Skift Travel News Blog

Short-term rental property manager WanderJaunt ceased operations.

An announcement on a Wanderjaunt customer service phone line said that “due to the current economic situation” Wanderjaunt is permanently closing on Thursday, June 30, and ceased operations Tuesday.

Guests with bookings that had checkouts by Thursday could complete their stays, the announcement said, and those with stays running after that should vacate the properties by June 30.

The company said it would process refund requests but customers should contact their credit card companies with any difficulties.

Guests who booked Wanderjaunt properties on Airbnb should contact Airbnb, the announcement said.

Co-founded by Michael Chen, Barrett Glasauer and Andres Green, the property manager, launched in 2016 in the San Francisco Bay Area, had raised $37 million from investors including Global Founders Capital, Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures and Bossanova Investmentos.

WanderJaunt entered into long-term leases with developers, and distributed its rentals on Airbnb and other third-party websites. It was trying to build a brand.

Skift is reaching out to the company for comment.

Citing a substantial increase in Airbnb listings, UK government agencies Wednesday issued an “open call for evidence” about the impact of short-term rentals, and floated remedies such as physical inspections of properties and a registration requirement.

The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, as well as two MPs stated that the call for evidence would last 12 weeks. The announcement cited a 33 percent increase in Airbnb’s UK listings in the 2017-2018 period.

The aim is to improve the lives of people living in tourism destinations, and to understand the impact on housing, among other goals. the announcement said.

The announcement stated:

“The scheme, proposed in a new government review looking at the impact of increases in short-term and holiday lets in England, could involve physical checks of premises to ensure regulations in areas including health and safety, noise and anti-social behaviour are obeyed.

“Further measures the Government is considering include a registration ‘kitemark’ scheme with spot checks for compliance with rules on issues such as gas safety, a self-certification scheme for hosts to register with before they can operate, and better information or a single source of guidance setting out the legal requirements for providers.”

Reacting to the announcement, Merilee Karr, chair of the UK Short Term Accommodation Association and CEO of UnderTheDoormat, urged the government to distinguish between short-term rentals that hosts live in and those that are investment properties.

Karr said her association has previously called for a national registration plan as a precursor to collecting data and to develop any policies. She said short-term rentals “play a vital role in the English tourism economy, contributing to local jobs and businesses, providing a vital income stream for many individuals and families at this time of rising cost of living.”

Sonder said it plans to expand in Dubai later this year with the opening of a 401-unit property, Business Bay.

Unlike some Sonder properties where customer service is solely via text messages, this 35-story building, operated by Sonder and developed by SAAS Properties, has a front desk in the lobby, a swimming pool, gym, and food and beverage facility.

Business Bay, a serviced apartment, would be Sonder’s third location in Dubai, the company said.

Sonder is marketing the property as being appropriate for both business and leisure travelers. It is located in the vicinity of the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.

Homes & Villas by Marriott International has just expanded into Australia and New Zealand, marking the vacation rental operation’s debut in the Asia Pacific region.

The move adds more than 350 upscale homes to its network. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Orange in Australia and Auckland and Queenstown in New Zealand.

Marriott has been on a big expansion push for Homes & Villas, with 30-fold growth since 2019 to more than 50,000 units.

Listen to Homes & Villas Vice President Jennifer Hsieh explain the company’s strategy via the Skift Podcast: How Hotels and Short-Term Rentals Fit Together.