Resources

Hi friends,

Last week, Kaisha and I attended a fantastic webinar with members of the Poconos Excellence STR networking group. It was a great conversation — thoughtful questions, smart operators, exactly the kind of dialogue we love.

But one comment stopped me in my tracks.

One attendee mentioned that she wasn’t quite sure how to get in touch with the Poconos VRO when she had a question.

Dang. That’s not good — and it’s important we fix that.

So let me start with this: there are real people here.
No AI bots. No black hole inbox. When you reach out to Poconos VRO, your message goes to an actual human — either Kaisha Rosa or me — and we genuinely want to hear from you.

Here are the easiest ways to reach us:

1️⃣ Reply to this email
If you’re reading this Monday Musing, just hit reply. It comes straight to me.
Rebecca@poconosvro.org

2️⃣ Visit our Contact page
Our website lists our phone number and general email address — those go directly to Kaisha.
https://poconosvro.org/Contact/

3️⃣ Message us on social media
We actively monitor Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Slide into our DMs — it works.

4️⃣ Use the “Contact Us” form on our website
Type in your message, hit send, and it lands with us.

We’re a small but mighty association. That means we may not respond in five minutes flat — but it will never be more than 24 hours. And more importantly, we will respond.

Questions. Ideas. Concerns. Wins you want to share.
If you’re wondering whether you should reach out — the answer is yes.

We’re here. We’re listening. And we’re glad you’re part of this community.

Warmly,
Rebecca

PS - Best way of all to connect... ATTEND our upcoming Poconos STR Conference.  Click here to see the amazing program we've lined up!

Hi friends,

It’s a snowy holiday weekend in the Poconos — and with today being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it feels like one of those rare pauses that invites taking some time for reflection. The kind of weekend that gives you permission to cancel plans, pour another cup of coffee, and finally crack open that book that’s been staring at you from the nightstand.

For me, that book was “The Just Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins.
And because I can’t help myself, STR owners immediately came to mind.

Here are a few of my STR-flavored takeaways:

• Guests will do weird things.
Let them. (But also… have house rules, cameras, and a great cleaner.)

• The industry will keep evolving.
Let it. Rules change, markets shift, technology moves fast. The owners who win are the ones who stay educated, adaptable, and a step ahead.

• Other owners will underprice, overreact, or chase shiny objects.
Let them. You stick to data, strategy, and long-term thinking.

• You don’t have to control everything to be successful.
Sometimes the win is knowing what to ignore.

That’s exactly why we’re bringing everyone together on March 5 at Kalahari for the Poconos STR Conference — to focus on what actually moves the needle: pricing, profitability, policy, technology, and growth… and to let go of the rest.

Snowy weekends are great for books.
But real clarity? That happens when smart STR owners get in the same room.

 Register here: https://www.PoconosSTRConference.com/Registration

 Attend Tuesday’s PA State Coalition Zoom Call:  CLICK TO SIGN UP

 Meet up with fellow owners at our Sarah Street event:  RSVP!

Stay warm,
~Rebecca

Dear friends!

This week’s email was inspired by a conversation I had after the Pocono Chamber of Commerce’s monthly public policy committee meeting.

Somewhere between talking about regulations, economic development, and community concerns, our conversation landed on one simple word: empathy. We talked about how different the world might feel if people could truly try to understand how someone else arrived at a different viewpoint—even if they never change their own.

And right then, I had my topic/”word for today”:  Empathy.

So… how does this relate to short-term rentals?
Here goes.

The top 3 things I wish those who oppose STRs would consider:

1. Most STR owners are not faceless corporations.

They’re families, retirees, small business owners, and locals who invested their savings into a property—often with the rules that existed at the time.

2. STRs don’t exist in a vacuum.

They support cleaners, contractors, landscapers, local restaurants, shops, and attractions. In the Poconos, tourism fuels our economic engine—and STRs are part of that ecosystem.

3. Bad behavior is the exception, not the rule.

The vast majority of STR owners care deeply about their neighbors, their communities, and their reputations. Most want reasonable rules that address real issues—not blanket bans that punish everyone.

The top 3 things I wish STR owners frustrated by opposition would consider:

1. Change is unsettling—especially when it affects someone’s home.

For neighbors who didn’t choose to live next to a rental, fear often comes from uncertainty, not malice.

2. Not all concerns are illegitimate.

Noise, parking, trash, and safety do matter. Dismissing those concerns outright makes it harder to be heard when the rules are being written.

