Short-term rentals may be one of the most overlooked areas of hospitality when it comes to safety.

In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with Justin Ford of Breezeway to break down the real risks STR owners and operators need to understand—and the simple steps that can prevent injuries, lawsuits, and major property damage.

Justin shares lessons from years of managing vacation rentals and working specifically in short-term rental safety, including:

• Why pools are one of the biggest risks in STRs
• The smoke and carbon monoxide alarms every property should have
• Why slips, trips, and falls generate so many claims
• The biggest safety mistakes owners make in kitchens
• Where fire extinguishers should actually be installed
• The growing risk of lithium battery fires
• Why decks, egress, railings, and renovations need to meet modern safety standards
• How proper documentation can protect owners when something goes wrong

The biggest takeaway: safety isn't something you address after an accident. It needs to be built into the way you design, operate, and maintain your property from day one.

If you own or operate short-term rentals, this is an episode worth saving—and revisiting.

__

Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search

STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com

San Diego has some of the strongest STR revenue numbers we’ve seen—but getting into the market comes with a major hurdle.

In this Monday Market Data Report, Mark Lumpkin breaks down the San Diego, California short-term rental market, including tourism, regulations, revenue by bedroom count, and the amenities investors need to compete.

The numbers get interesting fast:

• 1 Bedroom → ~$81K/year average
• 2 Bedrooms → ~$92K/year
• 3 Bedrooms → ~$102K/year
• 4 Bedrooms → ~$115K/year
• 5 Bedrooms → ~$161K/year
• 7 Bedrooms → ~$200K/year average

The biggest jump? Going from four to five bedrooms adds roughly $45K+ in average annual revenue, while some top-performing larger properties are reaching $300K–$500K in revenue.

Mark also breaks down San Diego’s amenity stack, where fire pits and hot tubs are common—but movie theaters, saunas, mini golf, and pickleball courts remain rare.

The opportunity is there. The challenge is navigating San Diego’s strict STR permitting environment and finding a property that can actually operate.

Tune in for the complete breakdown.

What does it actually take to keep a short-term rental guest-ready - not just clean?

In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with Jonathan Wicks, Founder of Well & Good, one of the largest vacation rental cleaning and servicing companies in the industry.

Jonathan breaks down the systems behind operating STRs at scale, from cleaning and off-site laundry to restocking, inspections, maintenance issues, and the tight turnover window between guests.

They cover:

• Why “clean” doesn’t always mean guest-ready
• The biggest mistakes STR owners make with cleaners
• Why cleaning, laundry, and restocking should be separate processes
• How Well & Good handles hundreds of turnovers during peak season
• What owners should expect from their boots-on-the-ground team
• How to build operating systems that scale

Whether you own one STR or manage hundreds, this episode is packed with practical ways to improve your operations and deliver a better guest experience.

__

Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search

STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com