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FIRST EDITION | 2025

State of Revenue Management in Short-Term Rentals

illustration of a vacation home and yard

Top Challenges & Priorities in Revenue Management

Let’s Be Real: Historically Normal Years?
We Don’t Know Them in 2025.
Download Macro Trends by Country

‍Short-term rental (STR) operators are facing a turbulent landscape in 2025. Travel behaviors are shifting, economic signals are mixed, and between regulatory changes, tech innovation, and evolving guest expectations, staying profitable is more complex than ever.

But while uncertainty is high, so is the opportunity. Operators who embrace change, take calculated risks, and elevate their revenue strategies will be the ones setting the pace, not just keeping up with the market, but outperforming it like never before.

Still, many are clinging to last year’s data to make this year’s pricing decisions. We get it—it’s familiar, it feels safe. But honestly, that’s kind of like using last week’s weather report to plan your weekend.

Here’s the truth: the idea of a “historically normal” year is out the window.

We polled a group of international hosts and property managers and one thing was clear: nearly half of them said optimizing pricing and revenue is their top priority for 2025, a sign that more operators are rethinking the way they set rates in a volatile market.

Another standout? Booking behavior is changing fast. The most commonly observed trend among surveyed operators was that guests are booking closer to check-in, making proactive, data-driven pricing more important than ever.

That’s where this report comes in. In the inaugural edition of our State of Revenue Management report, we unpack the trends, tech, and tactics shaping the STR landscape in 2025. From AI and automation to predictive data, global travel shifts, and what your fellow operators really think, we’re diving deep into what it takes to stay competitive and profitable this year—and beyond.

This isn’t a forecast. It’s your field guide.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
01
State of the Industry
02
Navigating Uncertainty
03
Trusting the Right Data
04
AI & Automation
05
Regulation: What Hosts Should Be Watching
06
Global Market Trends
07
What’s Next for Revenue Management
08
Your Path Forward

The State of the Industry:
Recession-Resilient Travel Demand

There’s no denying the noise. Headlines about inflation, economic uncertainty, and declining international travel are everywhere. But beneath the surface, travel hasn’t disappeared. It’s just changed shape.

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“People still want to take trips, but those trips might be closer to home. They’re also waiting longer to book. They need to know that they have job security, that they’re able to fund their trip.”

- Julie Brinkman, CEO of Beyond, in Bloomberg
  • Canadian travelers are skipping the U.S. and vacationing domestically instead, largely in response to political tensions and economic pressure.
  • Flight booking data reveals the top trending destinations for European travellers this summer: Tokyo, Palma de Mallorca, Osaka, Hurghada, Beijing, Paris, Larnaca, and London top the list.
  • U.S. travelers are staying closer to home, opting for domestic road trips over expensive international flights.
  • EU travelers are still coming to the U.S., despite some variation by country. Summer travel from Spain and Ireland is up, even as markets like Germany and the Netherlands trend down. In March, Europeans really pulled back on travel to the U.S.—but by April, it had completely rebounded, showing just how quickly demand can shift.
guest trends in 2025
And when it comes to how guests are booking their travels, they are booking later and searching for more affordable, flexible stays. In our May 2025 survey of international hosts and property managers, the top trend they reported was that guests are booking closer to check-in, with heightened price sensitivity coming in a close second.

Booking Lead Times Shrink

United States

26.1 days

-11% Yoy

FRANCE

19.4 days

-24% Yoy

SPAIN

29.5 days

-9% Yoy

PORTUGAL

34.8 days

-9% Yoy

uk

31 days

-9% Yoy

italy

30.8 days

-4% Yoy

australia

21.5 days

-8% Yoy

MEXICO

11.9 days

-1% Yoy

Explore Your Market Trends
Inflation is squeezing consumers, and travel—once a luxury—is now under heavy scrutiny in household budgets. People still want to get away, but they’re being cautious. Guests might have also become conditioned to expect last-minute deals, further incentivizing them to hold out on making a booking.

And while some international travel is still happening—often because trips were booked far in advance with limited options for cancellations—shorter booking windows make it harder to get a full read on the upcoming high season. As a result, booking activity expectations for property managers and hosts have completely changed compared to prior years.

With all of these factors, it’s never been clearer that data-driven revenue management strategies are more important than ever.

What Guest Are Searching for Right Now

To show what this looks like in practice, we analyzed guest search behavior across STR markets in both the U.S. and Europe. The charts below highlight the most-searched check-in dates for summer 2025, giving you an early signal of where demand is heading before bookings even occur.
Europe graph
United States graph

Our Main Takeaways From The Data

Going Beyond Just Dynamic Pricing

The power of predictive data goes further than pricing. STR managers are using these insights to:

Predictive data turns uncertainty into opportunity.

Historical trends remain a crucial foundation in your strategy, but the most successful operators are leaning into the future—because that's where your next guest is looking.

Trusting the Right Data

Understanding where demand is heading is only half the equation. To build a strategy that actually converts into bookings, you also need to trust the data behind your pricing decisions.
You’re Better Than Bad Data.
Many pricing tools lean heavily on scraped data, publicly available information pulled from online travel agency (OTA) listings. This includes posted prices and calendar availability. But posted prices aren’t the same as what guests actually pay, and visible calendars don’t always reflect real-time availability. These surface-level signals can be misleading, and using them as a foundation for pricing decisions introduces real risk.

What matters more is source data, the kind of information that comes directly from reservation systems. This includes confirmed booking rates, occupancy, length of stay, lead time, and other key indicators of actual guest behavior. It’s accurate, timely, and actionable—and far better suited for informing revenue strategy than scraped snapshots.

The differences become even more important in moments of disruption. When one major booking platform changed its site structure last year, scraping became more difficult across the industry. Some tools, especially those that relied heavily on scraped pricing data, saw serious gaps in visibility. It was a sharp reminder: if your business depends on a tool with data that can disappear overnight, you’re building on unstable ground.

There’s also the question of how your tools connect to other systems. Integrations between property management software, revenue tools, and marketing platforms are critical—not just for efficiency, but for data integrity. Poor integrations mean stale or incomplete data. Strong ones ensure you’re always operating with the most up-to-date, reliable information.

Is Your Data Strategy Built for Today?

Ask your revenue management tool:
  • Do you use actual booking (source) data—or just scraped posted prices?
  • How fresh and reliable is the data you use for pricing decisions?
  • What happens if data scraping fails or platforms change access?
  • Do your integrations send and receive data—and how often do they sync?
  • Can you clearly see what’s influencing your pricing?
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Real Hosts Know:

Better Data Means Better Decisions

In our international survey of hosts and property managers, 49% of respondents selected “optimizing pricing and revenue” as one of their biggest priorities for 2025. Nearly as many emphasized “increasing direct bookings,” pointing to a desire for more control over margins, channels, and guest relationships. Many respondents also reported using dynamic pricing tools and property management systems to support these goals. Additionally, a number of participants highlighted the importance of learning how to use data and reporting more in their strategy—underscoring a growing interest in data-driven decision making that extends beyond pricing alone.

This confirms what we already know: STR pros don’t just want data—they want the right data.
biggest priorities for growing your business in 2025
Here’s the takeaway: smart strategies require smart data. If your tools aren’t powered by real booking behavior, aren’t transparent about their data sources, or can’t maintain clean integrations, it’s time to ask questions. Because using outdated, incomplete, or easily disrupted data doesn’t just hurt your pricing—it hurts your entire business.

AI & Automation:
The Tools Shaping the Future

And keep an eye on emerging tech and tools. OpenAI’s recently introduced Operator API, for example, allows developers to build custom AI agents that can take actions like calling APIs or triggering automations based on natural language inputs. While it’s early days, this kind of infrastructure could enable STR platforms to create tools that automatically handle guest messages, adjust pricing, or even initiate repair workflows—all triggered by a simple command.

Getting started with AI is less about chasing hype and more about choosing tools that solve specific problems and scale with your growth. The goal isn’t to replace the human touch, it’s to amplify your strategy with smarter insights and automation.

The short-term rental businesses adopting these tools are seeing clear advantages: faster execution, smarter strategy, and stronger guest satisfaction with less operational drag. With data becoming the core of competitive advantage, tools that can turn raw information into intelligent action will define the next era of success in revenue management.

As operators embrace smarter, data-driven tools, they’re also navigating an increasingly complex external environment. While technology is transforming the way we manage and grow our businesses, it's equally important to stay ahead of the policy landscape shaping where and how we operate.
In 2025, artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging trend in short-term rentals—it's foundational. From forecasting demand to refining guest communication, AI is rapidly reshaping the business of hosting. A recent Beyond survey found that 46% of travelers are open to having AI help plan their trips. But AI isn’t just reshaping how guests explore, it’s transforming how short-term rental pros operate.

Intelligent automation is taking the guesswork and grunt work out of revenue management. Dynamic pricing algorithms now adjust rates in real time based on fluctuating demand, ensuring competitiveness without daily manual adjustments. Meanwhile, machine learning tools surface granular market trends and guest behavior insights, enabling sharper decisions around pricing, property investment, and promotional strategies.

Additionally, AI’s role in operations is expanding. Predictive analytics can forecast booking curves and cancellation risks, while AI-enhanced guest communication tools streamline interactions and elevate personalization—whether that’s through tailored recommendations or timely, automated responses.

Where to Start with AI

Adopting AI doesn’t mean overhauling your entire business overnight. It means identifying high-impact opportunities to work smarter. With a surge of AI tools entering the market, it’s crucial to evaluate them critically.

Here are three steps to begin integrating AI into your revenue and operations strategy:
  • Audit for Manual Bottlenecks
    Start by mapping out where you and your team spend the most time—rate updates, guest messaging, competitive research, etc. These are often prime candidates for automation or machine-learning enhancements. If a task is repeatable, chances are AI can streamline it.
  • Start with Revenue-Driving Use Cases
    Dynamic pricing and demand forecasting offer immediate, measurable ROI. Tools that automatically adjust pricing based on market signals can significantly improve occupancy and ADR with minimal input. Look for platforms that not only automate but also offer transparency and customization so you stay in control.
  • Vet Tools Carefully and Test Before You Commit
    The explosion of new tech means some tools overpromise and underdeliver. Look for platforms that offer trials, clear use cases, and accessible support. Ask how their models are trained, how frequently they’re updated, and whether they adapt to your specific market. Avoid the "AI slop" tools that sound impressive but don’t translate into real operational or revenue value.

Regulation: What Hosts Should Be Watching

Short-term rental (STR) regulation is no longer a fringe issue—it’s a global priority. As STRs grow in popularity, governments are responding with a variety of policies designed to address concerns around over-tourism, housing affordability, and community integrity.

A major problem? The regulatory landscape is anything but uniform.

From hyper-restrictive crackdowns and a lack of data-driven frameworks, governments across the globe have enacted regulations and restrictions with no uniformity, leaving hosts and property managers to navigate a patchwork of evolving laws that can dramatically affect their operations and profitability.

The Current State of STR Regulations

In North America, regulatory efforts are largely city-driven. New York City has become a cautionary tale after enacting Local Law 18, which requires hosts to register and remain present during guest stays. Intended to free up housing stock, the law instead triggered a steep decline in STR listings, pushed up hotel rates, and failed to produce meaningful improvements in housing affordability. In contrast, cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are experimenting with stricter zoning and tax rules, while Texas is seeing the impacts of STR saturation, especially in markets like Galveston, spurring new conversations around regulation.
‍
Canada presents a more uniform approach, with cities like Toronto and Vancouver implementing policies that restrict STRs to primary residences, backed by licensing and enforcement mechanisms. These frameworks aim to balance tourism with long-term housing availability but often create operational hurdles for hosts.

Across Europe, regulation is shifting toward smarter, centralized oversight, but still includes a patchwork of regulations based on country and region. The European Union’s Regulation 2024/1028 mandates platforms to share key booking data with authorities, enabling better enforcement and urban planning. Countries like Spain are placing caps on STR licenses in cities like Barcelona and Málaga, while Italy has banned self-check-ins to enhance safety and oversight. Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, the local government continues to refine its registration and quota systems to manage visitor flows without sacrificing the city’s hospitality appeal.

“In Europe, regulatory discussions are increasingly focusing on enhancing the quality and social benefits of STRs within communities. Unlike incredibly restrictive regulations like those in New York City, which often benefit hotels more than STRs, emerging frameworks could emphasize sustainable integration.”

- Maria Flores Portillo | CRO of Beyond

In Australia, several states are revising their stance on short-term rentals. Western Australia’s new STR Accommodation Act (2024) introduces a centralized register and host information requirements. Byron Bay has taken a more aggressive route by capping unhosted STRs at 60 nights per year—a measure that, so far, has done little to alleviate local rental pressures. Nationally, new restrictions on foreign property investors are also reshaping the STR landscape by limiting new supply.

Making Sense of It All

What’s clear across regions is that regulation is here to stay, and and when approached collaboratively and intelligently, it can help create stronger, more sustainable economic communities.
‍
“Vacation rentals are here to stay—travelers want them, homeowners need them, and local economies depend on them. The benefits are too significant to ignore, from job and entrepreneurship development to tax revenue and economic empowerment.”
- Julie Brinkman | CEO at Beyond
‍
The reality is STRs are economic engines. They support micro-businesses, enable financial stability for homeowners, and bring tourist spending into areas overlooked by hotels. In Texas, vacation rentals have injected over $6.1 billion into the economy. In places like Monterey County, California, lodging taxes from STRs fund critical public infrastructure and services. And globally, these homes power local jobs—from cleaners and revenue managers to tech startups serving the STR ecosystem.
‍
Regulations that are too restrictive or broadly applied can lead to unintended consequences, such as reducing available lodging options, disrupting local tourism economies, or limiting income opportunities for residents. More effective policies tend to promote responsible hosting, transparency, and compliance while preserving the positive contributions STRs can make to communities.

Looking Ahead

As this landscape evolves, STR operators should stay informed, advocate for fair policies, and prepare for change. With the right frameworks in place, STRs can coexist with long-term housing and continue to drive sustainable economic growth. Smart regulation isn’t just possible—it’s necessary.
‍
Regulation isn’t going away—but it’s something operators can navigate with the right preparation.

