Have you already begun to notice the decline in international guests? Are Canadians making alternative plans that don’t include Portland? 

It sure seems that way. Canadians road trips to the US are down over 30% and flights are down 70% so far in 2025. Unfortunately, Canadians are the largest demographic of international visitors to the Pacific Northwest.

Changes in border control policies, visa denials, and detentions are having direct and significant consequences on inbound international travel to the United States whether from Canada or other locations. Summer travel from Europe is down 25% so far and projected to continue to decrease. These drops in visitors will surely impact the US economy to the tune of billions of dollars and will most likely impact your household’s bottom line too. 

Let’s get together and talk about it. Let’s find out what Travel Portland and Airbnb are doing to help hosts weather these unpredictable and unsustainable attacks on tourism. Let’s learn from each other and feel the support of community when we need it the most. 

We’ll be at the Kennedy School’s Community Room on May 13th. Will you be there?

As a short-term rental host in a crowded market, you want your listing to stand out. One of the most effective - and often overlooked - ways to increase your visibility and attract more potential guests is by incorporating thorough written descriptions into your listing, including captions for each photograph.

Why Descriptions Matter for SEO

Providing Guests with Essential Information

• Instead of cozy living room, try a spacious living area featuring a plush sectional sofa, a gas fireplace, and large windows offering stunning mountain views.
• Rather than simply stating fully equipped kitchen, highlight key amenities: Enjoy cooking in a gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a gas range, and a coffee bar stocked with locally roasted beans.

The Importance of Photo Captions

• A bathroom image captioned Spa-like bathroom with a rainfall shower and organic bath products reassures guests of the luxury they can expect.
• A backyard photo labeled Expansive deck with a BBQ grill, perfect for summer cookouts highlights outdoor amenities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Actionable Steps to Improve Your Listing

• Review and update your listing description - Ensure it fully captures your home’s best features, using relevant keywords naturally.
• Add descriptive captions to every photo - Don’t let your images speak for themselves; enhance them with thoughtful descriptions.
• Think like a guest - Consider what details would be most important to someone booking a stay and answer their questions before they have to ask.
• Monitor your results - Track your listing’s performance and make refinements based on guest feedback and engagement levels.

By implementing these strategies, you can enhance your listing’s visibility, improve search rankings, and provide guests with the confidence they need to book your home. Start optimizing today and watch your views - and hopefully, bookings - soar!

On April 17th, Host2Host featured a panel of bookkeeping experts to help solve your bookkeeping challenges. The session focused on best practices for staying financially organized, tracking income and expenses, and preparing for tax time. We heard from Host2Host business affiliate member Kim Boaz with Back to Basics Bookkeeping, Megan Carter with The Nerdy Keeper, and Adam Hamilton with REIHub.

Key tips included:

• Always separate personal and business finances (especially if you have an LLC)
• Track gross income and separately categorize OTA fees and taxes
• Reconcile accounts monthly to catch mistakes or fraud
• Keep digital records of receipts and tax documents for at least 7 years
• Save 20–30% of gross income for taxes

Our community came out in a big way to support the Portland Youth Philharmonic in memory of our friend and founding member, Jill Palamountain, who sadly passed in March 2025. Together, we raised $1,117! Another $500 will be contributed by Host2Host, so we get to support the PYP 100-year anniversary campaign to the tune of $1,617. Thank you to everyone who contributed. You are appreciated by so many who will be uplifted and inspired by your contribution.

Running a short-term rental means juggling guest communications, cleaning schedules, and making sure every stay is five-star worthy. But what about your bookkeeping?

As hosts we are amazing at managing the minutiae and ensuring guests experience nothing less than a picture-perfect stay. But, many of us could improve our overall approach to save ourselves from future headaches.

Commingled Expenses
Since the nature of our business often necessitates personal and business errands happening at the same time, it’s important to remember not to commingle expenses. This means personal expenses should be kept separate from rental property’s expenses when we make purchases. Be sure to save receipts so later we can provide proof of the expense.

Mileage Deductions
All this running around usually involves a car. Be sure to track your mileage so you can deduct them as a business expense on your annual income tax return. I used to keep a simple form in the car and I noted miles out, where I went, and the miles when I returned. When the log filled up, I transferred it to a spreadsheet. You could also use a simple, online Google Form or even an app to track your miles.

Track Your Data
Speaking of relying upon online tools to track your data, you should be careful not to rely solely upon an online platform like Airbnb to track this info. Opt for an accounting system of some sort to ensure you retain the data you need for your business in the future.

Keeping track of all of these expenses, deductions, and tax documents can feel overwhelming, until you learn a few smart strategies.

On April 17th, Host2Host is bringing in professional bookkeepers who specialize in working with hosts like you. They’ll share practical tips to streamline your financial records, avoid common pitfalls, and make tax time less stressful. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your process, this meetup will provide valuable, actionable insights.

Join us at our April meetup and get your financial house in order!

I’ll preface the summarized ideas below with the fact that I’m fascinated by little details that niche communities uncover in collaborative settings.  I love the unobvious, unpublished ideas that are often brought about in conversations with industry experts and fellow hosts. One person’s question brings about another person’s epiphany, which brings out another person’s curiosity.

Whether virtual or in-person, events with Host2Host are chock full of conversations like this. Recently Host2Host members gathered with 3 professionals from 3 alternative platforms: HostShare, Radious, and PadSplit. Here are a few "light bulb" moments I had about each platform. But I promise there’s more if you consider watching the entire conversation, especially if you’ve never heard of these alternative platforms!

