Submitted by Robert Geller, founder of Fabstayz and Host2Host Member (he/him/his)

Pride Month is an excellent time to reflect on the concept of inclusion in hospitality and how we can all help foster a more equitable and welcoming environment for travelers. In this article, Fabstayz founder and Host2Host Member, Robert Geller, offers actionable ideas for making your listing more inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community. 

June is Pride Month

Around the world June is recognized as Pride Month, a time to celebrate the equality and equity achieved by the LGBTQ+ community with companies and corporations big and small waving rainbow flags high in the air and pumping out rainbow themed everything! Do more rainbow flags flying mean there’s equality, equity and inclusion? Do more rainbow stickers, T-shirt, baseball caps, koozies and key chains result in diversity and a welcoming environment?

You See Where This is Going, Right?

From the outside it may appear all glitter and rainbows; however, the lived experiences of some members of the LGBTQ+ community are not so joyous. Transphobic hate crimes have quadrupled over the last six years.

My news feed might look a little different from yours. Mine is filled with ‘Don’t Say Gay’ in Florida, Rebel Wilson outed by newspaper, Virginia preacher tells congregation gays should be shot in the head, Texas official wants to ban teen gender-affirming care, and on and on. While I’m not all doom and gloom, these news headlines do have a direct connection to STR hospitality, and more specifically, inclusive hospitality.

Hospitality is About Anticipating Needs

Hospitality is about anticipating guest needs, a comfy workstation for our digital nomad guests, a pack-n-play readily available for family travelers, and romantic dinner recommendations for anniversary-celebrating guests. Have you anticipated the needs of LGBTQ+ guests?

LGBTQ+ guests come to your listing, not just your front door, carrying the baggage of the above headlines and often question whether your destination is welcoming. Also, contained in that baggage is their own coming out experience and not wanting to relive it in travel. These potential guests scour listings for clues of welcoming and unwelcoming signs. Yes, LGBTQ+ guests actually read your listing looking for signals of inclusion.

How Can We Foster Inclusion?

My mission in creating FabStayz has been to educate hosts and promote welcoming, inclusive spaces so all members of the LGBTQ+ community can travel with less anxiety; no wondering, no guessing, and not having to come out to strangers. As a host, you can take steps to bring a kind, welcoming voice to your inclusive space.

First, review the language on your listing or website; is it inclusive and devoid of outdated language? Next, this should be obvious, yet I’ve seen a property manager’s website include religious scripture… leave out politics and religion as it sends mixed messages left to the interpretation of the guest. Other tips include adding your pronouns to your host profile on your listing as this sends a subtle message of, “I’m telling you who I am so you can feel comfortable being yourself.” You may want to craft your own inclusive statement for the listing description or even add an ‘all are welcome’ type image to your gallery. If your property is popular for weddings, be sure your imagery and language are inclusive of diverse individuals since not every wedding party has a bride and a groom. And lastly, in your guidebook, there is an opportunity to include activities and events that will resonate with LGBTQ+ guests.

For more in-depth LGBTQ+ inclusive hospitality education and marketing, check out FabStayz soon to launch FabStayz University and Certified Fabulous!™ badge.

Submitted by Robert Jordan, Host2Host Advocacy Committee Member and Short-Term Rental Host

Hosting refugees can be rewarding and fulfilling. Short-term Rental (STR) Host and Host2Host Member, Robert Jordan, reflects on his family’s personal experience and provides helpful suggestions for improving your own refugee-hosting outcomes if you choose to offer your rental in this kind and generous way.

We have all seen the images coming out of Kabul last August and now Ukraine and have been deeply moved, wondering how we can help. For many of us with short-term rentals, I expect one thought that immediately comes to mind is, “Can and should I offer my space to house those fleeing from violence in their homelands?” Having decided to take our Airbnb unit off-line this year anyway, we committed to offering it up as temporary housing for people waiting for something permanent (our unit, with no kitchen, is not suited to long-term living). I am writing to reflect on our personal experience, and perhaps you can decide if it’s something you, too, would like to consider.

What is Airbnb Doing to Help?

You will perhaps have seen articles about Airbnb itself setting up a non-profit platform, airbnb.org, where hosts can offer space sandwiched in between “normal” paying customers, with resettlement agencies booking space for their clients via the host’s regular web page. Check out the conversation where Airbnb representatives discuss their system with Host2Host.  At least one of our Host2Host members listed space this way and got not a single taker after many months of availability. Two problems I see with the Airbnb.org system:

• the resettlement agencies don’t know about it or how to use it

• the agencies can rarely simply book someone for specific dates weeks or months in the future - too often they are working on short notice with a great deal of uncertainty. 

