Direct bookings for your holiday home: a practical guide for owners
How to take direct bookings alongside Airbnb and Booking.com without double bookings: synced calendars, bank-transfer deposits, written rules and the costs compared.
· 4 min read
Nearly every holiday-home owner in Italy uses the platforms. They work: they bring guests who would never find you otherwise. But they keep 15% or more of every booking, and the year-end total is often higher than people think. Direct bookings don't replace the platforms. They sit alongside them, and every stay that comes through them is a stay with no commission.
Why it's worth it
Here are the numbers as they stand today. In Europe Airbnb is moving to a single host-only fee of about 15.5%, plus VAT if you have no VAT number. Booking.com in Italy is around 15% in most cases, sometimes more, charged on cleaning and extras too. Vrbo moves to a single 12% commission on 29 October 2026.
For a home that takes €20,000 a year through the platforms, 15% is €3,000. If even a third of those stays came in directly, that's around €1,000 more a year. We go into detail in Booking.com commission for owners.
One home, taxed twice
If you let your only home as a private individual, with no VAT number, you already pay tax on the rental income: the 21% cedolare secca, worked out on the gross amount with no deduction for commissions. So you pay 21% even on the share the platform keeps and you never receive.
On top of that, Airbnb and Booking.com charge 22% VAT on their commission. A business with a VAT number deducts it; a private owner can't. On the same booking you pay income tax and then a tax on the platform's service that you can't get back.
With a flat subscription there's no commission: no VAT on a percentage of every stay, and no tax on money that stays with the platform.
1. Use the platforms to be found
You don't need to delist from anywhere. Let Airbnb and Booking.com do what they do best: bring you new guests and reviews. Then, when a guest has had a good stay, give them a reason and a way to come back directly: a card in the house with your page's link, an email after the stay, a small discount for booking direct.
Take care not to break the platforms' rules during a stay booked through them. Invite guests back properly, for future stays.
2. Sync your calendars
The most concrete risk with several channels is double bookings. The standard fix is iCal: each platform gives you a link to the home's calendar, which you import into the others. When a date is booked on Airbnb, it shows as taken on Booking.com and on your direct page, and the other way round.
iCal sync isn't instant; platforms refresh at intervals. That's why it helps to have a manual confirmation step on direct requests.
3. Ask for a deposit by bank transfer
The simplest flow for a direct booking: the guest sends a request, you confirm, the guest pays a deposit by bank transfer into your account, and the balance is paid as agreed. It's traceable for both of you and has no commission. Always state the amount, the payment reference and the balance due date in the confirmation.
4. Put everything in writing
Without a platform, you write the rules. A clear confirmation prevents almost every problem:
- dates, number of guests and total price;
- deposit, balance and due dates;
- cancellation terms for both sides;
- house rules (pets, smoking, quiet hours, parties);
- check-in and check-out times, access instructions;
- tourist tax, if the town charges one.
Remember to show your CIN code on your direct-booking page too: it's required there just as on the platforms, and guests read it as a sign of trust.
5. Flat subscription or commission?
Direct-booking tools charge in one of two ways: a percentage or a flat fee. With a percentage you pay more exactly when you're busiest. With a flat fee, every extra euro you earn stays with you.
Italiando is a subscription: €19 a month for 1 home, €39 for 3, €79 for 10. Pay yearly and you pay for 10 months instead of 12. No percentage on bookings, no guest fees. It includes the home's page, a calendar synced with Airbnb and Booking.com via iCal, requests you approve, and your bank details for the deposit shown to the guest only after you confirm.
You can try it free for 30 days, with no card. If you don't pick a plan, your homes simply stop being listed.
For point-by-point comparisons: Italiando vs Airbnb, Italiando vs Booking.com, Italiando vs Vrbo.
Frequently asked questions
I have one home and no VAT number: why am I paying the platform VAT?
Because VAT applies to the service the platform sells you, the commission. Businesses with a VAT number deduct it; a private owner can't, so you pay it in full, on top of the cedolare secca on the rent, which is also charged on the share the platform keeps. Italiando takes no commission, so there's no VAT on a percentage of your bookings either.
Can I take direct bookings without leaving Airbnb and Booking.com?
Yes, and most owners do. The platforms bring new guests; direct bookings are mainly for returning guests and people who contact you themselves.
How do I avoid double bookings?
Sync calendars via iCal between every platform and your direct page, and confirm direct requests manually.
How much does Italiando cost?
€19 a month for 1 home, €39 for 3 and €79 for 10. Yearly costs 10 months. There's no commission on bookings and the 30-day trial needs no card.
How do guests pay on Italiando?
After you confirm, the guest sees your bank details and pays the deposit by bank transfer. The balance is paid as agreed.
