What it costs
Most companies in this industry will not put a number on a public page. Here is ours.
What we charge
Fifteen to twenty percent of the nightly revenue the home earns, depending on the property. The range is not a negotiating tactic. A four bedroom house with a pool takes more work than a one bedroom apartment, and the number reflects that. We will not commit to a figure before walking the property, because a number given before seeing the house is a guess.
For a sense of what the percentage is taken from, see what homes like yours earn, by town and bedroom count.
Is there an onboarding fee or a licensing fee?
There is no onboarding fee. There is a one time $500 licensing fee, and only if we obtain the licenses for you. If your licenses are already in place, there is nothing to pay. The permit and registration fees the government charges are the owner's, whoever manages the house.
No photography fee either, no markup on cleaning, and no platform fee of our own (Airbnb and VRBO still charge theirs). One percentage, and if the home earns nothing, we earn nothing.
Why 15 to 20 percent when some managers charge 10?
Because the percentage is one line of the bill, not the whole of it. A lower headline rate can be everything you pay, or it can be where the bill starts. The only way to know is to ask. These are the questions worth putting to any manager, us included:
- Is the cleaning fee marked up, and by how much?
- Is there an onboarding or setup fee?
- Is a charge added to repairs and maintenance, or to arranging them?
- Whose account is the listing on?
- If you leave, what happens to your reviews?
With Holdfast the listing stays on your own account, with us added as co-host. The reviews stay on it, the ones you earned before us and the ones we earn with you, and so does your Superhost status. There is no onboarding fee. Our fee is 15 to 20 percent of nightly revenue, depending on the property, plus a one time $500 licensing fee, only if we obtain the licenses for you.
Some houses suit a 10 percent manager and some do not. Compare the whole bill, and what you keep if you leave, and the answer is usually clear.
A typical manager and Holdfast, side by side
| Question | Typical manager | Holdfast |
|---|---|---|
| Whose account the listing is on | Often the manager's own account | Yours. We are added as a co-host |
| Who keeps the reviews | Often the manager, because the reviews sit on their listing | You. They sit on your listing |
| Superhost status | Often belongs to the manager's account | Stays yours, uninterrupted |
| Onboarding fee | Varies. Some charge one | None |
| Licensing fee | Varies | $500 one time, only if we obtain the licenses |
| What the fee is charged on | Varies. Sometimes the nightly rate plus the cleaning fee | 15 to 20 percent of nightly revenue |
| When you leave | Often a new listing, starting again with no reviews | You remove us as co-host. The listing, reviews and Superhost status stay with you |
The middle column is what owners often meet, not a description of any one company. Terms vary, so ask any manager, us included, to put theirs in writing.
What does the percentage apply to?
Nightly revenue. Between 15 and 20 percent of it, depending on the property. The cleaning fee a guest pays is not part of what we take a percentage of.
What happens if I want to leave?
You leave. There is no long contract and nothing to unwind: the listing is already in your name, the reviews are already yours, and your Superhost status was never interrupted. That is the point of co-hosting rather than handing the property over.
Already have a manager? Here is how switching works, including what to check in your current contract first.
Somebody's job is your nightly rate
Most small operators set a price when a listing goes live and adjust it when something goes wrong. Holdfast has a dedicated revenue manager whose whole job is what your house charges tonight: watching real demand, local events, competing supply and how far out the calendar is filling, and moving rates accordingly.
This is where the fee earns itself back. A house priced by instinct leaves money on the table in high season and sits empty in low season, and the owner usually never finds out, because there is nothing to compare it against. Each month we publish the dates we are pricing against in the owner notes.
My ratings and revenue have never been higher. They are super quick to respond and they helped me increase my revenue through their pricing strategy.
Rochelle C.
What the percentage covers
Pricing and revenue management. Guest messaging, including at two in the morning. Turnovers and cleaning coordination. Maintenance. Licensing and inspections. Listing copy and photography direction. The direct booking channel. Everything operational, under your own account.
Or call (954) 520-7544.
Not ready to call? Read the owner guide first.
Nine pages, from our own numbers rather than a market report.
- What a house earns, by tier, from the houses we run
- The Fort Lauderdale licensing year on one page, with every fee
- Your first 30 days with us, week by week
We will email you the guide, plus a few short notes from Pierce over the next few weeks. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy.