Can you request a security deposit and then separately split the rental rate between two payments?

1) The damage deposit

Go to Menu > Manage Listings, select your listing and click Edit. In the left menu open Pricing > Rates & Fees, then click the Damage Deposit section to expand it. There you turn the deposit on or off and choose Charge with Houfy or Collect by host - Collect by host means Houfy does not take it as part of the booking payment.

2) Splitting the rental rate

Under Settings > Payment Policies you can request a reservation deposit. This can be a small part of the total rent due, as either a fixed amount or a percentage.