Dictionary
This Glossary is provided to help guests understand more about the rental of inns, resorts and vacation rentals. It is not comprehensive but serves as a primer for terms guests may encounter in renting specialty lodging. Not all terms apply to all properties or managers.
Maintenance
The act of maintaining and providing services to a property. Sometimes routine matters such as changing furnace filters, or changing locks. Generally differentiated from work necessary to correct damages.
See also: Repairs Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Market Share
The percentage of business within a market category.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Member
A person who has subscribed to any website membership plan.
Origin: Redstone Systems
Memberships
Customers who wish to utilize one or more of our websites must sign up for a Membership in that site. Each membership has a username, logon and Membership type. Some sites allow users to view some data before becoming members.
Origin: Redstone Systems
Mid Rise Building
A building, often used for office space and usually between four and 12 floors.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Mountain View
When guests can see surrounding mountains from some area of the property, not necessarily from all area of the property. May include Full, Partial or Peekaboo Views.
See also: View, Beach View, City View, Resort View, Water View Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Name Your Price
An offer to guests to specify the price they want to pay per night for lodging, and the manager then looks for lodging to meet their criteria
Origin: William May Link: VRIA.org
Network Member
A person who owns a local vacation rental company in a geographic location, that is a member of the Sunspots Network. They are the key person in the are and may have other people who work for them. A member may also be referred to as a Networker, Operator, Manager or Property Manager.
See also: networker, manager, operator, property manager Origin: Vortex Organization
Network Operator
An alternate title for a person who owns a local vacation rental company in a geographic location, that is a member of the Sunspots Network. See Network Member.
See also: Network Member, Networker, Manager, Property Manager Origin: Vortex Organization
Networker
Refers to employs or subcontractors of Sunspot Network Members such as housekeepers, maintenance personnel, office staff and so forth.
See also: manager, network member, operator, property manager Origin: Istay
Night
In most lodging, guests do not rent "Days" but instead bookings are thought of as "Nights". The origin of this terminology comes from the traditional (Hotel, Motel) industry where guests frequently arrive in the afternoon and leave in the morning. Hence it is the night they are renting not the day.
See also: Day Origin: Vacation Rental Association
No Pets
When a lodging facility disallows pets of any kind at the property. If No Pets are specified then pets are not welcome on the grounds, in the vicinity or inside the buildings. [ Service animals are exempt from such limits. ]
See also: Pet Friendly, Service Animal Origin: Vacation Rental Association
No Show
A customer with a reservation at a lodging facility who fails to show up and does not cancel.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association
No Smoking
In most jurisdictions, guests are not allowed to smoke in properties or anywhere inside the buildings. Usually there are rules that prohibit smoking within a certain distance of the building or its entrance ways or that prohibit smoking anywhere on the grounds. Most owners of lodging facilities prohibit smoking anywhere on the grounds or in the building
See also: Smoking Penalty Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Non-Cancelable
When a booking for lodging property use is non-cancelable it means the guest must pay for and is not entitled to a refund even if they request a cancellation. This is similar to non-cancelable bookings for airfare and other travel services.
See also: Re-Sellable Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Obscured Rent by Owner (RBO)
When a website makes a property owners identify hidden thereby requiring guests to only communicate through their website dashboard, the rental is Obscure.
See also: Rent by Owner, Rbo Origin: May, William Link: VRIA.org
Occupancy
A percentage indicating the number of nights sold (compared to number available) in a hotel, resort, motel, or vacation rental facility or destination.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Occupant
A person of any age who enters a lodging unit at any time; or enters the property or resort on which it sits. Includes overnight guests but also drop-in visitors.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Ocean Front Accommodations
Buildings or rooms and living units in a building which is along side the ocean shore. Can be major oceans or estuaries. Generally means there are no other buildings between the building and the water. Not necessarily Beach Front.
See also: Beach Front Origin: Vacation Rental Association
Order (Booking)
When a guest makes a booking online it is referred to as an Order until such time as a staff member accepts and confirms it. The software uses this word as a Booking Status.
See also: Abandoned, Aborted, Blocked, Cancelled, Confirmed, Hold, Incomplete, In Error, Out of Service, Quoted, Unblocked Origin: Vacation Rental Association