Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights

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During HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.

In this episode, we’re joined by Samantha Turmaine, Lead Consultant at HCH Financial Services, to break down the five essential facts every holiday let owner needs to know about holiday let mortgages.

Whether you’re planning to purchase your first holiday rental or looking to optimise financing for your existing portfolio, Samantha’s expert insights will guide you through the key considerations, pitfalls to avoid, and tips for making the most of your investment.

This is a must-listen for short-term rental hosts and property managers navigating the world of holiday let financing!

1:43 Holiday let mortgages are different to buy-to-let mortgages
2:39 Personal income and rental income projections
5:32 Location, location, location
6:59 Financial considerations, such as business rates or council tax
8:55 Regulation and market trends
10:30 HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Samantha Turmaine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-turmaine-mlibf-cemap-cerer-97a1b298/

HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/ 

Got a comment or interested in being a guest on the show? Email [email protected].

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In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome not one, but two special guests: David Jacoby and Fred Bassili from Hostfully!

Fresh off the release of the eighth edition of their ‘Hospitality Trends in the Vacation Rental Industry’ report, David and Fred sit down with HCH Founder, James Varley, to unpack the latest in the STR world.

Here’s what’s in store:

🔹 How AI is transforming property management and guest experiences.
🔹 The rise of direct bookings and what it means for hosts.
🔹 Why Airbnb is losing market share – and where guests are booking instead.
🔹 Key challenges and opportunities for STR hosts worldwide.

If you’re eager to stay ahead in the STR industry, this episode is a must-listen. Don’t miss out on the expert insights that could shape your hosting strategy for the year ahead!

David named Hudson Creative Studio as his favourite brand and gave Robin Craigen a special shout-out, while Fred praised both Key Data and Madeleine Raiford-Holland.

This episode includes sponsor mentions for HCH Financial Services, Zeal, Smiling House Luxury, and Search and Stay.

3:28 A tool to gather industry data
5:22 How AI is shaping the space
10:12 Direct bookings are rising and Airbnb is slipping
13:55 Direct bookings will keep growing 
14:58 The strategies owners with 100+ rentals are using to get direct bookings 
17:32 The tech divide
19:59 Surprising stats 
23:59 Challenges and opportunities: the industry is ripe for disruption
26:56 Challenges and opportunities: regulation
29:29 How Hostfully supports hosts and property managers 
31:23 Hostfully’s top tier integrations, including with Airbnb and Vrbo
33:10 View the report: https://www.hostfully.com/2024-hospitality-industry-study/ Find out more about Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
36:36 David’s favourite brand: Hudson Creative Studio
38:16 Fred’s favourite brand: Key Data
39:19 David’s individual shout-out: Robin Craigen
40:59 Fred’s individual shout-out: Madeleine Raiford-Holland
42:32 David’s advice: focus on what you can control
43:02 Fred’s advice: avoid shiny object syndrome

Links:

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book

David Jacoby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjacoby/
Fred Bassili: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-bassili/
Try Hostfully's PMS or digital guidebook: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1
Hostfully trends report: https://www.hostfully.com/2024-hospitality-industry-study/

Mentions:

Hudson Creative Studio: https://hudsoncreativestudio.com/

Robin Craigen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robincraigen/

Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook

Madeleine Raiford-Holland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-raiford-holland/

Sponsors:

HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/

Zeal: https://gozeal.co.uk/services/industries/hch-furnished-holiday-lets/

Smiling House Luxury: https://smilinghouse.ch/

Search and Stay: https://www.searchandstay.com/

Enjoy the show? Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Email the show: [email protected].

#shorttermrentals #propertymanagement #realestate #ai #vacationrentalmanagement #vacationrentals

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During HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.

In this essential episode, we’re joined by Matt Jeffery, Tax Partner at Zeal, to discuss five crucial facts about holiday let taxes every UK homeowner and investor needs to know.  

With the potential abolishment of the furnished holiday lettings tax regime on the horizon, Matt unpacks what this change could mean for your finances and shares actionable advice to help you stay ahead.  

If you own or invest in short-term rentals in the UK, this is a must-listen episode to navigate tax complexities and protect your profits.  

2:01 Tip No. 1: claim your capital allowances 
3:20 Example capital allowance savings from a £200k purchase
5:32 Capital allowances can be used against any UK property income
6:26 Tip No. 2: declaration of trust
8:37 Tip No. 3: pension contributions
10:05 Tip No. 4: business asset disposal relief
11:08 Tip No. 5: the right business structure
12:32 Contact Matt: https://gozeal.co.uk/services/industries/hch-furnished-holiday-lets/

Zeal is offering a FREE 15-minute consultation to people who mention Holiday Cottage Handbook at the point of inquiry.

