
Airbnb Sued Over Utah Teen's Murder at Rented Home
A Salt Lake City mother's lawsuit accuses Airbnb of failing to stop a party that ended in her 19-year-old son's death, testing how far the platform's safety tools actually go.
Airbnb Pays Boulder Hosts $200 to List for Sundance
Airbnb is offering a one-time $200 bonus to Boulder, Colorado residents who put a home up for rent during Sundance Film Festival's first year in the city.
Missing Cleaning Contract Leaves Hosts Holding the Bill
Written agreements spelling out who pays for damage, missed turnovers and broken schedules are becoming standard between rental operators and cleaning crews.
East Lothian Council to Rule Again on New Holiday Let Homes
East Lothian councillors are set to reconsider a resubmitted planning application for new-build holiday let homes, a decision that will test how the council treats short-term rental development after an earlier version of the scheme stalled.
Andalusia Vacation Rental Group Fights Proposed Tourist Tax
A trade association representing Andalusia's licensed vacation rentals says a proposed visitor tax would raise guest costs and wants operators consulted before regional lawmakers set any rate.
Independent Travelers Booked More in July, Later Than Ever
Direct-booking travelers filled more July stays than a year earlier but waited longer to commit, a trend rental operators are seeing echoed in their own calendars.
TrustedStays Opens France to Corporate Travel Bookings
TrustedStays has launched in France, giving professionally managed short-term rentals and serviced apartments a route into corporate booking systems used by business travel buyers.
Streamside Buys Maine Glamping Resort, Hits 40 US Sites
Streamside RV Resorts & Campgrounds has acquired Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport, Maine, growing its national portfolio to 40 properties.
Delaware's New 4.5% Rental Tax Narrows Hotel Price Edge
Delaware's new 4.5% short-term rental tax stacks with local levies like Rehoboth Beach's 7% surcharge, pushing the combined bite past 11% in some coastal towns.
September Equinox Splits Booking Calendars by Hemisphere
The September 22 equinox marks the point where Northern Hemisphere hosts should already be repricing for fall shoulder season while Southern Hemisphere operators build toward their own peak.
Rental Escapes Lets Travel Advisors Brand Its Villa Sites
Rental Escapes has opened its luxury villa portfolio to travel advisors through websites that carry the advisor's own name, not the company's.
EU Border Biometric Checks Get Stricter as Low Season Arrives
Airports and land crossings that skipped full fingerprint checks during peak summer congestion have far less cover to do so once traveler volumes drop.
Devon, Cornwall Holiday Let Sales Stay Flat After Tax Overhaul
Property agents across the two counties say the end of favorable tax treatment for furnished holiday lets has not produced the wave of sales many expected.
Vacation Rental Buyers Now Take Months to Vet Markets
Brokers say short-term rental investors are stretching pre-purchase research from days to months, checking permit caps and licensing rules before making an offer.