Looking for Feedback From STR Hosts on My Direct Booking Tool -Early Access Available

[Luca Giardina]

Hi BiggerPockets Community!

I'm Luca, an STR host. I recently discovered this gem of a community!

As a single-property owner, I quickly noticed two things about the STR tech landscape:

1) Most Property Management Software (PMS) is built for management companies with multiple units, offering bulk features and quantity-based pricing that overwhelm the small, independent host.

2) Even with solid occupancy through the OTAs, I still needed a simple, efficient way to convert direct leads (phone inquiries, social media, referrals, etc.) into commission-free bookings.

To solve this, I initially built my own direct booking website. But I soon found myself spending way too much time on manual updates, edits, and maintenance. That inefficiency pushed me to create Lestis.

Lestis is designed to be fast, simple, and easy to update — a streamlined tool for hosts with 1–2 units who want a professional direct booking presence without the complexity or cost of traditional PMS software. It focuses on the essentials: iCal sync, Stripe payments, and an easy-to-manage customizable storefront.

A Few Questions for the Community

1. Global Compliance Requirements

My legal background is based in Italy, where compliance rules (GDPR, property registration numbers, etc.) often dictate precise placement of information on a website — for example, showing the property ID in the footer.

I’d love your help understanding legal display requirements outside the EU, specifically in the US, Canada, and Mexico, to evaluate whether Lestis is fully viable abroad.

Lestis allows hosts to create additional pages (House Rules, Terms of Service, etc.), but here’s what I’m unsure about:

For mandatory legal disclosures in North America — such as state permits, consumer protection notices, or liability disclaimers — is it generally acceptable to place this information on a separate page (e.g., /terms), or do certain disclosures legally need to appear in a specific format, such as:

- a footer requirement,
- a banner or notice,
- or a mandatory popup/modal?

Any guidance or examples would be incredibly appreciated.

2. Missing Features for Small STR Hosts

Lestis currently offers:
- an easy-to-edit website builder
- a built-in booking engine
- iCal sync
- Stripe payments
- mobile app notifications

For those of you managing 1–2 units:

What one or two additional features would genuinely make your life easier when running your direct booking channel?

I truly value your insight as experienced investors and hosts

If you'd like to take a look, the project is called Lestis (easy to find online, lestis.homes). I’m offering early access to anyone interested in helping refine the tool for our niche of small independent hosts.

Thanks so much for your time and feedback!

— Luca