Vacation rental websites and markets are becoming more important. Every day, they get tens of thousands of people looking for somewhere to stay while on vacation. Vacation rental websites provide hosts with an excellent opportunity to engage their target audience at the most convenient time and location. When searching for innovative strategies to increase the number of reservations, you should begin by promoting your properties in areas where your prospective visitors are most likely to be found.
As a visitor, you may wish to choose the greatest home away from home for your next trip. We researched the top vacation rental websites to benefit visitors and hosts. Here are some suggestions.
1. AirbnbÂ
Airbnb is the most well-known and reliable vacation rental website. It provides hosts with the chance to earn money by offering their short-term rental houses and experiences on the website.
It is home to the biggest group of vacation rental property owners globally. Since its inception in 2008, Airbnb has grown to include over 7 million listings in more than 220 regions and countries across the globe, making it one of the biggest vacation rental firms in the world. For visitors, this offers a plethora of alternatives from which to pick.
It is also one of the most rapidly expanding vacation rental websites globally. In the short-term rental sector, Airbnb has the highest brand awareness among both hosts and guests.
There are no listing fees for hosts who want to advertise their property. On the other hand, hosts should be prepared to pay a service charge for each booking. Depending on where your property is located, you may be required to pay a charge of up to 15 percent, or the visitor may be required to pay a fee of up to 15 percent while you are required to pay up to 3 percent.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- The company provides insurance coverage of $1 million.
- There is no charge to establish a rental listing;
- The host service cost ranges from 3 to 15% of the total booking price (depending on your location).
2. Vrbo
Vrbo is a subsidiary of the Expedia Group that specializes in providing vacation rentals in the United States of America. The company was formerly known as VRBO (vacation rental by owner), but it recently combined with its sibling site HomeAway and rebranded as Vrbo. As a result, it is a fantastic choice for hosts who own or manage vacation rental properties in the United States. The site is also regarded as one of the most popular vacation rental listing sites on the internet.
Vrbo hosts may choose to charge per booking or to pay a $499 yearly membership fee to rent out their properties. Choosing the pay-per-booking option means that the host will be charged a 5 percent commission along with a 3 percent credit card fee for each booking.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- Only privately owned flats and homes are eligible for inclusion on the list.
- Hosts have the option of choosing between an annual membership and a pay-per-booking model.
- Attracts families and visitors to places in the United States.
There is a service cost of up to 12 percent every booking, and in certain cases, it is much greater than that. The use of a pet is subject to extra expenses such as cleaning fees and other charges.
Even though Vrbo and Airbnb have a lot in common, some significant distinctions are to be aware of. When it comes to listing homes on Airbnb, you may choose from various options (including shared rooms, cabins, beach cottages, and treehouses), while Vrbo only enables hosts to sell privately-owned spaces. You should be aware that you cannot promote a spare room on Vrbo if you have one available for rent.
Another distinction is the sort of audience that Vrbo appeals to. In part, because Vrbo only allows for private house rentals, the site tends to target older audiences traveling with a family and searching for kid-friendly accommodations.
3. Booking.comÂ
Currently, Booking.com has over 27 million properties listed on the marketplace, with over 1.5 million nights being booked daily. The service is most known for offering hotel rooms rather than vacation rentals, and for this reason. The number of vacation rentals advertised on Booking.com has, on the other hand, increased dramatically during the last several years.
Unlike other online travel agencies, Booking.com does not have a payment mechanism. Instead, it gives hosts the choice to choose the payment methods they like. Consequently, Booking.com charges a 15 percent fee on any booking made via their website. You will be charged for the fees, which will be withdrawn from your account by direct debit.
Booking.com does not impose fees if a guest cancels a reservation made via the website. On the other hand, a bill may be sent to a guest by a hotel or another property that they have reserved.
If you need to cancel a reservation made through Booking.com, you should contact the hotel or property directly to discuss your options.
The following are the most important characteristics.
- You may list your property for free on the internet.
- Hosts will be charged a 15 percent service fee for each booking.
- Only available for immediate booking;
- When booking a reservation, guests are not required to pay any additional commissions.
4. TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, established in 2000, is one of the most established and top websites for holiday rentals. In turn, it has excellent brand awareness, making it an excellent site to market your rental properties.
TripAdvisor is also well-known for its comparing features. This site has more than 859 million reviews on hotels, restaurants, vacation rentals, and tourist attractions, and it is constantly growing. Aside from that, it also controls a number of the most popular vacation rental websites for homeowners, such as FlipKey, vacation home rentals, and HouseTrip.
TripAdvisor charges a fee of 3 percent on any booking made via their site. It is inevitable that once you post your home on TripAdvisor, it will also appear on FlipKey. This implies that your holiday rental will have more visibility and publicity.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- Free listing of homes is available to hosts.
- Low commission rate (just 3 percent each reservation);
Over the years, many reviews on local attractions, restaurants, cafés, hotels, and short-term rentals have been accumulated.
The visitor charge typically runs from 8 percent to 16 percent; however, it might be lower in rare cases. When the charge is collected, it is immediately applied to the guest’s bill.
5. ExpediaÂ
Expedia is one of the world’s leading online travel shopping platforms, providing secure booking alternatives for accommodations, airline tickets, car rentals, cruise ships, and vacation packages, among other travel-related services.
There are several kinds of accommodations available in addition to vacation rentals, including hotels, villas, motels, guest houses, and other similar facilities. If a user is primarily seeking holiday rentals, they may use the “sort by” feature to narrow down their search results.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- It is completely free to list on Expedia. On the other hand, the commission varies between 10 and 30 percent. When you sign your final contract with Expedia, you’ll see the precise amount of commissions you’ll be required to pay to the company.
- Expedia is a well-known and trustworthy online travel agency (OTA) that gets millions of visitors each year.
- Vacationers rely on Expedia to help them arrange their trips from start to end. They are more than likely to reserve a rental property at the same time that they purchase airline tickets and vehicle rentals. When you offer your property on Expedia, your listing has an even better chance of being viewed by the correct visitors.
6. Tripping
Tripping, like HomeToGo, is a search engine that combines listings from several booking platforms, enabling users to view options from various online travel agencies (OTAs) at the same time.
Among the options available to users on Tripping is a map alongside listings on the search results page. Additionally, it offers hotels and hostels and vacation rental homes, allowing users to narrow down their search possibilities by utilizing the “Accommodation Types” filter.
One of the most significant advantages of Tripping, as with HomeToGo, is the large variety of properties shown to consumers. It provides a broader range of alternatives for visitors while it increases your exposure as a host.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- Partners with the most reputable online travel agencies;
- Comparing houses across many listings is simple with this tool.
- Tripping does not charge any fees to either hosts or visitors since the site is completely free to use.
7. Homestay.com
Homestay.com provides holiday rentals and individual room rentals in more than 160 countries worldwide, including the United States. Homestay.com, which has more than 55,000 rooms available, has serviced more than 200,000 guests since its launch in 2013.
The primary distinction between this website and other vacation rental services is that a visitor may stay at a host’s home without receiving any monetary compensation. For example, a visitor and a host may decide to trade residences, or a host may decide to stay at a guest’s home later on.
In addition, stays may be offered as part of a barter arrangement (for example, in return for cleaning or maintenance on a host’s property).
Hosts can expect to pay a service charge of 3 percent for each booking. Before accepting a booking, a host should negotiate the cost of any extra services, such as laundry or cleaning, with the prospective visitors.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- Specializes in private rooms and lodgings for single travelers.
- The cost may be negotiated directly between the host and the visitor.
- It is possible for guests to check-in and stay for free or in return for cleaning or other chores on the host’s property.
8. atraveo
atraveo is one of the largest vacation rental websites in the world, with a large selection of accommodations available mostly in Europe. More than 300,000 vacation home rental listings are presently available on this website.
Upon confirmation of a booking, hosts are charged a 15 percent service fee (plus VAT if applicable). There are no fees associated with listing a property.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- Free listing of homes is available to hosts.
- Once your property is featured on travel, it will be marketed on more than 1,000 affiliate websites across the whole European Union.
- Travel acts as a middleman between vacation rental property owners and tourists seeking tourism services. To facilitate commercial transactions, the platform charges a service fee. It has already been included in the purchase price of the property.
