Wales' 182-day rule is pushing self-catering owners to the brink – and there's a narrow window to change it. Almost a third of holiday letting businesses in Wales have already collapsed under 'hideous' council tax bills, and 26% are running at a loss. But there may finally be light at the end of the tunnel.

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – James Varley sits down with Nicky Williamson of PASC UK to unpack the 182-day threshold for self-catering properties in Wales: why it's crippling businesses, why the Welsh Government has launched a 12-week consultation, what the right level should be, and how proposed exemptions could create big winners and big losers.

If you operate in Wales, this is your chance to be heard. We cover exactly what owners need to do – and how to respond to the consultation before it closes.

👉 If you found this useful, subscribe for weekly short-term rental insight, and share it with a host who needs to see it.

The Host Planet Podcast helps short-term rental hosts and property managers build smarter, more successful and more sustainable businesses — covering regulation, revenue, AI, guest experience, direct bookings and more. Sponsored by Lodgify: use code HOSTPLANET20 for 20% off.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

1:09 Get 20% off Lodgify with code HOSTPLANET20

1:59 The 182-day limit in Wales

3:14 Welsh hosts stung with 'hideous' council tax bills

4:40 30% of holiday letting businesses have collapsed

5:48 26% of STR businesses in Wales running at a loss

7:42 The Welsh Government's 12-week consultation on 182

9:13 What is the right level?

10:31 England's number – and what Wales should reduce to

13:01 Averaging nights over several years, and charity nights

14:50 Exemptions: big winners and big losers

16:22 What Welsh owners need to do – contribute to the consultation

18:24 The potential outcome of the consultation

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

Nicky Williamson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolawilliamson/

PASC UK: https://www.pascuk.co.uk/

PASC UK 182 campaign: https://www.pascuk.co.uk/182-2/

Respond to the consultation – 'Classification of self-catering properties for local tax purposes': https://www.gov.wales/classification-self-catering-properties-local-tax-purposes

#shorttermrental #vacationrental #airbnbuk #selfcatering #wales #holidaylet #pascuk #hostplanet #lodgify #airbnbhost

Why don't guests book direct – and how do you fix it?

In this episode of Built to Book, Jonas Baum, Head of CX at Smoobu, breaks down how to build a direct booking website that converts. Learn the trust signals, AI workflows, and booking flow fixes to help you build a smarter, more successful, and more sustainable short-term rental business.

If you're getting traffic but no bookings, this is your 30-day plan to turn Airbnb and Booking.com guests into repeat direct bookers – with offers the OTAs can't match, better photography, stronger brand, and a frictionless checkout.

Special offer: Get 20% off Smoobu with the code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.smoobu.com/en/hostplanet/?utm_source=hostplanet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=podcast_3

In this episode we cover:

- What goes wrong when a guest doesn't book direct

- Why brand matters whether you have one property or hundreds

- Core trust signals every direct booking website  needs

- How to utilise AI to build your brand and content faster

- Where booking flows lose people – and how to fix drop-off

- What to offer direct that Airbnb can't match

- How to convert an OTA booker to a direct booker next time

- Photography, about pages, add-ons and the traffic-but-no-bookings fix

- Simple 30-day plan for more direct bookings 

Timestamps:

1:34 When a guest doesn't book, what's gone wrong?

5:12 Brand means the same whether you have one property or hundreds

8:54 The core trust signals on a direct booking website

10:42 Get 20% off Smoobu with the code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.smoobu.com/en/hostplanet/?utm_source=hostplanet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=podcast_3

11:36 How to utilise AI to build your brand

14:38 Where booking flows lose people

16:58 What to offer on your direct booking website (that the OTAs like Airbnb and Booking.com can't match)

19:59 Turn an OTA booker into a direct booker next time

22:23 What a website that's quietly killing bookings looks like

24:02 The importance of photography

25:46 The fix that flips the switch for hosts getting traffic but no bookings

27:12 A good add-on is a strong about page

28:31 The simple 30-day plan to achieve more direct bookings

Built to Book from Host Planet and Smoobu helps hosts drive more direct bookings with practical tips on websites, brand, marketing and automation.

#HostPlanetPodcast #BuiltToBook #DirectBookings

Is your holiday let truly winter ready..? Because a cold property is a 1-star review waiting to happen.

In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, from Host Planet and Sykes Holiday Cottages, Rachel Brennan shares exactly how smart hosts protect their property, price correctly, and deliver a 5-star guest experience when temperatures drop – helping you build a smarter, more successful and more sustainable business.

This series shares practical insights for holiday let owners and managers, including how AI and automation can support winter pricing, guest communications, and property operations.

