Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

Send us a text In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we dive into the world of property investment and management in Cyprus, uncovering what it takes to run a successful holiday rental business from the UK. Our special guest, Lisa Roads, shares her biggest lessons learned, strategies for scaling and exiting, plus insights into holiday let coaching and industry trends. Lisa also...

Send us a text In this episode of HCH Bitesize, brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we’re joined by Paul Anderson, Founder of The Social Media Hotelier. Paul shares his top strategies for using Instagram effectively, focusing on how hosts and property managers can optimise their profiles, engage authentically with followers, and ultimately increase bookings. Whether you'...

Send us a text Remember the Oasis Ticketmaster scandal, when 'dynamic pricing' was blamed by the media for eye-watering ticket prices? The reality is that dynamic pricing had nothing to do with it: the actual menace was 'surge pricing'. During this episode, Beyond's Roman Solyanyk details exactly what dynamic pricing is, how it's completely different to surge pricing,...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Bevan Thompson from Hostfully sharing his top five tips to supercharge your short-term rental listings on major platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. 1:50 The OTAs every rental should be listed on 2:35 Google Vacation Rentals and...

Send us a text The furnished holiday lettings (FHL) tax regime will be abolished next month and to help UK owners prepare for this major change, we've invited Matt Jeffery from Zeal Tax back on the podcast. Matt explains the changes in detail and outlines the fact that every holiday let owner in the UK needs to claim their capital allowances. This is tax relief that a whopping 80% of owners h...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Bart-Jan Leyts, Founder of Otamiser and Autorank, sharing how to supercharge your Airbnb listings and appear at the top of guest searches every time. 1:50 Tip No. 1: get the first photo right 4:25 Tip No. 2: utilise your gap nights  6:52...

Send us a text Emma Kelman from The Island Holiday Company is the special guest’s on today’s show. During the episode, Emma talks about scaling, direct bookings, and how to deliver an outstanding guest experience. She also discusses the unique challenges of running a holiday let management company on the Isle of Wight. Emma named Beyond as her favourite brand and gave Christopher Dillon from Avant...

Send us a text In this episode of the HCH Mortgage Podcast, host James Varley chats with Samantha Turmaine from HCH Financial Services about why property investors are heading north. James and Sam also discuss interest rates, inflation, and EPCs – with news that holiday let properties look set to be mandated to achieve minimum standards of energy efficiency in a similar way to long-term rentals. S...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Eli Pritykin, Founder of Hudson Creative Studio, sharing the top features every direct booking website needs in order to build trust and attract guests. 1:45 Feature No. 1: communicate trust by getting your hero section right 5:03 Featur...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode six, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, discusses training and tracking your cleaning team. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley. 1:19 Training and tracking 3:38 Checklists  7:1...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode five, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines the cleaning essentials every Airbnb host needs. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley. 0:56 Essential cleaning supplies 2:23 Fa...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode four, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines why you should not allow pets at your holiday rental and discusses how to clean popular amenities such as hot tubs. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Foun...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode three, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines why you should never charge a cleaning fee to your guests. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley. 1:19 Should you charge a clea...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode two, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, discusses whether short-term rental owners should employ a freelance cleaner or a cleaning company. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley....

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode one, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, sets the scene for the series, shares her journey in the industry, and outlines the pros and cons of cleaning your own rental. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Fou...

Send us a text In this episode of the HCH Podcast, we sit down with industry expert Deborah Labi to explore her journey in the short-term rentals world and the many ways she’s helping hosts and property managers elevate their businesses. We learn about Have You Got, The Guest Innspector, the Techsplained series, and The Green Path Podcast.  Plus, Deborah shares why adopting a direct booking mindse...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Steven Core, Head of Business Development at VoltShare, sharing five reasons why installing an EV charger can supercharge both the guest experience and revenue at your short-term rental. 1:40 Reason No. 1: increased visibility  2:49 Reas...

Send us a text In this episode of the HCH Podcast, we sit down with Ben Levy, Co-Founder of Localbird, to uncover how this innovative platform is reshaping the short-term rental experience for both guests and hosts. Localbird, now active in 25 destinations across Mexico, Costa Rica, and the United States, enables hosts to boost their revenue with unique upselling opportunities. Ben shares insights...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Marc Ribail, from QALIA, sharing a host of responsible travel tips for the benefit of everyone, including short-term rental hosts and property managers. 1:44 Responsible tourism 3:18 Tip No. 1: the purpose of travel 5:57 Tip No. 2: be mi...

Send us a text On today's Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we’re thrilled to be joined by Catherine Ratcliffe, Founder of Lost Together Stays and STR Benefits Consulting. Catherine has built an impressive career in the short-term rentals industry, combining her expertise in property management with her passion for helping others succeed.   In this episode, Catherine shares her journey into t...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Stephanie Flint, from Rural Cleans, sharing her top five cleaning tips designed to help short-term rental hosts and property managers. Whether you’re a new host or a seasoned pro, these actionable tips will help you to consistently deliv...

Send us a text In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, storytelling expert Neely Khan shares her journey and insights into creating meaningful guest experiences. From crafting compelling narratives to social media, email marketing, and leveraging AI tools, this episode is packed with actionable advice for property managers looking to stand out in a competitive market. 2:06 Neely’s...

Send us a text In this episode of HCH Bitesize, sponsored by Hostfully, we’re joined by Sam Brownlow, Sales Director at Host & Stay, one of the UK’s leading property management companies. Sam breaks down five key reasons why short-term rental owners should consider using a professional property management company. Whether you're a new host or a seasoned property owner, this episode is pac...

Send us a text In this episode of the HCH Mortgage Podcast, host James Varley chats with Samantha Turmaine from HCH Financial Services about all things mortgages. From preparing for remortgaging to insights into the 2025 mortgage market, this episode is packed with practical advice for homeowners and investors alike.   Whether you’re a holiday let owner, a homeowner considering equity release, or...

Send us a text In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we’re thrilled to welcome Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce, the innovative luggage storage company helping short-term rental hosts and property managers offer more value to guests. Cody shares the Bounce journey, how they’re revolutionising travel, and the incredible opportunities for hosts to partner with Bounce and boo...