What Rent Responsibly does

Rent Responsibly is a community-building and education platform serving the short-term rental (STR) industry, founded in 2019 by David Krauss (former co-founder of NoiseAware) and Alexa Nota (former VP at VRM Intel). The company is registered as a for-profit C-corporation, headquartered in Dallas, and operates fully remotely with a team of 1-10 employees. Its core offering is the Rent Responsibly Network (RR Network), a private national community platform that connects STR operators, advocates, vendors, and 109 state and local alliances. The platform reduces the time required to launch a local STR community from approximately 40 hours to 4 hours.

The company's product portfolio spans Alliance Management Services (Core Services Bundle, Executive Director placement, a la carte services), an Alliance Directory covering 109 alliances, advocacy toolkits, a resource library, and the annual State of the STR Industry Report (the 2024 edition surveyed 2,000+ policymakers). It also operates the Better Stays Together regional event series, Game On mega-event meetups, and the annual RR Summit. Geographic reach extends across the U.S. plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Scotland. The technology stack includes HubSpot CRM and integrations with STR operating platforms including Hostaway, Guesty, Hostfully, Touch Stay, Topkey, Avalara, Breezeway, NoiseAware, Superhog, Truvi, Dtravel, and Airbnb.

The business model blends four revenue streams: (1) partner contributions from founding partners Vrbo/Expedia Group, Proper Insurance, and Breezeway, plus additional partners Truvi, Superhog, and Dtravel; (2) association management services billed on multi-year contracts (Core Services Bundle) or monthly subscriptions (Executive Director, a la carte); (3) event sponsorships for the RR Summit, Better Stays Together events, and Game On mega-event meetups; and (4) the DMO Bridge Program with destination marketing organizations. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customers are exclusively state and local STR alliances and associations, with named engagements including San Diego STRA, AZRT, SAVRM, MNSTRA, TXSTRA, WHCA, and Mile High Hosts. The company has raised only seed capital from co-founder David Krauss's personal STR proceeds in December 2019 and remains bootstrapped with no institutional venture funding.

Name

Rent Responsibly

Legal name

Rent Responsibly, Inc.

Website

https://rentresponsibly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rent Responsibly operates a community-building and education platform serving short-term rental operators and 109 state and local STR alliances, combining the RR Network community platform, professional association management services, and the State of the STR Industry Report.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short-term Rental Association Management Services

NAICS

Rental and Leasing Services (532)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Short-Term Rental (STR) Management for Individual Hosts (BPAJAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Co-Host / On-the-Ground Operations & Guest Services (BPAJAIAI)

Keywords

• Short-term rental advocacy
• Alliance management services
• Vacation rental education
• STR community platform
• Association management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Partner Contributions: Partners provide financial support as well as data, responsible hosting resources, and educational content. Partners are chosen for alignment with the mission and track record of supporting STR advocacy. Includes founding partners (Vrbo, Proper Insurance, Breezeway) and additional partners (Truvi, Superhog, Dtravel).
2. Association Management Services: Professional support services hired by STR associations including member organization, leadership development, event management, and technology. Revenue from Core Services Bundle, Executive Director services, and a la carte support services.
3. Event and Research Sponsorships: Collaboration with sponsors on events (Better Stays Together series) and major research projects such as the State of the STR Industry Study and Report.
4. Bridge Program with DMOs: Working with Destination Marketing Organizations to provide educational tools and events to their STR communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rent Responsibly runs the Rent Responsibly Network (RR Network), a proprietary private community platform exclusively for short-term rental operators, advocates, and alliances, paired with paid professional services for STR associations including website management, mass email management, virtual event hosting, and Executive Director placements. The offering combines a free community network, paid association management services, an advocacy toolkit library, a national alliance directory, and a research-driven Data Hub, all designed to help STR operators organize locally, navigate regulation, and professionalize their hosting businesses.

Product overview

Rent Responsibly operates as an education and community-building platform for short-term rental operators. The core product is the Rent Responsibly Network (RR Network), a national private community platform for STR operators, advocates, and alliances. Supporting services include Alliance Management Services (website management, email management, virtual events, executive director services), an Advocacy Toolkits library, a Data Hub with industry reports and trends, an Alliance Directory for finding local groups, and a Resource Library with hosting guides. The company also manages the Right to Rent Collaborative grant program. The platform is designed to help owners, hosts, and managers navigate local laws, professionalize their hospitality businesses, and connect with peers through both the private network and local alliance chapters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rent Responsibly Network (RR Network): A national private network exclusively designed and curated for STR operators of all kinds, providing a place to connect with peers, learn, share resources, and level up operations.

