July 2026

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸
We hope you're celebrating with family, friends, and maybe a cookout of your own.

Market Trends

June market occupancy averaged 64.2%, up from 61.5% the same month last year, about a 4% increase. July is pacing similarly: 75.7% booked so far versus 74.6% at this same point last year, with plenty of the month still to book. Guests are booking more last-minute than usual, which puts some pricing pressure on mid-week nights. We're watching orphan nights closely and adjusting pricing to fill them.

What We Saw Across Homes This Month

May and June gave us a clear view of a few seasonal patterns across the portfolio. None of these are unusual for the Cape in early summer, but they are worth staying ahead of before peak occupancy.

Smoke and CO alarms

We had a handful of low-battery alerts and one malfunctioning alarm. This is common after homes sit through the winter and then start seeing regular use again.

What we are doing: When an alarm starts chirping or fails, we send someone out to replace the battery or unit.

Good owner check: If you visit your property this summer, test the alarms and replace any weak batteries before guests arrive.

Smart lock batteries

A few smart locks showed faster battery drain than expected. This is one of those small issues that can quickly become a bad guest experience if we don't catch it early.

What we are doing: We are checking battery levels more often when we have access to the lock's smart app, and making sure backup lockboxes with actual keys are available where a smart lock is the main entry method.

Good owner check: Replace smart lock batteries every six months. Lithium batteries tend to hold up better, especially through weather changes.

AC performance during the heat wave

The recent heat wave put pressure on many homes, including some with central air. Even working systems can fall behind when temperatures stay high for several days.

What we are doing: When a home falls behind on cooling, we can install an emergency window AC unit, help coordinate maintenance, clean filters when we're able to, and bring fans out to guests.

Good owner check: Schedule AC service and replace filters before the hottest part of the season. A clogged filter is one of the most common causes of weak cooling. It also helps to keep a few extra fans at the house.

Rodents and pests

When a guest reports mice, ants, or another pest issue, we send an exterminator as quickly as possible. Prevention is almost always less expensive than emergency treatment, and it avoids a poor guest experience. Even one mouse sighting or a visible ant trail can change how guests feel about the entire stay.

What we are doing: We continue to help owners stay ahead of pest issues and coordinate vendors when needed. The good news is that proactive work is helping. We have not had ant reports so far this season.

Good owner check: Refill bait stations, spray the perimeter, and leave ant baits out. Let us know if you want a vendor recommendation for ants, mice, or general pest prevention.

Slow drains

We saw a few slow bathroom drains. This usually becomes more common as occupancy increases later in the summer.

What we are doing: If a guest reports a serious clog, we send a plumber as quickly as possible.

Good owner check: If you visit your home, it's worth clearing bathroom and sink drains before peak weeks. A plunger at the house and a simple reminder about what not to rinse down the drain can prevent many issues.

Internet outages

Comcast is the only internet provider available on the Cape, and it had a number of outages in June. Guests with a Starlink connection had no complaints about internet access during the same period.

What we are doing: We check Xfinity's outage reports for the area and keep guests updated on the restoration timeline when there's an outage.

Good owner check: If your home relies on Comcast, it's worth considering Starlink or another cellular or satellite provider, either as a backup or as your primary connection. Filing a complaint with Comcast can also help push for faster fixes in the area.

What We're Focused On

For July, our focus is simple: cleaner same-day turnovers, faster maintenance response, and a better guest experience during the busiest part of the season.

We are also improving direct-booking operations. This includes better digital guidebooks, the new local events page at capehost.ai/events, stronger owner reporting so you can see more of what is happening at your property, and more content on our social platforms. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

🆕 Introducing: The Capehost Owner Portal

Starting this month, every owner has access to portal.capehost.ai. The first thing live there is a day-by-day pricing calendar showing the price we've set for each night and why, based on demand, pacing, and how the property is performing. If you've been with us in prior years, each day also shows what it rented for and when it was booked in the same period last year, handy for forecasting and gauging how this season is stacking up. Log in with your account and take a look. This is a first version. Feedback welcome at contact@capehost.ai.

🆕 New: Weekly Owner Digest

Also starting this month, you'll receive a short weekly digest with key booking and performance updates for your property: new bookings, revenue, and occupancy at a glance. If you've been with us since last year, it also shows how this year compares to the same time last year and to last year overall, so you can see the improvement. It's meant to keep you close to what's happening without needing to ask.

Andrei and Natallia and the Capehost Team ❤️