Where should you list your holiday apartment? A comparison of holiday and mid-stay rental platforms

To decide where to list a holiday apartment, you need to compare each platform's guest profile, visibility, commissions, booking conditions and type of stay. Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo and mid-stay portals meet different needs, so it is best to choose your channels according to the features of your property.

The answer is that it depends: each portal has its own type of guest, conditions and advantages. Below we run through the most important ones (and a few lesser-known ones), so that you have a clear picture before you decide.

Airbnb: the giant of the local experience

Airbnb is probably the first platform that comes to mind when we think of holiday rentals.

• Guest profile: travellers looking for places with personality, experiences different from a hotel.
• Advantage: a very large international community and global visibility.
• Safety: it offers "AirCover" for owners, which covers accidental damage by guests (up to a high limit) and third-party liability.

Ideal for: city flats or charming properties that want to attract international travellers.

Booking.com: quick bookings and guaranteed volume

Booking started out with hotels, but apartments and houses now make up a large part of its catalogue.

• Guest profile: a mass audience, from traditional tourists to families.
• Advantage: very high conversion, which translates into a full calendar.
  Safety: it does not handle security deposits automatically; if you want one, you have to set it up yourself or ask for it in person.

Ideal for: owners looking for volume and fast turnover.

VRBO: families and groups as the target audience

VRBO (part of Expedia) is very strong in the United States and the United Kingdom.

• Guest profile: families and groups looking for long stays or large spaces.
• Advantage: quieter guests with bigger budgets.
• Safety: it offers a damage protection programme, but usually recommends setting additional security deposits..

Ideal for: large houses or villas that want to attract international guests with high spending power.

Agoda and HomeToGo: visibility beyond the usual

• Agoda: very popular in Asia, and increasingly used in Europe. It gives you access to international travellers who might not find you on other platforms.
• HomeToGo: works as a metasearch engine, like the "Skyscanner of holiday rentals". It gives you exposure on several portals at once.

Ideal for: owners who want to diversify their markets and not depend only on the big players.

Escapada Rural: the portal for inland tourism

If your property is a rural cottage, this portal is almost a must.

• Guest profile: Spanish families and groups looking for nature, weekend breaks or long weekends.
• Advantage: high visibility in domestic tourism, especially in rural areas.
• Safety: it does not handle deposits directly; the policy depends on each owner.

Mid-stay platforms: a booming market

Not every guest is looking for a weekend. There are more and more digital nomads, students and professionals who need accommodation for 1 to 6 months.

• Homyspace: specialises in companies that need to house workers temporarily.
• Flatio: very popular with digital nomads and students.
• HousingAnywhere: focused on international students and academic mobility.

In general, these platforms offer greater financial security (steady income) and less guest turnover.

What about deposits and insurance?

One of the issues that worries owners most is security. Here are some key points:

• Airbnb: includes AirCover, which covers accidental damage and third-party liability at no extra cost.
• Booking: does not handle deposits automatically; if you want a deposit, you have to set it up yourself.
• VRBO: combines protection insurance with the option of requiring a security deposit.
• Mid-stay platforms (Flatio, Homyspace, HousingAnywhere): tend to prioritise verified profiles (students, workers), but the deposit and conditions depend on each case.
• Escapada Rural: the deposit is set directly by the owner, with no automatic handling by the platform.

In short: some platforms such as Airbnb offer a "protection umbrella", but in most cases it is best to set your own deposit and have home insurance or insurance specifically for holiday lets to be properly covered.

So, where should you list?

The key is not to put all your eggs in one basket. Airbnb gives international visibility, Booking guarantees volume, VRBO attracts families, Escapada Rural reaches domestic travellers and mid-stay platforms offer long-term stability.

At beBalmy we do it for you

We know that coordinating so many platforms can be complicated. At bebalmy we list your property on all of them, optimising prices and the calendar so that you get the highest return with the least hassle. If you want to get the most out of your holiday apartment or rural cottage, write to us and we will help you manage it all.