[Mike Bayer]
Welcome back to the Vacation Rental Success Podcast in Week 4 of SSTIR Crazy Month, where we take a deep dive into short-term rental regulations. And it's not too late to register for SSTIR Crazy, you can find the link in the description of this episode or visit vacationrentalformular.com/SSTIR. As a registered attendee, you have access to many discounts, downloads, and the chance to win our grand prize of two VIP tickets to the VRNation Conference in Austin, Texas, April 27th and 28th, 2025. And these tickets are worth over $2,000. You've got to be in it to win it, so make sure you register today.

We also want to give a big thank you to Guesty, who are the platinum sponsors for SSTIR Crazy and the Vacation Rental Success Podcast, who are offering an exclusive 50% off their first year if you register for SSTIR Crazy. Stay tuned to the mid-episode break where you'll hear some key questions answered about Guesty, but you should be asking yourself, are you feeling the pinch as competition heats up and guests' expectations rise, or struggling to keep your bookings high and revenue flowing? Well, you're not alone. These are the biggest challenges property managers are facing everywhere. And what if you could not only stay competitive, but actually thrive? Imagine your listing's constantly bringing in bookings, your revenue streams growing, and having the confidence to plan ahead without the guesswork. To discover how Guesty can solve your biggest property management system challenges, click the link in the description of this episode.

Now let's get this SSTIR Crazy party started. Here's your host, Heather Bayer.

[Heather Bayer]
This is week four of SSTIR Crazy Month, and new regulations just dropped, and StayWise Rentals have just found they've only got 60 days to comply, or they risk massive fines and shutdowns. Can they navigate the red tape in time, or will this be the end of their business? Tune in as Dana Lubner from Rent Responsibly shares her expert advice on surviving and thriving under new short-term rental laws.

This is the Vacation Rental Success Podcast, keeping you up to date with news, views, information and resources on this rapidly changing short-term rental business. I'm your host, Heather Bayer, and with 25 years of experience in this industry, I'm making sure you know what's hot, what's not, what's new, and what will help make your business a success.

Well, hello and welcome to another episode of the Vacation Rental Success Podcast. This is your host, Heather Bayer, and as ever, I am super delighted to be back with you once again as we head into Week 4 of SSTIR Crazy Month. This week, we're tackling one of the toughest challenges that short-term rental operators face these days, and that's regulations.

And to help us make sense of it all, we've invited Dana Lubner, one of the most passionate advocates for responsible hosting in the industry. Dana's journey started when she joined her brother's company, Effortless Rental Group, in Denver. She saw firsthand how new regulations could put even the best-run businesses at risk, and rather than stand by, she took action. She co-founded Mile High Hosts, bringing together property managers, hosts, and policymakers to create fair and balanced regulations. Now, at Rent Responsibly, she helps short-term rental owners across the country navigate compliance, build community alliances, and protect their businesses.

And right now, StayWise Rentals is facing the kind of regulatory challenge that keeps operators up at night. Sarah and Mike Chen have just received notice of strict new rules with only 60 days to comply. From fire safety upgrades to occupancy limits and hefty registration fees, they're scrambling to figure out what steps to take before time runs out. Dana's here to share her experience and help us understand what operators can do before regulations become a crisis. So whether you're dealing with new laws in your own area or just want to be prepared, this is a conversation you do not want to miss.

So I am very delighted to have with me today Dana Lubner from Rent Responsibly. Dana's been on the show before. We've talked about all sorts of things around regulations, but this time Dana has come along to help us with Mike and Sarah's issues with regulations, which we'll talk about in a few moments. Because StayWise is continuing to experience challenges. So welcome Dana.

Before we kick off, can you just tell us a little bit about yourself? And I want to thank you for coming along to help StayWise with the challenges they've got. But I'm sure the audience would love to hear what your background is in this and how you're able to help them.

[Dana Lubner]
Awesome. Well, thank you for having me. I'm honored to be a part of this whole experience helping StayWise be successful, especially on the topic of regulations. This is definitely a topic I'm very passionate about.

