Best podcasts and YouTube channels for STR hosts?

Category: Off-Topic & Lounge

By: Chris Nakamura

Posted: 2026-01-16T01:36:36.459Z

I learn a lot from this community but I also love listening to podcasts and watching YouTube content about STR hosting during my commute and downtime. What are your favorite STR-related podcasts and YouTube channels? Looking for practical advice, not just hype.

Reply by David Okafor:

My top picks: **Podcasts:** 1. **Short Term Rental Riches (Calin Yolanda)** — Most practical, no-BS STR podcast. Covers pricing, management, legal, scaling. Consistently great episodes. 2. **Get Paid for Your Pad (Jasper Ribbers)** — Been around since 2015. Great interviews with experienced hosts. 3. **Hosting Secrets (Amy Peters)** — Newer but excellent focus on guest experience and operational efficiency. 4. **BiggerPockets STR episodes** — BiggerPockets broadly covers real estate investing but their STR-specific episodes are gold. **YouTube Channels:** 1. **Robuilt (Rob Abasolo)** — Great STR-specific content with real numbers. Very transparent about his portfolio. 2. **Sean Rakidzich (Airbnb Automated)** — Focus on automation and scaling. Good tech content. 3. **The Airbnb Guy (James Svetec)** — Co-hosting and management focus. 4. **STR Wealth (Michael Elefante)** — Honest content about STR investing, not just the highlight reel. **Avoid:** Anyone selling a course as their primary business model. If their income comes from selling courses about STR rather than actual STR hosting, their advice is suspect.

Reply by Tyler Jackson:

I'd add the **STR Specialist blog and tools** at https://strspecialist.com — they have really practical content specifically for hosts plus hands-on tools like the house manual generator, review response generator, and cleaning fee calculator that are immediately useful. For books: - "Hosting with Heart" by Evelyn Badia — Great for new hosts learning guest experience - "The Book on Short-Term Rentals" by Luke Carl — Good overview of the business model - "Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz — Not STR-specific but the financial framework is perfect for hosts who want to actually keep their profits instead of reinvesting everything.

Reply by Rachel Patel:

My underrated pick: **local Facebook groups.** Every city has at least one "Airbnb Hosts [City Name]" group. The advice is hyper-local and practical — who's the best cleaner in your area, what's the permit situation, when is the next big event to price for. National podcasts give you strategy. Local groups give you tactics. You need both.