Instead, we got involved by direct communication with one of the resettlement agencies, Lutheran Community Services Northwest.

Background Gives Perspective

Please allow me a bit of a flashback. I have personal experience with these issues, having assisted with Kosovar refugees in Bosnia when I was assigned there by the US Army in the late 1990s. But that “refugee camp” situation is just the first phase of relocation dynamics – by the time people arrive in this country, they have been through all of that, have been health (and security) screened, and had some basic introduction to American life (in the case of the Afghans, mostly at US military bases). Going into this now and based on my Bosnia experience, I was determined to keep our involvement at arm’s length as best I could, offering the space but not letting myself get too personally involved. 

You will see stories on TV about American families forging lifelong bonds with people they have helped in this way (great feel-good segments on the news!), and might get the idea that it’s all a positive experience for everyone. Don’t count on it. Personally, I try to keep my expectations low and sometimes be pleasantly surprised than seeing it all through rose-colored glasses and being disappointed. But maybe that’s just me! 

Make Your Hosting Experience a Positive One

For whatever it’s worth, I have a few ideas for how you can optimize your refugee-hosting experience:

• Do this because it’s the right thing to do, because you can afford it, and because you’ll be setting a good example for your kids, not with the expectation that you’ll be showered with gratitude. But if you do get it, accept it graciously and move on.

• Understand that this is different from hosting regular visitors. You probably need to simplify and relax your house rules (and maybe get them translated). For example, we prohibit smoking anywhere on our property for Airbnb-type visitors, but we relented for smoking outdoors in the case of refugees. Smoking is near-universal among adult men from places like Afghanistan, and telling people who have been through all that they have experienced that they also have to quit smoking seems like a big ask.  

• Garbage and energy use can be issues. The idea of recycling can be incomprehensible (even to some Americans!), and we notice lights left on all the time and the heat pump working with the windows wide open. We didn’t clarify these things at first and decided just to let it go, but we will be much more explicit up front for later guests.  

• Have some kind of written agreement (even if it’s just e-mails) with the resettlement agency, and check with your insurer. Get some assurance that you haven’t inadvertently made yourself a “landlord”, especially if a stay extends beyond a month. A city official told me that as long as there is no exchange of anything of value (including work like mowing the lawn, etc.) there is no risk of a “landlord-tenant” situation coming into effect, but you should do your own research.

We have hosted two Afghan refugees, both young men. Both were very polite, grateful, and friendly (one of them had minimal English, so our interaction was limited). Each of them stayed around six weeks with us before their apartments were ready. We have now taken back our unit for the summer, as we have family and friends visiting – but do plan to offer it again in the fall. There is a never-ending need, and by sparing the assistance agency the cost of paying for motel rooms as their clients wait for housing, we have done our small part to help.

If you'd like to engage with Robert about his experiences hosting refugees or to find out more information, email Host2Host.

Submitted by Angela Dorsey-Kockler, Host2Host Board Member, Marketing & Communications Committee Chair and Short-Term Rental Host in Southeast Portland.

Short-term Rental (STR) Owner/Manager and Host2Host Member, Angela Dorsey-Kockler, has found an easy and proactive way to engage with neighborhoods to help build supportive relationships for the future. Here she describes how she came to do this outreach, why it’s important and some key tips on how to begin your own efforts.

Short-term Rental Environment

As a member of Host2Host, and a consumer of various STR forums and podcasts, I began to hear more and more stories about municipalities around the country taking the ax to STR rental permits and opportunities, and that started to shift how I was thinking about my own next moves regarding a second investment property. It no longer became a question of whether or not I could finance it, but where in the world would I even be allowed to have one.

I currently own/manage a STR on my own property here in Portland, OR. Our city allows two types of permits - A or B. Both require the owner to live onsite at least 270 days out of the year, and the difference between A and B are simply how many bedrooms you list for the STR (A: 1 or 2, B: 3-5 bedrooms).

Portland, OR was one of the first cities in the country to develop a permit system like this (and share permit details with the OTAs), and as such, our city has a way to responsibly regulate the number, type and behavior of STRs. So, on the whole, regulations can be a very good thing - they make sure everyone is playing by the same rules, minimize adverse impacts to our direct neighbors, and city programs can share in the wealth that we generate.

