UK Short Term Accommodation Association woos new members

Four firms join after seeing benefits during free trial period

The UK Short Term Accommodation Association has welcomed four new members, bringing its total to more than 50.

The new members are Veeve, Altido, LoveHomeSwap and Seven Living.

Veeve is a specialist short let management company operating in London and Paris while  Altido is one of Europe’s leading property management and guest hospitality operators.

Seven Living is a boutique property rental company offering luxury short-term living spaces across the UK and LoveHomeSwap, a global house swap management company.

David Hosking, Veeve chief executive, said: “Having taken out the free two-month trial membership and been witness to the hard work the association does on behalf of the industry it was a no-brainer to convert that into full membership.”

Jeremy Slater, regional general manager at Altido, said: “We have really appreciated the leadership received from the STAA and the opportunity our trial membership gave us to share information and concerns with the other members and to get insights and learnings from them. Our regular Zoom calls became an integral part of our reopening planning.”

Charlie London, Seven Living director, said: “I have been particularly impressed by the speed at which things are addressed and actioned.”

Célia Pronto, LoveHomeSwap’s managing director, added: “Since joining the STAA on a two-month trial, we have been impressed by the collective benefits gained from our industry working together under the umbrella of the organisation. As we start to see the market recover, we are looking forward to collaborating further with the other companies in the sharing economy space to promote it as a credible alternative to traditional holiday accommodation options.”

Merilee Karr (pictured), chief executive of UnderTheDoormat and chair of the STAA, commented: “It’s fantastic that four companies who took advantage of the free two-month trial membership saw the immediate benefits it brought and decided to join up permanently.

“The last two to three months have seen our industry pull together so that come July 4 we were in a very strong position to reopen safely with new industry-wide cleaning protocols and clarity on what we needed to do to keep guests safe.

“I am confident that we are now a stronger industry and we can look forward to working together and with government to grow this fantastic sector responsibly over the coming years.”