Rentals

A new study by the Western Mountain Resort Alliance highlights the positive role of short-term rentals in Colorado’s mountain communities. The study by RRC Associates and Inntopia found that short-term rentals in Summit County generate significant economic and social contributions, support small businesses, offer diverse accommodation options, and are unlikely to cause significantly increased housing prices. “This study confirms that short-term rentals play a valuable role in sustaining our mountain communities,” said…

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Coachella‘s 2024 dates — April 12–14 and 19–21 — might seem like a ways out, but the earlier you can plan your trip the better. Once you’ve secured tickets to the festival, it’s time to make sure you’ve got a place to stay. One of the best sources for Coachella stays is Airbnb. The rental platform has dozens of villas, houses, guesthouses, and rooms available right…

Two years ago, YouTube star Luan Palomera paid $1.5 million for a chic vacation home in Palm Springs.Today, he’d be lucky to get $1 million for it.As L.A. continues its crackdown on Airbnb, city officials can turn toward the desert for an example — perhaps a cautionary tale — of the potential side effects of curbing the short-term rental market. In Palm Springs, a cap on short-term rentals in specific high-demand neighborhoods has all but frozen the market in those communities. A home for sale along…

Media streamer Plex’s long-delayed plans to launch a marketplace for TV and movie rentals are finally being realized after multiple false starts. The media startup originally announced its plan to expand its streaming service to include rentals just ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted launch plans alongside other technical concerns. Then, at CES a year ago, Plex said the rentals market was due for a second-quarter launch. But that window was missed, as well. Now, the company is confirming a scoop by Janko…

EHR HiPower solar generator; image via United Rentals. United Rentals is now the first major rental company to offer mobile micro grid battery power to its North American fleet of rental equipment. The HiPower EHR Solar Battery Generator boasts a 5.0kW peak solar array with extendable panels, converting and storing energy within built-in batteries. The EHR Solar Battery Generator is versatile, fitting on a 20-by-8-ft trailer or a skid (as shown, below) with a charging station for…

In the fight to regulate short-term rentals, New Orleans had a novel idea—it would hold a lottery. The plan was simple: Carve up the city into blocks and use a hand-cranked lottery machine to draw numbers, allowing one rental property per residential block. For the winners, the prize was a license to keep listing their property on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. For the losers, despair.But the controversial rules, enacted in March 2023, led to just one lottery before being temporarily halted by a federal judge in August. As…

Credit: The Conversation More than 3.6 million electric cars are driving around the U.S., but if you live in an apartment, finding an available charger isn't always easy. Grocery stores and shopping centers might have a few, but charging takes time and the spaces may be taken or inconvenient.…

It doesn’t matter if you own a house or rent an apartment — EcoFlow now has a home solar solution for you with its PowerStream and PowerOcean systems. Both are designed to lower your energy costs while providing emergency backup power when the grid fails — which is increasingly common as climate change fuels violent weather. The only catch is that these are Europe-only solutions — for now — because EcoFlow has already addressed the US market.PowerStream is billed as “the world’s first balcony solar system with a portable…

Today, Airbnb announced Rooms, a new take on the app’s original concept. This update also adds over 50 new features and upgrades to improve guests’ and hosts’ experiences with Airbnb. According to the platform, over 300 million guest arrivals are expected on Airbnb this year, which explains why the service needs some upgrades. With Airbnb Rooms, the company expects to make travel more affordable since more than 80% of private rooms are under $100/night, with an average rate of $67/night. In addition, the…

The pandemic is over, according to Airbnb (that's debatable), so the company is gearing up for a massive summer of vacationing. It's introducing over 50 new features to its rental platform, including an expansion of the more transparent pricing it unveiled last year. Most importantly, though, it's refocusing on the pitch that made the company a success: Being able to easily rent low-cost rooms. It's relaunching that experience as "Airbnb Rooms," which will make it easier to find private rooms, as well as offer more…