Extreme Weather: How Property Managers Can Prepare

It’s a tough time for short-term rental property managers and their owners.

We’ve just witnessed the hottest summer on record in most parts of Europe, with wildfires raging across thousands of hectares of land, destroying homes and disrupting daily life – and holidays.

Storms have already started in some parts of Europe and flooding is inevitable. As this is an El Niño year (in fact affecting 2026 and 2027), any weather disasters are likely to be intensified.

Having to deal with the consequences of these types of extreme weather events is probably not in your operational manual or guest comms journey. But now it needs to be, as this is going to continue and probably get worse.

In addition, managing costs is one of the biggest challenges for owners, particularly with rising energy costs, water shortages and the way that guests act differently when they’re on vacation.

In this article I will share smart ways that property managers can empower their owners to prepare for weather emergencies and reduce their operating costs. These actions will protect guests and staff and reduce bills whilst increasing real estate values. The added bonus is that, as a property management company, you will be seen as part of the solution rather than the cause.

These are the areas you can read about:

• Building climate emergency response into operations and guest comms
• Gaining control of energy bills
• Understanding different types of renewables
• Smart monitoring tech
• Reducing water consumption
• Real estate value
• Ideas for empowering your owners

Climate emergency response

This summer, extreme heat and wildfires have been the main weather emergencies, coupled with drought, water and power shortages. However, there has also been flooding in parts of Asia.

In the winter it could be flooding or heavy snow.

Whatever extreme weather event it is, it has consequences for properties and communities. That means it could well impact some of your owners.

You have the opportunity to be a responsible and supportive property manager by being prepared with the right advice, but also to be proactive by implementing environmental management procedures and suggesting initiatives for your owners.

Here are some ideas to incorporate into your operations and communications.

Operations

Consider the impact of weather disasters that you have already experienced in some of your destinations. Or if it hasn’t happened yet, speak to other property managers where it has and ask their advice.

Think through all the areas that could be impacted and work out reasonable responses to include in your operational manual.

Here are some examples of things to consider:

• Reduced electricity or outages
• Water shortages and low pressure
• Evacuations due to fire or flooding
• Earthquakes or hurricanes
• Heavy rainfall and flooding
• Heavy snowfall and drifting

Some of the responses you give to create a better outcome for your owners and their guests are addressed further in this article, such as smart monitoring and renewable energy.

Communications

If one of your destinations is affected, you will need to think about guests and your owners.

If you’re using AI to communicate with guests, make sure that you have trained it how to respond to weather emergencies.

Also, as part of your usual guest comms, make sure they know that you have procedures in place. This will create trust and build your reputation as a responsible brand.

And don’t forget your owners. Make sure that they know that you have policies in place to deal with climate emergencies, but also that you are being proactive with environmental management initiatives to help mitigate risk and save them money.

How to take control of energy bills

In recent years we seem to have lurched from one energy crisis to another, with spiralling oil and gas prices. Electricity and gas are probably the largest and, unfortunately, the most volatile operating costs that property owners have to cover. Couple that with “the vacation mindset” that guests have when they are away from home, and property managers and owners can feel they have limited control.

On top of market volatility due to conflict and a small number of states controlling energy prices, we are also experiencing increasing extreme weather events. The effects of these were felt in Europe in 2023, when there was an unusually cold spring and guests were ramping up the heating. And in 2026 we’ve had the hottest summer since records began, with demand for air conditioning increasing. These increased energy costs directly impact an STR’s bottom line.

The truth about renewable energy

It can often seem that the world is reluctant to move to renewables like solar, wind and hydro. But the stats paint a different picture:

• Solar installations globally doubled between 2022 and 2024
• In the first three quarters of 2025, solar accounted for 83% of all new electricity-generating capacity
• In the last decade, costs have fallen by 90% per kWh (with batteries for storage similar), and purchase and installation costs have never been cheaper
• In 1975 solar was $100 per watt. Today it’s just $0.20 – a drop of 99.8%, an unprecedented fall for any energy technology
• Wind power is similar, with an 80% cost decrease in a decade

Stats from an article by Martin Wright, director of Positive News.

It makes business sense

These figures show the financial sense of transitioning to renewable energy. Yes, there is the initial investment, but payback has been reducing exponentially. And you will be in control of your energy bills (or lack of them if you become self-sufficient). Having your own source of energy means that you’re no longer beholden to the volatility of energy markets, plus you’re contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions.

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of data for short-term rentals yet. However, I’ve heard the results of one hotel in the UK (part of a well-known flag). Since electrifying and installing renewables, their annual energy costs have reduced from £300,000 to £100,000 in one year. And that was before the current energy crisis.

I ran a short-term rental in Italy for 7 years. By the time we sold in 2024, we had fully electrified and installed a new inverter for our photovoltaic panels. The property was 11,300 sq ft (320 m²), split into 2 apartments. We lived upstairs and rented out the downstairs from June to September, with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. We had heat pumps for hot water, heating and cooling in the summer, as well as a swimming pool.

When we sold our property, I was able to prove that we could run the entire villa for an average monthly cost of just €136. We only had a total of 6 kW on our house and outbuilding roofs, so we still had to purchase some electricity. However, we were also able to sell back to the grid when we had no guests.

The different types of renewable energy

You’ve probably heard the term “renewables”, but here I’d like to share a short summary of the more popular forms, so you can understand how they could help your owners reduce operating costs. You know your inventory, so you will be able to ascertain what is most appropriate.

Photovoltaic panels for electricity generation

We often talk about solar, but “photovoltaic” is the correct term for panels which generate electricity. They typically need to be installed on a roof, but the technology is improving all the time. The panels themselves have greatly improved and are typically 500 W each. To convert the energy from the panels into usable power you need an inverter.