So my journey into advocacy was when I was working with a property management company, my brother's property management company in Colorado called Effortless Rental Group. I fast found out that if we were not being in compliance, we were not following the rules. Our community was definitely becoming targeted and positioned to have a short-term rental ban. And so I'm honored to be here today to help guide StayWise in any way I can with regulations to ensure that they don't see anything similar to what we're seeing across the nation right now.

My role currently is with Rent Responsibly, where I help short-term rental operators navigate complexities of regulations and advocacy. I teach them how to build community groups, how to build organizations that last, and ensuring that they have a seat at the table.

[Heather Bayer]
I love you saying that they have a seat at the table. I've been to conferences where I've seen people who are walking around and they've got the little golden chair on their collar, which is the seat at the table. I was at the CanStays Rental Alliance Conference in Banff; that's where I first saw that. And yes, it's a real mark of commitment, I think, to being a voice.

[Dana Lubner]
Yeah. Did I not give you a chair pin? I remember.... VRNation maybe. No? No, I did not give you a chair pin? When we get together next, I'm bringing you a chair pin because you've been an advocate in the industry for years now. And that's one of my little token moves that I love to give to advocates now. The only way you have a seat at the table, once somebody said to me, was you have to carry your chair around with you. And so we have an opportunity to do that by having a little gold pin attached to our lapel.

[Heather Bayer]
I love that. And yes, I will look forward to that. And probably at VRNation in Austin?

[Dana Lubner]
Yep. I'll be there.

[Heather Bayer]
Okay. And Sarah and Mike from StayWise, we are encouraging them all the way through this whole event to network. They've never been to a conference, so we're encouraging them to get to the VRNation event in Austin at the end of April. So information on that, of course, is on the Show Notes. And for those of you who are listening, if you have not registered for this event, there's still time for you to do so and win two VIP tickets to VRNation. That was a great segue, actually.

[Dana Lubner]
Yeah. You didn't mean to. Perfect. Well done.

[Heather Bayer]
So Dana, the issue that Sarah and Mike at StayWise Rentals are experiencing really is something that they don't need. They've gone through the trust issues, safety issues, insurance issues, and now they have received a notice from their local municipality that covers so many different things that they didn't realize was going to come at them.

They had not been keeping up-to-date with what was happening in the municipality or the township. And now they understand they've got to have mandatory fire safety upgrades for all their properties. There's new occupancy limits based on square footage of the properties. They're required to have a local representative available 24/7 and all these other things. And the breaking point came when a city inspector showed up unannounced at three of their properties and two of them received cease and desist orders. And then the local homeowner association has come along with additional restrictions on some of their other properties.

And on top of that, they've got property owners questioning who pays for the required upgrades. So we've got a lot to deal with in this discussion. So having said all that, let's start with and I know that so many people are facing regulations. How should a company like StayWise prioritise all this compliance that they've got to do without feeling completely overwhelmed? Because I was overwhelmed just reading out these challenges and they've just got this in one notice. Everything's come at once.

[Dana Lubner]
I will also admit that when I heard you reading through those challenges, I had some PTSD myself from my days of working in property management and working in markets where they weren't regulated. And then all of a sudden regulations passed and I think regulatory compliance can feel like climbing a mountain. But with the right approach, it becomes manageable.

And so what I would share with StayWise is that the first step is to really understand the scope of the requirements. Taking a deep breath, remaining calm, understanding what are the deadlines, what properties are affected, what's at stake if these requirements aren't met. And I think breaking it down this way really helps the challenge feel less overwhelming.

I would also recommend from there taking a risk-based prioritisation approach. So focusing on your requirements that have the highest legal or financial impact is a really great way to say we can't do all of this at once. We're a small team, we're a small operation, but what are the biggest needle movers that we can systematically approach first?

So safety in regards to fire upgrades, that's going to be...., you want to be mindful of those deadlines, what's involved in getting the properties up to compliance. Properties that are maybe more visible or maybe have a history of complaints, those are also going to be what you want to prioritise. So that's going to be your risk-based prioritisation assessment.

But also I'd recommend that Mike and Sarah communicate with property owners. They need to let the property owners know that the compliance requirements are protecting their investments and why these updates are non-negotiable. Being clear about what's required and how you as the property owner are going to address it and then what support you can provide them for the things they need to have input on.