Products and services

• Rent Responsibly Network (RR Network) Private national community platform exclusively designed and curated for short-term rental operators, advocates, and alliances. Provides private member community spaces, discussion forums, exclusive content, templates, and resources for short-term rental professionals.
• Alliance Management Services Professional association management services for short-term rental alliances covering website management, mass email management, virtual events coordination, executive director services, and brand design. Reduces the time required to create an STR community from approximately 40 hours to 4 hours and takes administrative burden off volunteer boards.
• Resource Library Digital library of free checklists, guides, worksheets, and resources for short-term rental hosting covering marketing, guest communication, property care, and responsible renting practices.
• Advocacy Toolkits Free and premium templates, checklists, guides, and downloads that help advocates build STR communities, start advocacy groups, and protect the right to rent responsibly, including guides on nonprofit incorporation, event hosting, and regulatory navigation.
• Alliance Directory Searchable directory of short-term rental alliances across the United States (and select international markets) with filtering by state and an interactive map, including national associations and local chapters.
• Data Hub Repository of reports, trends, and data for advocacy and hosting, including the State of the STR Industry Report 2024, housing studies, hosting and travel trends from partners like Expedia Group and AirDNA, and sustainability reports.
• Event Management Services Virtual event hosting and management for STR alliances, including customizable timelines, templates, speaker preparation, marketing plans, and content strategy.
• Right to Rent Collaborative (R2RC) Grants Grant funding program providing STR associations with capital for advocacy, including Seed Grants (up to $5,000), Growth Grants (up to $10,000), Sustainability Grants ($10,000-$25,000), and Special Project Grants ($5,000-$20,000).

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced alliance setup time from 40 hours to 4 hours
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vrbo (Expedia Group)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Founding Partner providing community building and advocacy support. Expedia Group parent company has been a long-time valued partner, working collaboratively on specific advocacy needs, compliance education, good neighbor education, and major research projects.
• Proper InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Founding Partner specializing in insurance and risk mitigation for short-term rentals. Nation's leading STR insurance provider offering comprehensive coverage for vacation rental risks.
• BreezewaycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Founding Partner focused on property care and operations automations. Provides property management and maintenance coordination tools for STR operators.
• TruviminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRisk management solutions partner providing tools and services for STR operator risk mitigation.
• HostawayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the State of the STR Industry Report 2024. Property management software platform.
• Expedia GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor and long-term research partner. Parent company of Vrbo providing data, resources, and support for STR industry research.
• Touch StayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of State of the STR Industry Report 2024. Digital guest communication platform.
• HostfullyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of State of the STR Industry Report 2024. Property management software platform.
• TopkeyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of State of the STR Industry Report 2024. STR technology solutions provider.
• DtravelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDirect booking platform partner helping hosts reduce OTA commission costs.
• AirbnbminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConnect regularly with Airbnb government affairs personnel and help connect Airbnb's resources to local and state associations for advocacy and community-building needs.
• One Tree PlantedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization focused on global reforestation. Partnered in spring 2024 for climate action plan implementation with focus on reforestation in tourism destinations.
• Right to Rent Collaborative (R2RC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent 501(c)(6)-pending organization dedicated to providing associations with capital for advocacy. Offers grants: Seed (up to $5,000), Growth (up to $10,000), Sustainability ($10,000-$25,000), Special Project ($5,000-$20,000).
• College of Charleston Office of Tourism AnalysisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for State of the STR Industry Report, providing academic analysis and data insights.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA): VRMA is the largest professional trade association for the vacation/short-term rental industry, providing advocacy, education, and member services. It is the most directly comparable organization in terms of mission (industry advocacy and education), though VRMA is membership-led while Rent Responsibly provides paid managed services to grassroots alliances.
• NoiseAware: NoiseAware was co-founded by Rent Responsibly CEO David Krauss. It provides noise monitoring technology to STR operators, serving the same host customer base with adjacent operational and advocacy concerns. Its existence in the founder's prior portfolio signals the broader strategic landscape.
• VRM Intel: VRM Intel is a media, education, and industry intelligence platform for vacation rental managers. Rent Responsibly COO Alexa Nota previously served as VP at VRM Intel. Both companies produce research, host education content, and serve overlapping STR professional audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb Community & Policy team: Airbnb's government affairs and host community teams fund and coordinate local advocacy efforts globally. As a major platform with direct relationships to hosts and policymakers, Airbnb's community-building initiatives overlap with Rent Responsibly's mission and could absorb grassroots advocacy demand.
• Vrbo / Expedia Group host advocacy: Vrbo (Expedia Group) is a founding partner of Rent Responsibly and operates its own host education and advocacy programs. It is an incumbent in the same space with overlapping goals of supporting STR hosts and shaping regulation.

Emerging players

• AirDNA: AirDNA provides STR market data and analytics used by hosts, property managers, and investors. It overlaps with Rent Responsibly's Data Hub in providing industry intelligence and data, though it focuses on market analytics rather than advocacy.
• Hostaway: Hostaway is a property management software platform that serves as a Gold sponsor of Rent Responsibly's industry report. Both companies target professional STR managers and operators with tools and educational content.
• Breezeway: Breezeway is a founding partner of Rent Responsibly and provides property care and operations automation software for STR operators. The two companies serve the same host base with complementary operational and community tools.
• Hostfully: Hostfully is a property management software provider and Silver sponsor of the State of the STR Industry Report. It targets the same professional STR manager segment with guides and software tools.

Others

• Proper Insurance: Proper Insurance is a founding partner of Rent Responsibly and a leading STR-focused insurance provider. While not a direct competitor, it operates within the same host ecosystem and shares distribution channels and co-branded content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rentresponsibly
• Facebookfacebook.com/Rent-Responsibly-103668074477804
• Instagraminstagram.com/rentresponsibly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rent Responsibly