Booking, Airbnb, Vrbo and direct bookings
What each portal charges, who should own the listing, photos, texts and why it pays to be on several.
Which platforms do I need to be on?
Booking and Airbnb bring most of the bookings; Vrbo, Holidu, Expedia and Google Vacation Rentals bring other audiences and reduce dependence. What each contributes and how they are synchronised without double bookings.
Read the guideCan I rent without going through Booking or Airbnb?
A direct booking saves the platform's 15 %, but needs a website with a calendar and payment, protection against fraud and, above all, someone who finds it. What is realistic for one flat and for a portfolio.
Read the guideWhat should the listing photos be like?
Natural light, tidy, landscape, the terrace first and not a single collage. How many photos, in what order and why a €150 professional shoot is the best investment in the listing.
Read the guideWhat do I write in the listing?
A title with what sets the flat apart, a description that answers the guest's five questions, and a clear section on rules and arrival. In Spanish and English. With the licence code.
Read the guideWhat commission does each platform charge?
Booking, 15 % plus 1.30 % if it handles the payment; Airbnb, 15.5 % to the host (also on the cleaning); Vrbo, 8 % per booking or an annual subscription. What reaches your account from a €1,000 booking.
Read the guideWho is the holder of the listing and the licence?
They are two different things. The licence (holder of the operation with the Junta) is usually in the manager's name if they provide the services; the Booking and Airbnb listings can be in the owner's or the manager's name, and that choice decides who collects, who invoices and who keeps the reviews if you change manager.
Read the guideCan't find your question?
Write to us and we will answer. If it is a question that keeps coming up, we write the guide.
Other topics: Before you start · Licence and registration · Owners' association · The flat · Taxes · Day to day · The manager