Global Market Trends

To help you stay ahead of shifting demand, we've aggregated the most relevant country level insights to identify macro trends across global short-term rental markets. Backed by our unparalleled access to real-time booking data and market signals, these visual snapshots reveal what’s happening in your region—and what’s coming next.

While macro trends are great for understanding where the market is headed, want to see what’s happening today in your specific region or market? 
Get free STR data about any market!

What’s Next for Revenue Management

The next evolution of revenue management in the short-term rental industry is already taking shape — and it’s broader, smarter, and more integrated than ever.

Revenue Management On The Go

Technology is leading the charge when it comes to short-term rental revenue management development. If we can learn anything from the past 5-10 years, it’s that revenue management tools are becoming more flexible, with growing demand for mobile functionality that lets revenue managers and STR operators work where they want, when they want. The ability to have easy access to performance insights, owner tools, and strategic changes will become more prevalent as property managers and hosts look for more cohesive access across their entire tech stack.

More Channels, Less Problems?

If the industry can learn anything from other hospitality sectors, expect channel management and revenue platforms to move toward more streamlined, unified workflows that eliminate data silos and allow for faster, smarter decisions.

More technology and advanced integrations between systems will allow for easier distribution, from onboarding new listings to dynamically pricing properties across different channels.

“Stronger integration between revenue management systems and property management systems (PMSs) will be key. One area with major potential is Length of Stay pricing—most PMSs still don’t fully support it, despite it being a well-established best practice. Similarly, features such as Minimum Booking Value, as seen in a couple PMSs but not all, could enhance revenue strategy.

There’s also an opportunity to streamline channel management by allowing hosts and managers to set markups and OTA discounts within the revenue management system itself, instead of relying solely on the PMS.” — Arnaud Dumas, Customer Success Manager at Beyond.

In the same way that the industry saw dynamic pricing replace flat, static pricing for property managers, we can expect channel distribution and pricing across platforms to become more dynamic, or tied to market data, as well. What if revenue managers had the ability to dynamically manage minimum stay requirements? How can revenue managers play with rate parity across third-party and direct channels? These are advanced revenue management techniques that will become easier through the evolution of channel management technology.

Not All Pricing is Created Equal

Dynamic pricing is evolving, too. Expect sharper algorithmic insights, more real-time responsiveness, and more personalization. Data will do more than inform — it will anticipate. There are many dynamic pricing tools available specifically for short-term rental businesses and hosts, as well as a plethora of options that support hotel inventory as well. These systems are all designed differently, from the core data inputs to the actual algorithm settings, and can have different impacts on the exact same properties. Dynamic pricing tools will continue to evolve and grow to incorporate better, smarter, and faster data to help revenue managers save time that can be better spent on other manual, revenue-generating tasks.

Unlocking More Than Just Pricing

There is so much more to the practice of revenue management than just dynamic pricing – a trend that is reflected in our international survey of hosts and property managers.
‍
Hosts and managers are betting on these key areas for business growth in 2025:
While a sound pricing strategy is a great foundation for a revenue management strategy, there are more levers to influence booking activity. Revenue managers are going beyond just making pricing changes and are experimenting with tactics like advanced discounting and merchandising.

Trying out new, manual promotional discounts on online travel agency platforms has proven to drive bookings during periods of low demand. Emerging strategies like these have shown that the days of relying on just one or two knobs to drive revenue are behind us.

Meanwhile, the industry itself is professionalizing. From new associations and certifications to an influx of formal training programs, revenue management is no longer a niche task — it’s a defined role, with clear expectations and growing influence. That includes a shift in responsibility, as revenue managers take on budget forecasting, owner communications, and financial strategy — not just pricing.

Your Path Forward

Revenue management in 2025 isn’t about reacting—it’s about anticipating. And the era of relying on last year’s playbook is over. Today’s most successful short-term rental operators are leaning into forward-looking strategies: predictive tools, trustworthy data, smart automation, and a deep understanding of guest behavior.
‍
This isn’t about chasing every new trend. It’s about leading with clarity, using accurate data, AI-powered insights, and market signals to make confident decisions, even in uncertain conditions. Because the market will shift. The question is: will you be ready?

Whether you're navigating new regulations, responding to global travel trends, or learning from the experiences of fellow operators, one thing is clear: those who adapt will thrive.
Stay agile. Stay informed. And build a strategy that will help you grow no matter what’s next.
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Since pioneering dynamic pricing for the short-term rental market in 2013, Beyond has helped thousands of users price millions of listings and generate billions of dollars in revenue. Beyond’s unparalleled access to and analysis of real-time, advanced global short-term rental data powers its ability to unlock, inform, and automate action for every kind of hospitality business.

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