121 - Airbnb Chores, Tech Overload, and Why We Are Pumping the Brakes | Matt and Austin

No guest. No agenda. Just Matt and Austin sitting down and saying what is actually on their minds about the state of the short-term rental industry right now. Episode 121 is one of those rare solo episodes where the Co-Host Bros skip the interview format and just have a real conversation. And with everything happening in the STR space right now, there is a lot to unpack. From the Airbnb chores controversy blowing up everywhere to VRBO quietly raising their fees, from AI tools being oversold to the growing pile of software subscriptions that may be costing you more than they are worth, Matt and Austin hold nothing back. Here is what they get into: – Why the Airbnb no-chores policy is more complicated than the media is making it sound and what the real liability concern is that nobody is talking about – Why Matt thinks Airbnb is going to keep pushing host restrictions regardless of the backlash and what that means for your business long term – Why VRBO has not updated their platform in what feels like 47 years and why that matters for operators who rely on it – The Amex Platinum and Airbnb partnership coming in 2026 and what it signals about where Airbnb is trying to position itself – Why Matt is pumping the brakes on adding any new tech right now and only interested in cutting costs and removing subscriptions – How Matt reverse-engineered a software solution using AI for a fraction of what he was paying in subscription fees and why that mindset is the right one for most operators – Why leveraging AI where you are weak instead of solving problems that do not matter is the key distinction between operators who win with AI and those who just stay busy – Why the STR tech space is too crowded, too noisy, and too consolidation-heavy right now to be making big new software commitments. Matt also announces a Houston STR meetup on November 14th 2026 at Carbox. If you are in the Houston area reach out to Matt on Facebook or DM the podcast to get the details. Austin is not going but will absolutely have FOMO. Be a bro and share the show. And if you want to be a sis, that is cool too! 👥 Follow The Show The Co-Host Bros Podcast Instagram: @CoHostBros Facebook: @CoHostBros YouTube: @CoHostBros TikTok: @cohost.bros ⸻ Follow the Hosts Matt Codd Instagram: @creativecodds TikTok: @creativecodds Facebook: @Matt Codd.codd.3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-codd-9a3761375/ Austin Spitzenberger Instagram: @austin_spitzz TikTok: @austin_spitzz Facebook: @austin.spitzenberger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-spitzenberger-70481111b/