Vacasa to buy out Sea to Sky Rentals in Seattle

Vacation rental platform, Vacasa, has recently announced that it is acquiring Seattle's vacation rental operator, Sea to Sky Rentals.

Founded in 2003 by Michelle Acquavella, Sea to Sky Rentals manages 85 properties in Seattle and the North Cascades. Those vacation homes will now be managed by Vacasa.

Acquavella is well-known in the short-term rental industry, having served on the national board of directors for Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA), and helping launch both the Northwest Vacation Rental Professionals and Seattle’s Short-Term Rental Alliance.

She’ll step away from the working world to spend more time with her family post-acquisition. Her strategic director, Heidi Stuber, will focus on running for Seattle City Council.

“Growing the organization has been one of my greatest achievements to date. We’re now at an inflection point with abundant market opportunity and potential for further growth ahead of us,” Acquavella said in a statement. “The time was right to pass the torch to a global company that places high importance on local operations.”

Acquavella claims to have the second-ever Seattle listing on VRBO and describes herself as a “rental rights advocate.”

In 2017, Seattle City Council passed a new law that limits short-term rental operators on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO to two units.

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