Many STR operators here support and appreciate these basic regulations as they raise the tide for all of us to have a well-functioning STR economy and minimize impacts on our direct neighbors, housing inventory, etc.

Status of City Regulations

Unfortunately, some municipalities are getting into the regulations a little late and are more focused on damage control. These cities around the country (especially in destination locales), that haven’t been actively managing STRs with regulations, are now playing catch-up and trying to reign in the problems of outsized/loud parties, strains on long-term housing inventory and lack of contributions to social programs.

Regardless of which city you live in, I believe there is great value in engaging with and conversing not only with your direct neighbors, but neighborhoods as a whole. There are many perceptions out there regarding STRs, and not all of them are positive (surprise!). However, by engaging in proactive conversations, we help our broader neighborhoods better understand this industry, learn about constructive regulations, appreciate the value that STRs bring to our little neighborhoods (vs. some large hotel, for example), and how we can contribute to social programs of our cities (for example, in Portland, OR, we have a $4/night fee - not paid by hotels - that goes directly to the city’s houselessness fund).

Reaching Out to Neighbors

Since I feel like STRs have a lot to boast about regarding impact to our neighborhoods, I decided to reach out to neighborhoods in southeast Portland and inquire about being added to their agendas to share a presentation about our industry. We have a great slideshow created by Robert Jordan and Robert Hertert, (fellow Host2Host members) that I was able to adapt and personalize with my own story and examples. I just did a simple search online to find the contact information for our many neighborhood associations in the area, and reached out to ask to be added to their agendas.

In my initial e-mail, I humanized myself. Not only did I present myself as an STR owner, but also an engaged community member - mom, PTA president, neighborhood emergency volunteer, etc. I’m not just a nameless, faceless, greedy STR owner - I am an engaged neighbor wanting to facilitate a discussion and answer questions. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that truly, a lot of these neighborhood associations are volunteer-run, and are usually eager to have speakers/topics to offer to their attendees. Because most of these associations hold monthly meetings on Zoom, it is quite easy to “show up” for a presentation and provide a positive interaction between the STR world and our neighbors.

Outreach Outcomes

I can’t underscore enough how positive these presentations have been. It doesn’t hurt that our city has strong regulations in place so STRs don’t cause as much concern here as they may in less-regulated jurisdictions, but people are generally interested and curious about this industry and how it operates. I truly believe that getting out in front, building those positive relationships, making attendees aware that we even have professional membership associations (hello, Host2Host), ensures greater comfort with this nascent industry and encourages a friendliness and cooperative spirit that would be hard to imagine otherwise.

If you would be interested in approaching your own neighborhood to initiate some similar conversations and want our help, please reach out to Host2Host or even myself, and I’d be happy to discuss the ins and outs. Being proactive can oftentimes be so much easier than being reactive.

Get involved and start a new friendship with your neighborhoods now! You, and your fellow STR hosts, will be glad you did.

Submitted by Joel Selling, co-host of Savinar Selling Beach House. Their beautiful property is only rented to people they know, so reach out to Joel or Nancy and say "Hello!".

To catch up on what you missed at the event, members can watch the video here and read through Joel's recap below.

The person most familiar with your rental other than you is your cleaner – which is why this webinar called them a partner. They do SO much more than merely clean!

The event, Cleaners: Your Most Valuable Partner, was presented by three experts, Rachel deHaan, Melissa Bishop, and Kelsey Sweat who work with (not “for”) several H2H members. They provided insights that you and I, as hosts, might never learn on our own. 

The most important thing – all 3 cleaners agreed – was that a good relationship was based on:

• strong communications
• mutual respect
• trust

Responding to text messages and calls in a timely fashion (always same day, even as fast as 10 minutes), treating them as a team member as opposed to merely a vendor, and trusting they have the skills and intelligence to identify problems and deal with them even in your absence, to your satisfaction.

An associated discussion, that had no final answer, was how we refer to these professionals using something other than “cleaner”. “Assistant” and “Domestic Engineer” were two offered alternatives. I, personally, am going to start using “GPA”: Guest Preparation Assistant. It focuses on the guest’s needs, addresses more than cleaning, and includes the term assistant. Plus we all know how important a good GPA is!

The discussion about which apps were best led us to several recommendations from the speakers, notably:

• VR Scheduler
• RC Resort Cleaning
• Guesty
• Turnover BnB

Each cleaner had a different structure and size of organization, so there was no “one size fits all”. One cleaner mentioned using Google Calendar with different colors so that different people could easily see what they had on their schedule.  It felt to me like each of us H2H members would benefit from viewing each app in light of our specific situation, and seeing what works best for the GPA on our team.

