Newsletter - April 2026

April 2026

April is the perfect time to make sure your advert is working as hard as possible for you. A few small updates can make a big difference to your visibility and conversion.

 

📸 Refresh your photos

Spring is the ideal time to update your imagery - lighter evenings, fresh gardens, and better natural light all help your property shine. High-quality, well-lit photos are one of the biggest drivers of bookings and should showcase every key space clearly.

If you're thinking of booking a professional photographer, now is the time to do it, it's definitely worth investing in. 

✏️ Update your title

Think like a guest searching for a summer break. It's the first thing they see alongside your main photo. Make sure your title highlights your key selling points (e.g. “family-friendly”, “sea views”, “dog-friendly”). Use all 220 characters to really sell your property. 

Becky (Rebecca Ward) - Rising Star Nomination

We’re delighted to share that Simply Owners’ own Becky (Rebecca Ward) has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Short Term Rentals “Rising Star” Award! 🌟 Becky’s tireless dedication and creativity have played a huge role in shaping the Simply Owners brand and supporting our community of holiday home owners. We’d love your support in celebrating her achievement, please take a moment to cast your vote for Becky by following this link:

Vote for Becky for Rising Star

Business Updates

We wanted to share an important update - especially for those who may have missed it in last month’s newsletter.

Simply Owners has partnered with Type A, a leading specialist in SEO and GEO strategy, as part of a significant investment in our future growth. This collaboration will help strengthen our online visibility, enhance our current search performance, and ensure we are well positioned for the rapidly evolving world of AI-powered search.

As part of this initiative, we will also be undertaking a major site restructure. This is designed to improve overall performance, create a smoother and more intuitive experience for holidaymakers, and support long-term growth.

We’re incredibly excited about what lies ahead and look forward to sharing more updates with you soon.

Industry News

This month Becky has been keeping updated on events and new political developments in the sector by attending the Host Planet Roadshow in Portsmouth, Andy Fenner from the STAA discussed issues that are affecting all owners and property managers. 

The ASSC Regional Gathering in Dumfries was enlightening, the key takeaway to share with our owners is how hard the ASSC are working on your behalf to fight the legislation coming in to Scotland. Fiona and her team have managed to get the government to look again at what is charged as a visitor levy and how this is collected. 

The PASC conference in Tewkesbury, as always was very informative, the number of issues affecting STR owners in the UK seems to be more than ever before, the key takeaway to share with you is to keep you up to date with changes in legislation regarding the reporting of DAC-7 tax, that they succeeded in their campaign to get the government to remove it's EPC plan for all self-catering properties and that the government are now reconsidering the 182 days rule in Wales, thanks to their tireless campaigning.  

IT Development Highlights

There's a new way to upload pricing if you have different prices for a 3/4 day stay at the weekend, to a 3/4 day stay during the week. You can now use our 'Weekend rate CSV'. Nothing has changed for those of you that have already uploaded your prices. Please be aware that your averages are taken from the next 12 calendar months, so it may be worth already having a look at your 2027 prices.

Upcoming Events - Come Join Us!

Want to meet us in person? We'd love to meet you. Here's where we'll be:

  • Becky is representing Simply Owners at the House of Lords on Tuesday 21st April.
  • Short Stay Summit 26 - Wed April 22nd 2026, London
  • Host Planet - Thurs April 23, London - half price if you use the discount code ROADSHOW50
  • ASSC regional gathering - Wed 6th May - Aberdeen, more details to follow. 
  • SCALE UK Brighton, June 9th/10th.