Direct booking answers
58 questions New Zealand hosts actually ask.
Grouped by what you are trying to work out: cost, how something works, how to do it, whether you should, the rules you have to follow, and what to do when something goes wrong. Answers are being published one topic at a time. Linked titles are live now.
Cost & value
Prices, fees and payback: what things actually cost in New Zealand short-stay.
- How Much Does a Holiday Home Website Cost in New Zealand?
- Is a Direct Booking Website Actually Worth It?
- How Much Does Airbnb Charge Hosts in New Zealand?
- What Do Holiday Home Managers Charge in New Zealand?
- What Does a Booking Engine Cost?
- How Long Until a Direct Booking Website Pays for Itself?
- How Much Can You Make on Airbnb in New Zealand?
- What Should I Charge for My Bach?
- How Much Should the Cleaning Fee Be?
- Is It Worth Buying a Holiday Home to Rent Out in NZ?
- What Does Holiday Home Photography Cost?
What is / how it works
Plain-English explanations of the tools and terms behind direct bookings.
- What Is a Direct Booking Website?
- What Is a Booking Engine?
- What Is a Channel Manager?
- What Is the Book Direct Movement?
- How Does Calendar Sync Actually Work?
- What Is Dynamic Pricing for Holiday Homes?
- Host Fees vs Guest Fees, Explained
- What Is a Mixed-Use Asset? (IRD Rules Explained)
- What Is a Property Film and Why Does It Convert?
How do I
Step-by-step answers for running a direct-booking channel day to day.
- How Do I Take Bookings on My Own Website?
- How Do I Take Payments for a Holiday Home?
- How Do I Stop Double Bookings?
- How Do I Get Guests to Book Direct Next Time?
- How Do I Collect Guest Email Addresses?
- How Do I Take a Bond or Damage Deposit?
- How Do I Screen Guests Booking Direct?
- How Do I Get Reviews on a Direct Booking Site?
- How Do I Get My Bach on Google?
- How Do I Write a Listing Description That Converts?
- How Do I Handle Cancellations on Direct Bookings?
- How Do I Set Up a Minimum Night Stay?
- How Do I Photograph My Own Holiday Home?
- How Do I Move My Guests Off the Platforms Without Breaking the Rules?
Should I
Weighing up the decisions every host faces before committing.
- Do I Need a Website for My Holiday Home?
- Should I Take Direct Bookings?
- Is It Safe to Take Direct Bookings?
- Should I Manage My Own Bach or Use a Manager?
- Should I List on More Than One Platform?
- Is Airbnb Still Worth It in New Zealand?
- Do I Need a Channel Manager or Just a Website?
- Should I Build the Website Myself?
Rules & compliance
Council rules, tax and insurance. General information, not advice for your situation.
- Can I Airbnb My House in New Zealand?
- Do I Need Resource Consent to Short-Stay in Queenstown?
- Auckland Short-Term Rental Rules Explained
- Can My Body Corporate Stop Me Short-Staying?
- Is My House Insured for Short-Stay Guests?
- Do I Pay GST on Holiday Home Income?
- What Can I Claim on My Holiday Home?
- Do I Need a Fire Evacuation Scheme?
- Can I Short-Stay a Rental Property?
- Council Rules by Region: A Short-Stay Map of NZ
Problems
What to do when bookings, listings or guests are not behaving.
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