So I think it's really about being transparent, being methodical, really being honest with yourself that you can't address everything at once but being systematic. And then I'd say also leaning into short-term rental associations or local advocacy groups is a fantastic way to not feel like you're alone. So if Mike and Sarah are in a community where a short-term rental association exists, oftentimes those organisations create value for the community members.

And operators by having things like compliance checklists or vendor recommendations. If you need deck inspections, like there is oftentimes vetted companies or maybe opportunities for bundles and discounts. So keeping things in smaller bite-sized pieces is the best way that I would recommend Sarah and Mike don't overwhelm themselves with trying to get all of their portfolio into compliance immediately.

[Heather Bayer]
Yeah, because that's a lot, particularly after all the other things that they've gone through just recently. But I like that idea. One of the most I think you said was about seeking the outside help, the help from a local network, a local alliance that may be out there that they may know nothing about at the moment. But if they look for it.... Now, Rent Responsibly have a list of associations, right?

[Dana Lubner]
Yes. On our website, we have an alliance directory. So if anyone's listening going, Oh, I wonder if I have an association I could lean on to for this kind of support. Go to rentresponsibly.org. There is the alliance directory tab. See if an alliance exists.

And then also do a Google search. Like not every single alliance that's out there is in that directory, but a lot of them are. But that's a great place to start your search.

[Heather Bayer]
Yeah, I went to the Vermont Short-Term Rental Alliance event in Mount Snow in... when was that... last December and was just blown away by the support and cohesiveness of this network that has come together. And kudos to Julie Marks for getting this organized.

[Dana Lubner]
Yes, she is a woman of wonder with everything she's been able to accomplish. I just love having her in my close circle. We definitely have become support networks for each other, hosting annual conferences and being in leadership positions.

It can feel very overwhelming. And she's just someone that's just been such a role model for so many people out there. So I love that you were able to participate in her conference.

[Heather Bayer]
Oh, it was so much fun. It was just great to be there. So going back to StayWise, these guys need to get out and see if there is something out there because just having that support from somebody else who's going through the same thing and just hive minds. People getting together and coming up with ideas on how to deal with these challenges is so much better than going alone.

[Dana Lubner]
I can agree more.

[Heather Bayer]
So two of their properties got cease and desist orders. So I know that this happens because we had it in Ontario. We had a small township just out of the blue announce that they had new regulations. They'd had a closed meeting to discuss these regulations and then they would just put out there. And we were a property management company. We had a property in their jurisdiction that had four bedrooms and accommodated 10 people because it had a small guest house as well. We'd rented it for a couple of years, done really, really well. And then we had it entirely booked for the summer and out of the blue we got the letter saying that they had assessed the size of their septic tank, that they could no longer accommodate any more than six people. And we had an entire summer booked with 10 people in each group. So I know that this happens.

So we were able to deal with it. We accommodated people elsewhere and then filled it up again with groups of six. So we were able to do that, but it was challenging. So what's the first thing that a manager should do if they get this type of notice?

[Dana Lubner]
Yeah, I'd say a cease and desist order can feel like a gut punch. It's definitely not something anyone wants to get, especially as you head into a fully booked season. I'd say the first thing that Mike and Sarah want to do is to stay calm and then focus on next steps.

So first, read the notice carefully. Make sure you're documenting everything. Take photos, gather permits, and keep a detailed record of communications.

The next step I suggest they do is to consult with legal counsel. These professionals will know the ins and outs of local regulations. They can read policy and legislation in a way that most of us didn't go to school for.

We're here to be in the hospitality space, not necessarily the legal and policy space. So they're going to help you navigate these tricky situations, whether it's negotiating with the city or filing an appeal. But then also, as every area of our lives, communication is critical.

So with property owners and guests, making sure that they know what's happening. Being transparent and clear, sharing a plan of action, will go a long way towards that trust. And then finally, use the experience as a wake-up call. So audit your other properties, making sure that they have compliance, build a process so that you can prevent this in the future.

