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San Francisco Airbnb landlords agree to pay $2.25 million for illegal renting
Reading Time: 2 minutesSan Francisco: A San Francisco couple has paid $2.25 million to settle claims they ran an illegal hotel chain through the vacation rental platform Airbnb. Landlords Darren and Valerie Lee agreed to pay the cash to cover fines and investigation costs after offering 14 apartments as short-term rentals instead of lawfully renting the units to […]
Dubai startup Frank Porter expected to triple growth rate by the end of 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutesDubai: Dubai-based property management company Frank Porter is set to triple its growth rate by the end of 2018, a year after its launch. The Dubai-based start-up manages private properties available for short term rent on home-sharing channels such as Airbnb, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Expedia and HomeAway. Frank Porter founder Anna Skigin said the firm had […]
Southern Vacation Rentals named winner of HomeAway’s September Hero Award
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFlorida: HomeAway recently named Southern Vacation Rentals as the recipient of its 2018 Hero Award for the month of September. The award was presented in September at the Annual RezFest Vacation Rental Conference hosted by HomeAway in Marco Island, Florida. Southern was recognised for its work with travellers who were stranded, running into problems with […]
U.S. rental firms and property owners fighting to protect future of short-term rentals
Reading Time: 2 minutesUnited States: The rapid growth of short-term rentals in the U.S. is pushing regional governments to rein in the practice but some rental firms and property owners are fighting off the lucrative industry’s threat. It was reported in June that voters in Palm Springs, California, approved a ballot measure overturning restrictions on short-term rentals, and […]
Spanish Finance Ministry vows to introduce digital tax on Airbnb and HomeAway
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSpain: The Spanish Finance Ministry has revealed plans to introduce a new tax on collaborative economy businesses such as Airbnb and HomeAway. Spanish Finance Minister María Jesús Montero of the Socialist Party (PSOE) said last week that companies whose business model is based on digital platforms will be subject to new tax regulations. She said: […]
eviivo acquires Expedia Group’s software tools for North American expansion plan
Reading Time: 2 minutesLondon: The leading independent hotels and B&B online booking specialist, eviivo, has announced its acquisition of software tools, RezOvation and Webervations, owned by HomeAway® brand BedandBreakfast.com, part of Expedia Group. With this purchase, customers of these travel management tools will now have access to eviivo’s award-winning booking management platform. The London-based company will accelerate its […]
Short term rentals to be taxed in Culver City after agreement with Airbnb
Reading Time: < 1 minuteUnited States: Culver City will soon be collecting taxes on short-term rentals made through Airbnb after the city council instructed staff to enter into a voluntary agreement with the short-term rental platform. The decision was made last week as elected officials instructed city staff to seek a transient-occupancy tax voluntarily through an agreement with Airbnb. […]
Second home buyers turning to investment opportunities with holiday lets
Reading Time: 2 minutesWorldwide: More second home buyers are renting out their homes to cover high costs rather than purchasing them for their own exclusive use, according to research. Buying second homes before leasing them out as shared accommodation has grown sharply in the past two decades, due to the surge of online lettings sites and Airbnb. Estate […]
Thomas Cook links up with Expedia for vacation rental plan
Reading Time: 3 minutesWorldwide: Thomas Cook Group is hoping to start offering vacation rentals to its customers through its partnership with Expedia. The two companies announced their partnership back in September 2017, which went live this summer. The alliance initially covered short-term breaks and Thomas Cook’s hotel-only offering, but with Expedia providing its technological resources, both sides are […]
Vacation home buyers prioritising profit over personal use
Reading Time: 2 minutesUnited States: Vacation home buyers are, for the first time ever, prioritising rental income over personal use in the United States, according to research from Savills and HomeAway. The Savills World Research survey, which was carried out between February and March this year, surveyed 4,300 property owners who list their vacation homes on HomeAway’s sites […]