9. OneFineStay
It is funded by the Accor hotel group, which operates as OneFineStay, a vacation rental website. Over 5,000 high-end vacation rental house listings are presently available in major places such as London, New York City, Rome, Paris, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, among others. The site is updated daily.
A host must apply for their property to be included on OneFineStay. The OneFineStay staff will analyze it and determine whether or not the property is a suitable fit for your needs. OneFineStay will provide a comprehensive property management solution if this is the case.
OneFineStay is a revenue-sharing scheme that allows users to share in profits. The amount of money earned by hosting depends on various variables, including the size, design, and location of the site. Aside from overseeing your home management, OneFineStay will advertise it via its extensive network of vacation rental websites and marketing channels. The ability to reach a larger audience of visitors looking for luxurious accommodations is made possible due to this.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- Only high-end homes are available;
- Property owners may benefit from full-service management.
- Fees are determined by the size, design, and location of the house, as well as the number of days a host is willing to rent out his or her lodging.
- When booking a reservation, guests are not required to pay any extra costs.
10. HomeToGoÂ
For discovering vacation homes offered across many platforms, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, HomeToGo is one of the most popular vacation rental search engines available today.
HomeToGo will show hundreds of suitable listings that you can click on and look through once you type in your destination and spending limit. After clicking on a listing, you’ll be taken to the listing’s original page on the originating website.
The benefit of using HomeToGo for visitors is that you can rapidly compare listings across several short-term rental sites to choose the most suited to your needs and preferences. Making your listings accessible on the HomeToGo platform boosts the exposure of your listings and the likelihood of them being booked.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- There are several different listing possibilities on short-term rental marketplaces;
- Find the appropriate vacation rental home in a short amount of time and with little effort.
- This service provides integration assistance to hosts who seek to offer their homes on the web.
- The company charges a commission fee to the hosts for reservations booked via the platform. The amount of the cost is determined by the original website where the booking was made and your membership plan to the site.
11. InterhomeÂ
Interhome has been providing holiday rentals since 1965, making it one of the world’s most established vacation rental websites. Approximately 95,000-holiday houses and apartment rentals are available on the vacation rental website in 31 countries.
The fees charged by the Interhome team vary depending on the nation, area, and kind of services given. Hosts may hire professional property managers if they so want. You may, on the other hand, choose to manage your property.
The following are the most important characteristics:
- Personal in-resort service for guests from Interhome offices in their respective locations;
- Hosts may benefit from full-service property management.
- For guests, there are no booking costs.
12. 9Flats
A famous vacation rental website based in Hamburg, Germany, was established in 2011 and now serves hosts and guests in 104 countries. A large number of the homes featured on 9flats are in European countries.
In addition to the service fee, the corporation charges a 15 percent service fee for listings that do not allow immediate bookings and a 12 percent service cost for listings that do accept instant bookings.
The following are the most important characteristics:
You are welcome to list a property for free.
Accommodations that are out of the ordinary, such as treehouses, castles, and boats, may be mentioned as well.
According to the guidelines, hosts should be charged a 12 percent fee for quick booking listings and a 15 percent cost for non-instant booking listings.
For guests, there are no booking costs.
Final Thoughts:Â Which Vacation Rental Website Is the Best?
If you are searching for a vacation rental for your next trip, you should first evaluate your requirements and financial constraints. A difficult task may be locating the finest vacation rental website where you may post and/or reserve a rental property. There are several choices available for both hosts and visitors to select from.
If you are a host looking for a platform to market a property, begin by defining your objectives and determining your target audience. You’ll be able to better structure your offer and choose the most appropriate location to market your property in this manner.
You should advertise your vacation rental on as many major vacation rental websites as possible if you want to optimize your revenue. Examine each alternative in further depth before deciding which one seems to be the most promising in terms of bookings and income.
Managing many listings on different vacation rental websites may take up a significant amount of your time, regardless of your chosen platform. Consider adopting vacation rental software to ensure that you have complete control over your company. A service like Lodgable, which integrates with Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo, enables you to handle all of the key components of your company without having to worry about anything.