For me, relatively new to H2H, there were a number of other findings that make my job easier, higher quality, or less expensive. As with every H2H event I have attended, two characteristics of the attendees come shining through: generosity and professionalism. I’d like to thank everyone who has built the culture of H2H into what it is today: generously sharing applicable wisdom.

... and thank you, Joel, for your insights and generosity. We're so glad you're a part of our community!

Host2Host is so proud of the community we have created and our nomination for Consumer Champion. While we did not win this year, we are honored to be on the short-list of five other nominees, including our friends at NoiseAware who are now the proud winners of the 2022 category - couldn’t have happened to a better Consumer Champion! We are so delighted that a Host2Host member won.

The Shortyz: Short Term Rental Awards took place on May 18th at The Skyline London. Aiming to recognize excellence among industry peers, highlight innovation and industry best practices, as well as rewarding achievement and celebrating start-up technology, the Shortyz brings together supporters of short-term rentals and collectively celebrates our success.

The many categories include Sustainability, Drive-to-Market Operator, Consumer Champion, Leisure Property Management Company, Effective Use of Social Media, Urban Property Management Company, Home Automation Solution, Best App or Website, Best Sales & Marketing Campaign, Property Management System, Best Booking Platform, Best Channel Manager, Ancillary Services Provider, Holiday Site Operator, Mobile Rental Accommodations, Pioneer Award, Best Subscription / Membership Model, Innovator / Disrupter, and Rising Star. Check out the list of nominees here.

Join us in celebrating NoiseAware's success as a Shortyz Award Winner!

Written by Dabney Tompkins, Host2Host President and co-host of Fire Lookout Tower

Host2Host is pleased to announce our newest representative to the Travel Portland Board, Becky Burnett. Becky is currently the Secretary/Treasurer for Host2Host and has been a short-term rental host in North Portland for over 6 years. Previously she was one of the co-founders of Ruby Jewel Ice Cream. 

Additionally, Travel Portland reached out to Host2Host to recommend another potential board member that is involved in the short-term rental industry. Host2Host recommended Ryan Tigner, with iTrip Vacations who happens to also be on the board of Host2Host. Ryan is a great fit for Travel Portland as he and his company manage over 250 short-term rental properties in NW Oregon and SW Washington.

The Travel Portland Board is an advisory board that relies on its members to disseminate information about Travel Portland to local travel industry stakeholders and to provide input to Travel Portland about issues that affect their segment of the travel industry.

We congratulate both Becky and Ryan!

Our friends at Together Anywhere have put together some very important and super helpful news that’s worth sharing with your guests. New for summer 2022, anyone (Oregon resident or visitor) arriving by personal vehicle or motorcycle needs a ticket to gain entry to the Historic Columbia River Highway including Multnomah Falls. Anyone using guided tours or shuttle services are exempt and cyclists are also able to access these areas without a ticket.

Together Anywhere provides audio-guided tours for Oregon visitors and locals alike. Share their resources with your guests and encourage them to see a totally different side of places you might think you already know well. Their helpful audio guides are free!

Host2Host is delighted to announce that Charity Kuahiwinui has accepted the new position of Executive Assistant. Charity will take up much of Jill Palamountain’s role, who is stepping back from the day-to-day running of Host2Host.

Charity was a long-time STR host in North Portland and is a charter member of Host2Host. She co-founded Ensourced, a company focused on improving the lives of short-term rental hosts by offering guidance to get started on the right foot with insights into listing and operational improvements. Along with her deep understanding of the short-term rental industry and Host2Host, she brings a solid HR and management background. 
 
Charity and her wife, Maylene, recently moved to Portugal, which is currently 8 hours ahead of the Pacific NW. So, while you aren’t likely to see Charity in person, she will be working behind the scenes to assist you with membership questions and keeping Host2Host with its many facets humming along. Charity is excited to offer her administrative support and we are excited to have her join the team. Welcome Charity!

Exciting news! Host2Host has just been short listed for the Consumer Champion Award.

Short Term Rentalz will host the third annual ‘Shortyz’ Short Term Rental Awards, in London on 18 May 2022, at The Skyline London. The Shortyz aim to recognize excellence among industry peers, highlight innovation and industry best practice, reward achievement and celebrate start-up technology, as the sector navigates the ‘new normal.'