I do remember a time when there was a case where an outdated city record led to a cease and desist order for a property. The property manager worked with officials to correct the data and made minor changes to their processes. And this not only resolved the issue, but they also created a relationship with that city official, where the city official was able to humanize an operator and understand the intention of following the law. And building that relationship. So there is the power of turning a crisis into an opportunity that I've seen. So I would suggest they look for those opportunities in this case with their properties.

[Heather Bayer]
You used a great word there. It's humanizing. So often you get a piece of paper and it's scary and it gives information that could throw your business into complete disarray.
But then you forget that there is a person. There are people out there at the other end of these. And sometimes just a conversation is enough to bring the situation into a better context, I think.

We're going to go on in a few minutes and just talk about community, how you growing into a community and being part of the community connects you with the people who are up there and making these degrees. So we'll come back to that. But I just wanted to turn now to the property owners, because one of the notices that StayWise has got is that there's a new registration fee of fifteen hundred dollars per property. The money grab is always there, right? It's, you know, the municipalities and townships are looking for ways to fill their coffers. And this is an easy way. You know, tourist tax is one thing, but let's charge the owners for actually being able to rent their properties in the first place. I know we were seeing this more and more and it just seems sometimes that arbitrary amounts were being put on this. It wasn't reasonable in many cases.

And I know that certainly where we were in Ontario that there were times when they negotiated. They went back and said, look, these are crazy amounts. Two thousand dollars per property was one of them that I remember. And they were able to negotiate it down to about eight hundred. So who pays for this?

[Dana Lubner]
I love that question. And I'll just say as like a real life story in Colorado right now, Vail is looking at a thousand dollars per bedroom fee.

[Heather Bayer]
Wow.

[Dana Lubner]
Per bedroom. And in Colorado, a lot of properties are large homes....

[Heather Bayer]
Yeah.

[Dana Lubner]
...In the mountainsky communities. So it's wild when it comes to who pays for cost of compliance. As I was thinking this through for Sarah and Mike and in my own experience, the expenses related to being in compliance or being registered is something that I believe is the property owner's responsibility.

I think, you know, when you're talking to a property owner, when Sarah and Mike are explaining there are new fees with these regulations that are coming into their financial equation. They want to be empathetic with how they talk to them about it. And we understand this is not necessarily something you initially budgeted for, but that it's something you can budget for now moving forward.

I'd say also that they help ensure depending on what the fines and fees are for to help ensure that their property has safety in mind. So that guest experience in mind, I'd say it's not just about avoiding a penalty to pay your fines. It's about following the rules, which is going to set your property up so you don't have a cease and desist so that you are following the rules.

But to go back to the question, who pays them? I am a believer. I'd be curious if there's other property management companies out there, but those costs of compliance, registration fees, safety upgrades and so forth are the responsibility of the homeowner themselves.

[Heather Bayer]
Yeah, I completely agree. And that's what we did with our property management company. We went out and we had a face-to-face discussion with each of our property owners. We went and sat down with them and said, OK, these are the costs of compliance, which really is the cost of doing business, to continue in this business. This is what you're going to have to be doing. And for sure, there were some who said I'm done with this. It's not worth my while.

For those who are just renting for a few weeks over the summer, it wasn't worth their while. It's not just the registration fee, but all the other things that went along with it, the fire safety upgrades and the noise monitoring requirements that some places were expecting these properties to put in. So, yeah, we had some churn at that point and I think that's got to be expected.

[Dana Lubner]
And a lot of times we think quantity, we want more properties, more properties like how many doors do you manage and all of that kind of language. And I think that might be a momentary phase for property management companies to be focusing on that. But everyone knows what it's like to have that one client that like if revenue is not exactly where the last conversation was anticipating, you're going to get a call and they're going to, you know, grab you over the coals and ask you all these questions. That client maybe doesn't have much wiggle room to understand that there are these nuances to seasonality, to global pandemics, to compliance and regulation. So I think while it may be a conversation that ends up leading somebody to leave, maybe for the best.

[Heather Bayer]
Yes. And as I say, we experienced that. Some just went and it was probably a good thing. You know, they were only renting for, I remember one owner saying, well, I only rent for two weeks of the year when I'm not there. And in fact, it was a good thing because they hated taking all their stuff out and making it look less like a family rumpus room and more like a tourist accommodation. They didn't like doing that. So, you know, that actually worked out for the best. And it is difficult because you've lost a property. Therefore, you've lost that income and that accumulated income over three or five years.

