Houfy update - October 5th 2023

Hi everyone,

I am reaching out regarding a recent facebook post concerning subscription charges.

• Houfy is currently not charging any subscription fees.

While Houfy has been operating as a free service thus far, we're evolving and seeking sustainable ways to provide you with the best possible service. We are considering a transition to a tiered subscription model for our SaaS Products. Our advertising platform will remain free. This change isn’t in effect yet, but we want to be transparent about our plans. Thank you for your understanding and for being a part of the Houfy community. We're excited to continue improving your experience on Houfy. We plan on activating the subscription based model sometime in 2024.

• Houfy’s mission

We have always upheld the mission to do away with commission fees and return autonomy back into the hands of homeowners and guests, “Your house, your rules”. We remain committed to these principles on which Houfy was founded. However, navigating through the competitive and established vacation rental market, it becomes clear that it's not feasible for Houfy to remain entirely free. This is why we are exploring various avenues through which Houfy can achieve a sustainable revenue stream to offset operational costs, without compromising on our mission and your experience.

• Forward Plans

In full transparency, Houfy has been operating at a significant annual loss, entirely absorbed by myself, with the sole purpose of maintaining the platform's integrity and operation. Our growth has inevitably brought along rising operational costs, signaling that the current model will soon become unsustainable without a reliable revenue stream. Various models, including advertisements and paid promotional offerings, have been explored and employed to cover some operational costs, though they currently fulfill only a small fraction of these costs.

While an official release will be forthcoming with comprehensive details, we intend to implement a small monthly subscription fee, with the goal of establishing a robust revenue stream to offset these costs. The hope is that this will also facilitate reinvestment into Houfy’s growth and broader advertisement efforts. Our objective is to ensure that for the average homeowner on Houfy, a single annual booking will not only offset this cost but also remain lower than the commission that would have been paid on said booking through an OTA.

Thanks T