Rachel breaks down the biggest winter pricing mistake owners make, how to adjust your listing and marketing to attract winter guests, and the simple touches that create a warm arrival and keep guests happy when it's raining outside.

In this episode you'll learn:

- The #1 winter pricing mistake that leaves your calendar empty

- How to adapt your listing and marketing for winter demand

- How to protect your property before the temperature drops

- How to keep guests entertained on rainy days

- How to deliver a warm arrival that drives 5-star reviews

Timestamps:

1:46 It’s time to get winter ready

3:29 The biggest pricing mistake owners make in winter

6:53 Adjust your listing and marketing to reach winter guests

10:01 Protect your property before the temperature drops

11:51 Work with Sykes Holiday Cottages: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/letyourcottage/

12:32 A cold rental is a 1-star review waiting to happen

14:56 How to keep guests entertained at the property when it’s raining outside

17:35 How to give your guests a warm arrival

19:52 The biggest impact for hosts in winter

Guest: Rachel Brennan, Sykes Holiday Cottages: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-brennan-26098118a/

Want to work with Sykes Holiday Cottages? Learn more about letting with Sykes and getting year-round support to maximise your occupancy and revenue: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/letyourcottage/

Join STR professionals in 100+ countries by subscribing to the Host Planet Newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

#HolidayLet #SykesHolidayCottages #HostPlanet #HolidayLetInsider #ShortTermRental

Luxury hosting is getting harder – fire regulations, guest expectations, and running a UK business from abroad. Here's how top operators stay ahead.

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast, sponsored by Lodgify, James Cornwell joins us ahead of the Host Planet Roadshow in Bath, where his business, Curated Property, is Event Partner. We talk bringing the STR community together, collaborating with competitors, and managing in the luxury space.

Plus: speaker Johnny Palmer on turning a plane linked to Pablo Escobar into an Airbnb – and James answers: was it really Escobar's plane?

Get 20% off Lodgify with code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

Timestamps:

0:58 Get 20% off Lodgify with code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

1:42 Bringing the STR community together in Bath

2:40 The value of attending industry events

5:01 Collaborating with competitors

6:28 Discover more about Johnny Palmer's Escobar plane

9:50 The story of Curated Property

13:51 Biggest challenges in 2026: fire risk regulations

18:25 Managing a UK business from Portugal

23:40 Challenges of managing in the luxury space

26:16 Customer service and the human touch

33:10 Was Johnny Palmer's plane really owned by Pablo Escobar?

Connect with James Cornwell / Curated Property:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescornwell/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curatedpropertycompany/

Get your ticket (just £40 each) for Host Planet Roadshow Bath: https://www.hostplanet.club/hp-roadshow-bath

#HostPlanet #SmarterHosting #ShortTermRentals

Mid-term rentals are having a moment — a perfect storm of supply shifts, rising nightly-rate competition, and a flood of 30–90 day demand.

In this Build for Growth episode, Host Planet sits down with Frank Bosi from Hostfully to break down the mathematics of mid-term stays: how to price them, how to rework your listing to attract longer bookings, and which distribution channels actually deliver them.

You'll learn the specific changes to make to your listing, why a digital guidebook becomes a serious conversion tool for mid-term guests, and what most hosts underestimate about protecting themselves on longer stays.

⏱️ Timestamps

1:46 Free PMS onboarding + 30% off digital guidebooks for life with Hostfully

2:42 The growth of mid-term rentals — a perfect storm

6:39 The mathematics of running mid-term rentals

9:40 What needs to change in your listing to attract mid-term stays

11:30 Why a digital guidebook helps immensely

13:20 How to price mid-term rentals

15:39 Distribution channels to achieve mid-term stays

19:53 What hosts underestimate about mid-term stays — and how to protect yourself

22:08 How to start attracting mid-term stays

25:33 Get in touch with Frank

🔗 Connect & Resources

🎁 Hostfully is offering Build for Growth listeners FREE PMS onboarding + 30% off digital guidebooks for life. Find out more: https://www.hostfully.com/host_planet

📧 Email Frank: [email protected]

📅 Book a Hostfully demo with Frank: https://cal.mixmax.com/frankbosi/demo?re=IiY1x2YuQXZuFGbwR3cvhGQzVWbhpmI&rn=ISelxmchZFIzVWbhpkI&messageId=UjWJnyJQ1a9zxhP2C

#MidTermRentals #BuildForGrowth #Hostfully #AirbnbHost #VacationRental

Is agentic AI about to take real work off your plate – not just give you more information?

In this episode of AI-Powered Hosting, from Host Planet and BOOM, Moran Goldboim unpacks where the short-term rental industry really is with AI, why trust and lack of experience are the biggest blockers, and the next leap: from information to action.