HostShare offers hosts opportunities to book properties up to 5 days in advance for up to 21 nights of free accommodations annually within the HostShare network. Hosts only pay cleaning fees, avoiding nightly rates, platform fees, or taxes.

While the “free” nights sound appealing, I also was super reluctant to think that a 5 day advance booking window is sufficient time to plan around work, family, and life. Anthony then pointed out something entirely unobvious to me: simply consider booking a hotel well in advance because most are refundable until the day before check-in anyway. Then shop a HostShare stay as travel window approaches closer. This immediately addressed my anxiety if a HostShare stay isn’t available during the desired travel window. To me, this is an unobvious strategy just isn't something HostShare could publish, but it absolutely made me reconsider the platform. Hosts hosting hosts!

Radious may be much more compatible with HOA’s and neighborly concerns about short term rentals than I realized, mainly parking and noise concerns. It was unobvious to me that parking is much less of a concern because Radious guests are not overnight guests, they are generally only on-property during business hours.  Amina pointed out, funny enough, Radious guests and neighbors become like two ships passing each other in the day. Potentially much less traffic impact than overnight guests. Again, maybe obvious to others, but since Radious doesn’t host overnight guests, Radious hosts can often avoid the need for short term rental permits in certain markets. 

Padsplit could be summarized as a platform for mid-term, co-living room rental stays. For hosts and investors, renting a furnished home by the room may offer an opportunity for greater cashflow than a traditional long term rental.

HOWEVER, my big unobvious “aha!” moment was realizing that given the nature of multiple turns and staggered lengths of stay among multiple rooms, hosts and home owners have much more frequent and legal access to their properties. Hosts typically cannot enter the home while guests occupy the property. However, with individual room leases, it seems homeowners can indeed enter common areas of the home and unoccupied rooms in the home, be it for cleanings, maintenance etc. This probably warrants further consideration but this struck me as an unobvious, unpublished benefit for homeowners to feel at ease that they can enter their own property, especially when compared to a traditional long term rental.

Watch the conversation on Youtube to discover your own unobvious moments!

This month the light in the world shone just a little dimmer after our bright, shining star – one of Host2Host’s founding members, former Executive Director and indefatigable leader passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. 

If you had the opportunity to know Jill, you know that she was a true force to be reckoned with, a generous leader, and an inspiration to so many. Her contributions to creating a strong and lasting foundation for Host2Host cannot be overstated. In her honor, our Board of Directors has created the Jill Palamountain Memorial Fund and will be seeding it with $500. Money collected will be donated to Portland Youth Philharmonic, a non-profit that Jill was very supportive of. If you would like to contribute to the fund, please make a donation here. Our donation will be made based on all the funds we have collected by March 31, 2025.

A celebration of life remembrance is in the works. We’ll send out more information about that when we have it. If you have a moment or two to spare a thought for her husband Michael and son Forrest, I know they would appreciate feeling the love at such an incredibly difficult time.

Email Charity for their contact details if you would like the opportunity to reach out directly or if you have questions about contributing towards the memorial fund.

Say the things you need to say and hug your loved ones extra hard today. Thank you for being a part of our community.

Remembering Jill Palamountain
By Debi & Rob Hertert, founding members of Host2Host

“OMG! This actually blows me away, Jill! I’m bowing deeply to you. I knew we have a wonderful team of people, but, forgive me if I wax hyperbolic, you’re a perfect example of why we, as an organization, will thrive. Thank you a million times.” 

This was Alan Colley’s reaction to Jill’s draft of the very first Host2Host newsletter for April, 2018. How many times did Jill “wow” us with her ability to write, guide, organize, nudge, and plan? And all of us who worked with her must smile remembering her signature, gentle nudge in meetings: “so how can we move this along?” 

The H2H Board hired Jill as our Executive Director and she immediately impressed the Board with her ability to take charge without stepping on toes. She assumed responsibility for so many aspects of the new organization, making it clear that choosing her for the job would prove to be instrumental for the young organization.

Jill had a combination of skills and personality traits that made it almost impossible not to like her and admire her ability to organize, plan and collaborate. She didn’t seek the spotlight, but didn’t shrink back when it was needed. Her optimism, sense of humor, great smile, patience and fun energy made her great to work with -but-  it had to end in some forward progress :) She never missed a deadline. She was the epitome of “work in the sense of joyously moving forward.” (Abraham Hicks)

Jill will be sorely missed by all who knew her. Host2Host’s success is in large part due to her stewardship. She always found the best in us, offering her sweet smile and soft encouragement. 

We were blessed to have you with us, Jill.  You are dearly missed. Thank you from our hearts, and God Speed.

For years, Airbnb and Vrbo have been the dominant platforms for short-term rental hosts, providing valuable opportunities to generate income and connect with travelers. However, as the home-sharing landscape evolves, an increasing number of alternative platforms have emerged, catering to diverse needs and preferences. 

Why Consider Alternative Home-Sharing Platforms?

1. PadSplit – Affordable Housing with a Purpose

2. Hostshare – A Community for Hosts, by Hosts

3. People Like Us – The Home Exchange Experience

4. Furnished Finder – Ideal for Traveling Professionals

5. Kindred – Reciprocal Hosting for Travelers

6. Becoming rentABLE – Aggregator for Disability-Friendly Travel

7. Radious – Fill the Gaps with Day-Time Professional Rentals

Choosing the Right Platform for You