Community Perks with The STR Report

🏠 Top-Tier Property Management – Lower fees, higher payouts, and premium service. Built for investors who want performance and peace of mind. See how much more your property could earn—click to get your free performance assessment.

🔎 Personal Airbnb Investment Finder – Connect with an expert to handpick profitable Airbnb properties that match your criteria. With 213+ successful deals, all cash-flowing, you’re in good hands. Take 15 seconds to fill out the form to see how all of these properties are experiencing a 10-15% Cash-on-Cash return.

🤑 STR Loans & More – Need funding for your next short-term rental? Expect expert guidance, personalized service, and the best possible rates.

February 19th, 2026

Good evening STR Report Community!

In today’s issue, you will find:

📱Today’s Article: 🌟 From Criticism to Credibility: How Airbnb Hosts Can Respond to Negative Reviews Like Pros

📈 Trending Market Highlight: Manchester, New Hampshire and Napa Valley, California

✉️ STR News: Will AI Kill Airbnb? Only If You Think Airbnb Is Just Search

💸 Mortgage Rate Watch

🐚 Unique Airbnb of the Week

🏫 Subscriber Perks: Go Live Playbook, including: Beginner’s Guide E-Book, Guest Communication Messaging Templates, Airbnb Welcome Guide Template, STR Buy Box Template, & Tax Savings E-Book

✅ Community Perks: Top-Tier Property Management, Personal Airbnb Investment Finder, and STR Loans & More

📬 See our collection of newsletters here: Prior Newsletters

🌟 From Criticism to Credibility: How Airbnb Hosts Can Respond to Negative Reviews Like Pros

Negative reviews can sting — especially when you’ve poured time, money, and heart into creating a great guest experience. But here’s the truth: how you respond matters just as much (if not more) than the review itself. A professional, constructive reply shows future guests that you’re attentive, accountable, and committed to improvement.

Here’s how to handle negative feedback with confidence and grace 👇

🧘‍♂️ 1. Pause Before Responding

It’s natural to feel defensive, but responding emotionally can escalate the situation. Take a breath, step away, and come back with a calm mindset.

Pro tip: Draft your response, then reread it later before posting.

🤝 2. Start with Appreciation

Thank the reviewer for their feedback — even if you disagree. This immediately sets a respectful tone.

Example:
“Thank you for your feedback — we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.”

👂 3. Acknowledge the Issue

Show that you hear their concern. Avoid arguing or blaming the guest.

Example:
“I’m sorry to hear the check-in process felt confusing — that’s certainly not the experience we aim to provide.”

🛠️ 4. Explain (Briefly) Without Making Excuses

If there’s context, share it briefly and professionally. Transparency builds trust.

Example:
“We recently updated our entry system and are working to make instructions clearer for future guests.”

🚀 5. Share the Fix

Let readers know what you’ve done — or will do — to prevent the issue from happening again. This reassures future guests.

Example:
“We’ve updated our guidebook and added step-by-step photos to make check-in smoother.”

💬 6. Take the Conversation Offline

If appropriate, invite the guest to continue the conversation privately.

Example:
“Please feel free to message us directly — we’d love the chance to make things right.”

❌ What to Avoid

• Getting defensive or argumentative

• Over-explaining

• Blaming the guest

• Ignoring the review

• Using generic copy-paste responses

⭐ Why This Matters More Than You Think

Future guests often read negative reviews first. A thoughtful response shows professionalism, builds trust, and can actually increase bookings because it demonstrates accountability.

Remember: perfection isn’t what guests expect — responsiveness is.

✅ Quick Response Template:

“Thank you for your feedback, [Name]. We’re sorry to hear about your experience with [issue]. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and have taken steps to address it by [solution]. We’re always working to improve and hope to host you again in the future.”

Every review is an opportunity to strengthen your reputation. Respond with empathy, clarity, and action — and you’ll turn even tough feedback into a powerful trust signal.💡

Manchester, New Hampshire

Downloadable Manchester, New Hampshire Short-Term Rental Market Report

• Average Daily Rate (ADR): $164.93 per night

• Occupancy Rate: 57.56%

• Annual Revenue Potential: Around $69,431 per year

Read our full Manchester, New Hampshire Short-Term Rental Market Report attached above.

Napa Valley, California 🍷

Downloadable Napa Valley, California Short-Term Rental Market Report

• Average Daily Rate (ADR): $446.61 per night

• Occupancy Rate: 50.85%

• Annual Revenue Potential: Around $162,478 per year

Read our full Napa Valley, California Short-Term Rental Market Report attached above.

