The Check-In · April 24, 2026
NYC's STR crackdown, AirDNA's bullish 2026, and the art of a memorable welcome.
The 5 Headlines
- NYC's enforcement office found 27% of "approved" STR listings are now operating illegally, mostly entire-home rentals or guest-cap violations.
- AirDNA's 2026 Outlook: best year to invest in STRs since 2021. Listing growth projected at 4.6% (vs. ~20% in '21–'22), occupancy easing just ~1%.
- VRNation officially launched its Pro Academy on April 22, a peer-developed education platform offered to all members at no additional cost.
- PriceLabs shipped its 2026 Revenue Accelerator: 30+ features including a Market-Driven Base Price Helper that benchmarks against your local comp set.
- Airbnb's April 20 ToS update banned AI-generated damage evidence (after a $16K fabricated-AirCover case in NYC) and forced all pre-Feb accounts to re-accept terms or lose access.
Pro Tip: the 48-hour check-in note
Two days before arrival, send a short note that names one thing specific to their booking, the restaurant they asked about, the late checkout you confirmed. Generic pre-stay emails get ignored. Specific ones get screenshots. We've seen review rates jump double digits from this one change.
Dream Weaving: borrow one detail from their booking
The fastest way to WOW a guest isn't a bigger welcome basket, it's specificity. Pull one detail from their booking inquiry (the anniversary they mentioned, the kid's name, the trail they asked about) and put one thoughtful thing in the rental that addresses it. A small bottle of bubbles for the anniversary. A hand-drawn welcome sign with the kid's name on their bedroom door. A trail map left on the kitchen counter with two pencil notes from a local. Generic gestures get filed under "expected." Specific ones get screenshotted, shared, remembered, and rebooked.
Press Play: one to watch or listen to this week
A short video, podcast episode, or audiobook chapter for the commute, kitchen, or hot tub.
YouTube · ~30 min watch
Inside Expedia's Next Move, How Vrbo Plans to Out-Innovate Airbnb
A wide-ranging interview with Larry Plawsky, GM of Vrbo, on what Expedia's quietly building for hosts and where Vrbo sees Airbnb's gaps. Worth a commute.
Sources
Credit where it's due, and a doorway in if you want to dive deeper on any of the above.
- NYC Finds 27% of Approved Short-Term Rental Listings Are Now Illegal, Skift
- US 2026 Short-Term Rental Outlook Report, AirDNA
- VRNation Launches Pro Academy, VRNation
- Vacation Rental Revenue Management Is No Longer One Person's Job (PriceLabs Revenue Accelerator), Rental Scale-Up
- Airbnb's April 20 2026 ToS Update: AI Evidence Ban & Host Lockout Deadline, AirROI
- Inside Expedia's Next Move, How Vrbo Plans to Out-Innovate Airbnb (Larry Plawsky interview), YouTube