Whatâs new in the vacation rental industry?
Unsurprisingly, April was another jam-packed month, with major updates from Airbnb on fee transparency and off-platform guest registrations, alongside a new mandatory registry set to launch in British Columbia. Weâll also dive into some exciting new features in vacation rental metasearch engines and market insights you wonât want to miss.
Plus, we have some exciting Lodgify news to shareâread to the end to check it out!
Airbnb news
Total price display: now standard on listings worldwide
Letâs begin by taking a look at whatâs been going on with Airbnb: As usual, itâs been a busy few weeks for the industryâs top booking platform, starting with its announcement to make total price displayâincluding all fees before taxesâthe default view in search results worldwide. The optional toggle, which allowed guests to switch between the base nightly rate (without fees) and the total price, has been removed as part of this update.
Why the change? Airbnb says it wants to improve transparency and make pricing more straightforward for guests, while also helping hosts better align with guest expectations and remain competitive.
But thatâs not the only reason. As you may remember us mentioning back in December, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule to ban hidden junk fees in short-term rental advertisements across the U.S. at the end of the year. This rule is slated to go into effect on May 12, making Airbnbâs move a timely one.
Say goodbye to off-platform payments and guest registrationsâŠ
Speaking of fees, Airbnb has also announced an update to its Off-Platform and Fee Transparency Policy, set to go into effect on May 10. This update bans hosts from collecting any payments outside of Airbnb and prohibits third-party guest registration processes (meaning hosts canât require guests to register on external websites or download third-party apps).
Keeping with the update above, all mandatory feesâsuch as cleaning, pet, and resort feesâmust also be fully disclosed and included in Airbnbâs pricing fields at the time of booking.
Once again, this change is aimed at improving fee transparency as well as the guest experience. But in this case, some hosts are less than pleased, voicing concerns about reduced operational flexibility and the ability to offer certain services.
If youâre among those who are concerned, remember that creating a direct booking website enables you to retain full control over the guest journey and invaluable guest data.
âŠand Joe Gebbia
Joe Gebbia, Airbnb co-founder and former chair of its charitable arm Airbnb.org, has officially stepped away from the Airbnb.org board.
The move comes after backlash over his recent collaboration with Trumpâs Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and social media posts criticizing refugee aid, a key mission of the nonprofit. While Gebbia still wields influence at Airbnb, the company made it clear: His views donât reflect theirs.
Gebbiaâs departure marks a major shakeup at Airbnb.org, which continues its work housing refugees and disaster survivors worldwideâthough a new board chair has yet to be announced.
Your monthly rules and regulations roundup
A new registry comes into effect in British Columbia
Our rules and regulations roundup starts in Canada this month, where British Columbian hosts face a big change: Starting May 1, 2025, all short-term rental properties must be registered with the province under a new mandatory registry.
Designed to tackle housing shortages and bring order to the rental market, the law requires hosts to display a valid registration number or risk having listings pulled and bookings canceled starting June 1. With annual fees ranging from $100 to $600 depending on the property type, and new limits on nonprincipal residences, itâs time for BC hosts to get compliant.
Will Ireland face a similar fate?
And on the topic of mandatory registries, Irelandâs short-term rental sector is sounding the alarm: The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) is urging the government to hit pause and consult with operators before rolling out a national STR register (slated to come into effect by April 2026).
While the EU requires all STRs to be registered, the ISCF says rural Ireland is being unfairly lumped in with big cities like Paris and Dublinârisking local businesses, tourism revenue, and jobs. With concerns over unsuitable planning rules and potential caps on rural rentals, the ISCF is calling for a fairer, more tailored approach to protect thousands of self-catering, glamping, and B&B operators across the country.
Around the globe
And in the rest of the world? Taking a step back, weâve also seen the following regulation-related activity in France and Spain:
- Stricter short-term rental rules in Marseilleâincluding a reduced rental cap and tougher host regulationsâhave sparked a wave of property sales, as owners opt out of the market rather than adapt to the cityâs tightening grip.
- Hundreds of thousands marched across Spain to demand housing reform on April 5, blaming the surge in vacation rentals for soaring rents, vanishing long-term homes, and a growing national housing crisis.
New features you wonât want to miss
AI meets metasearch
The future of vacation rental search is officially getting an upgradeâthanks to AI. Both HomeToGo and Kayak are diving headfirst into the artificial intelligence wave, rolling out smart features that turn basic filtering into conversational magic.
HomeToGoâs new AI Filter lets travelers describe their dream stay in plain languageâwhether thatâs a pizza oven or a pool with sea viewsâand get instantly matched with listings that fit the vibe. Meanwhile, Kayakâs âAsk Kayakâ and PriceCheck tools use AI to decode travel preferences and even scan screenshots for better deals, making your phone screen smarter than ever.
Together, these platforms are helping to reinvent vacation rental metasearch for the AI ageâa trend that wonât be disappearing anytime soon.
Beyond unveils Market Trend Reports
And speaking of trends, Lodgify partner Beyond has launched Market Trend Reports, a new feature within its Market Insights dashboard offering free, real-time short-term rental market data for hosts, property managers, and investors worldwide.
This tool provides key performance metrics, demand trends, and revenue projections, helping users make smarter, data-driven decisions in the rapidly growing vacation rental sector. With its powerful features, such as custom reports and performance benchmarks, Beyond aims to help industry professionals optimize their strategies and boost business growth.
Lodgify was recognized asâŠ
Letâs end on a positive note, and one closer to home. We have not one, not two, but three exciting Lodgify-related announcements to share with you this month!
The best app
We couldnât be happier to announce that Lodgify has won the 2025 Shortyz Award for Best App! Often dubbed the âOscars of the short-term rental world,â the Shortyz celebrates excellence and innovation across the sector.
This win highlights our standout mobile app, which empowers hosts to manage bookings, sync listings, and grow direct reservations with easeâall from one powerful platform.
You can learn more about this award and our time at the 2025 Shortyz here.
An Airbnb Preferred+ Partner
Weâre thrilled to share that Lodgify has once again earned the title of Airbnb Preferred+ Partner for 2025!
This elite status is reserved for the top-performing property and channel management software providers worldwideâjust 18 of us made the cut. Airbnb awards this recognition to partners who consistently go above and beyond to support professional hosts and elevate the guest experience.
As part of the Preferred+ circle, we get priority access to Airbnbâs API support team, early insights into new features, and the chance to help shape future toolsâso we can keep making Lodgify even better for our users.
A Booking.com Premier Connectivity Partner
But thatâs not all: Weâve also been named a Booking.com Premier Connectivity Partner for 2025âthe highest honor in their partner program!
This recognition puts us among an elite group of top-performing providers known for delivering reliable, feature-rich solutions that help hosts succeed on Booking.com. It also means even more perks and support from Booking.com that we can pass directly to our users, helping us keep Lodgify powerful, seamless, and ahead of the curve.
Plus, it means weâve earned the highest partnership status for the top three booking platformsâAirbnb, Booking.com, and Vrboâagain for 2025!
Bring on the May flowers
Will April showers bring May flowers this year? Whateverâs in store, we wish our hosts in the Northern Hemisphere a strong start to peak season, our U.S. hosts a fully-booked Memorial Day weekend, and everyone a productive month ahead.
Back soon with more industry news!
