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.

October 6th, 2025

Good evening STR Report Community!

In today’s issue, you will find:

📱Today’s Article: How to Build a Profitable Financial Plan for Your Short-Term Rental 📈

📈 Trending Market Highlight: Lake Havasu, Arizona and Baltimore, Maryland

✉️ STR News: Sonesta partners with Viator to expand loyalty benefits

💸 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

How to Build a Profitable Financial Plan for Your Short-Term Rental📈🏡💵

Running a short-term rental business isn’t just about providing a beautiful property and memorable guest experiences—it’s also about managing your finances strategically. Setting clear financial goals gives you direction, helps you track progress, and ensures your rental business remains profitable in the long run. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, here’s how to approach financial goal-setting for your short-term rental.

Why Financial Goals Matter

Financial goals serve as your roadmap. Without them, it’s easy to get caught up in daily operations without really knowing if your business is moving forward. Goals allow you to:

• Measure performance against clear benchmarks

• Plan for expenses like maintenance, upgrades, and marketing

• Maintain profitability during off-peak seasons

• Stay prepared for unexpected challenges

With defined targets, you shift from “just renting out a property” to running a true business.

Step 1: Define Your Revenue Targets

The first step is to identify how much income you want to generate. Consider these questions:

• How much do you need to cover your mortgage, taxes, and utilities?

• What level of profit do you want beyond covering costs?

• How many nights per month do you need to book to reach that target?

Breaking down annual revenue goals into quarterly and monthly targets makes them more manageable and actionable.

Step 2: Track Operating Expenses

Short-term rentals often come with fluctuating costs. To avoid surprises, set expense-related goals. These might include:

• Reducing utility bills through energy-efficient upgrades

• Setting a fixed percentage of revenue aside for repairs and maintenance

• Allocating funds for cleaning, restocking, and guest amenities

Clear expense targets help ensure you don’t erode profits with hidden or unmonitored costs.

Step 3: Plan for Growth and Investment

Your rental business can’t grow without reinvestment. Think about financial goals beyond the basics:

• Saving for property upgrades (e.g., new furnishings, renovations)

• Building a marketing budget to increase occupancy

• Setting aside funds to purchase additional rental properties

These growth-oriented goals keep your business evolving and competitive.

Step 4: Prepare for Seasonality

Most short-term rental markets have high and low seasons. Set goals to balance your finances year-round:

• Create a reserve fund from peak season earnings to cover slow months

• Adjust pricing strategies to maximize occupancy during off-peak times

• Experiment with discounts or special offers to maintain steady bookings

This ensures stability even when bookings fluctuate.

Step 5: Monitor and Adjust Regularly

Finally, setting financial goals isn’t a one-time exercise. Regularly review your performance:

• Compare actual income and expenses against targets

• Use property management software or spreadsheets to track trends

• Adjust pricing, marketing, or spending as needed

A quarterly review process helps you stay on course and make informed decisions.

Final Thoughts

Setting financial goals for your short-term rental business is about more than numbers—it’s about creating a framework for sustainable success. By defining revenue targets, controlling expenses, planning for growth, and adjusting for seasonality, you’ll position your rental business to thrive in both the short and long term.

With the right financial strategy in place, your rental won’t just be a property—it will be a profitable, scalable business.

Lake Havasu, Arizona🎈

Downloadable Lake Havasu, Arizona Short-Term Rental Market Report

• Average Daily Rate (ADR): $303 per night

• Occupancy Rate: 47.41%

• Annual Revenue Potential: Around $58,655 per year

Read our full Lake Havasu, Arizona Short-Term Rental Market Report attached above.

Baltimore, Maryland 🦀

Downloadable Baltimore, Maryland Short-Term Rental Market Report

• Average Daily Rate (ADR): $327.05 per night

• Occupancy Rate: 50.20%

• Annual Revenue Potential: Around $66,339 per year

Read our full Baltimore, Maryland Short-Term Rental Market Report attached above.

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

🏡 Inside Airbnb’s Host Summit: Profile Changes for Property Managers, What Chesky Said
The creation of business profiles for property managers on Airbnb would be a step forward in the name of transparency. Guests would be better served if they have a preference for individual versus professional hosts.

📱Sonesta partners with Viator to expand loyalty benefits
Hospitality company Sonesta International Hotels Corporation has partnered with tours and activities booking platform Viator to allow members of its Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty programme to earn points when booking tours, activities and excursions.

🏦 ÖÖD Group secures investment from Bayard Capital
Estonia-based nature hospitality brand ÖÖD Group, known for its mirror-house cabins, has secured investment from Australian family-owned growth investor Bayard Capital to accelerate its global expansion.

💸Mortgage Rate Watch – October 6th, 2025

Current Mortgage Rates (as of October 6, 2025):

• 30-Year Fixed: 6.38 % (+0.04 %)

• 15-Year Fixed: 5.90 % (+0.06 %)

• 30-Year Jumbo: 6.28 % (+0.03 %)

• 7/6 SOFR ARM: 5.84 % (+0.08 %)

• 30-Year FHA: 6.07 % (+0.04 %)

• 30-Year VA: 6.09 % (+0.04 %)

Market Overview: Rates nudged higher across most loan types today, led by a 4-basis-point increase in the 30-year fixed rate. The move is modest, but it indicates that recent softness in the bond market is beginning to creep into mortgage pricing. With no major economic releases on the calendar, markets seem cautious—lenders may be holding back aggressive moves until clearer signals emerge.

Rate Trends & Forecast:

• Short-Term: Expect continued low volatility, with mild upward pressure possible if bond yields continue to drift higher. Absent surprising inflation or employment data, rates should stay within their recent range.

• Long-Term: While many are watching for a Fed rate cut later this month, significant downward movement in mortgage rates may be limited unless Treasury yields drop—and inflation expectations weaken meaningfully. Incremental rate easing is more likely than sharp declines in the months ahead.

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

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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.

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