In today's travel market, travelers increasingly prefer homestays for their comfort and privacy over traditional hotels. Starting a vacation rental business involves connecting guests with property owners, which requires a comprehensive and user-friendly app.

Kicking off a vacation rental business is quite an adventure. You need to understand how the app works, identify the necessary features, and develop the app to suit your business needs.

This blog offers valuable insights into creating a vacation rental app, guiding you with the essential information needed to make your mark in the competitive travel industry.

Benefits of Creating a Vacation Rental App

There are numerous benefits to owning a vacation rental app in recent times for various reasons.

  1. Significant Revenue: The annual growth will go up to 6.3% which results in a market volume of $105.70bn by 2026.

  2. Global Tourist Spending: According to Copyrise report, global tourists spend 180 billion on travel every year. This vast market presents a wealth of opportunities for vacation rental businesses.

  3. Preference for Privacy: Around 64% of tourists choose to stay in a vacation rental for privacy, kitchen accessibility, and also it is pet friendly. This trend can be a significant selling point for your business.

  4. Additional Revenue Streams: A vacation rental business allows you to generate revenue from additional services such as local tours, event hosting, cleaning, and laundry.

How does Airbnb Work?

Understanding how Airbnb functions for both guests and hosts is crucial when developing a vacation rental app.

Here, lets find the key steps involved for each party and offer insights into the user experience and operational flow that your app should replicate or improve upon.

Workflow for Guests

Search: Guests/Users search for accommodations by entering their destination, dates, and no.of users.

Listings: When a guest searches for a property on Airbnb, the app or website will display a list of property listings that match the guest's search criteria.

Browse Listings: Guests view property listings with photos, descriptions, amenities, and reviews.

Filters: Guests use filters to refine their search by property type, price, and amenities.

Booking: Guests select a property, choose their dates, and book it through the platform.

Contact Host: Guests can message the host for any inquiries or special requests.

Confirmation: Airbnb processes the payment and confirms the booking.

Stay: Guests check in on the specified date and enjoy their stay.

Reviews: After the stay, guests can leave reviews about their experience.

Workflow for Hosts

Create Listing: Hosts list their property with details and photos.

Set Profile: Hosts create a profile with information about themselves.

Booking Rules: Hosts set house rules and preferences.

Calendar Management: Hosts update availability and pricing on the calendar.

Communication: Hosts and guests communicate through Airbnb's messaging system.

Booking Requests: Hosts receive and respond to guest booking requests.

Confirmation: When accepted, Airbnb processes guest payments and confirms bookings.

Guest Arrival: Hosts prepare for guest arrivals and provide instructions.

Guest Stay: Hosts ensure guests have a comfortable stay.

Reviews: Both hosts and guests can leave reviews.

Payment: Hosts receive earnings through their chosen payout method.

Features to Include in a Vacation Rental App

Before you create your vacation rental app, it's essential to know the features you need to include. These features should be comprehensive and satisfy the needs of guests and hosts while also helping you effectively manage the platform.

Features for Guest

Guests are people who look for any house or property to stay, sleep and cook during their stay. They mainly look for homely staycations to enjoy their vacation.

Here are the must-have guest features,

  • Advanced Search Filters - It allows guests to filter price ranges, and categories using search filters
  • Wishlist - Users can save their favorite listings for the future booking process
  • Edit Profile - Users can manage their entire profile
  • Document Verification - Users can upload their documents and get verified by the admin
  • Advanced Internal Messaging System - With an In-app messaging system, guests and hosts can interact with each other on the platform
  • Upcoming & Previous Trips - This allows users to manage their entire trip history
  • SMS Verification - To get additional security in the platform, users can verify themselves using SMS
  • Report Host - Users can report the host in case of any fraudulence

Features for Host

Hosts are people who post the listings of their homes or spare places on the website in order for the guests to book their property. In return, the host will earn revenue after the booking gets completed.

The host can accept or decline the booking request based on their preference. They can list their property with all the information about the facilities they are providing, elegant images, etc.