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Matt Jeffery: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-jeffery-156a8245/

Zeal: https://gozeal.co.uk/services/industries/hch-furnished-holiday-lets/ (free 15-minute consultation when you quote Holiday Cottage Handbook)

Got a comment or interested in being a guest on the show? Email [email protected].

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In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome Shahar Goldboim, Founder and CEO of BOOM, to explore his revolutionary AI-powered property management solution.  

Shahar’s journey is nothing short of inspiring – from his early days as a property manager to becoming a trailblazer in the short-term rental tech space.

As a recognised industry leader, he shares:  

– Insights into his career journey and lessons learned along the way.  
– Practical hosting tips to elevate your short-term rental game.  
– How BOOM is transforming property management with cutting-edge AI technology.  
– Why AI is a game-changer for the STR industry – and why this is just the beginning.  

Shahar named SCALE and Better Talent as his favourite brands and gave a special shout-out to Andy Fenner from the UK Short Term Accommodation Association.

3:38 Shahar’s story in the STR space
7:05 A huge learning journey
9:21 The advice Shahar would give himself: buy more real estate!
10:24 The advice Shahar would give to people starting out in STR
11:37 This is a 24/7 business 
13:12 A tech solution that allows hosts to focus on their guests
14:42 The creation of BOOM
18:03 BOOM’s ideal customers: mid to large STR companies
19:16 How BOOM improves the management experience
20:21 AI in STR: we’re just getting started!
23:33 Key trends in the STR world
25:11 The positives of running STRs
28:01 The industry needs to be united 
33:12 Favourite brands: SCALE and Better Talent
34:20 Individual shout-out: Andrew Fenner
35:54 No. 1 lesson learned: AI is going to revolutionise everything we know

Links:

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book

Shahar Goldboim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahar-goldboim-80820b95/
BOOM: https://www.boomnow.com/

Mentions:

SCALE: https://scalerentals.show/

Better Talent: https://bettertalent.com/

Andrew Fenner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyfenner2024/

Sponsors:

HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/

Hosthub: https://www.hosthub.com/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=HCH

Smiling House Luxury: https://smilinghouse.ch/

Search and Stay: https://www.searchandstay.com/

Enjoy the show? Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Email the show: [email protected].

#shorttermrentals #propertymanagement #realestate #ai #vacationrentalmanagement #vacationrentals

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In this episode of HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Stefan Hoffelner, Co-Founder of Your AirHost, to share five tips on how to navigate London's 90-day limit for short-term rentals.

2:02 Explaining London’s 90-day limit
3:42 Tip No. 1: set your calendar up properly
5:27 Tools to help you find out peak demand
6:45 Tip No. 2: go after the longer stays and offer discounts
9:21 The platforms where you can attract 90+ day rentals
9:47 Tip No. 3: explore the potential of obtaining planning permission
10:53 Tip No. 4: the 90-day limit does not apply if you are renting a room in your own home
11:44 Tip No. 5: connect with local businesses who might need your rental
13:35 Occupancy levels and pricing flexibility
16:40 Find out more about Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Download free e-book: How to Navigate London's 90-Day Short-Term Rentals Limit: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/your-airhost

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Stefan Hoffelner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-hoffelner-6b360955/

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In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we welcome Noga Barpal to discuss how short-term rental (STR) hosts and property managers can earn commission by selling travel insurance packages to their guests.

Noga outlines the best ways to offer travel insurance to travellers and the commission you can expect to achieve.

Noga named Guesty as her favourite brand in the industry and gave a special shout-out to Doron Meyassed from Plum Guide. 

4:22 How Faye is supporting the STR space
7:32 The average Faye customer
8:48 The commission hosts can expect to achieve
9:26 The most common problems travellers face
11:15 The best way of selling Faye insurance to guests
12:32 Selling to OTA guests 
13:45 The growth plan for Faye
15:06 Insurance is a growing upselling opportunity
17:35 The potential to earn commission from multiple policies 
18:18 Head to www.withfaye.com for further details
21:05 Favourite brand: Guesty
21:34 Individual shout-out: Doron Meyassed

Links:

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free e-book: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Property Management Masterclass podcast series: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/property-management-masterclass

Noga Barpal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noga-barpal-100b30b9/
Faye: https://www.withfaye.com/
Contact Faye: [email protected]

Mentions:

Guesty: https://www.guesty.com/

Doron Meyassed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doronmeyassed/

Sponsor links:

HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/

Hosthub: https://www.hosthub.com/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=HCH

Smiling House Luxury: https://smilinghouse.ch/

Search and Stay: https://www.searchandstay.com/

Enjoy the show? Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Email the show: [email protected].

