What a direct booking site needs
- Live availability that stays in sync with Airbnb, Vrbo and any other channel, so you’re never double-booked.
- Clear total pricing: nightly rate, cleaning fee, taxes and deposit shown before the guest pays.
- Secure payment through a reputable processor, with the deposit and balance schedule spelled out. See accepting payments safely.
- Rental agreement and policies (cancellation, damage, pets, occupancy) the guest accepts at booking.
- Great photos, an honest description, a map, and what’s nearby.
- Reviews, including ones from past platform guests if the platform allows you to show them.
Taxes
Short-term rentals in South Carolina are generally subject to state sales tax and accommodations tax, plus local accommodations and hospitality taxes in many towns and counties. When a platform collects some of these for you, direct bookings may make collecting them your job. Confirm what applies to your property with your accountant or property manager before taking direct bookings.
Earning the guest’s trust
- Your business name, phone number and a real local presence on the site.
- HTTPS everywhere, and a domain that matches your business name.
- Email that nobody can forge as you. Rental scams that copy real listings and ask for wire transfers are common, and guests have heard of them. Say on your site that you’ll never ask for payment by wire or gift card.
Written by Nikita Huttenlocher, founder and lead engineer at Huttenlocher Technologies, a web design and software company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.