Host2Host was selected along with ASTHRO, I-PRAC, Love Home Swap, Minut & NoiseAware for the Consumer Champion Award, sponsored by TouchStay. Voting is open until, April 29 and winners are announced on May 18. Vote for Host2Host now!

NoiseAware sponsored our April meetup with a thorough review of their product line and its value to hosts and their communities. Matt Williams, Director of Sales, and Natasha Garber, Senior Content Manager ended their presentations with a great discount offer to Host2Host (see that below).

Host2Host puts on monthly educational meetups.  Once a quarter, the meetup is of the “sponsored” variety,  in which a Host2Host business affiliate member presents the meetup.  These meetups help Host2Host meet our financial needs while bringing the latest relevant business information to hosts.  We make these “Sponsored” meetups free to the public.

NoiseAware began in 2015 after a party caused a host to lose a catastrophic amount of money and their right to host.  Invention followed and seven years later, the Dallas, Texas company employs 55 people and has monitored noise levels for over 3 million STR nights. The company’s goal is to help owners and managers have guests peacefully coexist within their neighborhoods. Another value to hosts is the reduction in costs for cleaning and damage that results from large parties.

Many jurisdictions seem to be jumping to strict control of STRs.  NoiseAware can reduce the friction between STRs and neighbors and may help avoid more reactionary responses by districts.  Some jurisdictions are even requiring NoiseAware or similar products to be utilized.  Many hosts make a point of letting their neighbors know when NoiseAware has been installed, to emphasize that the hosts are taking the issue seriously.

NoiseAware uses interior and exterior sensors to monitor the level of sound in a home.  The sensors are unlike Alexa or Google Home, in that they do not “listen” to conversations but rather measure the level of noise being produced.  And it’s not simply the loudest, momentary noise that the system responds to, like a dog barking one time.  The noise has to be sustained for a period of time. 

This type of monitoring must be disclosed in the OTA bookings. NoiseAware has helpful language to proactively communicate this to prospective guests and possibly avoid having those guests you really don’t want.

The sensors are plugged into existing electrical outlets and are fastened to make them difficult to tamper with (and tampering is something the system monitors as well).  The sensors can be installed in minutes.  The exterior sensors have adhesive backing to stick to a surface.  Even if you only want to monitor exterior noise, at least one interior sensor is required because it connects to the WiFi network.  The home owner or manager uses an app to set the level of noise to trigger alerts, typically 60-70 decibels.

Once on the network, the sensors in the home then relay noise levels to the NoiseAware monitoring service.  The home owner or manager receives alerts when noise exceeds the settings.  A historical record is maintained to assist in cases where a neighbor may complain about noise that did not actually exceed the city’s allowable threshold.

“Auto Resolve” is the newest product from NoiseAware.  When noise levels are exceeded during the specified time period, NoiseAware sends a text alert to the guest advising them that quiet hours are in place.  If the noise levels continue for the next 10 minutes, a second alert is sent.  If the noise subsides, no further alerts are sent.  The company is working on a version that will allow the messages to be customized.

In the next few weeks, NoiseAware will roll out another new feature, called “Occupancy”, again at no additional charge, that will report the number of devices like cell phones that are attached to the WiFi network.  If that number exceeds the configured threshold, the host will be notified.  

Cost:  The cost is per sensor per month;  for a month-by-month plan is $20/sensor per month.  For an annual plan it’s $15/sensor per month.

Now through May 7, 2022 use the special Host2Host promo code “h2hna22” to get a 20% discount for annual subscription plus one free indoor sensor.

Questions about NoiseAware? Contact:

• Matt Williams, Sales Director at matt@noiseaware.com or 630-240-4416 
  
• Natasha Garber, Senior Content Manager at natasha@noiseaware.com
  

Additional information:

From the NoiseAware Blog:

• Explanation of noise monitoring, great to share with guests (some of our customers put a link to this post on their website, or share it in their newsletter, etc)
• Best Practices to Prevent "Bad" Bookings And Avoid Neighbor Complaints

Suggestions On How To Inform Guests About Noise Monitoring:

• Rental Agreement Language & Disclosures 
  

Recent Case Studies:

• Fernway Vacation Rentals
  
• Wil Slickers - Recreation Vacation Rentals
  

Special Offer:

20% off annual subscription + 1 free indoor sensor with cart code H2HNA22 (can be used for up to 9 properties) Dedicated rep + special offer for 10+ properties. Offers good through May 7.  https://noiseaware.com/cart/?wt_coupon=h2hna22