Message the host, agree to the terms, and book the property from the person who owns it.
Quick answer
Houfy is a direct-booking vacation rental marketplace where guests book with identity-verified hosts. Guests message the host before booking, book on the terms the host sets, and pay through the host's own Stripe, Square or PayPal account. Houfy charges no platform service fee. Bookings made through certain PMS integrations add a 5% API connection fee, paid as a separate transaction to Houfy at checkout. Both amounts are shown before you pay. Hosts set their own nightly rates, so Houfy does not guarantee a lower total than another platform.
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Houfy is a direct-booking vacation rental marketplace. Homes, condos, cabins and apartments listed by hosts who have completed identity verification. Guests search by destination and dates, message the host, and book the property directly. Hosts set their own pricing, policies and cancellation terms. Houfy charges no platform service fee to guests. Bookings made through certain PMS integrations add a 5% API connection fee to the guest's booking total at checkout.
100,000+
Listings
100+
Countries
Your Guests. Your Terms. Your Profits
List free, set your own terms, and take bookings into your own payment account.
Guests pay into your own Stripe, Square or PayPal account
Free to list. One-time $5.99 host verification, waived when you connect a channel manager.
0% host commission on every booking
You set your own pricing, house rules and cancellation policy
Message the host before you book. Ask questions, confirm details, and deal with the person who owns the property.
Verified hosts
Every host completes identity verification before a listing goes live.
Itemised pricing
Every charge is shown before you pay — including the API connection fee, where one applies.
How booking direct works on Houfy
Search and compare. Browse homes from identity-verified hosts worldwide, filtered by location, dates, guests and amenities.
Message the host. Ask questions and confirm details with the person who owns the property, before you commit to anything.
Book and pay 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.
Travel. 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.
Houfy charges no platform service fee. Bookings made through certain PMS integrations add a 5% API connection fee, paid as a separate transaction to Houfy at checkout. How fees work
Booking direct vs. booking through an OTA
What you pay
Houfy
Typical OTA
Who you talk to
The host, directly, before and after booking
Platform messaging, often restricted until booking
Who sets the terms
The host — price, house rules, cancellation policy
The platform's policy framework
Who you pay
The host, through their own Stripe, Square or PayPal
The platform, which pays the host after the stay
Guest platform service fee
Listings connected through certain channel managers add a 5% API connection fee, paid as a separate transaction to Houfy at checkout.
Published guest service fees are commonly around 14-16%
Other guest-side charges
5% API connection fee on bookings made through certain PMS integrations, paid as a separate transaction to Houfy
Varies by platform
Host commission
0%
Commonly around 3-15%+
*Listings connected through certain channel managers add a 5% API connection fee, paid as a separate transaction to Houfy at checkout.
Hear from our community of hosts and guests who love the Houfy experience
I wish more people knew about Houfy
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 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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
What does booking direct mean for vacation rentals?
Booking direct means you reserve and pay the property host without a third-party platform adding service fees or commission. On Houfy, guests search, message hosts and book with no Houfy markup added to most bookings — the price you see is the price the host set (certain PMS-connected listings add a 5% API connection fee, paid by the guest as a separate transaction to Houfy).
What fees will I see at checkout?
The nightly rate the host set, plus any cleaning fee, taxes or deposit the host applies — all paid to the host. Houfy charges no platform service fee. On bookings made through certain PMS integrations there is a second payment: a 5% API connection fee to Houfy, shown as "API connection Fee". Both amounts are shown before you pay.
What is the 5% API connection fee?
Some hosts run their calendars and rates through property management software that connects to Houfy through a usage-based API integration. On those bookings you pay twice at checkout: the booking total to the host, through the host's own Stripe, Square or PayPal account, and a 5% API connection fee to Houfy as a separate transaction. Both amounts are shown before you pay. The 5% helps cover what those software partners bill Houfy for the connection. It is not a commission on the booking, and hosts are never billed for it. Usage-based integrations are OwnerRez, Hostaway, Hostfully, Lodgify, Rentals United, Truvi and Protect Group. Bookings through Hospitable, PriceLabs, HostTools, Hostex, Cleanster and Jervis Systems carry no such fee, and neither do bookings from hosts who don't use connected software.
Is it cheaper to book direct than through an OTA?
Often, but not always. Large OTAs typically add a guest service fee of around 14-16% on top of the nightly rate. On Houfy, guests pay the price the host sets, with no Houfy markup added to most bookings (certain PMS-connected listings add a 5% API connection fee, paid by the guest as a separate transaction to Houfy). Hosts set their own nightly rates and may price differently on different platforms, so compare the final itemised total at checkout rather than the headline nightly rate.
Is Houfy safe for direct bookings?
Houfy verifies a host's identity before they can list, including hosts who connect through a channel manager. Guests message verified hosts directly, can receive a written rental agreement, and pay through the host's own Stripe, Square or PayPal account. houfyProtect is available on eligible bookings.
Do hosts pay commission on Houfy?
No, Houfy doesn't take a percentage of your bookings. Listing is free with a one-time $5.99 host verification fee, waived for hosts who connect through a channel manager — the identity check still runs. Optional Lite ($7.99) and Premium ($11.99) plans per listing per month add extra tools; the PMS plan is $0 per listing per month. There is no per-booking commission. Hosts are paid into their own Stripe, Square or PayPal account, so that provider's processing fee applies, as it would on any direct payment.
How is Houfy different from Airbnb and Vrbo?
Those platforms charge a guest service fee and take a host commission on each booking. Houfy doesn't add a guest service fee or take a host commission on most bookings (certain PMS-connected listings add a 5% API connection fee, paid by the guest as a separate transaction to Houfy). Guests and hosts communicate directly, and the host sets their own pricing, policies and cancellation terms. Because hosts set their own rates on every platform, compare the property's total on each site.
Can I book direct last minute on Houfy?
Yes. Search by your dates, message the host to confirm availability, and book. Many hosts publish last-minute discounts and special offers, which appear on the deals page.
Competitor fee ranges are typical published rates and vary by market, listing and cancellation policy. Check each platform for current pricing.