#ShortTermRentals #PropertyManagement #Networking #RealEstateInvesting #HospitalityIndustry #Insurance #EarnCommission #Upselling  

Noga Barpal, Faye, Insurance, Travel Insurance, Upselling, Commission, Short-Term Rentals, Vacation Rentals

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In this episode of HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.

This week, we're excited to welcome Joseph Cox, Director of Business Development at Hostfully, who’s here to reveal his top five upselling strategies for short-term rental hosts and property managers. Tune in to learn how to enhance your guest experience, increase bookings, and unlock new revenue opportunities!

1:55 The definition of upselling
2:36 How hosts should offer upsells
3:32 Utilise a Hostfully digital guidebook to offer upsells
4:36 Earn more revenue
5:29 Location and season are key
6:40 Upsell No.1: early check-in and late check-out
7:01 Upsell No. 2: mid-stay clean
7:18 Upsell No. 3: food and drink
7:37 Upsell No. 4: local experiences
8:32 Upsell No. 5: transportation
9:20 Communication is key
10:07 You don’t have to deliver upsells yourself
11:51 Book a Hostfully guidebook demo: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Joseph Cox: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmicox/

Send us a text

In this episode of HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Arthur Colker, Founder and CEO of StayFi, to the show to share his top five tips for maximising your marketing impact through branded Wi-Fi. Don’t miss his insights to take control of your guest experience and boost your bookings. 

1:49 Tip 1: Collect and organise your guest data
2:58 Tip 2: Use automation for marketing
4:38 Tip 3: Have a direct booking website
5:29 Tip 4: Do not neglect the power of billboarding
7:05 Tip 5: Have a compelling reason for guests to return
9:05 Book a StayFi demo: https://meetings.hubspot.com/arthur46/stayfi-sales-demo?uuid=3808bc29-0b49-4571-bc21-6324b25d84a7

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

HCH: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Arthur Colker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acolker/

StayFi: https://stayfi.com/

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In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we welcome Bart-Jan Leyts, Founder and CEO of Otamiser, who shares valuable insights about how short-term rental hosts and property managers can boost their visibility on major OTAs (online travel agencies) like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo.

Bart-Jan outlines the story of Otamiser, how often you should update your listing, the worst things you can do as a host, and the one simple thing everyone can do to improve their listing's ranking.

Bart-Jan named Casiola as his favourite brand and gave Thibault Masson a special shout-out.

2:58 The story of Otamiser
8:28 How to rank highly on the OTAs
9:44 How to integrate Otamiser
10:20 Frequency of updates to listings
11:33 The difference Otamiser can make
12:42 The cost of Otamiser
13:28 How to get your listing right from day one
15:13 The simple things you can do to improve your listing
17:23 How the OTAs decide which listings to rank the highest
19:28 The OTAs are scoring everything you do
20:09 The worst things you can do with an OTA listing 
21:01 The differences between the major OTAs
21:59 The one thing you can do to improve your listing
23:04 Otamiser’s new tech: Autorank
24:22 The trends to be aware of
25:21 How to get your pricing right and how often you should change it
27:03 What to expect from Otamiser
29:57 Favourite brand: Casiola
30:35 Individual shout-out: Thibault Masson
31:13 No. 1 lesson learned: let people grow in certain roles

Links:

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/
Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
Free ticket for Your Air Success on Friday 8 November: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/yourairhost
Free e-book download: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book
Property Management Masterclass podcast series: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/property-management-masterclass

Bart-Jan Leyts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-jan-leyts-b427151b1/
Otamiser: https://www.otamiser.com/

Mentions:

Casiola: https://www.casiola.com/

Thibault Masson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmasson/

Sponsor links:

HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/

Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/

Zeal: https://gozeal.co.uk/services/industries/hch-furnished-holiday-lets/

Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook

Enjoy the show? Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Email the show: [email protected]

Send us a text

In this episode of HCH Bitesize, a podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we delve into essential topics for the short-term rental industry. Each week, we invite expert guests who share valuable insights and practical advice to help you enhance your knowledge and build a successful property management business.

Join us as we welcome Bob Garner, Founder and CEO of EnviroRental. Bob shares his top five tips for running a sustainable short-term rental.

1:49 Tip No. 1: switch to a green energy tariff
3:49 Tip No. 2: use a digital guidebook to tell your guests about your green strategies 
5:27 Tip No. 3: green web hosting
7:30 Tip No. 4: focus on cleaning products and avoiding single-use plastics
10:08 Tip No. 5: involve your team
11:03 EnviroRental: https://envirorental.earth/

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today. Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Bob Garner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-garner-%E2%93%A5%F0%9F%8C%B3-75a73727/

EnviroRental: https://envirorental.earth/

Got a comment or interested in being a guest on the show? Email [email protected].