Learn what day-to-day tasks AI can already handle, how to think about architecture over features, why connected data is a game-changer, and how property management companies will be structured and run differently as AI models get more reliable.

This series helps you build a smarter, more successful and more sustainable short-term rental business — with AI as a practical tool, not hype.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Where the STR industry is with AI right now – and why experience matters more than trust

• From information to action: what agentic AI actually means for property managers

• The day-to-day tasks AI will take off your plate

• Why architecture beats features when building with AI

• How connected data unlocks real automation

• How the property manager UX will shift substantially

• Why AI models need a way out to eliminate hallucinations

• How far are we from fully trusting AI? And how org structure will change

TIMESTAMPS:

01:20 Where the STR industry is with AI right now

03:10 Trust is a big thing in AI – but lack of experience is the core challenge

04:35 The next leap: from information to action

06:03 What day-to-day things will AI take off a property manager's plate

08:54 How to understand agentic AI

10:52 Start with architecture over features

12:54 Connected data is a game-changer

14:10 The user experience for property managers will shift substantially

16:30 AI models need a way out to eliminate hallucinations

19:45 How far away are we from people completely trusting AI?

22:02 How AI will change the way property management companies are structured and run

🔗 Explore BOOM: https://www.boomnow.com/?utm_source=HostPlanet&utm_medium=Sponsor&utm_campaign=2026

📬 Connect with Moran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahar-goldboim-80820b95/

AI-Powered Hosting is a six-part series from Host Planet and BOOM exploring how 

artificial intelligence is transforming the short-term rental industry – from 

automation to full agentic execution. Quote 'Host Planet' to get 50% off PMS onboarding with Boom: https://www.boomnow.com/?utm_source=HostPlanet&utm_medium=Sponsor&utm_campaign=2026

#AgenticAI #PropertyManagement #ShortTermRental #VacationRental #PropTech #AIAutomation #Airbnb #HostPlanet #BOOM #AIPoweredHosting

Planning to attend a major short-term rental conference this year – but not sure how to actually get value out of it?

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – Anne Gardner, Executive Director of the VRMA, breaks down everything you need to know about VRMA International 2026, heading to Nashville from 4-6 October.

Host Planet is proud to be a Media Partner for this year's event.

In this conversation we cover:

- How to leverage an event this size – whether you manage one rental or thousands

- Making the most of the side events and where the real connections happen

- Why industry growth is driving international visitors to major events

- What's new at VRMA International in 2026 and what attendees walk away with

- How VRMA advocacy is supporting the short-term rental industry

Chapters:

1:06 Get 20% off Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

1:47 VRMA International is heading to Nashville (4-6 October)

2:59 How to leverage such a huge event

4:48 Make the most of the side events

6:16 Industry growth is driving international visitors

7:39 Why Nashville is a natural fit

8:59 How VRMA International has grown – and what's new in 2026

10:06 Suitable whether you manage one rental or thousands

11:37 How VRMA advocacy supports the industry

13:42 Promoting the positive impact of short-term rentals

14:37 What attendees will walk away with

15:47 STR competitors often work together

17:02 Where the most valuable connections happen

17:59 Why these events matter

19:20 VRMA International tickets: https://www.vrma.org/annual-conference

The Host Planet Podcast is sponsored by Lodgify. Get 20% off here: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

Links:

VRMA 2026 tickets: https://www.vrma.org/annual-conference

Anne Gardner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gardner-mba-cae/

Anne Gardner email: [email protected]

Host Planet Roadshow: https://www.hostplanet.club/host-planet-roadshow

Bath tickets (event on 7 October): https://www.hostplanet.club/hp-roadshow-bath

#VRMA #VacationRentalManagement #ShortTermRental #VacationRentals #Airbnb #PropertyManagement #Nashville

New Airbnb host? Katie Bessant from The Holiday Hive shares the most common mistakes new hosts make – and exactly how to fix them before they cost you bookings, reviews, and ranking.

In this episode of The Independent Host, powered by Lodgify, Katie breaks down where most new hosts go wrong across pricing, photos, house rules, and cleaning – plus the quiet mistake that could be hurting your Airbnb ranking and what people keep getting wrong about the algorithm.

The Independent Host is sponsored by Lodgify. Use code HOSTPLANET60 to get 60% off Lodgify. Offer valid until 31 August 2026: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

⏱️ Timestamps:

1:12 Katie's journey in the world of short-term rentals

3:44 The most common mistakes new hosts make

7:02 How not to price your rental

12:27 The importance of photography

14:28 Check out Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

15:11 How Lodgify has helped Katie's hosting journey

16:40 What hosts get wrong when creating house rules

17:50 A mistake which might be quietly killing your ranking

19:40 What people get wrong about the Airbnb algorithm

21:26 What to do during a crisis 

25:03 Is the damage reversible?