📬 See our collection of 120+ market reports here: Prior Trending Market Reports

💸 Booking Holdings Is Almost as Big as Airbnb in Homes
Yesterday, Booking Holdings — parent of Booking.com and Agoda — released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results, along with guidance for 2026.

🤖 HomeToGo launches AI travel companion Dash
HomeToGo has launched Dash, a new AI-powered travel companion now live across its marketplace on web, iOS and Android.

✈️ Airbnb Tests Loyalty Benefits. Chesky Says Program ‘Could Be a Massive Accelerant’
In 2018, Airbnb had a "superguest" loyalty plan in the works to reward frequent guests with premium benefits, but it never came to be. Might the loyalty benefits being tested resurrect some of those plans?

💻 Will AI Kill Airbnb? Only If You Think Airbnb Is Just Search
Airbnb operates across three layers: discovery, payment infrastructure, and trust. AI may compete in search and comparison, but replicating cross-border payments, fraud protection, dispute resolution, verified identities, and supply-side onboarding is significantly harder.

💰 BookingsCloud launches predictive revenue opportunity tool 
Short-term rental marketing firm BookingsCloud has launched its Opportunity Score tool. The tool is meant to identify marketing gaps and automatically run campaigns to increase bookings.

🏨 Airbnb’s Hotel Strategy Is Now ‘Much Bigger’
There is absolutely no doubt that eventually Airbnb will take on Booking.com head-on in homes and hotels. But then what will set the two rivals apart?

💸Mortgage Rate Watch – February 19th, 2026

Current Mortgage Rates (as of February 19, 2026):

• 30-Year Fixed: 6.05% (+0.01%)

• 15-Year Fixed: 5.62% (+0.01%)

• 30-Year Jumbo: 6.28% (+0.00%)

• 30-Year FHA: 5.65% (+0.02%)

• 30-Year VA: 5.67% (+0.02%)

• 7/6 SOFR ARM: 5.38% (+0.03%)

Market Overview: Mortgage rates edged slightly higher today, with the 30-year fixed rising to 6.05%. Most loan types posted modest increases, while jumbo rates held steady. Despite the small uptick, overall rate movement remains limited, suggesting lenders continue to price cautiously amid relatively stable bond market conditions.

Rate Trends & Forecast:

• Short-Term: Rates are likely to stay in a narrow range, with minor day-to-day changes driven by bond market activity and upcoming economic data.

• Long-Term: If inflation continues to moderate and long-term Treasury yields trend lower, mortgage rates could gradually ease over time. However, meaningful declines remain unlikely without a clearer shift in economic conditions or monetary policy.

  For real-time mortgage rate updates, visit Mortgage News Daily.

Bored of staying at regular Airbnbs?

How about taking a beach vacation?  🐚

This spacious 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in the heart of Seminole, FL is the perfect Florida getaway for families, groups, or multiple couples, comfortably accommodating up to 10 guests and offering everything you need for a relaxing vacation. Located just 9 minutes from Indian Shores Beach and close to local attractions like Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, the home features a private pool, enclosed yard, outdoor patio with dining, BBQ grill, and modern open-concept living spaces with stylish furnishings. Enjoy a fully stocked kitchen with a mini coffee bar, TVs in every bedroom, WiFi, parking for two cars, and family-friendly amenities, all designed to provide comfort, convenience, and easy access to the best of the Gulf Coast.

Subscriber Perks:

📖🏡💰 Go Live Playbook

The "Go Live Playbook" is your all-in-one guide featuring a beginner’s guide e-book, messaging templates, Airbnb welcome book, STR buy box template, and tax savings tips to kickstart your short-term rental success.

Community Perks with The STR Report

🏠 Top-Tier Property Management – Lower fees, higher payouts, and premium service. Built for investors who want performance and peace of mind. See how much more your property could earn—click to get your free performance assessment.

🔎 Personal Airbnb Investment Finder – Connect with an expert to handpick profitable Airbnb properties that match your criteria. With 213+ successful deals, all cash-flowing, you’re in good hands. Take 15 seconds to fill out the form to see how all of these properties are experiencing a 10-15% Cash-on-Cash return.

🤑 STR Loans & More – Need funding for your next short-term rental? Expect expert guidance, personalized service, and the best possible rates.

Partner with Us!

If you have a project you’d like us to promote, or a product or service you’d like to share, please reach out to us at [email protected].

We appreciate you being a part of our STR community and for sharing our group with your business partners and associates. Thank you!