Dear friends!

This week’s email was inspired by a conversation I had after the Pocono Chamber of Commerce’s monthly public policy committee meeting.

Somewhere between talking about regulations, economic development, and community concerns, our conversation landed on one simple word: empathy. We talked about how different the world might feel if people could truly try to understand how someone else arrived at a different viewpoint—even if they never change their own.

And right then, I had my topic/”word for today”:  Empathy.

So… how does this relate to short-term rentals?
Here goes.

The top 3 things I wish those who oppose STRs would consider:

1. Most STR owners are not faceless corporations.

They’re families, retirees, small business owners, and locals who invested their savings into a property—often with the rules that existed at the time.

2. STRs don’t exist in a vacuum.

They support cleaners, contractors, landscapers, local restaurants, shops, and attractions. In the Poconos, tourism fuels our economic engine—and STRs are part of that ecosystem.

3. Bad behavior is the exception, not the rule.

The vast majority of STR owners care deeply about their neighbors, their communities, and their reputations. Most want reasonable rules that address real issues—not blanket bans that punish everyone.

The top 3 things I wish STR owners frustrated by opposition would consider:

1. Change is unsettling—especially when it affects someone’s home.

For neighbors who didn’t choose to live next to a rental, fear often comes from uncertainty, not malice.

2. Not all concerns are illegitimate.

Noise, parking, trash, and safety do matter. Dismissing those concerns outright makes it harder to be heard when the rules are being written.

3. How we show up matters.

Tone, timing, and willingness to listen often determine whether we’re seen as partners—or problems.

So… where can we come together?

We can agree that:

• Communities deserve peace, safety, and predictability
• Owners deserve fair, clear, enforceable rules
• Data beats assumptions
• Collaboration beats confrontation

Empathy doesn’t mean giving up your position.
It means understanding how someone else got to theirs.

And in today’s STR environment—where rules are being written, rewritten, and challenged—that might be the most powerful tool we have.

As always, I’d love to hear your perspective.
Where have you seen empathy work?
And where do you think we still need more of it?

— Rebecca

PS - Have you registered for the March 5, 2026 Poconos STR Conference?  The full program is dropping this week & gotta say, it's strong!