EP 243: The Legal Mistakes STR Owners Keep Making with Katie Johnson

Most short-term rental owners spend all their time thinking about branding, bookings, design, amenities, and guest experience… But almost no one talks about the legal side of this business until something goes wrong. In this episode, I sat down with STR attorney, host, and co-host Katie Johnson to talk about the legal mistakes we see owners and property managers making all the time and honestly, some of these are way more common than they should be. We talk about LLCs, insurance, rental agreements, safety compliance, co-hosting contracts, operating agreements, capital raising, and what owners need to think about before scaling into boutique hotels, glamping sites, or micro resorts. Katie shares why simply having an LLC is not enough if your property is not transferred correctly, what insurance companies are actually looking for when denying claims, why rental agreements matter more than most hosts realize, and the biggest risks she sees owners overlooking every single day. We also dive into safety inspections, reducing liability, protecting yourself as a co-host or property manager, partnership operating agreements, and the legal side of raising capital for STR investments. This conversation was eye-opening even for me, and if you own, manage, or are investing in short-term rentals in any capacity, this is genuinely one of those episodes you should not skip. Katie also shares details about her legal template shop, her podcast, and resources specifically created for short-term rental owners and operators. You can connect with Katie on Instagram at @strlaw.with.katie, through her website at strlaw.com, or by listening to her podcast, STR Law. If this episode helped you, send it to another host, investor, or co-host who needs to hear it. And if you're building a hospitality brand you want to grow beyond Airbnb, head to theweberco.com or connect with me on Instagram @theweberco.