If you listen to Brooke Pfaltz and he talks a lot about, you know, you've got to look at it over the long term. But there were always others, as you say, there's other properties, better properties. And when the new properties come along, you've got all the information to give them so that they know from the very outset what the terms are of becoming a successful rental owner. And complying with everything that's been thrown at them. You get them from the start, it makes it much easier.

[Dana Lubner]
Right. Go learn those lessons and then come over and work with me.

[Heather Bayer]
Exactly. Exactly.

[Mike Bayer]
We're going to take a short break to hear from David Angotti at Guesty to share how Guesty might be the solution to your property management system challenges.

[Heather Bayer]
So welcome back, David. The question I have for you now is what strategies help property managers consistently earn five-star reviews from their guests?

[David Angotti]
Yeah, the answer to this is pretty simple. We just have to be dream makers, and simple doesn't mean easy. And so what does being a dream maker mean?

It means understanding the mentality of that guest that is booking your rental. They want to be a better dad for a week while they're on vacation and make up for the long hours at the office. They want to be a better husband. They want to do these things better that maybe they failed at in their personal life.

Now that puts a huge load on the shoulders of a property manager. And so now how in the world do we live up to that?

Obviously, we have to be thinking ahead of what we could do and how we can make this a special trip for that guest. And we want to automate as much of that, not for the purpose of automating, but for the purpose of making sure we don't drop the ball. We automate the check-ins with the guest mid-stay. So how is the stay going? Is there anything that could possibly make this better? And then when they respond to that and they message us back, it now empowers our team to deliver on that.

So there's ways to phrase a question that's basically more or less like, hey, how could we deliver a better stay for you? And when they answer that, we're basically getting the answer of how to deliver unreasonable hospitality like Will's [Will Guidara - Unreasonable Hospitality] always talking about on stage in his book. So automate the journey and then deliver.

[Heather Bayer]
That is so great, making it thoughtful and engaging, yet automated. Thank you.

[David Angotti]
Thank you.

[Heather Bayer]
So with StayWise, the other thing that they've had, and I don't know how often this happens, but they had the issue of a city inspector showing up unannounced at a couple of their properties. I do remember this happening years and years ago. It was in Quebec and Quebec had issued some new licensing and we were completely unaware of this and this guy showed up at one of the properties and we had guests in there and they answered and he wanted to come in.

He wanted to check the fire extinguishers. They had no idea who he was. And then he said, well, you know, this is an unregistered property, you shouldn't be here anyway.

[Dana Lubner]
God! Yeah, that was challenging.

[Heather Bayer]
I don't know how many of these you hear of.

[Dana Lubner]
Yeah. I mean, I would say I'm again having PTSD, you know, being the leader of Mile High House in Denver. We did have a meeting with the city.

It was back in the day when we had our committee that was the STRAC Committee, Short-Term Advisory Committee. And we did hear from a host story of a city inspector coming to her property when she was gone and her guest was there. And it's incredibly uncomfortable because the guest is like, am I in trouble? And who is this person at the door? It can just create a really bad experience from the guest side, which can lead to a bad review, which can impact revenue.

So it's not an ideal situation and every community is going to be different. Some communities, hopefully if city inspectors are allowed to come to the property and come into the property, that's understood by the hosting community and that's being communicated. And if they're not, you know, hopefully you understand your rights.

But what I would recommend for Sarah and Mike for having unannounced city inspectors arriving to their properties is to just be prepared as possible. Assume that that could happen at any day. So doing self-audits is a great way to kind of walk yourself through those mock scenarios.

Use checklists to tailor to your local regulations. Evaluate and go through each one of your properties on a monthly or quarterly basis. And then that helps you make sure that you're ahead of potential issues as much as possible.

And then make sure that your team is ready. So Sarah and Mike, I know you have got a team. Make sure your staff is trained to respond professionally and confidently during inspections.

And it's also just like if you can do role playing, when you have a city inspector either on the phone with you or in front of you, or you're giving public testimony to city council, you can all of a sudden start getting really nervous. And it's like when you slam the brakes on and you see a cop car, like you're not even speeding. Why did you do that? Because it just makes you feel uncomfortable, like you did something wrong.

Maybe that's just me. But I think as much as you can doing role play, having everything documented, keeping your permits and your license and your compliance records centralized, up to date, easily accessible, that's going to prevent you from having all of a sudden find everything and pull it together while you have an inspector waiting for you. And then I know we're going to chat about it a little later, but noise monitoring devices is a great way to have documentation.

So if noise complaint, I've heard stories about being able to pull up the noise records for that date and show, yeah, there's noise here. You know, it's clear somebody was here, but it was not surpassing that threshold level. So that's a great way of ensuring we have as much as you want to see and then showing how organized you are, how intentional you are, what's your guest vetting process.

That inspector gets to say, like, wow, this is a really organized operation. They take their professionalism very seriously. And then again, it humanizes this industry, again, an opportunity to build a relationship, build trust, build credibility with both the inspector and then your community, depending on how that appointment or that drop in goes.

[Heather Bayer]
Yeah, I want to talk a bit more about that in a sec, but just sticking with these tools. There's a lot of tools out there now that are widely available for monitoring noise, for monitoring occupancy, all sorts of other things. Can you just talk a little bit to that and how all these tools can assist a property manager in maintaining compliance and also their peace of mind?

[Dana Lubner]
Oh my gosh, it's peace of mind. Tools like this not only benefit the property owner. I think we oftentimes talk about the property owner, but it's about they benefit the guest. So while they may feel like they're being watched or listened to, these tools can't listen. They're just decibel readers or they're just monitoring the number of devices. But it's there really to benefit them so that they don't become a nuisance or they don't get out of hand in a way that ends up causing an issue with the neighbor. Or it's the opportunity to prevent the issue before it even happens by deescalating the situation.

So these tools were not created as advocacy tech tools. I look at things like smart locks, like noise monitoring, like occupancy trackers as actually advocacy tools because they help ensure that that stay is going to be as harmonious as possible. That there's less of a likelihood of a neighbor hearing noise or being upset.

But then it really goes to how do you vet the guests in the first place? And so there are proactive steps beyond the tech, but the tech can be a major asset to ensuring that you stay within compliance. And then, like I mentioned, being able to have the record of this is this date, this is the decibels. These are the locations of the devices.

And it really helps build that case for yourself where you may otherwise just have an upset neighbor that's repeatedly calling in a noise complaint that's not verified. So it really helps with the verification of it as well. So can you give me some examples? I know we've got noise aware, stay-fi.

[Heather Bayer]
Can you give me a couple of other examples? I know Minit as well is a noise monitoring device. I don't know if I'm the best person to go over all of the latest of the party squasher out there, but I know it's becoming a lot more of a desire to be able to build that into software and tech that already exists. So kind of bringing them all into one device.

I think especially as we look to lean out expenses for property managers so that you're not having so many different dashboards that you're managing separately. So I think that's going to be a move we see in 2025, but there are a handful out there. And I can only imagine that we'll see more pop up this year we're in.

[Heather Bayer]
Yeah, I know from experience how that tech stack can really grow. I was still a manager. I think it was before that time when you were able to really bring them together under one roof.

And they were all definitely all being operated separately from, as you say, from different dashboards. I'm glad to see it changing. Something else I would mention, of course, is from a guest perspective to actually have that guest education as well.

And using guest guides, digital guides, where you can have sections in your digital guide about how you are complying with local legislation. Because sharing that information, I think, is really useful too. What are your thoughts on that? I couldn't agree more.

I think it's what builds trust and confidence. We know short term rentals have just made so many headlines in the last handful of years. And oftentimes it's those sensationalist headlines that are a negative story.

I think we've seen more bans. I know we've seen more bands popping up than ever before. Over tourism and communities in Europe, we're seeing bands with places that have had short term rentals and vacation rentals for a long time.

