Lodgify Lowdown (January ’26): AI Gets Transactional

Is it just us, or did January pass in a flash?

If you feel the same and haven’t had a chance to keep up with the latest updates out of the vacation rental industry, now’s your chance: In this month’s lowdown, we’re getting into recent innovations in AI, changes from Airbnb, and legislation commotion in the U.S. and around the world.

Plus, read to the end for a look at 2026 industry reports you won’t want to miss!

AI-powered booking takes shape

We’ll begin this month’s lowdown with the topic of the moment: artificial intelligence (AI).

Google has begun a phased rollout of its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open-source standard designed to turn AI conversations into instant bookings—allowing travelers to check availability, view live pricing, and complete payment without ever leaving a chat interface. For vacation rental operators, UCP offers a potential path to direct bookings while remaining the merchant of record, but only if their data is clean, structured, and machine-readable.

Meanwhile, OpenAI has begun testing ads in ChatGPT, with sponsored listings now appearing directly within travel planning conversations for U.S. users. Paired with the platform’s Instant Checkout feature, travelers can move from inspiration to transaction without clicking through to a booking channel or property website.

Both developments signal a shift from AI as a research tool to AI as a booking channel—one that could challenge the traditional booking model. Early “agentic fees” are reportedly around 4%, well below standard OTA commissions, though costs could rise as adoption grows.

The common thread for operators? Data hygiene is now mission-critical. Properties with real-time synced inventory and structured, machine-readable information stand to benefit, while those with inconsistent or outdated data risk being overlooked—or worse, misrepresented—by AI agents.

In Airbnb news…

New year, new leadership (and business focuses)

Airbnb started off the year by appointing Ahmad Al-Dahle, former head of generative AI at Meta, as its new Chief Technology Officer—a clear sign that AI is now foundational to the platform’s future.

The company also expanded Jesse Stein’s role to Global Head of Hotels alongside Real Estate, and brought in Lou Zameryka as Global Head of Hotel Enterprise and Connectivity Partnerships. Together, these moves suggest Airbnb is doubling down on both AI-driven personalization and its push into hotel inventory.

CookUnity meal delivery partnership

Airbnb has also partnered with CookUnity, a chef-led meal delivery service, to let guests order ready-to-heat meals (from $15) directly through Airbnb Services in 20+ U.S. states—with expansion into Canada planned for 2026.

Unlike its recent Instacart pilot, this is a fully platform-controlled, guest-facing service with no host involvement or revenue sharing. Our tip? If you already offer welcome meals, private chefs, or local dining partnerships, you should clearly communicate these add-ons to stand out from the app-native option.

Most viral listings of 2025

Finally, the platform has released its list of the 10 most viral listings of 2025, ranked by engagement across Instagram and TikTok.

Top performers share common traits: immersion in nature, distinctive design, and a promise of slowing down—from a cabin suspended over a glacial river in Washington to a converted DC-6 airplane in Alaska. For hosts, this is a reminder that social media is now a demand signal, not just a marketing channel—listings that tell a compelling visual story have an edge in capturing guest attention before they even start searching.

Your monthly rules & regulations roundup

Hawaii’s 10,000-home claim faces reality check

After months of debate, Maui’s Bill 9 is now law. Signed by Mayor Richard Bissen on December 15, 2025, the ordinance phases out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned districts—including thousands of units on the long-standing Minatoya List—marking one of the most significant zoning reversals affecting vacation rentals in the U.S.

The law sets staggered deadlines: STR use in West Maui must cease by January 1, 2029, while all other areas face a January 1, 2031 cutoff. There’s no opt-out, renewal, or grandfathering beyond those dates. Hotel- and resort-zoned properties remain unaffected.

But the ordinance is already facing pushback. Two lawsuits have been filed challenging Bill 9 as an unconstitutional taking of property rights, though no injunctions have been granted. Meanwhile, Maui County Council has advanced proposed H-3 and H-4 hotel zoning districts for review—changes that could allow roughly 4,519 of the 6,208 affected units to continue operating legally.

Adding to the uncertainty, Governor Josh Green recently claimed Hawaii will move 10,000 vacation rentals to long-term housing—but critics say the numbers don’t add up. Maui’s Bill 9 is the only active phaseout mechanism in the state, and depending on how lawsuits and rezoning efforts play out, the actual number of converted units could range from zero to 6,208. No other Hawaiian island has comparable legislation in motion.