3. How we show up matters.

Tone, timing, and willingness to listen often determine whether we’re seen as partners—or problems.

So… where can we come together?

We can agree that:

• Communities deserve peace, safety, and predictability
• Owners deserve fair, clear, enforceable rules
• Data beats assumptions
• Collaboration beats confrontation

Empathy doesn’t mean giving up your position.
It means understanding how someone else got to theirs.

And in today’s STR environment—where rules are being written, rewritten, and challenged—that might be the most powerful tool we have.

As always, I’d love to hear your perspective.
Where have you seen empathy work?
And where do you think we still need more of it?

— Rebecca

PS - Have you registered for the March 5, 2026 Poconos STR Conference?  The full program is dropping this week & gotta say, it's strong!

Dear friends!

One day last week I woke up to… no power.
No lights. No coffee. No Wi-Fi.

Now, before you feel too bad for me, yes — I have a Generac.
And yes — even that wasn’t working. (  Damn it.)

So I did what any seasoned problem-solver does: I put my backup-for-my-backup plan into action. A little scrambling, a little troubleshooting, and eventually… I was good.

But standing there in the dark, it got me thinking about Vacation Rental Owners.

Because hosting — like life — isn’t about whether things go wrong.
It’s about what you do when they do.

So let me ask you this:
 What are your backup plans?
 More importantly… who are they?

And are those plans:

• Written down?
• Tested?
• Updated after the last thing that went sideways?

Here’s a starter list of the most common STR challenges you should have backup plans for — along with solutions to at least consider:

Power & Utilities
• Generator (and someone who knows how to service it)
• Emergency lighting, flashlights, battery packs
• A local contact who can physically check the property

Internet / Tech Failure
• Guest instructions outside your PMS
• Offline access to lock codes
• A backup Wi-Fi option or hotspot plan

Housekeeping No-Shows
• At least one backup cleaner
• A same-day “emergency clean” option
• Clear turnover checklists anyone can follow

Maintenance Emergencies
• A short list of reliable contractors
• One “who answers the phone” option
• Clear authorization limits so work doesn’t stall

Guest Issues After Hours
• Clear escalation rules
• A co-host or on-call backup
• Scripts for common emergencies

You Being Unavailable
• Someone who can step in if you’re sick, traveling, or just offline
• Written instructions (not just what’s in your head)
• Access shared securely, not memorized

The truth is, the strongest STR owners aren’t the ones with fewer problems — they’re the ones who’ve already thought through what happens when problems show up.

Because they always do.

So here’s my challenge to you this week:
Pick one scenario you’re currently winging… and turn it into a plan.

And if you’ve got a great “this went wrong, but here’s how we handled it” story — or a backup solution others could learn from — hit reply and tell me about it. I’d love to share and learn from this community.

After all, problem-solving is a whole lot easier when you’re not doing it alone.

Warmly,

Rebecca

One of the most common critiques we hear is that short-term rentals are “removing affordable housing from the market.” It's an understandable concern — housing affordability is a real issue in many communities. But when we look specifically at the Poconos, the data and local real-estate realities simply don’t support that claim.

Here’s why:

Most STRs in the Poconos are NOT “affordable housing” units

The Poconos STR inventory is largely made up of:

• Luxury lakefront homes
• Mountain chalets
• Vacation-designed communities (HOAs)
• Amenity-driven resort neighborhoods

These are not units first-time homebuyers or working families are considering as entry-level housing — whether they are STRs or not.

Put plainly:

A $900K lakefront home was never going to be affordable housing.

Removing STR regulations wouldn’t suddenly turn premium vacation homes into starter homes.

Many STRs are in Remote or Seasonal Locations

A significant portion of STRs are located in areas that:

• Are far from major employment centers
• Have limited year-round services and infrastructure
• Require long, impractical commutes
• Often lack public transportation
• Are designed as vacation communities, not workforce neighborhoods

These areas work wonderfully for tourism and weekend stays — but they're not where most local workers would (or could) reasonably live full-time.

STRs expand housing use, not replace it

In many cases, STRs:

• Take homes that sat empty for years and bring them back to life
• Fund renovations and maintenance
• Increase tax revenue without adding school-age enrollment (a huge benefit to local budgets)
• Support local tradespeople & contractors
• Keep second homes economically viable, rather than leaving them vacant

Without STR income, many second-home owners simply wouldn’t sell — and certainly wouldn’t sell at “affordable housing” price points. Their alternative is not “rent long-term”; it’s “use it occasionally or leave it empty.”

