World-first global alliance launches to build trust in homesharing & accelerate the professionalisation of the short-term rental industry

Lavanda, the award-winning short-term rental platform for professional landlords and property managers launched the Professional Host Alliance on 31 October 2019.

The Professional Host Alliance is an industry-first initiative whose mission is to accelerate the professionalisation of a sustainable, global short-term rental sector and build trust in the homesharing economy. 

Guy Westlake, founder of Lavanda and chairman of the Professional Host Alliance, comments: “The Professional Host Alliance is the missing catalyst that is necessary to professionalise the short-term rental industry and unlock a step-change in the experiences of guests and hosts globally. With better support, partnerships, tools and access to information, professional hosts will be able to innovate faster and realise the hugely exciting potential in this sector.”

The Professional Host Alliance seeks to recognise short-term rental operators and property managers as key stakeholders in the global ecosystem, who are both platform-agnostic and independent of the major Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and HomeAway. It aims to build a global community around its founding mission:

1. To advocate and accelerate the professionalisation of the global short-term rental industry.
2. To enable a better quality, more uniform experience for guests and hosts within the alternative accommodation sector.
3. To build a sustainable and futureproof short-term rental ecosystem.

Joe Davies, ceo of Host So Simple and founding member of the Professional Host Alliance, comments: “Short-term rentals and homesharing are now shaping the future of global real estate, hospitality and travel. This is a timely initiative led by Lavanda, and one which I expect will play a pivotal role in driving the industry forward and shaping a genuinely sustainable global ecosystem with maximum social and economic impact.”  

The Professional Host Alliance is free to join and provides members with the following benefits:

• It will represent the views of its members, establishing a single voice to communicate and promote a shared vision for the global industry.
• It will facilitate collaboration – both internally across its membership, as well as externally with OTAs, technology providers and local regulators – to address key challenges facing professional hosts, both today and as the industry evolves.
• It will actively educate and inform travel, real estate, hospitality and regulatory stakeholders as to the social and economic benefits of a thriving, professional and sustainable short-term rental ecosystem.
• It will provide access to exclusive business growth opportunities, industry trends and insights.
• It will recognise, reward and promote industry best practice and innovation in short-term rental management.

Short-term rental operators and property managers of any size and type from around the world are encouraged to register and apply for membership. At launch, there were 40+ members across America, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. 

Richard Lyttle, ceo and co-founder of Your AirHost, and founding member of the Professional Host Alliance, said: “As a short-term rental manager, all too often you feel excluded from the important conversations and decision-making processes that are driving our sector forward. This is a tough and often threatening industry that is moving very fast.

“The Professional Host Alliance will work to empower and benefit property managers directly through proactively interfacing with key industry stakeholders to address our greatest pain points. It will bring a healthy balance to the ecosystem.”