Short-term accommodation rental operators are forming a trade association independent of major OTAs such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and HomeAway.
The Professional Host Alliance wants to build trust in the homesharing economy by accelerating professionalism in the booming global sector.
The initiative is being led by Levanda, a short-term rental platform for professional landlords and property managers.
The global alliance is being launched with more than 40 members across the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Richard Lyttle, CEO and co-founder of Your AirHost, and founding member of the Professional Host Alliance, said: “As a short-term rental manager, all too often you feel excluded from the important conversations and decision-making processes that are driving our sector forward.
“This is a tough and often threatening industry that is moving very fast.
“The Professional Host Alliance will work to empower and benefit property managers directly through proactively interfacing with key industry stakeholders to address our greatest pain points. It will bring a healthy balance to the ecosystem.”
Lavanda founder and alliance chairman Guy Westlake said: “The Professional Host Alliance is the missing catalyst that is necessary to professionalise the short-term rental industry and unlock a step-change in the experiences of guests and hosts globally.
“With better support, partnerships, tools and access to information, professional hosts will be able to innovate faster and realise the hugely exciting potential in this sector.”
Fellow alliance founding member Joe Davies, CEO of Host So Simple, added: “Short-term rentals and homesharing are now shaping the future of global real estate, hospitality and travel.
“This is a timely initiative led by Lavanda, and one which I expect will play a pivotal role in driving the industry forward, and shaping a genuinely sustainable global ecosystem with maximum social and economic impact.”