Rushabh PatelMillions of people go on vacations and stay in rentals found on apps like Airbnb every year, and this list just keeps growing. Although this site is a major player in the industry, they’re only responsible for 10-15% of all vacation rentals. This leaves a lot of room for new startup vacation rental apps to take advantage of this growing niche. Building a vacation rental app like Airbnb is a great opportunity to make passive income. This blog will take you step-by-step into how to develop a vacation rental app and have you up and running in no time!
What is a Vacation Rental Application?
Vacation rental websites like Airbnb have become extremely popular over the years due to its simple format. It allows travelers to rent residential properties for a short -term in the desired location. It’s also a great way for property owners to make some extra cash. These vacation home rentals provide families and business people an alternative to hotels for affordable prices. Airbnb like apps are also very convenient because everything from the booking to payment is done online. When you develop a vacation rental app, you should always keep your competition in mind. Other popular vacation rental websites include Homeaway, Booking.com, VRBO, FlipKey, and Roomorama.
How does a Website Like Airbnb Work?
When you develop a vacation rental app, it is important that it is easy to use and has a smooth transition from beginning to end. Normally, a website like Airbnb would flow as follows:
- The property owner lists their property along with descriptions, rules, prices, available facilities, and any other details that may persuade someone to choose their listing.
- The person using an app like Airbnb will set a search radius or zip code, price range, and other details they deem important.
- After finding a vacation rental property that meets their expectations, the user will request to book it.
- After the property owner receives the booking request, they can decide if they want to accept it or not.
- If the booking request on the vacation property is accepted, then the deposit will be deducted from the user’s account through a payment gateway.
- The rest of the money will be paid to the property owner after the traveler’s stay.
- The property owner and traveler can then give each other reviews
This may all seem pretty simple, but it will only run smoothly if you develop a vacation rental app with the right features!
Features to Include When Building a Website Like Airbnb
If you want to develop a vacation rental app that is successful, then it must come with features that make it easy for travelers and property owners to use.
User/Travelers
- Sign up/Login – Members can log in using their user ID if they have one. They can also create a user ID by providing the required details, including their name, email address, ID number, etc.
- Manage Account – This option allows users to manage, edit, and update their personal information, including password changes.
- Search Filter – Develop a vacation rental app that allows users to use different filters to find their desired property, including dates available, price range, property size, amenities, etc.
- Chat Notifications –This feature provides notifications whenever you get a message.
- Host Interaction – This allows travelers to message and chat with property owners before a booking request is made.
- Wish List – If the desired vacation rental property is not available or already booked, the wish list can save you a spot in case the reservation is canceled.
- Payments – This feature should allow users to view transaction history, pay details, access to invoices, select currency and payment method.
- Maps – Apps like Airbnb use maps to help users locate the property and also see what the area surrounding it is like.
- Booking – This feature should not only let you book your vacation property but also view past bookings.
- Help – It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to develop a vacation rental app that is easy to use. Include an FAQ section and help option for users having problems using the vacation rental website.
- Rate and Review – This is where the traveler can review the host and vacation property.
- Sharing – The user can use social media to share and invite a friend to download the app.
Property Owner
- Registration – This is where the property owner fills in the details of their vacation rental.
- Sign up/Login – Same as above.
- Manage Account – Same as above.
- Manage Listings – This is where you can edit and update your vacation property details
- Booking Listing – This is where the owner can view and manage all upcoming bookings.
- Request – This is the feature that allows the owner to accept or decline a booking request.
- Messaging – This allows the host to answer questions and ask some of their own.
- Account Details – Websites like Airbnb use the feature to add and remove information
- Booking History – When you build a vacation rental app, make sure the user can review previous bookings, payment history, and generated revenue.
- Sharing – Same as above.
Technology Needed to Develop a Vacation Rental App
There is a lot of tech involved in developing a vacation rental app that runs smoothly. Below you will find the tech stack needed to build a website like Airbnb.
- Programming language – Kotlin, Swift, JavaScript, Ruby, HTML5
- Application Framework – Django, Ruby on Rails, Meteor.js, Node.js
- Front End Framework – Express.js, React.js, Angular
- Automation Framework – Capybara, RSpec,
- Server-Side Tech – OpenStack, Google Cloud, AWS, DigitalOcean, Azure
- Global Payment – Braintree
- Messaging – Twilio
- Network Level Caching – Redis Nginx
- Databases – MongoDB, Cassandra, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Azure DocumentDB
Team Needed to Develop a Vacation Rental App
In order to build an app like Airbnb, you will need a team of highly trained professionals that can work together. Everyone needs to do their part for maximum effect. This team should include:
- UI designer
- iOS developer
- Back-end developer
- Project Manager
- Quality Assurance Engineer
Now that you have all the information you need to develop a vacation rental app all you need to do is put the pieces together and get the ball rolling! Let’s build your app together! Our expert app developers can bring app idea into reality.
