SCALE

On The Wire - July 2026 Round Up July on The Wire covered a lot of ground. Spain's empty homes debate got a data-led reality check while Poland proposed legislation that could see neighbours play a role in STR enforcement. Airbnb's latest partnership hinted at ambitions far beyond accommodation, and a €250 million Flex Living merger pointed to where the sector is heading. We also shared everything you need to know before joining us in Barcelona for SCALE Fest this October. Find out more in this month's round up.

Some Friday news we've been dying to share: SCALE Fest has its main stage hosts! Leo Walton of Truvi Technologies Ltd and Sarah Nan DuPre of AirDNA, the duo behind the Check-In podcast, are taking charge of the main stage in Barcelona. They'll also be recording Check-In live throughout the event. And then there's the Sunday closer. An open mic called Did That Really Just Happen? The Untold Stories of Short-Term Rentals, where Leo, Sarah and some brave property managers share their funniest and most unbelievable guest encounters. Anyone who's ever handed over a set of keys knows there are stories. Don't worry... what's shared at SCALE, stays at SCALE. 😜 SCALE Fest | 24-25 October | Barcelona Tickets: https://lnkd.in/dPuj7X5C Leo Walton Sarah Nan DuPre Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Louise Brace Katie Glover

Only at SCALE Fest: Meet Your Match What if your biggest business challenge met someone else's biggest superpower? Every property manager arrives at SCALE Fest with different goals. Some are scaling, some are starting out, some are wrestling with regulation or owner retention. If you've ever thought, "I wish I could spend an hour with someone who's already figured this out," that's exactly what we're creating in Barcelona. Before the event, we'll ask a few questions about your business and the challenges you're facing. Then, each morning over coffee, we'll introduce you to operators who've already overcome them, or who are on the same journey as you. Bring your biggest challenge. We'll match you with someone who's already solved it. Every morning | 9:00–9:50 *Matchmaking available for Connection and Festival Pass holders.  Tag someone in the comments you'd like to match with at SCALE Fest and we'll invite them! Ticket Link: https://lnkd.in/dPuj7X5C Part Conference. Part Festival. 100% SCALE. Richard Vaughton Amber Hurdle 🧠 ✨🎤🔥 Lisa Roads Sarah Nan DuPre Leo Walton Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Louise Brace Katie Glover

Eleven years ago, Alexander Lyakhotskiy started managing short-term rentals while studying for his MBA. Today, Pass the Keys® operates more than 1,700 properties across the UK and Spain. For Wire, he's distilled that decade into 11 lessons: why cleaning deserves your attention from day one, why you can't offer great hospitality while running on empty, and why regulation might be better for your business than you think. Read the full article on Wire: https://lnkd.in/dJ3TG7Pw Germaine Mason Madeleine Parkin Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Katie Glover Louise Brace

Technology should make hospitality feel more human, not more complicated. That's a belief we share with Guesty, and it's why we're glad to have them on board as a sponsor at SCALE Fest 2026. Anyone managing a growing portfolio knows the pattern: more properties, more moving parts, less time for your guests. Guesty's platform brings operations, guest communication and growth tools into one place, so property managers can run tighter businesses without losing the human touch. Make sure to say hello to their fabulous team at Stand 12 in Barcelona and see what they're building. SCALE Fest 2026 | Barcelona | 24-25 October Tickets:  https://lnkd.in/dPuj7X5C Robin Clifford Roberto Bricio Koch Liam Rawson Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Louise Brace Katie Glover

If a guest charges their car at your property and you bill them for it, you're reselling electricity. And that technicality is about to matter, because two separate pieces of UK regulation are converging on holiday let EV charging at once. For the Wire, Billy Karidis of GuestCharge untangles them both: Ofgem's first review of resale pricing rules in two decades, with a decision due this year, and new metering standards forming up for 2027. Most operators are treating this as one distant problem. It's two, on different clocks, and the chargers most commonly installed at UK holiday lets today weren't built for what's coming. The good news is that getting ready is still mostly admin, and Billy includes a practical 90-day starting point. Billy K. GuestCharge by KD Energy® Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Louise Brace Katie Glover Read the full article on Wire: https://lnkd.in/grVkUza9

Sarah was a Superhost with fifteen thousand five-star guests behind her. Then one algorithm update halved her occupancy overnight. She hadn't done anything wrong. She'd done everything the industry told her to, and that turned out to be the problem. If you run a portfolio of any size, some version of this story is probably your 2am fear. A bad algorithm week, a policy change you didn't see coming, and suddenly the calendar looks very different. Most operators feel that fear, push it down, and tell themselves it was a one-off. Humphrey Bowles of Truvi opens SCALE Fest by arguing it isn't a one-off at all. It's the model. His keynote, You Didn't Scale a Business. You Scaled Your Dependency, asks whether you might be the next Sarah, and then answers the question properly: you'll work out your own exposure live in the room, as a real number, and leave with a practical approach for getting ahead of it before it happens to you. Fifty minutes on Day One that could change how you look at every door in your portfolio. Humphrey Bowles Leo Walton Truvi Technologies Ltd Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Katie Glover Louise Brace SCALE Fest | 24-25 October | Barcelona Tickets: https://lnkd.in/dPuj7X5C

This week's Wire Weekly, reported by Emily Mason, digs into the true cost of doing business in short-term rentals. Airbnb's host-only fee in Europe advertises at 15.5%, but VAT can push it past 19% for unregistered hosts 45% of US pet owners have changed or cancelled a trip because they couldn't find pet-friendly accommodation (57% for Gen Z) Expedia's CEO calls AI both a threat and an opportunity, and says human trust still wins bookings KeyData's World Cup analysis shows rate discipline, not occupancy, drove host city revenue Plus leadership news from Hostaway and what those everyday guest enquiries are really telling your reservations team. Read the full roundup: https://lnkd.in/d29w4Ctk Emily Mason Madeleine Parkin Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Katie Glover Louise Brace PetScreening Expedia Group KeyData

Three days. Three experiences. Which will you choose? "Top of my EU show list."  Richard Vaughton, Yes Consulting "It's going to be the best European STR event in Q3 of 2026 by a landslide." Mark Simpson 🚀, Boostly "Going to be brilliant." Humphrey Bowles, Truvi "SCALE has created a grown-up playground where business meets festival, and one of the best professional communities will come together." Amber Hurdle When leaders across the STR industry are saying things like this, you know something special is coming. This October, we're bringing the short-term rentals community together in Barcelona for three unforgettable days of learning, networking and celebrating the people shaping the future of short-term rentals. Choose the experience that suits you. Education Pass – Everything you need to learn, now including access to all auditorium session recordings after the event. Save €50 until 18 September. Connection Pass – Everything in Education, plus express entry, more networking opportunities and access to The Exit Door. Save €50 until 18 September. Festival Pass – The complete SCALE Fest experience, from Friday's exclusive welcome through to the final goodbye. Save up to €150 until 18 September. Have a chat with your STR colleagues and find out which pass they're booking. We'll see you in Barcelona! Damian Sheridan Gianpaolo Vairo Louise Brace Katie Glover Mayali Hendricks Tickets this way ➡️  https://lnkd.in/dPuj7X5C