So I think from a consumer standpoint, guests are feeling wary. Guests are thinking, am I going to go to a place where I have to pretend like this host is my uncle? I can't even admit to being an actual guest at this property. No one wants to find out the story you shared, that you're staying in a property that's actually not registered or out of compliance.

And so communicating that is a way to build trust, is a way to have credibility. So I think that's a fantastic tip to communicate that from the get-go. And then it can also help avoid some guests that maybe aren't a good fit to stay at your property.

[Heather Bayer]
I've stayed at a lot of vacation rentals. And certainly in Europe, there is always a license number or a registration number. And I have seen it more and more when staying in the U.S. And that always is a trust thing.

It makes you feel more comfortable when you know that the property you're staying in is registered, it's licensed. You hear these stories of people turning up and saying, why are you here? You're not allowed to be here. So it's comforting to know that you're staying in a property that is complying.

[Dana Lubner]
And I think maybe managers, owners forget this a little bit, that sharing that information with the guest is actually making the guest feel better too. Oh, yeah. And even just letting folks know our neighbor's home is five feet from our home.

Like you might be renting a large home, but in our neighborhood, they're stacked right next to each other where the same large home could be on two acres of land. So I think that is another layer of communicating what to expect or what is the culture of our community that you're getting ready to stay at. And so I know that they don't always read it, but stepping in the right direction to ensure that we can educate and build that trust wherever possible.

[Heather Bayer]
So I want to talk about community, getting into the community, getting involved. But I want to kick this off by just a story from the Canstays Rental Alliance Conference last year. It was a very different conference because there were lots of politicians there.

I mean, there was cabinet ministers and MPs and all these people who are in this decision making roles. And I talked to one of these MPs who had been a cabinet minister and he was now back just being normal MP. And I think I've always had this thing from childhood.

You know, it's a bit like it's the teacher, the head teacher. You don't want to talk to the head teacher. And I'd always felt this a little bit about authority figures that they were different from me.

And this guy said, he said, look, we are only here because you've voted us here. So we listen to you. We want to listen to you because we want you to vote for us.

So you've got to take away that fear of talking to the people who are in these higher authority and decision making positions. And I know there's many people out there who say, oh, yeah, I don't care who I talk to. But I'm sure there are also many like me who think I don't want to approach them because they're way up there making all those decisions.

And I'm just the little person down here who is impacted by those decisions. I got so much out of that conversation when he said, I'm only here because you voted me here. I need you.

I need your vote. I need to hear from you. And I thought that is really something powerful.

And that's why you should get out in the community and talk to those decision makers because they want to hear from you. We got to bottle that up and put that on repeat, Heather, because that is so the truth. And I don't think many policymakers state it so transparently and so simply like that.

[Dana Lubner]
But that is the truth for all of them. Policymakers, legislators, decision makers, they're voted in by us. And I think the more you get out there and have those conversations, the more you can jump on a one on one.

Like yesterday, we just met with one of the senators here in Colorado as the legislative session is getting going. And it just creates that opportunity to see he's just like us, like celebrities, politicians. They still are humans like the rest of us.

And just remind ourselves that they work for us. We voted them into that office. Maybe we didn't personally elect them into that seat. Maybe we voted for someone else. But they do care and they are here to serve us. So I think keeping that in mind and just knowing the power of our voice grassroots advocacy is the biggest way to have a difference.

I did end up putting on my chair pin here as we're doing this recording. But that is the way to have a seat at the table is to open up the doors for those conversations. So I love that you brought that into our conversation today.

[Heather Bayer]
I met a guy in Banff at that conference. Can't remember his name now, but his company is called neighborly North and he was from the Yukon. And he not only got a seat at the table, but he became the chair of the housing committee.

[Dana Lubner]
Wow. And how much better can you get than that?

[Heather Bayer]
So, you know, he decided that he wasn't just going to go to the meetings and take that seat in the hall listening. He was going to be at the front, take his seat to the very front and in the very middle.

[Dana Lubner]
And that can happen. And for somebody who runs a property management company to become a chair of a housing association, I think is a mighty step forward. It's incredible. I mean, that's the other than being the advocate from the grassroots perspective. That is the biggest way to make a difference is to actually run, put your name in the hat, get on the board, sit on the commission, be part of the planning committee. That is the gold star standard of what you can do to really make a difference.

