Hey [First Name],
Welcome to the very first issue of The Guest Room — a weekly newsletter for short-term rental hosts who want to stay ahead without spending hours digging through forums and Facebook groups.
Every Tuesday I'll bring you the most important news, one practical tip, and one tool recommendation. Short, useful, done.
Let's get into it.
📰 This week in STR
San Bernardino just banned short-term rentals — here's why it matters to you
On April 15, the San Bernardino City Council voted 4–3 to ban Airbnb and VRBO listings citywide. The decision came after complaints about party houses and enforcement challenges. More importantly, it's the latest reminder that local regulation is the single biggest risk to any STR business right now.
What to do: If you haven't already, Google "[your city] short term rental ordinance 2026." Know exactly where you stand before a ban lands in your inbox.
💡 Tip of the week: The mid-stay message that protects your reviews
Most hosts only message guests at check-in and checkout. Big mistake. The single most effective thing you can do to protect your 5-star rating is send a quick check-in message on day 2 or 3 of every stay.
Something as simple as:
"Hey [name] — hope you're settling in great! Just checking that everything is comfortable. Anything I can do to make your stay even better?"
That one message catches problems before they become bad reviews. Guests who feel heard almost never leave below 4 stars, even when something goes wrong. Set it up as a scheduled message in Airbnb or your PMS and forget about it.
🔧 Tool of the week: PriceLabs
If you're still setting your nightly rates manually or relying on Airbnb's Smart Pricing, you're likely leaving money on the table — especially on weekends, local events, and holidays.
PriceLabs is a dynamic pricing tool that automatically adjusts your rates based on demand, seasonality, and what comparable listings near you are charging. Most hosts report a 10–40% increase in revenue after switching.
It costs $19.99/month per listing and pays for itself quickly. They offer a free 30-day trial.
Before you go
If you found this useful, the best thing you can do is forward it to one host friend who'd appreciate it. That's how The Guest Room grows — one recommendation at a time.
See you next Tuesday.
Andrew
The Guest Room