Barefoot Technologies Blog- Vacation Rental Industry News

On December 28, 2018, Massachusetts passed HB 4841, a law that is aimed at regulating and insuring short term rentals.  While taxes are always controversial for the professional vacation rental company, in many ways this can be something positive if you are well organized.

2019 will be an interesting year for vacation rentals.  We seem to be coming of age. I can see a lot of change, some good for the professional. Some of what I have predicted the past two years continue to come true, some of it faster than I expected and for other things it is taking longer.  Here are my expectations for 2019:

One of the more interesting interviews that came out of VRM Intel this year, was an interview that Amy Hinote did with Steve Trover of All Star Vacation Homes as they closed their doors this year. In this wide-ranging interview, Trover, who has long been a consultant in the vacation rental industry, comments on things he wishes he paid more attention to in running his company, in order to help others.

Barefoot is excited to attend their first Rez Fest as a preferred HomeAway partner. We are looking forward to meeting with our clients and to talk to attendees who are looking for the most tailorable and scalable software solution in the vacation rental management industry.

For those of you who came to the Barefoot User Conference, this is a follow up on my asset management presentation. For those of you who couldn’t join us, over the next few months I will continue to send out more information on this topic. I also hope that this starts a conversation, because overall, you are innovative.  We are focused on helping you become a property asset manager.

The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Council has mandated that support for early TLS protocols must be disabled no later than by June 30, 2018.

Guest blogger -- Clint Harritt,  LuxuryFractionalGuide.com

To many, the idea of a perfect getaway involves indulging in nature. Ecotourism, another disruptor to the vacation rental market, is defined as “tourism directed toward exotic, often threatened, natural environments, especially to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife.”  Essentially, it is a unique opportunity to relax while exploring and appreciating exotic wildlife. Places like Costa Rica is not only a popular country to vacation, but it is recognized as one of the world leaders in ecotourism.