Submitted by Amina Moreau, Host2Host member and CEO & Co-founder of Radious

Locals… I thought people loved locals. But as it turns out, many short-term rental hosts shudder at the thought!

For some of us hosts, a booking request from a local guest, raises red flags. Will they be partying it up? Will our place get trashed? We start to cycle through the countless things that could go wrong.

Before the pandemic, there seemed to be a general sentiment that out-of-towners were the safer, more responsible guests. After all, it’s less likely that they’d be traveling with a huge entourage looking for a place to party. Locals, on the other hand? They signaled trouble.

As a relatively new host, this aversion to locals was counterintuitive for me at first. Until I’d started having conversations with more experienced hosts, I’d assumed that locals would actually show more respect for hosts’ properties. I figured people would be less likely to cause turmoil in their own neighborhoods, for fear of being recognized and called out as the community hooligan. But no. It seems that every town has its bad apples and it’s up to us to recognize them before they inflict their wrath.

And so I learned to consider “locals” as a dirty word.

And then COVID-19 happened. 

Travel all but halted completely, which meant out-of-towners were a thing of the past. Many short-term rental hosts found themselves with a greater number of inquiries coming from locals looking for a change of scenery. Cooped up families were looking for a holiday refuge or simply for a quiet place to work away from distractions.

While some nervousness about locals lingered, the pandemic increased demand for “legit” local rentals that didn’t include partying or property damage. More and more local guests were proving themselves to be quite lovely. Was this the start of a shift in perceptions? Maybe locals might not be so bad after all?

In parallel, we’ve seen small businesses suffering immeasurably due to the pandemic. But, in inspiring fashion, communities have come together in solidarity to support local businesses in any way they can. “Shop local” has become an ever-present philosophy, and people have really leaned in. Locals have stepped up as stewards of their communities, taking on projects to clean up graffiti, donating food, propping up those who have stumbled, and being all-round good neighbors. The word “local,” in this context, seems to mean “friend.” And short-term rental hosts have played a big role in being those good friends.

One might suggest that as hosts, we really are leaders. We provide shelter, safety, a sense of warmth and community, at a time when distance and isolation are the norm. 

If we’re afraid of locals, we’re afraid of each other.  I believe we have a unique opportunity to come together, see one another as allies, and rebuild our communities in a way that feels welcoming, open and genuinely collaborative.

2021 began with it a much-needed feeling of hope. No matter what happens, let’s embrace hope by taking every opportunity we can to help one another, and let go of past beliefs that may no longer serve us. Let’s create the “new normal” we really want to see.

Amina Moreau

CEO & Co-founder of Radious

Your home office, away from home.