A number in North Carolina lately mentioned that one in all his habits is refreshing his Airbnb dashboard “method too many instances a day,” ready to see if a sudden dip in views or an surprising evaluation is about to derail the month.
One week, his itemizing disappeared from search with no rationalization: no vital competitors, pricing errors, or alerts. It merely vanished…and then reappeared days later. He described the expertise as “working for a boss who by no means talks to you, however nonetheless controls whether or not you receives a commission.”
Nearly each seasoned host has felt that very same jolt of panic. It’s the emotional tax of counting on a platform you possibly can’t management.
That story captures the underlying tone of the PriceLabs World Host Report, which gathered information from greater than 1,400 hosts worldwide. The massive takeaway is that internet hosting at this time just isn’t the dreamy passive-income fantasy it’s typically marketed to be. It’s work (typically significant, typically irritating, often rewarding), however undeniably work.
But the stunning twist within the report is that this: Even with all of the stress, hosts are overwhelmingly pleased with what they’ve constructed, and most are planning to increase, not retreat.
Internet hosting is Versatile, However Onerous Work
The report discovered that the majority hosts spend fewer than 10 hours per week managing their rental, however they occur in the margins of already entire lives. 83% of hosts work one other job, so internet hosting turns into a night, weekend, or “whenever-I-can-fit-it-in” dedication reasonably than a neatly outlined schedule.
And the work that fills these hours tells the actual story.
The duties that eat probably the most time are ones that software program can’t simply remove. Hosts spend the majority of their power coordinating cleanings, navigating upkeep points, dealing with visitor questions and administrative work like taxes and bookkeeping, and maintaining with shifting OTA insurance policies. These obligations are unpredictable, typically pressing, and emotionally draining.
What truly eats probably the most host time:
- Administrative work, bookkeeping, and taxes
- Cleansing coordination and upkeep
- Understanding and adapting to OTA updates
- Visitor communication, complaints, and problem-solving
- Planning upgrades or new investments within the property
Calendar syncing may be automated, however the messy, human elements of hospitality will not be. And that’s the place the work really lives.
Hosts Depend on Airbnb, Even When They’re Annoyed by It
One of the putting contradictions within the report is that hosts routinely specific frustration with Airbnb: its assist methods, evaluation insurance policies, and decision-making. That mentioned, in any case these frustrations, Airbnb nonetheless outperforms each different OTA.
98% of surveyed hosts use Airbnb, and its satisfaction rating (4.1 out of 5) is considerably greater than Vrbo or Reserving.com. This creates a dynamic that’s each sensible and emotional: Hosts rely closely on Airbnb for income, however they don’t solely belief it.
The info displays that pressure strongly. What hosts fear about most:
- Visibility and rating on OTAs
- Sudden algorithm shifts
- Visitor complaints or unfair critiques
- Inconsistent platform assist
When one platform wields that a lot affect over a bunch’s earnings, even small adjustments really feel large. This is why many hosts describe internet hosting not as “passive earnings,” however as “all the time being on name.”
The Direct-Reserving Wave Is Choosing Up Momentum
For years, speak about direct reserving got here principally from consultants or superior operators. Now, it’s turning into mainstream.
Direct-booking web sites are the No. 1 class hosts plan to speculate extra in over the approaching yr, with 30% saying they intend to strengthen or construct their direct-booking technique. I do know Mark from Boostly is grinning ear to ear proper now.
The motivation is obvious. Hosts need:
- Extra management over who books
- Repeat visitors to return with out OTA charges
- Safety from fluctuating search rankings
- Higher management over cancellations
- A strategy to construct an genuine model as an alternative of a single itemizing
This doesn’t imply direct reserving is easy. It requires methods, cost processing, visitor screening, e-mail advertising, search engine optimisation, and a purposeful web site. However the need for independence is rising, and hosts are recognizing that being “Airbnb-only” places them in a susceptible place.
Cleaners and Handymen Are Nonetheless the Largest Bottlenecks
The phrases “cleaner” and “cleansing” seem 186 instances within the free-response sections of the report. Hosts point out cleaners greater than pricing instruments, market uncertainty, laws, and even visitors. When one a part of your operation relies on a handful of native individuals who might or might not present up, the nervousness by no means actually fades.
Nearly half of hosts say discovering dependable cleaners is one in all their greatest challenges, but only a few plan to spend money on turnover expertise. The true drawback is hiring, managing, and retaining dependable staff, which is one thing tech can’t totally remedy.
This is the one space the place even seasoned operators admit they nonetheless really feel susceptible.
AI Has Potential, However It Isn’t Decreasing Host Workload But
Synthetic intelligence (AI) is all over the place within the STR dialog proper now, however PriceLabs discovered that its precise influence on host workload stays restricted.
Hosts fall into three nearly completely balanced teams: some embrace AI, some ignore it solely, and a few really feel overwhelmed by it. What’s most fascinating is that each one three teams spend roughly the identical variety of hours internet hosting every week. That tells us AI is enhancing high quality, however not but reducing time.
Nevertheless, hosts do need extra steerage from trusted tech firms. Almost half mentioned they depend on instruments like PriceLabs, Lodgify, and PMS platforms to be taught higher methods and techniques. In different phrases, the subsequent wave of STR tech gained’t simply automate duties; it’ll educate.
Regardless of Challenges, Hosts Are Proud and Optimistic
After all of the nervousness, platform pressure, and late nights and last-minute cleans, this may be probably the most encouraging a part of your entire report:
- 69% of hosts say they’re pleased with what they’ve constructed.
- 41% anticipate this yr to outperform final yr.
- 32% plan to increase their portfolio in 2026.
That isn’t the mindset of an business in retreat. It’s an business evolving: rising up and turning into extra disciplined, extra data-driven, and extra entrepreneurial.
Many hosts started by itemizing a spare room or a second residence. However because the report reveals, a rising quantity now reinvest in upgrades, observe their financials weekly, and deal with their STRs as actual companies. Internet hosting is shifting from an informal facet earnings to a full-fledged operation. And the individuals who lean into that shift will thrive.
What It All Means for STR Operators in 2026
Hosts are studying that the important thing to long-term success isn’t luck or timing: It’s professionalism. Pricing technique, dependable ops, diversified reserving channels, and visitor expertise have gotten the brand new baseline.
If 2025 was the wake-up name, 2026 is the yr hosts step into the function of true operators. Those who construct with intention would be the ones who win.
Successful hosts must:
- Construct robust cleansing and upkeep methods
- Diversify past a single OTA
- Use direct reserving as a long-term play, not a fast repair
- Embrace tech that saves time with out overcomplicating issues
- Deal with their itemizing like a enterprise, not a pastime
- Actively research market information, seasonality, and pricing developments
