For STR Property Managers: How Many Booking Platforms Do You use?

[Bryan Vukelich]

Aloha fellow STR property managers,

I'd love to your feedback if you want to share - How many booking platforms do you use to market your STR listings and why you only use one, or several or as many as possible?

Many thanks 

[Collin Hays]

We use the VRBO channels exclusively, unless a homeowner is insistent on Airbnb.

We do not agree with several key Airbnb policies, including placing the homeowner in the position of insurer at their whim - which the homeowner has not been compensated for - if a natural disaster or pandemic occurs.

Allow me to expand on that.  Keep in mind that Airbnb aggressively markets their own travel interruption insurance to guests at the time of booking. It's a big revenue center for them.  I've got no beef with that.  But then COVID comes along, guests are ill and they can't travel. Instead of paying out claims from the very insurance policies that they sold, Airbnb unilaterally begins refunding from the homeowner's money, while Airbnb pockets all of the premiums they collected!  

This is not a one time event:  Airbnb routinely makes the homeowners insurers, indemnifying the guests financially for any calamity that Airbnb sees fit, such as the Helene flooding last year.  A guest can't arrive due to flooding. So Airbnb decides to make that the homeowner's problem by giving all of the money back to the guest. Homeowners have plenty enough calamities of their own to deal with, without taking responsibility for everyone else's. If my air conditioner goes out, do I have the right to bill my guests for it?  Of course not. It's my responsibility.  

I am actually quite surprised that there has not been a class action suit brought by Hosts against Airbnb way for this activity.

And that is why we do not list on Airbnb. Hope that helps.