Supply & demand drivers are different here

For the Poconos, the real drivers of housing affordability challenges include:

• In-migration from NYC/NJ (work-from-home trend)
• Decades-long under-development of workforce housing
• Limited multi-family housing construction
• Rising construction & insurance costs
• Aging housing stock in need of investment

Eliminating STRs won’t fix those root issues — and may even worsen them by reducing tourism-driven jobs and tax revenue.

STRs support affordable housing indirectly

Short-term rentals generate:

• Hotel & lodging taxes
• Local business revenue
• Jobs for cleaners, contractors, landscapers, hospitality workers
• Funding for local governments & community services

Those jobs and revenue streams are part of what supports housing initiatives and community infrastructure.

When STRs thrive, local economies stabilize. When they shrink, jobs and revenue shrink too.

Conclusion

The idea that STRs are pushing out affordable housing in the Poconos sounds compelling — until you look closely.

The facts tell a different story:

STRs in our region overwhelmingly exist in areas, price ranges, and property types that were never part of the affordable-housing pool to begin with.

The solution to workforce and affordable housing isn’t restricting tourism housing — it’s smart development, incentives for workforce units, zoning innovation, and collaborative planning.

And the Poconos VRO is committed to being part of that solution.

Dear Friends,

As we head into Thanksgiving week—the season of turkey, gratitude, and well-meaning relatives—it’s funny how the same people who know better than to bring up politics or religion at the dinner table feel perfectly comfortable launching into how “terrible” short-term rentals are the minute they learn you own one… or, in my case, lead an association that advocates for them!

It happened to me recently. A friend—someone I genuinely care about—suddenly shifted from small talk to a passionate anti-STR rant before I’d even finished my appetizer. And there I was, swirling my drink, wondering if this was going to be my entire night.

If you’ve been in those shoes (or expect to be this Thursday!), here are 7 strategies to help you gracefully navigate Anti-STR friends, relatives, and dinner-table debates—without derailing your Thanksgiving.

1. Stay Calm, Stay Kind

You don’t have to match their heat.
Try: “Sounds like this is something you feel strongly about. What’s your main concern?”

Let them talk. Sometimes people just need a moment to unload.

2. Ask Questions Instead of Giving a Lecture

Thanksgiving is not the time to deliver a keynote.
Instead, gently ask:

• “Did something happen in your neighborhood?”
• “Have you personally had a bad experience?”

It helps you understand whether this is an emotion or a fact.

3. Share Your Why (Briefly!)

People soften when they understand your heart.
You’re not running an empire—you’re:

• supporting local tourism
• maintaining a property responsibly
• helping guests enjoy the region you love
• contributing to local jobs and small businesses

Keep it warm, human, and quick.

4. Offer One Helpful Fact—Not a PowerPoint

Pick one relevant truth and let it stand on its own:

• “Most STR owners follow strict rules to keep neighborhoods peaceful.”
• “Data consistently shows STRs aren’t driving crime.”
• “Many STR homes could never be affordable housing based on location and design.”

Then stop. They’ll chew on it (along with the stuffing).

5. Find Shared Values

Say something like: “I totally agree—we all want safe, quiet neighborhoods. Responsible hosts want that too.”

Shared values keep the conversation from becoming a food fight.

6. Connect the Dots… Gently

Remind them that STR guests often support the very businesses they love:
“That bakery you rave about? They told me STR guests are a huge part of their revenue.”
Or: “Our visitors just helped keep your favorite restaurant packed last weekend.”

Suddenly, STRs become contributors, not culprits.

7. Know When to Bow Out Gracefully

If the conversation is circling the drain, protect your peace.
Try: “I’m grateful for our relationship, so let’s hit pause on this one and enjoy the holiday.”

Total reset. Crisis averted.

Here’s the big picture:
You can be a loving family member and be a proud STR owner.
You can enjoy Thanksgiving and stand up for responsible hosting.
You can keep the conversation calm, kind, and constructive—even when someone decides to stir the pot.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving week—
filled with gratitude, good food, and conversations that stay peaceful… or at least brief!

Warmly,

Rebecca

PS - Between the Macy's Day Parade & Football games, why not secure your spot at the Poconos STR Conference?!!