Here are the must-have host features,

  • iCal Integration – It allows the host to export or import the calendar, and with the help of iCal, the host can also sync their calendar to other external calendars
  • Manage Reservations - Host can manage the entire reservation for each individual listing on the platform
  • Transaction History - Host can manage the completed transactions, future transactions, and gross earnings on the platform
  • Payout Preferences - Host can choose the required payout method to receive the payment from the admin
  • Seasonal Pricing - Host can set special pricing for guests during the peak season or during long holidays
  • Manage Listings - The host can manage the entire listings that are created or published on the platform
  • Message History - Allows host to view the entire chat history between guest and host

Features for the Admin

Admin is the one who monitors and manages the entire activities of the platform from the admin panel. Admin can also earn revenue by charging commission fees from guests and hosts for using the platform.

Here are the must-have admin features,

  • Dashboard - Admin can manage the entire users, listings, and reservations of the entire platform in a single dashboard
  • Manage Users - Allows admin to view the entire details of the platform users like email address, phone number, date of birth, address, etc. To ensure security, the platform should have the option to ban fake users on the platform
  • Manage Admins - This feature allows the admin to add a sub-admin and allocate roles and responsibilities in the platform
  • Manage Listings - Admin has the access to edit, delete or view the detailed information of the listings
  • Manage Reservations - Under this, the admin can manage the entire reservation details along with the status of each reservation
  • Manage Service Fee - Admin can set a host and guest service fee from the admin panel and manage the entire fee structure as fixed or in percentage
  • Auto Payout - It automatically sends a payout to hosts in a short span of time

Now that you have the essential features you need, its time to find out how you can build your app.

Developing Your Vacation Rental App

To build a vacation rental app similar to Airbnb, you have two primary options: custom development and readymade app solutions.

Here’s a detailed look at both approaches:

Custom Development

Custom development involves creating your app from scratch, tailored specifically to your business needs. The process includes:

1. Planning and Wireframing

Define your app requirements and create a wireframe to outline the structure of your app.

2. Designing the App

Develop an attractive, user-friendly interface that reflects your brand and enhances the user experience.

3. Developing the Functionalities

Code and implement all necessary features based on the design specifications.

4. Testing for Issues

Rigorously test the app to identify and fix bugs, ensuring smooth and reliable operation.

5. Launch and Maintenance

Launch the app and provide ongoing maintenance to keep it updated and optimized.

ReadyMade App Solution

A readymade app solution offers a pre-built platform with essential features for a vacation rental business.

The process includes:

1. Purchasing the App Solution

Select and purchase a ready-made app that meets your needs from various providers.

2. Rebranding the Solution

Customize the app to match your business identity, including logo, color scheme, and branding elements, usually at no extra cost.

3. Customizing the Solution (Optional)

Add or adjust features to better fit your specific business model.

4. Launching the App

Launch the app under your brand, ready for use by renters and property owners.

Ready-made solutions are also considered cost-effective and offer a quicker way to launch your app with its pre-developed functionalities.

In the end, these are your two options for building your vaction rental app.

Custom development offers a tailored approach but involves higher investment and longer timelines. In contrast, a ready-made solution comes with pre-developed features and offers a quicker and more cost-effective alternative.

Now, what you choose depends on your business needs and budget, so carefully consider your options and make the right decision for your business.

If you’re leaning more towards a readymade app solution, you can consider our Airbnb clone to launch your vacation rental app.

Our solution offers:

  • Android and iOS apps for both guests and hosts.
  • A website, so users can access the platform without downloading the app.
  • Admin Panel for efficient management of the platform.
  • Free Tech Support, which includes white-labeling, server installation, app launch, and post-launch support.
  • 100% source code to enable modification of functionalities as needed.

Closing thoughts

To wrap up, creating a vacation rental app presents a significant opportunity in the growing travel market. A user-friendly app with essential features will help you stand out in a competitive industry.

As you move forward, continually improve your app by staying updated with industry trends and listening to user feedback. Regular updates and innovation will keep your platform competitive and valuable.

Embrace new ideas and leverage technology to enhance your success in the vacation rental industry.

Launch your App with our Airbnb Clone!

Fill out the form, and get a 30-minute session to discuss all your queries and ideas to make an ideal choice.