Habit has taught us that to travel to a foreign country, you automatically have to think about renting a hotel room. Today, more and more vacationers are choosing to travel inexpensively by opting for a short-term rental from private individuals. A phenomenon that has grown since the appearance of rental management platforms, and which is gaining ground to the chagrin of hotels.
Rental sites between individuals
A new category of sites has emerged in the world of personal ads since 2010. These are particularly sites that offer accommodation with private individuals for a short period of time. Airbnb currently monopolizes this area internationally, but other sites are also taking market share in Europe such as Abritel, 9flats or Wimdu. These sites are very much inspired by the concept of CouchSurfing - a social network dedicated to travelers looking for a free night with locals. They allow individuals to publish ads free of charge on a platform integrating an online payment system, by Paypal or credit card. At the end of a booking confirmation, the site automatically deducts the cost of the rent, to give it to the owner 24 hours after the start of the rental.
This rental management system now allows any owner of property to turn it into a hotel or an occasional guest room. These sites are generally very easy to use and ideally suited for repeat booking, but for a short period of time. However, they apply an increase of 10 to 15% on average on the rental price, as a service charge.
A community dimension of seasonal rentals
These rental management sites are based on a community dimension, more popular with individuals. The strength of these platforms lies above all in the relationship of trust they establish between private owners and potential customers. Renting part of your home to a stranger is indeed risky, and even choosing to live with an individual about whom we know absolutely nothing is just as risky.
Rental management platforms have the advantage of offering a detailed overview of the rental properties, the services included as well as the characteristics of the owner. This community aspect thus makes it possible to find rentals that meet the common requirements of rental companies and owners. In respect of the right to privacy, no owner can be contacted until after confirmation of a reservation. In order to guarantee that accommodation actually corresponds to the descriptions provided on the sites, future tenants can rely on opinions left by previous customers. This allows you to quickly check the reliability of the ads and avoid certain inconveniences.