26:31 The importance of getting cleaning right

27:43 Get in touch with Katie

🔗 Connect with Katie:

The Holiday Hive website: https://theholidayhive.com/

The Holiday Hive Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theholidayhive/?kuid=ca9c0158-8acf-43b0-afa1-edb9b676331a-1787338585&kref=https%3A%2F%2Ftheholidayhive.com%2F

Subscribe to Host Planet for practical advice on building a smarter, more successful and sustainable short-term rental business. Join thousands of hosts and property managers across the globe by subscribing to our free weekly newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

Direct bookings are the highest-margin channel most hosts still ignore – no OTA commission, full control of the guest relationship, and a booking engine you actually own.

In this episode of Build for Growth, we sit down with Roger Gould, Director of Business Development at Hostfully, to break down exactly how to start, scale, and win with direct bookings.

IN THIS EPISODE:

▶ Why direct bookings matter (and what they're worth to your bottom line)

▶ Where to start: building a direct booking website you control

▶ How to turn lookers into bookers

▶ How to gather guest data you actually own

▶ Using a Hostfully digital guidebook to boost conversions

▶ Guest verification and insurance for direct bookings

▶ Payment processing that protects you

▶ Getting your direct booking rates right

▶ The complete direct booking strategy, step by step

CHAPTERS:

1:50 Get free PMS onboarding and 30% off digital guidebooks for life with Hostfully: https://www.hostfully.com/host_planet

2:54 Why direct bookings matter

4:16 Where to start: You need a direct booking website

5:28 Don't be intimidated by technology

7:03 How to turn lookers into bookers

10:25 How to gather guest data

12:08 How to utilise a Hostfully digital guidebook effectively

18:22 The digital guidebooks are mobile-friendly

19:46 Guest verification and insurance for direct bookings

20:54 Payment processing for direct bookings

22:16 Getting the rates right on your direct booking website

24:21 The direct booking strategy

28:11 Get in touch with Roger: [email protected]

🎁 Hostfully is offering Build for Growth listeners FREE PMS onboarding + 30% off digital guidebooks for life. Find out more: https://www.hostfully.com/host_planet

📧 Email: [email protected]

📅 Book a Hostfully demo with Frank Bosi: https://cal.mixmax.com/frankbosi/demo?re=IiY1x2YuQXZuFGbwR3cvhGQzVWbhpmI&rn=ISelxmchZFIzVWbhpkI&messageId=UjWJnyJQ1a9zxhP2C

This episode is part of the Build for Growth series from Host Planet, in partnership with Hostfully.

#DirectBookings #VacationRental #AirbnbHost #ShortTermRental #Hostfully #BuildForGrowth

Revenue managers don't lose the room because their data is wrong – they lose it because they can't explain it.

Dr Zak Ali (President, ISTRM) joins STR Pricing Pulse to walk through Beyond's Revenue Meeting Guide: lead with the answer, back it up with the numbers, and end with a decision senior management can act on.

Download Beyond's Revenue Meeting Guide: https://go.beyondpricing.com/revenue-meeting-guide-3q26

In this episode:

- Why "growth feels like success" can be dangerously misleading

- How to frame revenue at risk without losing the room

- Why good automation (and AI) should increase your control – not reduce it

- The most common mistake revenue managers make in the room

STR Pricing Pulse is brought to you by Host Planet and Beyond. Discover more about Beyond's world-leading revenue management software for short-term rentals: https://beyondpricing.info/launchbase

⏱️ Chapters

0:00 Episode starts

1:53 The importance of communicating with management

5:02 Why people struggle to explain things to management

9:09 Lead with the answer, back up with numbers, end with the decision

12:30 Growth naturally feels like success (but it could be misleading)

16:17 Beyond's Revenue Meeting Guide: https://go.beyondpricing.com/revenue-meeting-guide-3q26

17:45 How to build and deliver better-than-expected results

21:54 How to frame revenue at risk to management

25:57 Good automation should increase control

29:51 The most common mistake revenue managers make in the room

32:56 Zak's advice for revenue managers heading into the room

35:40 Join us at Revenue Management Intelligence in Leeds, 25 September

Use code LEEDS for 50% off tickets for Revenue Management Intelligence: https://istrm.org/events

#RevenueManagement #Airbnb #ShortTermRental #VacationRental #HotelRevenueManagement #DynamicPricing #Beyond #HostPlanet