[Heather Bayer]
And I just remembered his name is Ben Pereira. And the company was called neighborly North. And I interviewed him before the podcast while we were in Banff because I thought he has this story that I've got to share. So I will put that into the Show Notes.

[Dana Lubner]
So I love that. Have a listen to that.

[Heather Bayer]
Yes, I love that. So as we come to the end here, Dana, how can a company like stay wise turn this what seems to be a disaster on top of all the other disasters that they've had in the last few weeks? How can they turn it into an opportunity to strengthen their company and to become a trusted leader in the community rather than sitting out on the periphery like many companies do? I think I would go back to saying, Sarah, Mike, you have an opportunity at your fingertips any time that you're facing something that may overwhelmingly feel like a crisis. Flip the script and say we have an opportunity.

[Dana Lubner]
So you can identify where you have weaknesses. You can make lasting changes to your process. You can make sure that you have compliance as part of your SOPs, those monthly and quarterly property checks to make sure that if an inspector were to come by is now how your team is looking at the way that they do their job.

I think transparency is key. So being super communicative with property owners, neighbors, regulators is going to show that they're taking the situation very seriously, but also looking to build goodwill, also looking to put a face with a name. I've seen instances where folks that have challenges within HOAs, where they're worried that the HOA was going to ban them, they did an open house and they invited the other residents to come and see their property and see their guest vetting process and understand the technology that they were using.

And then even have some of those owners choose to also short-term rent their properties. So I think at the end of the day, the humanizing opportunity is going to be really big there. In addition to evaluating your process, you can set new standards.

You can create good neighbor guides. You can make sure that you're leveraging tech, you're leveraging the value that a short-term rental association can bring to not having to go it alone. And then make your crisis, make your situation part of your story.

So we all need a story that sets us apart. The best way to sell your value is by telling a story versus just listing as a bullet. These are all the reasons that we're a great company.

But being transparent, I think, is a great way for StayWise to say, hey, we've learned and we're now leading the charge. And it just paints a really beautiful brushstroke of operators and with goodwill with the community, the city, as well as their guests and their homeowners. So I think it's all in the way that they respond to their crisis.

But it sounds like they're taking the right steps and I have full confidence in their success.

[Heather Bayer]
Well, we will see at the end of this five weeks what StayWise have learned from all this expert help that they've been getting. So I'm looking forward to when we do this wrap up to see what they have done in terms of compliance and getting into more involvement in the community.

So I'd like to really thank you, Dana, for coming along and joining me and helping Sarah and Mike and StayWise Rentals with their issues. I think there's a lot that's come out of this podcast that they can take and take some really good practical steps to not only improve their business, but also to improve their standing in the community and make them a trusted leader in the community as well. I couldn't agree more.

[Dana Lubner]
I think that, like I said, compliance is often a word that folks look at as something that's negative. And I think what it really does is it positions them to have a standard to strive for and to surpass. And I think it actually creates more security for them and their business by having expectations be spelled out for them versus there being no regulations or no expectations. So thanks for letting me be a part of their journey and for joining you today.

[Heather Bayer]
Thank you so much.

[Mike Bayer]
We are so excited to get you involved in Stir Crazy Month and to have the chance to be a VIP at the VR Nation conference in Austin, Texas, April 27th and 28th. Make sure to register right now. Click the link in the description of this episode to get that done today. And did you know about Guesty and how they automate routine tasks so you can focus on what matters most, growing your business? Well, you can find out more about Guesty by clicking the link in the description as well as get that 50% off your first year by registering for SSTIR Crazy Month.

In the next episode, we are in the last week of SSTIR Crazy Month where we look at how StayWise Rentals is trying to become more sustainable, to be more responsible and reach the next generation of vacation rental travellers. Are you looking at sustainability as part of your future strategy? Not sure? Well, you can discover more about that in our next episode. 'Till next week.

[Heather Bayer]
It's been a pleasure as ever being with you. If there's anything you'd like to comment on, then join the conversation on the show notes for the episode at vacationrentalfourmiller.com. We'd love to hear from you and I look forward to being with you again next week.