#317 - How Smart Design Creates Big Short-Term Rental Returns - Kaitlyn Rowsey Aronis

Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is Kaitlyn Rowsey Aronis, CEO and founder of CoHo House, a nationwide design and co-hosting firm helping investors maximize short-term rental returns.

Before launching her company, Kaitlyn worked at Airbnb on the Airbnb Plus program, where she helped define what high-performing, design-forward listings really look like.

In this conversation, Kaitlyn breaks down why there is no one-size-fits-all strategy in short-term rentals. She also shares how your goals should shape everything from acquisitions to renovation budgets to design decisions.

In addition, Kaitlyn explains how scaling sustainably requires strong systems, clear roles, and heart-centered hosting without sacrificing profitability.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Kaitlyn Rowsey Aronis and her background

[03:08] Getting into short-term rental space

[08:20] Bridging the gap between tech and real-life hosting at Airbnb

[11:39] Cash flow vs. equity growth: designing around your real goals

[16:42] The importance of defining your ideal guest avatar

[21:18] How Coho House grew from co-hosting to nationwide installs

[26:05] What does cash flow really mean to Kaitlyn

[29:06] Case study: West Virginia and emerging travel markets

[36:58] Think about your buying schedule and seasonality

[41:25] Don't overspend on the property and underspend on design

[45:00] Multiple ways to work with a designer

[51:32] Scaling sustainably with systems and clear roles

[56:32] Heart-centered guest communication and the "Oh No" rule

[01:04:17] Connect with Kaitlyn Rowsey Aronis

[01:05:59] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.cohohouse.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlyn-rowsey-aronis/

Link to schedule a free listing audit: https://calendly.com/kaitlyn-opw/introductory-call

Text code - LOR2025 - to 818-208-7034 for 15% off our Design Services!

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals