The most important step in managing short-term vacation rentals in your community is having the data to know what’s happening. That’s not as easy as it sounds.
In 2023, the U.S. vacation rental market captured 19.6% of global revenue, with an estimated value of USD 17.47 billion. This market is only projected to grow more, at an annual growth rate of 2.9% through 2030. (Grand View Research)
This rapid growth has created opportunities and challenges.
From managing fundamentals like traffic and trash to bigger questions like housing availability and tourism capacity, the arrival of Short Term Rentals (STRs) has added many items to governments’ to-do lists. More jurisdictions now understand the need to regulate and manage the impact of STRs on citizens and businesses.
But to do that efficiently and fairly, the critical first step is understanding what you're dealing with.
That’s often not as easy as it sounds, especially when many cities and counties are stuck with outdated ways of gathering information. They don’t know how many STRs there really are, or how and when they’re being rented.
Whether they’re relying on neighbor reports, pen and paper registrations or old systems designed for other purposes, many governments are battling with incomplete data, which means they lack the full picture of STRs in their community.
Finding unlisted vacation rentals
Complicating matters, many short-term property rentals fly under the radar. City officials looking at STR management are often surprised to discover the number of vacation rentals in their communities that are not listed on major platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, for example.
And not everyone’s playing by the rules. In fact, a 2022 study from McGill University reported a staggering 45% of short-term rental listings are operating illegally.
As well as needing to understand how many STRs exist in the community, officials also need to understand how many nights STRs are being occupied, what rates they’re being let at, whether they comply with local ordinances and what taxes, like transient occupancy tax (TOT), need to be levied.
It’s a lot of information, and gathering it is not simple.
Getting complete STR data for government
Mount Pleasant, SC was one community struggling with incomplete STR data. “We weren't getting the full picture,” says Jane Yager-Baumrind, Mount Pleasant’s Short-Term Coordinator. “We needed a solution to answer critical questions—like whether hosts were in compliance and how many days properties were rented.”
In response, the Mount Pleasant team chose a new STR management solution that leverages automation and AI to capture detailed real-time STR data from more than 10,000 websites and online sources: Rentalscape from Deckard Technologies.
“Switching to Deckard was a game-changer,” Yager-Baumrind says. “We gained 100% more data, and it made my job much easier.”
Rentalscape is designed and built around the needs of STR teams like the one in Mount Pleasant, and it’s customizable to individual requirements.
“The Rentalscape software is tailored to our needs, with an easy-to-use interface, packed with customizable charts, excel exports, a complaint portal—the list goes on,” Yager-Baumrind says.
Know what’s happening in your community
Deckard Technologies' solutions are trusted by over 500 communities across the U.S. because they understand the unique challenges local governments face, offering tailored solutions to meet those needs.
Rentalscape helps communities find, organize, and action all the information they need to drive results. With real-time data, powerful features, and user-friendly tools, Rentalscape provides the insights necessary to make informed decisions and maximize the potential of STRs.
Discover why Rentalscape is No.1 for STR compliance
See for yourself why Rentalscape is the US’ No.1 STR compliance and management tool, trusted by more than 500 jurisdictions.
Contact our team to schedule a demo to see what Rentalscape can do for your community.
