The Launch VRO blog
Plain notes to help vacation rental owners get more direct bookings and keep their website safe.
A PHP attack just hit WordPress. Is your booking site next?
Two serious PHP bugs let strangers run code on your website's server. If your rental site runs on WordPress, read this today.
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Guides5 min readHow much do booking sites cost you a year? A quick way to find out
An owner with $60,000 of bookings, 70% on Airbnb and 30% on Booking.com, pays about $9,210 a year in fees. Here is how to work out yours.
October 23, 2026
Direct bookings5 min readHow to work out the biggest direct booking discount you can offer
On a $1,000 stay with a 15.5% booking site fee, you can give about 12.9% off for booking direct and still keep as much as on the booking site. Here is the formula.
October 21, 2026
Guides5 min readWhat cleaning fee should you charge? A simple way to work it out
A turnover that costs you $83 needs a cleaning fee of about $98.22, because the booking site takes its share of the fee too. Here is the maths.
October 19, 2026
Guides6 min readWhat occupancy does your vacation rental need to break even?
With $2,060 a month of fixed costs and a $150 rate, a rental needs about 54% occupancy to break even. Here is how to find yours, and your lowest safe nightly rate.
October 17, 2026
Guides5 min readWeekly and monthly discounts: how to set them without losing money
A 7-night stay at $150 a night with a 10% weekly discount and a $90 cleaning fee costs the guest $1,075.50. Here is how the price is built, step by step.
October 15, 2026
Guides5 min readHow much will you really keep from one Airbnb stay?
A 3-night stay at $150 a night leaves you $443.63 on Airbnb and $509.48 on your own site. Here is how to work out your own payout, stay by stay.
October 13, 2026
Direct bookings5 min readHow many direct bookings does it take to pay for your website?
Eight stays. That is all it takes to cover a $999 setup, on a $1,000 stay. Here is the maths for every plan, and for your own numbers.
October 11, 2026
Guides7 min read12 questions to ask before you hire someone to build your rental website
Prices, dates, who owns what, and who fixes it when it breaks. Ask these before you pay anyone, and see how we answer them.
October 9, 2026
Guides6 min readWhat to put on the first page of a rental website: a checklist
Ten things your first page needs to turn a visitor into a booking, in plain words, with the rule about showing your total price.
October 7, 2026
Security6 min readGuest screening for small owners: simple steps that work
Parties, damage and fake bookings cost real money. Here is how to screen guests without a big budget, and how to do it fairly.
October 5, 2026
Guides5 min readDo you need a channel manager, or just a website?
They do two different jobs. Here is which one you need first, and why a website pays for itself fastest.
October 3, 2026
Guides6 min readDouble bookings: why they happen and how to stop them
Two guests, one bed, same night. Here is why calendars fall out of step, what it can cost you, and how to fix it.
October 1, 2026
Security6 min readChargebacks on vacation rentals: how to protect yourself
A guest disputes a payment with their bank, and the money is gone before you can reply. Here is how it works and what to do before and after.
September 29, 2026
Guides5 min readLodgify alternatives for owners who do not want to build the site themselves
Website tools like Lodgify and Smoobu are cheap, but you do all the work. Here is the other choice: a booking website built and run for you.
September 27, 2026
Direct bookings6 min readHow to turn past guests into repeat bookers
Your next booking is often a guest you already have. Here is a simple plan to bring them back, with a message you can copy.
September 25, 2026
Direct bookings5 min readShould you offer a discount for booking direct? How much?
A small discount works, and a free perk often works better. Here is the exact maths, and the rules for where you can say it.
September 23, 2026
Guides5 min readHow much does a direct booking website cost in 2026?
Do it yourself, hire a freelancer, or have it done for you: what each way really costs, including your time.
September 21, 2026
Security5 min readIs WordPress safe for a vacation rental website?
WordPress can be secure, but only if someone keeps every part updated, all the time. Here is what that takes, and the other way.
September 19, 2026
Direct bookings5 min readHow to get direct bookings without paying for ads
Seven simple steps to get guests booking your own website, starting with the guests you already have.
September 17, 2026
Direct bookings4 min readHow much does Airbnb really take from you? A simple example
Most hosts pay about 15.5% of every booking. Here is what that costs in a year, and what you keep when guests book you direct.
September 15, 2026