Simple one to get us going. Drop your biggest current short-term rental headache below in one line. Pricing, cleaning, a listing that will not book, a problem guest, whatever it is. I will answer every single one this week, and odds are someone else in here has already solved yours. Go!

Want to kick off the Wins category with a real one from a unit I manage. In April 2026 this 2BR in Moorhead was sitting at $0 in revenue and what actively trying to get nurse leads for the MTR model. The owner was ready to give up on it. Here is what we changed: - Switched to the STR Model - Reshot the photos - Removed a queen bed and added a second king bed One month after talking it over, the numbers went to over $3k. Same property, same furniture (outside of new bed), same layout. Different Model. None of this was complicated. It was just the basics done with intent. Post your own wins here, big or small. Booked out a dead week? Bumped a rate that stuck? Got a 5-star review you are proud of? Drop it.

This trips up a lot of local hosts, so here is the current lay of the land. Three cities, three different rule sets, and one of them just changed. Fargo: Relatively hands-off. As of now, the city does not require a specific STR license or permit. You operate under general residential and property codes. That can change as the market grows, so confirm with the city before you assume. West Fargo: This is the big one. The city passed a short-term rental ordinance in late 2025 that now requires STR properties to be licensed annually. The good news for investors: it does NOT require the property to be your primary residence, so LLC-owned and non-owner-occupied STRs are still allowed. The license needs proof of ownership and proof of liability insurance. It is not transferable, so a new owner means a new license. Moorhead: Different state entirely (Minnesota), but they recognize Short term rentals just like any other rental. The requirement is to register with the city and then conduct yearly inspections. This is the fast-moving stuff, so always confirm current requirements with the city itself, not a Facebook thread (this one included). I am not a lawyer or tax pro, just a host who watches this closely. If you are operating across city lines, know that the rules flip when you cross them. Operating in one of these cities and have a detail to add or correct? Drop it below. Let us keep this thread current for the whole room.

If you are still doing physical keys or a lockbox, this is the easiest upgrade you will make all year. A smart lock with a unique code per guest kills the most annoying part of hosting: the late-night "I cannot get in" call. The code activates at check-in, expires at checkout, and you never coordinate a key handoff again. It also means no more rekeying when a code gets shared around. Bonus: you can automate the code into your guest messaging so the guest gets it the morning of check-in without you lifting a finger. Who is already running smart locks, and which ones do you like? Trying to build a list the room can trust.

If you take one thing from this category, take this: stop pricing flat. The most common setup I see locally is one nightly rate, same all year. The problem is a Tuesday in February and a Friday during a big event weekend are not worth the same money. A flat rate charges like they are. You either leave money on the table on the high nights or sit empty on the slow ones. The fix is dynamic pricing: your rate breathes with demand, day of week, and season. You can do it by hand, but realistically a tool (PriceLabs is the standard) does it for you for a small monthly cost and usually pays for itself fast. Quick gut check: are you on one flat rate right now? If yes, that is your single highest-ROI fix this week.