Realtor · Marietta GA · Member since 2026 · 8 posts · 1 vote
We own two short-term rentals and I am working on building our own direct-booking website.
It started as a way to avoid paying platform fees, but Airbnb is adding new rules on November 20 that limit our ability to have guests sign a separate rental agreement and to collect information like a driver's license. That makes having our own booking process even more important.
For those of you who already take direct bookings:
1. Which platform or booking software do you recommend, and why?
2. What would you do differently if you were starting over?
3. Is anyone else affected by Airbnb's new rules, and how are you handling guest agreements and ID verification?
Thanks in advance. Happy to share what we learn as we build it.
Hi Maria, the November 20 change is coming up a lot with owners here on the Florida coast too. What I'm seeing is people keeping the Airbnb side simple and moving the rental agreement and ID check into their own direct booking flow for repeat and referral guests. Hospitable, OwnerRez and Lodgify are the names I hear most for direct booking sites, so it might be worth demoing a couple and seeing which one feels easiest to run day to day. Would love to hear what you land on.