Short Term Rental Management

Hosted by 8 Figure Airbnb and Short Term Rental Real Estate Investor Luke Carl

Business Management

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Episodes

203

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Welcome to Short Term Rental Management. The show about managing your short term rental from anywhere in the world. Tips and tricks to become a better host. With your host, Luke Carl, a real estate professional that began his career buying short term rentals in vacation markets in order to use the cash flow to purchase long-term rentals. Luke is the proud owner of the longest running “Airbnb” in the Smoky Mountains, and has hosted over 4000 stays in his career. He owns hundreds of units with no partners -including multi-family, single-family long terms, and of course, short term rentals.

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60 recent

October 20, 202628 min

Hurricane Recap

Luke shares his firsthand experience following a direct-hit Category 3 hurricane in the Destin and 30A area, discussing the realities of storm damage, the importance of inspecting and removing dead trees before disaster strikes, and why property managers should prioritize safety over profits when it comes to guest cancellations and refunds. He also reflects on the risks of owning beach properties, the costs of insurance and maintenance, and the resilience of coastal communities after a storm. His biggest takeaway for landlords and property managers: inspect your trees, plan ahead, and always put people’s safety first. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

October 13, 202620 min

How to Find STR Vendors with AI

Luke tackles one of the most common questions he gets: how do you find a plumber, roofer, or other vendor for your short-term rental? He explains that finding them is only half the battle, since tracking people down, following up repeatedly, and holding them accountable is a huge part of being a property manager. Then he does a live screen share showing how he uses AI to build a vendor list, from writing detailed prompts about location, recent recommendations, and review counts to refining results until he gets names and phone numbers. He also shares what he looks for in a vendor, like small operations that welcome rental work, and what to ask when you call, from availability to whether they can really show up when they say they will. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

October 6, 202623 min

Hospitable Vrbo Integration & Vrbo Ad Campaigns

Luke explains how he’s using Vrbo ad campaigns to boost listing visibility, including how he’s offsetting advertising costs with guest fees, and shares why he ultimately decided to integrate Vrbo directly with Hospitable despite initial concerns about the new technology. Luke also breaks down the benefits he’s seeing from managing Vrbo listings directly through Hospitable, including improved customer support and a more streamlined workflow. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

September 29, 202623 min

Fall AI Update

Luke shares how he’s using AI integrations and Chrome extensions to streamline property management. He covers practical applications like analyzing potential properties, managing VRBO ad campaigns, updating listing headlines, adjusting PriceLabs settings, monitoring property issues, and handling guest communications. He also discusses where AI still falls short—particularly with revenue and pricing data—and why hosts need to treat AI more like an employee that requires training, oversight, and clear instructions. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

September 22, 202613 min

What You're Actually Renting is Sex in The Hot Tub

Luke Carl gets candid about what guests are actually looking for when they book a short-term rental and why owners need to understand the experience they're selling. He explains how kitchens, privacy, space, and amenities can give STRs an advantage over hotels, while also emphasizing the importance of designing properties around how guests actually use them. Luke also shares practical lessons on building more durable rentals, including reinforcing bed frames, choosing furniture that can withstand heavy use, and avoiding unnecessary spending on expensive furnishings. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

September 15, 202611 min

The Future of Renting

Luke Carl explores the future of how guests discover and book short-term rentals, questioning why major real estate platforms like Zillow haven't embraced vacation rentals the way Google has with Google Vacation Rentals. He explains how the growing availability of property management websites, direct payment processing, and centralized calendars could make direct bookings increasingly common, potentially reducing booking fees for both guests and property managers. Luke predicts that over the next eight to ten years, consumers may increasingly find vacation rentals through major search platforms and then book directly through the property manager's website. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

September 8, 202623 min

Pricing Your STR with Claude

Luke Carl demonstrates how he is using Claude's integration with PriceLabs to analyze his short-term rental pricing, compare his properties against market and competitor data, and identify opportunities to increase revenue. He walks through how AI can compare occupancy, average nightly rates, projected gross income, and custom seasonal base rates, while emphasizing that hosts need enough experience to ask the right questions and verify AI's recommendations rather than blindly trusting them. Luke also explores the potential for AI to eventually integrate with other STR software and function more like an AI property manager, making it easier for large property management companies to analyze data and manage their portfolios. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

September 1, 202636 min

STR Rental Data with Sally from Key Data

Luke Carl is joined by Sally from Key Data to break down the current state of the short-term rental market and what the data says about the months ahead. They discuss how the unusual timing of Labor Day is shifting demand between August and September, why hosts shouldn't automatically slash rates when calendars look empty, and how understanding guest booking patterns, seasonality, and market data can lead to better pricing decisions. Sally also explains how metrics like RevPAR can help operators balance occupancy and rates, while emphasizing the importance of mystery shopping, monitoring cancellations, and adapting strategies for different types of last-minute and advance-booking guests. How to connect with Sally: keydata.co How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

August 25, 202622 min

Don't Let Anyone Tell You How Much it Will Make

Luke Carl discusses why investors should never rely on anyone to guarantee how much a real estate property will make, using the controversy surrounding Grant Cardone's real estate investments as a jumping-off point. Luke explains that while investors can make educated estimates using available data, there are too many variables—including market changes, interest rates, operating expenses, and an owner's own effort—to know a property's actual performance until it has been owned and operated for a meaningful period of time. He emphasizes that The Short Term Shop will never promise a specific revenue figure for a property and encourages investors to do their own homework, be conservative, and understand the risks before buying. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon

August 18, 202641 min

Pricelabs AI Connection with Richie

On this week's episode of Short Term Rental Management, Luke Carl is joined by Richie Khandelwal, one of the founders of PriceLabs, to explore how the platform has evolved from manually entering thousands of nightly rates to becoming a powerful revenue management tool used by more than 700,000 homes worldwide. They discuss PriceLabs’ Listing Optimizer and its new AI integration, which allows hosts and property managers to connect PriceLabs with AI tools and use natural-language prompts to find data, analyze performance, and even take actions like adjusting rates or seasonal profiles. Richie emphasizes that AI can dramatically reduce the time spent managing pricing and portfolio data, but users should always verify its work and treat it like a highly capable intern rather than blindly trusting every answer. How to connect with Luke: The Short Term Shop - https://theshorttermshop.com/ Short Term Shop Plus - stsplus.com Follow us on Instagram Follow us on TikTok Join the Short Term Shop Facebook group Check out the Short Term Shop on YouTube For more information on how to get into short term rentals, read Avery’s books: Smarter Short Term Rentals - Buy it on Amazon Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties – Buy it on Amazon