Short-Term Rentals Certification Course
Our specialist course built specifically for staging Airbnb, VRBO, and vacation rental properties for maximum bookings and premium nightly rates.
- Six Units of Training with Lifetime Access
- Budget Plans, Shopping Cheat Sheets, and Seasonal Playbooks
- Quizzes and Hands-On Assignments in Every Unit
- For Home Stagers, Property Owners, and Airbnb Hosts
- Trusted Training Provider Since 2007
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
- Last Updated: 29th March 2026
- 100% Online & Self-Paced
- Lifetime access
- Templates & Documents Included
- 90-Day Money-Back Guarantee
The Home Staging Course Trusted by Thousands...
Most STR Listings Look the Same. Yours Won't.
Turn any rental property into a listing that stands out, books fast, and earns repeat guests.
Scroll through any Airbnb market and you’ll see the same thing repeated dozens of times – beige walls, mismatched furniture, a single overhead light, and photos taken on a phone at 6 PM. These listings compete on price alone because nothing about them gives a guest a reason to pay more.
This course teaches you the specific skills that STR staging requires – choosing durable, photogenic furniture, building amenity kits that earn five-star reviews, staging rooms for the camera first, writing listing copy that converts, and pricing your property above the competition. Six focused units plus two bonus units cover everything from design foundations to seasonal refresh schedules.
Try the full course risk-free for 30 days. If it’s not the right fit, email us for a complete refund. No hoops, no questions, no waiting period.
Here's Exactly What You'll Learn in Our Short-Term Rental Design Course
Unit One
The Business Case for Short-Term Rental Staging
STR staging and traditional home staging share a skill set, but the goals, materials, and mindset are completely different. This unit breaks down exactly how and why, then gives you the financial framework to show clients what staging actually returns. You’ll learn to identify the five core guest personas and match your design decisions to the audience your property attracts.
Topics Covered:
- How STR staging differs from staging a home for sale
- Guest personas and how to identify your target audience
- ROI calculations, pricing impact, and the financial case for staging
- What drives guest booking decisions and five-star reviews
Includes: Stocking checklists, towel GSM specs, coffee station setup guide, photo staging instructions room by room, and the five-second first impression test.
Unit Two
Design Foundations for Short-Term Rentals
Every STR needs a clear design direction before you buy a single throw pillow. This unit covers seven proven design styles and shows you how to match each one to a property type and location. You’ll learn the 60/30/10 color rule, how to select furniture that photographs well and survives years of guest use, and how to build a design brief that keeps your entire project on track.
- Choosing a design style that fits your market and property
- Color palette principles specific to rental photography
- Which furniture to invest in and where to save
- Designing for durability, easy cleaning, and fast turnover
Unit Three
Room-by-Room Staging Strategies
This unit walks through every room in a short-term rental, from the living room that becomes your hero listing photo to the outdoor spaces that set the first impression. Each section includes specific product picks with price ranges, exact stocking quantities, and step-by-step photo-staging instructions. You’ll also learn the complete walkthrough test to run before any photographer arrives.
- Living room staging that creates a hero image worth clicking
- Kitchen staging that puts function first and photos second
- Bedroom and bathroom staging to hotel-quality standards
- Outdoor spaces, curb appeal, and the walkthrough test
Unit Four
Amenities, Guest Experience, and Five-Star Reviews
The difference between a four-star review and a five-star review often comes down to details guests didn’t expect. This unit gives you the full amenity checklist (essential through luxury), teaches you how to build a welcome book that cuts guest questions in half, and covers the personal touches that get mentioned in reviews by name. You’ll also learn how to design your staging so the cleaning team can reset it perfectly between every turnover.
- Essential and luxury amenity checklists with price ranges
- Creating a welcome book that works as a silent concierge
- Designing your property for the cleaning team's efficiency
- Safety requirements and booking platform compliance
Unit Five
Photography and Listing Optimization
A room that looks great in person can fall completely flat in a photo, and the reverse is also true. This unit teaches you to stage specifically for the camera, covering what to remove, what to add, and how to create lifestyle vignettes that make guests picture themselves in the space. You’ll learn the hero image strategy, how to hire and brief an STR photographer, and how to structure your listing copy so it converts clicks into bookings.
- Staging rooms for the camera vs. staging for in-person viewing
- Photography fundamentals and the hero image strategy
- Hiring and directing a professional photographer
- Photo order, listing structure, and common mistakes to fix
Unit Six
Pricing, Branding, and Business Strategy
Staging only pays off if the pricing reflects the quality you’ve created. This unit covers the psychology behind how guests decide what a property is worth, and how your staging directly supports higher nightly rates. You’ll learn dynamic pricing tools, how to build a property brand that earns repeat bookings, and the Superhost strategy that turns great staging into a self-reinforcing cycle of better reviews and premium rates.
- Pricing psychology and how staging drives premium rates
- Dynamic pricing strategies and seasonal adjustments
- Building a property brand with consistent design touchpoints
- The Superhost strategy and long-term staging refresh plans
Join 6,000+ Students Who Have Turned Their Eye for Design into a Home Staging Career
Real stories. Real results. These students chose the Home Staging Institute to build their skills, boost their confidence, and launch their staging future – at their own pace, from anywhere.
really glad I chose to get certified through you
.
I'm so grateful to have been guided to the Home Staging Institute
.
I have been super successful and put each and everything I learned in the course content to use
. Thank you!
so very happy I chose yours
. There is a sincere quality with yours in truly desiring a person to succeed. I'm enjoying every minute of it! I will recommend your course to friends
. Thanks again for the great course.
I am so excited
, you have no idea! Thank you so much for this course, it is great.
* These are real testimonials from recent Home Staging Institute customers. Where a profile photo wasn’t supplied with the testimonial, we have opted to use a placeholder.
Short-Term Rental Design Course Summary
Who it’s aimed at
Home stagers adding STR services, Airbnb and VRBO hosts, real estate investors, and interior designers working with rental property owners.
Typical student
Someone who wants to stage rental properties that earn higher nightly rates and better reviews, whether for their own portfolio or as a paid service for clients.
Format
Self-paced online course with lifetime access. Six core units and two bonus units. Each unit includes reading material, quizzes, and hands-on assignments. Complete it in a few weeks or work through it at your own speed.
