# Houfy

> Fee-free vacation rental marketplace connecting hosts and travelers through direct bookings

Houfy is a commission-free alternative to Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com that eliminates booking fees for guests and commissions for hosts. Founded in 2015 by Thijs Aaftink, Houfy enables direct communication and payment between property owners and travelers across 60,000+ listings worldwide.

Hosts keep 100% of their rental income with zero platform fees. Guests save up to 20% by avoiding service charges that other platforms add. The platform facilitates direct bookings without restricting communication or controlling payments.

Key benefits:
- Zero booking fees for guests (save up to 20% vs traditional platforms)
- Zero commission for hosts (keep 100% of rental income)
- Direct communication between hosts and guests (no platform restrictions)
- Direct payment processing (hosts control their own transactions)
- Free listing creation and management
- Full control over pricing, policies, and terms
- Global marketplace with properties in 150+ countries

## How Houfy Works

- [For Hosts](https://www.houfy.com/new/listing): List properties free, communicate directly with guests, receive 100% of rental income with zero commissions
- [For Guests](https://www.houfy.com): Search 60,000+ properties, book direct without fees, communicate freely with hosts
- [Direct Booking Model](https://www.houfy.com/about): No middleman fees, no restricted communication, full transparency in pricing

## Features

- [Property Listings](https://www.houfy.com): Browse vacation rentals across 150+ countries and thousands of cities
- [Free Host Listings](https://www.houfy.com/new/listing): Create unlimited property listings at no cost
- [Direct Messaging](https://www.houfy.com): Unrestricted communication between hosts and guests
- [Search & Discovery](https://www.houfy.com): Filter by location, dates, guests, and property features
- [houfyProtect](https://www.houfy.com/houfy-protect): Optional damage protection and liability coverage
- [Multi-Currency Support](https://www.houfy.com): Book and list in 40+ currencies worldwide
- [Multi-Language Platform](https://www.houfy.com): Available in 8 languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, and Greek

## Compare Houfy vs Other Platforms

- [Houfy vs Airbnb](https://www.houfy.com/about): Zero booking fees vs up to 20% guest fees, zero host commission vs 3-15% host fees
- [Houfy vs VRBO](https://www.houfy.com/about): Direct communication vs restricted messaging, direct payment vs platform-controlled transactions
- [Houfy vs Booking.com](https://www.houfy.com/about): Full host control vs limited listing control, no commission vs commission-based model

## Resources

- [Houfy Blog](https://www.houfy.com/blog): Travel tips, hosting guides, and vacation rental strategies
- [Help Center](https://www.houfy.com/help): Support articles and frequently asked questions
- [Houfy Updates](https://www.houfy.com/blog/category/houfy-updates): Latest platform features and improvements
- [Software Partners](https://www.houfy.com/software-partners): Integrations with property management systems
- [Community Standards](https://www.houfy.com/houfy-community-standards): Guidelines for hosts and guests
- [Listing Guidelines](https://www.houfy.com/houfy-listing-platform-guidelines): Best practices for creating effective listings
- [Facebook Community Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/houfymembers/): Connect with 15,000+ hosts and travelers

## Getting Started

- [List Your Property](https://www.houfy.com/new/listing): Create a free listing in minutes
- [Find Properties](https://www.houfy.com): Search vacation rentals worldwide
- [Pricing](https://www.houfy.com/pricing): View hosting plans and optional features
- [Contact Support](https://www.houfy.com/contactus): Get help from the Houfy team

## Company

- [About Houfy](https://www.houfy.com/about): Founded in 2015 to create a fairer travel marketplace
- [Mission](https://www.houfy.com/about): Transparency, empowerment, community-driven innovation
- [Team](https://www.houfy.com/about): Led by CEO Thijs Aaftink and CTO Swapnil Chavan
- [Branding Assets](https://www.houfy.com/branding): Logos and brand guidelines
- [Terms of Service](https://www.houfy.com/help/terms-of-service-11153): Platform terms and conditions
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.houfy.com/help/houfy-privacy-policy-12139): How Houfy handles user data
- [Cookies Policy](https://www.houfy.com/houfy-cookies-policy): Cookie usage and preferences

## Stats

- 60,000+ active property listings
- 150+ countries represented
- 15,000+ hosts on the platform
- Millions of direct bookings facilitated since 2015
- Zero platform fees
- Available in  40+ currencies

# robots.txt for https://www.houfy.com/
# Generic rules for all crawlers

User-agent: *
Disallow: /signin
Disallow: /signup
Disallow: /logout
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /messages
Disallow: /messages/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /apiv2
Disallow: /apiv3
Disallow: /ajax/
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /host/dashboard
Disallow: /host/dashboard/
Disallow: /website-builder
Disallow: /website-builder/
Disallow: /editprofile
Disallow: /editprofile/
# Allow all public content, including listings, destinations, help, blog, etc.

Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-lodging-1.xml.gz
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-lodging-2.xml.gz
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-vacation-rentals.xml.gz
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-categories-1.xml
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-posts-1.xml.gz
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-social.xml.gz
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-help-topics.xml.gz
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-destinations.xml.gz
Sitemap: https://www.houfy.com/sitemap-profile-listings.xml.gz

# --- AI / LLM Crawlers ---
# OpenAI training crawler
User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /signin
Disallow: /signup
Disallow: /logout
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /messages
Disallow: /messages/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /apiv2
Disallow: /apiv3
Disallow: /ajax/
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /host/dashboard
Disallow: /host/dashboard/
Disallow: /website-builder
Disallow: /website-builder/
Disallow: /editprofile
Disallow: /editprofile/

# OpenAI browsing agent (ChatGPT live browsing)
User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Disallow: /signin
Disallow: /signup
Disallow: /logout
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /messages
Disallow: /messages/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /apiv2
Disallow: /apiv3
Disallow: /ajax/
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /host/dashboard
Disallow: /host/dashboard/
Disallow: /website-builder
Disallow: /website-builder/
Disallow: /editprofile
Disallow: /editprofile/

# Anthropic training & user agents
User-agent: ClaudeBot
Disallow: /signin
Disallow: /signup
Disallow: /logout
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /messages
Disallow: /messages/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /apiv2
Disallow: /apiv3
Disallow: /ajax/
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /host/dashboard
Disallow: /host/dashboard/
Disallow: /website-builder
Disallow: /website-builder/
Disallow: /editprofile
Disallow: /editprofile/

User-agent: Claude-User
Disallow: /signin
Disallow: /signup
Disallow: /logout
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /messages
Disallow: /messages/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /apiv2
Disallow: /apiv3
Disallow: /ajax/
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /host/dashboard
Disallow: /host/dashboard/
Disallow: /website-builder
Disallow: /website-builder/
Disallow: /editprofile
Disallow: /editprofile/

# Google AI extension (Gemini training)
User-agent: Google-Extended
Disallow: /signin
Disallow: /signup
Disallow: /logout
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /messages
Disallow: /messages/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /apiv2
Disallow: /apiv3
Disallow: /ajax/
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /host/dashboard
Disallow: /host/dashboard/
Disallow: /website-builder
Disallow: /website-builder/
Disallow: /editprofile
Disallow: /editprofile/

# Perplexity AI crawler
User-agent: PerplexityBot
Disallow: /signin
Disallow: /signup
Disallow: /logout
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /messages
Disallow: /messages/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /apiv2
Disallow: /apiv3
Disallow: /ajax/
Disallow: /email/
Disallow: /host/dashboard
Disallow: /host/dashboard/
Disallow: /website-builder
Disallow: /website-builder/
Disallow: /editprofile
Disallow: /editprofile/