New survey data from Hospitable shows that staffing problems are still a major issue for short-term rental operators heading into 2026. 34% of hosts and property managers say they lost bookings or received negative reviews this year because of staffing shortfalls. The findings come from Hospitable’s upcoming 2026 STR Industry Report, based on responses from 554 operators surveyed in November.
Staffing instability remains one of the biggest outside pressures on the industry. 14% of respondents said unreliable contractors and staff shortages were among the biggest challenges affecting their business in 2025. And cleaning is where the problem shows up most clearly. Nearly 40% of operators said it is hard to find dependable local cleaners, which directly affects turnover time, guest satisfaction, and occupancy.
Property managers who run larger portfolios reported feeling the strain even more because they rely on multiple outside vendors. In this group, 35.5% said hiring or keeping reliable staff is one of their toughest ongoing problems. Looking ahead to 2026, more than a quarter of operators say cutting costs and reducing staffing pressure are top priorities.
These results are pointing to a broader need for more dependable property-care support across the industry. Hospitable has leaned into this problem, launching a cleaner marketplace in September to help operators find vetted workers more easily.
Hospitable CEO Pierre-Camille Hamana said staffing reliability continues to shape both guest experience and financial performance. He noted that hosts and managers still spend too much time dealing with issues that “should be predictable and consistent.”
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