Updated on June 30, 2021
A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.
Gertrude Jekyll, Horticulturalist
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Here in NC, there’s a two-week period every May when spring flowers sneak up and burst to life all at once. My bedroom window fills with hot pink azaleas and floating white dogwoods, yellow forsythia explode like fireworks frozen in time, and wild honeysuckle makes every trail just so sweet.
This hedge between spring and summer is my favorite. It’s a special moment every year where all the work that’s been happening under the soil reveals itself, and we can stop for a moment to smell the flowers (or sneeze as everything wastes no time pollinating for the season ahead.) I’ve found the same to be true of this time of year in short-term rentals. Dormant homes open for summer, sparkling with new Covid-safe cleaning practices honed over the last year; fresh paint and green landscaping beckon us like bees to flowers before the heat of summer dulls their luster; and we all take a moment to enjoy the peace in the results of our diligent tilling before the fervor of peak season starts.
What’s In Bloom at Rent Responsibly HQ
Things have been flourishing here, and we’re excited to share a hand-picked bouquet of goodies with you in this newsletter issue.
🌺 First, we recently launched a monthly national event series bringing hosts and managers together for helpful tips from our Founding Partners and mics-on breakout rooms packed with idea cross-pollination.
🌸 We also launched two new series of mini case studies combining real-world examples and actionable lessons. In Good Apples, we shed some sunlight on exemplary STR operators deepening their responsible renting roots to grow ever stronger businesses. And in Forward Thinkers, we unearth seeds to sow today for a sustainable hosting experience tomorrow. Check out the latest:
- Peace of Mind: Safety Inspections + Top 5 Things to Look For
- Homeowner’s Collection remodels traditional vacation rental management
🌼 ICYMI, the rest of our garden of resources is growing, too. Each week, we’re sprouting new content from how to get great guests, to how to make sure your elected officials know all the wonderful things STRs bring to your community, to how to market your listing like a pro. Browse our ever-blossoming library here.
A New Face in the Greenhouse
Please join us as we welcome Paris Achen to the team as our new Staff Writer! Paris covers all things written content, from our Humans of STRs series to case studies to guides, and more – the master horticulturalist to our blooming content garden.
Before joining the Rent Responsibly team, Paris worked as a journalist at several newspapers in the U.S. and Turkey. Her background reporting on housing issues for the Portland Tribune in Oregon inspired her to want to write more about the short-term rental industry. She is especially interested in how STRs have served as an economic vehicle for homeowners, like her, who would have struggled to own a home without the option of renting out part of it. Paris enjoys listening to people’s stories and writing content that leaves her readers feeling more connection to their fellow humans.
Outside of work, Paris loves to experience new cultures and landscapes around the world as well as returning home to Oregon to connect with her community and soak up the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys hiking, spicy food, and spending time with her rescue cats.
🌱 And finally, we’re wasting no time planting seeds for our next round of growth. Check out our new job openings for a Marketing Manager and Product Manager. If you’ve got a green thumb in either of these areas, we think you might love rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty with Team Rent Responsibly, and we’d love to hear from you!
Let’s grow,
Alexa Nota
Co-Founder, Rent Responsibly
News You Can Use
Marketing Manager
Full Time or Part Time | Remote US
With a sharp focus on performance marketing, data, and optimization, our future Marketing Manager will own the growth of our subscribers, audience, and reach while simultaneously deepening brand excitement and loyalty.
You might love this job if you’re a visionary and a doer, you can read the tea leaves in data, you’re not shy about stepping into a role that is new to our team, and you’re excited about building this role as we go.
Interested, or know someone who might be? Apply or forward this job soon!
Product Manager
Full Time or Part Time | Remote US
The Product Manager will investigate existing friction points and inefficiencies in our software to optimize existing tools and, most importantly, integrate new software and automations. We are currently in “no code mode” but expect to build custom software and tools as needed.
You might love this job if you enjoy building, improving and launching software products, yet never let perfection get in the way of progress.
Homeowners Collection remodels traditional vacation rental management
What sets Homeowner’s Collection apart from its Seaside, Florida counterparts is that the homeowners own the company that manages their vacation rentals. Each homeowner is required to buy a share of stock in the company, and at the end of the year, if revenue exceeds expenses, the shareholders receive a refund for their share of the profits and can use the credit toward their fees for the next year.
“It is unique in that it gives vacation rental owners greater control over how their company operates,” Amy Wise-Coble said.
STR Data You Need and Where to Get It
For any short-term rental alliance or group, a best practice is to get and maintain a lay of the land when it comes to STR data, especially before and during an STR ordinance process. Examining certain data, such as housing and nuisance data, can help shed light on where and how STRs fit into your community. That information can help your decision-makers take a fact-based approach to decisions and balance out different interests.
Peace of Mind
For most short-term rentals, basic homeowners’ insurance and coverage provided by platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo is not enough. But, you don’t know what you don’t know, and true peace of mind comes only with the secure knowledge your STR is truly, properly covered.
That’s why we’ve partnered with Proper Insurance, the nation’s leading short-term rental insurance provider with over 40,000 policies written in all 50 states. They’ve custom written the most comprehensive policy on the market with unmatched protection for your property and host liability, and added coverage for short-term rental specific risks like bed bugs; squatter protection; theft/vandalism by guests; amenity liability for guest use of bikes, kayaks, hot tubs; and more. From condos to cottages, their expert vacation rental underwriters can tailor a policy specific to your rental property. Many hosts are unaware of the limitations in traditional policies, so verify your insurance today. Call Proper for a free policy consultation and coverage comparison: 1-888-631-6680.
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