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Houfy Blog – Vacation Rental Tips

Houfy Blog – Rental Tips

Quick answers about getting started, hosting, and booking direct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Houfy Help Center - Vacation Rental Guides & Support

Houfy Help Center & Support

List free, set your own terms, and take bookings into your own payment account.

Your Guests. Your Terms. Your Profits

What is Houfy?

Tips, guides and insights for guests and hosts

Latest from the Houfy blog

Same home, different rules. Here is what changes when you book with the host instead of through a platform.

Browse homes from identity-verified hosts worldwide, filtered by location, dates, guests and amenities.

Search and compare

Ask questions and confirm details with the person who owns the property, before you commit to anything.

Message the host

Houfy adds no platform service fee. On bookings made through certain PMS integrations you pay twice at checkout — the booking total to the host, and a 5% API connection fee to Houfy. Both amounts are shown before you pay.

Book and pay the host

Booking direct means you are not paying an OTA guest service fee. Your host is not paying an OTA commission either, which is what makes direct rates possible.

Travel

Four steps, and you deal with the host at every one of them.

Message the host, book on their terms and pay them directly. No platform service fee.

Book the property directly from the host

Popular cities and towns with vacation rentals you can book direct.

Discover your next getaway in the United States

Book direct with local hosts.

Vacation rentals by country

Vacation rentals

Pet friendly, rentals by owner, kitesurf spots and more — themed collections of vacation rentals you can book direct with the host.

Find your kind of getaway

Explore the USA's 50 states and find your perfect vacation rental.

Travel to America's 50 States

Book direct with local hosts worldwide — from Puerto Vallarta and Tulum to the Algarve and beyond.

Vacation rentals around the world

Why guests book on Houfy

Message the host, agree to the terms, and book the property from the person who owns it.

Book Direct

Use the private link or ask the host for it.

This listing is private and can't be viewed

Complete your reservation

Houfy is a great option if you’re looking to save a bit when booking vacation rentals. It’s cheaper than other platforms since there are no extra service fees, which makes a big difference. I also like that you can connect directly with hosts; it feels more personal and straightforward. Overall, simple to use and definitely worth checking out if you want a more budget-friendly booking experience.

Budget-friendly booking experience.

Being able to work directly with a Host feels reassuring and saves me a hefty fee for my yearly 3-month Snowbird rental. The whole process is easy with Houfy.

Snowbird Savings

After being told by the owner that there was an option to rent through Houfy the rental saved both time and money. And was simple to use putting me in direct contact with the owner of the property. All payments were made easily and quickly. I will use Houfy for all my next rentals.

Houfy is the best way to rentals!

It was a very smooth experience with making reservations with this platform. They do not overcharge you with excessive extra fees like other platforms.

Great and efficient platform

Straightforward, easy, very transparent. Didn't feel like we were being cheated/nickel and dimed--great experience.

Straightforward

The Houfy site was easy to use with excellent pictures of the properties under consideration. The lodging description was accurate, matching the pictures supplied and helped so much as I was comparing different properties sleeping arrangements to my group's needs. The host answered my clarifying questions and booking was simple with an immediate confirmation.

lots of pictures and excellent description

I wish more people knew about Houfy — they have an incredible platform with all the same features (and more) that Airbnb and Vrbo offer. You can even integrate your reviews from other sites directly onto your Houfy profile. The system gives hosts far more flexibility: multiple guest payment options, funds received in advance, and easy tools to add municipal taxes. Best of all, there are little to no additional fees for either guests or hosts. It’s a total win-win for everyone involved.

I wish more people knew about Houfy

I recently added my vacation rental to Houfy and the experience has been very positive. The setup and integration were straightforward, and I received my first substantial direct booking almost immediately after going live. I like having another booking channel that gives hosts more control while offering guests a professional and trustworthy way to reserve. So far, Houfy has been a worthwhile addition to my short-term rental business, and I’m looking forward to seeing it grow.

Easy setup and a great additional booking channel

As a short term rental owner, I am always seeking ways to reduce the administrative costs for my guests and Houfy allows me to do just that. It’s an easy to use platform and I’m happy to get started hosting my guests without the unnecessary fees!

Cut the fees

Our listing was easy to create and payment simple to set up. We appreciate you offering this option as the other companies are just becoming so unreasonable for our guests to pay all of the fees. Thank you!

Easy and Fair

An amazing platform for renting out your property. It allows direct contact with guests and charges no commission. The subscription is very affordable compared to similar platforms. Houfy also offers handy and useful widgets for your website. Houfy is the perfect choice for both guests and rental home owners.

Just brilliant!!

Prompt, thorough and real! Great support! As a host booking her first guest and using Stripe for the first time I was very pleased to have my questions answered and my concerns addressed.

First booking questions

Discover handpicked properties from trusted hosts around the world

Featured vacation rentals

Discounts set by hosts on their own listings — already included in the total you see.

Special offers

Create an account to unlock host-exclusive discounts.

You're already booking smarter by going direct

Your total for these dates

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Popular Travel Collections & Guides

Don't worry, we'll help you find your way back to amazing vacation rentals.

The page you are looking for does not exist on Houfy. Find your perfect vacation rental on Houfy.com.

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Looks like you took a detour on your way to vacation paradise!

Save on service fees by booking direct on Houfy.

These directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, weather, or other events may cause conditions to differ from the map results, and you should plan your route accordingly. You must obey all signs or notices regarding your route.

As a security deposit alternative, houfyProtect, an upfront nonrefundable low cost property damage protection policy for just $5 per night, is taken at time of booking.

This host has not verified their email or phone number on Houfy.

This host has verified their email and or phone number on Houfy.

This host verified their email and phone number on Houfy.

Houfy lets you contact and book direct with hosts. The host has provided the following links to give you more information.

This host sets rates by season and group size. The nightly rate shown here is a starting estimate — message the host for an exact quote for your dates and party size before booking.

This host responds to {response_rate}% of inquiries {response_time}.

A professional captain will navigate the boat for you.

Wonderful Houfy hosts are recognized as the best hosts in hospitality. The wonderful Houfy program rewards Houfy's top-rated and most experienced hosts.

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Alpine Bear Retreat

 Book your vacation in the beautiful Smoky Mountains with us today! Our condo includes everything you will need for your fun filled family vacation.  A spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo that accommodates 6 guests in the mountains of Gatlinburg. Master Bedroom has an amazing king bed, the 2nd bedroom has a queen bed and a full sofa sleeper in living room. Free internet and cable TV. No pets. Book Direct & Save. Contact info: Jenmoran99@netscape.net or 985-507-6121
Please click our link to check our condo out at  alpinebearretreat.com


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My husband and I are from Louisian. We have been coming to the Smoky Mountains all of our lives. We love owning a condo in the Smoky Mountains and are excited to share it with you and your family and friends. Our love for traveling has grown every year is one of our favorite things to do. We enjoy meeting our guest who often become friends.

Alpine Bear Retreat

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Alpine Bear Retreat

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