For travelers and hosts, the immediate impact remains limited. Maui still has over 12,500 legal vacation rentals outside the scope of Bill 9, and popular resort areas like Wailea, Kihei, and Kaanapali sit largely within uncontested hotel-zoned districts.

San Diego rejects proposed $8,000 tax on vacation rentals

San Diego’s Rules Committee has voted 3-2 to reject a proposed ballot measure that would have imposed an annual $8,000 tax on whole-home short-term rentals and vacant second homes. The proposal would have affected more than 10,800 properties, with opponents arguing it wouldn’t create new housing and risked significant tourism tax revenue losses.

The measure will not advance to the June ballot—but for San Diego hosts, the debate signals that STR taxation remains a live issue in high-demand coastal markets.

Columbia, South Carolina closes residential neighborhoods to new STRs

Meanwhile, the Colombia City Council has voted yes, unanimously approving new rules that restrict where short-term rentals can operate and limit new STRs largely to commercial and mixed-use zones.

In residential areas, new rentals will only be permitted on streets with at least four lanes classified as major arterials or collector roads. Existing permitted STRs can continue operating, but the changes effectively close most residential neighborhoods to new short-term rental activity.

Sandpoint, Idaho drops rental cap to dodge legal fight

Sandpoint’s city council has voted to remove its 35-unit cap on non-owner-occupied short-term rentals in residential areas—not because they wanted more STRs, but to avoid a costly legal battle.

Recent state and federal court rulings have created confusion over how municipalities can regulate short-term rentals, prompting the city to adopt what it calls a “legally defensible” policy. The move also introduces a new high-occupancy category with distinct permitting requirements and local management conditions.

Inverness edges closer to short-term rental controls

Inverness, Scotland is moving forward with plans to introduce a short-term rental control area after councilors raised concerns about housing availability—citing just 20 private long-term rental properties currently on the market in the city.

If approved, new holiday lets in designated parts of Inverness would require full planning permission in addition to a licence. The proposals will now go to local consultation before any final decision is made.

Around the globe

And in the rest of the world? Here are the top headlines:

• Draft legislation in Poland proposes mandatory registration on a central database for all short-term rentals, with fines up to PLN 50,000 for noncompliance and new powers for local authorities to restrict or ban STRs in designated areas.
• Lisbon has reversed its long-standing short-term rental restrictions after data showed the 2019 controls failed to improve housing affordability, with a new framework now permitting STRs to account for up to 10% of housing stock in designated areas.
• The Moroccan government is preparing a regulatory decree to control short-term rental properties and limit platform-driven expansion, as officials cited Airbnb’s growth as a key factor tightening the housing market amid a 60%+ property price surge over the past decade.
• In Greece, a new housing package expands STR restrictions to central Thessaloniki and mandates that properties in designated zones be removed from the national STR registry upon ownership change, preventing new owners from reactivating short-term rental use.
• The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) has filed a lawsuit seeking access bans on 10 foreign platforms—including Airbnb, Expedia, and Trip.com—citing unfair competition and unregulated activity, following a similar 2018 challenge that resulted in Booking.com’s ongoing ban.

2026 industry reports have arrived

Three major industry reports have landed this month, offering fresh data on U.S. vacation rental performance, investment opportunities, and early 2026 booking trends. And yes—one of them is from yours truly!

• Lodgify’s 2026 State of the Industry Report combines analysis of over 1.6 million bookings with survey responses from 270 U.S. hosts and property managers, covering direct vs. OTA performance, key market trends, technology adoption, AI usage across the industry, and more.
• AirDNA’s Best Places to Invest 2026 Report evaluates U.S. markets using a proprietary scoring system that assesses demand, revenue potential, and how purchase prices compare with projected short-term rental income—with breakout rankings by budget and demand driver, including national parks, beaches, universities, and workforce travel.
• Key Data’s Q1 2026 U.S. Index tracks early-year booking pace, occupancy trends, ADR, and RevPAR performance across U.S. markets, with regional breakdowns and distribution channel data showing how reservations and revenue split between Airbnb, other OTAs, and direct bookings.

See you next time!

From shifting regulations to AI-powered booking, the vacation rental industry is entering 2026 with no shortage of change. For hosts and property managers, the mandate is clear: Staying informed and operationally agile has never been more important.

Whether it’s monitoring local legislation, benchmarking performance against industry data, or ensuring your listings are ready for the next generation of AI-driven discovery, the operators who adapt quickly will be best positioned to thrive.

That’s it for now—back next month with more updates!

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