Of course, photovoltaic lends itself more to stand-alone properties. However, there are increasing numbers of apartment blocks which have communal energy systems. You can also install smaller systems on, say, a carport roof to offer EV charging – an increasing guest demand. In addition, panels on a pool house could power a swimming pool pump.

Solar panels for hot water

The other type of panels that usually go on a roof are for hot water, making use of the sun to heat water. This is probably the most economical of all renewables. In colder months, this can be supplemented by a heat pump.

Heat pumps for heating, cooling and hot water

With this type of electrification, you can move away entirely from gas or oil and lower your electricity demand. They can be installed to work with existing systems. In the case of new builds or renovations, they can be combined with underfloor heating/cooling. They are also available for hot water, as mentioned.

In essence, the beauty of heat pumps is that they are much more energy efficient than central heating and air conditioning. The most common are air source heat pumps, which work like a fridge in reverse.

Smart green tech can help to reduce operating costs

Another way to start reducing operating costs immediately is to install smart monitoring devices which can control the way guests behave in a property. I’ve mentioned the “vacation mindset” and the way in which guests might have less regard for consumption if they’re not paying for it themselves. Furthermore, there are periods of time when properties are not booked and stay empty for a number of days or even weeks.

Monitoring indoor temperatures

Companies like Minut offer devices which monitor a number of important things: temperature inside the property, noise and smoking. If you manage the full operations of your inventory, this allows you to be proactive rather than reactive. It ensures that heating or cooling is not turned up to the max or left on for long periods of time.

The good news is that Minut is integrated with many PMS platforms.

Saving water in very simple, economical ways

Another precious resource is water. Due to climate change, many regions in the world are experiencing regular droughts. This summer many parts of the UK are in drought, including Wales, a place which is always known for its high rainfall. This type of local crisis fuels anti-tourism sentiment amongst locals, as tourists typically use more water than residents.

Furthermore, water is another expense for property owners. With water becoming such a necessary resource, it’s unlikely that prices will fall. The good news is that there are so many simple actions you can take to reduce consumption:

• Low-flow shower heads: existing showers can be adapted by installing a flow restrictor
• Dual-flush toilets: give two options for flush
• Toilet tank device: takes up space in the tank, reducing the volume of water
• Smart irrigation controls: use weather data and soil moisture for optimum irrigation
• Leak detection monitors: part of preventative maintenance to avoid flooding emergencies
• Rainwater harvesting: collect rainwater via gutters into containers, which can be used for irrigation or flushing toilets

Increased real estate value for energy-efficient homes

In many countries in Europe, increasing regulation is demanding that energy efficiency is upgraded. This is true for short-term rentals and house sales, which may need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The EPC calculates the energy efficiency of a home, taking into account insulation, energy consumption and so on. When a property is run on renewables, it will automatically score higher.

Increasing numbers of new builds are incorporating high levels of energy efficiency with state-of-the-art renewables and monitoring. Not only will the owner save on utility bills, the real estate value will be higher.

In the UK, one study showed that properties with the highest ratings of A/B could command 14% higher resale values.

When we sold our rental property in Italy, we made a significant profit – very unusual here. In addition, we found a buyer in 3 weeks, when large numbers of properties sit on the market for years. One of the main reasons for this was the eco credentials of the house (A4 – the highest level) and how economically we could run it.

If you own your own real estate as a property manager, you win twice over: with reduced operating costs and higher real estate assets. If you manage properties for your owners, they will thank you for saving them money and increasing the value of their property.

How property managers can empower their owners

As mentioned, if you own your own inventory, you can take on much of the advice shared yourself. In fact, you may well be doing a lot of the actions mentioned already.

If you manage properties for owners, it may seem harder, as you have to persuade them to pay for any improvements. Hopefully, this article will have shown you the business benefits of doing so.

There are some areas I would recommend to help you get your owners on board.

Lead by example

I always recommend that it’s a good idea to “get your own house in order” before advising others what to do. There are a number of actions you can take as a business which will show that you are committed to environmental best practice:

• If you have your own offices, switch to a green energy tariff
• Do an environmental audit of your website to see how energy-intensive it is
• Set up your own “green” team to drive forward ideas for you and your owners

Use your buying power

This article has focused on energy-saving measures, but there are plenty of other ways to be environmentally responsible. These include using eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products free of harsh chemicals, and eliminating single-use plastic.

Explore setting up volume discounts for your own inventory or your owners for energy, cleaning and laundry, as well as other consumables like guest toiletries.

Educate and empower your owners

In order to demonstrate your responsible approach towards the environment, educate and empower your owners.

Consider creating an environmental management toolkit, sharing some of the ideas in this article. Research options for them, like the volume discounts already mentioned. Find out about grants or incentives for renewables like heat pumps and solar in the regions in which you operate.

Help your owners monitor and track their energy and water consumption in a more intentional way, so that they can see savings based on different improvements. You could even run a small pilot scheme with a few owners and then share case studies.

The choices to be made

Summers are only going to continue getting hotter, and other extreme weather events are the new norm.

As a property manager, you have a number of choices:

1. Decide to ignore these changing weather patterns and hope that your owners will take the necessary steps to protect guests.
2. Accept the impacts of a changing climate and put steps in place now to protect guests and owners.
3. Go one step further and, instead of just putting in mitigation policies, take action to reduce costs and carbon emissions.

If you decide to follow all the suggestions above, you will win on so many levels. Tourism is a global industry. You have the opportunity to play your role in protecting its future, as well as being part of the transition to clean energy.