How the Platform Works
Havenly-Getaways.com operates as a comprehensive vacation rental marketplace where hosts can list properties and guests can book them seamlessly. In the Listings section, general configurations manage rental displays, with the display section controlling site appearances such as showing categories first on listings pages instead of individual rentals, limiting 10 listings per page, pre-defining all attributes with options to include new ones, and displaying price extras like cleaning fees as per day, per place, or one-time charges; the search section enables filtering by attributes including location, price range, and availability, with sorting options by date, relevance, price, or custom attributes, plus advanced filters like date selectors and geolocation searches; the submission section requires fields such as title, description, images, price, availability, and custom fields for host submissions and edits, supports image uploads and front-end additions by hosts, and allows booking approval for new listings; the expiration section sets listing durations, typically removing them after 2 years with automatic or manual renewal options; featured listings are managed with a 60-day featuring period; and selling features let sellers add prices and extras, including them in taxable amounts. Reviews are handled with a display section sorting them by date added and showing 4 per page on listings, while the submission process allows anonymous reviews, manual approvals, and replies to reviews. Hosts’ accounts are managed with display options showing all hosts on the front end by username, search sorted by date, direct registration, and selling charges at a 5% commission rate with no fee, including taxes in balance calculations. Users, including guests, have display using first name and first letter of last name, registration requiring login for bookings or allowing guest checkouts with links to Privacy Policy and Terms, Google authentication, usernames from emails, email verification, restricted back-end access, account deletion options, and the ability to become hosts; buying charges apply a 5% commission rate with no fee. Messages are handled by allowing .jpg and .png attachments, refreshing conversations every 60 seconds, enabling monitoring, storing all in the platform database without user deletion, and auto-deleting after 180 days. Bookings manage availability with statuses like Unpaid, Pending, and Confirmed blocking dates, vendor-managed availability, two-way calendar syncing with Google or iCal, daily bookings without time slots, variable pricing without security deposits (payments upfront), terms displayed on booking, and auto-cancellation of unpaid/pending bookings after 8 days. Orders allow disputing for refunds. Payouts use primary currency GBP (£) in the UK, permit requests with a £50 minimum via bank (planning Stripe Connect for auto payments), charge no fees but 5% commissions each to guests and hosts (e.g., on £200 subtotal, guest pays £210, host receives £190, platform keeps £20), with guest charges at checkout and host deductions from payouts.
Listings: Manages general configurations for rental listings
- Display Section: Controls how rentals appear on the site
- Listings page display: show categories first instead of individual rentals.
- Per-page limits: 10 listings per page.
- Attribute display: All attributes are pre-defined. New attributes can be included.
- Price extras display: Show add-ons (e.g., cleaning fees) as per day, per place, or one-time.
- Search Section: Handles search and filtering for rentals
- Search fields: Enables attributes like location, price range, availability for filters.
- Sorting options: Sorted by date, relevance, price, or custom attributes.
- Advanced filters: Include date selectors for availability, geolocation searches.
- Submission Section: Controls host submission and editing of rentals
- Required fields: title, description, images, price, availability, and custom fields.
- Image uploads: Ability to upload images.
- Front-end submission: Have the ability for the hosts to add rentals from the frontend.
- Booking approval: Hosts can enable approval for new listings.
- Expiration Section: Manages listing duration
- Expiration period: Set days/months before expiration, listings are typically removed after 2 years.
- Renewal options: Automatic or manual renewal.
- Featured listings: Management of featured listings
- Featuring period is limited to 60 days.
- Selling: Manages selling on the platform
- Allow sellers to add prices and extras.
- Include price extras in their taxable amount.
Reviews: Manages how reviews are handled
- Display section: Controls how reviews are handled on the site.
- Sorted by date added.
- 4 listing reviews are displayed per page.
- Submission: How submissions are handled
- Allow submitting reviews anonymously.
- Reviews are manually approved.
- Allow replying to reviews.
Hosts: Manages host accounts and defines charges
- Display
- Display all hosts on the front end of the platform.
- Hosts are displayed by username.
- Search
- Sorted by date.
- Registration
- Allow direct registration.
- Selling: Defines host charges per listing
- Commission rate is selling is 5%.
- Commission fee is 0.
- Taxes are included in the balance calculations.
Users: Manages guest and user accounts and defines charges
- Display
- Utilise the first name and first letter of the last name.
- Registration: Require login for bookings or allow guest checkouts.
- Users are provided with the link to the Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions page.
- Allow Google authentication.
- Generate usernames from the email address.
- Require email address verification.
- Restrict access to the back end.
- Allow users to delete their accounts.
- Allow users to become hosts with the ability to list listings.
- Buying: Defines the charges
- User purchases are subject to a 5% commission rate.
- We do not charge a commission fee.
Messages: How messages are handled, monitored and stored
- Sending: Handling of attachments and refresh
- Allow file attachments for .jpg (jpeg), .png.
- Conversations are refreshed every 60 seconds.
- Modernization/Monitoring
- Allow monitoring of messages.
- Storage: How data is handled and stored
- Store all messages in our platform database.
- We do not allow users to delete their messages.
- Messages are auto deleted after 180 days.
Bookings: How bookings and confirmations are handled, price offerings
- Availability: Booking, statuses and calendars
- Booking statuses that are Unpaid, Pending and Confirmed block the dates for bookings.
- Availability of bookings are managed by the vendor.
- Syncing of the calendars is allowed with external calendars – two-way sync with Google Calendar or iCal.
- We allow daily bookings – not time slots.
- Pricing: Alternative pricing
- Allow variable pricing.
- We do not allow security deposits. Payments are taken upfront.
- Confirmation: Booking terms
- Terms page is displayed on booking.
- Expiration: Cancellation of bookings
- Unpaid or pending bookings are auto cancelled after 8 days.
Orders: How order refunds are dealt with
- Refunds: Order disputes
- Allow for the disputing of orders.
Payouts: The management of charges and payouts, currency, withdrawal
- Currency: Primary GBP (£) – UK (United Kingdom)
- Requests: Payout, minimums and systems
- Allow for the requesting of payouts.
- Minimum amount for payout is £50.
- Payout system via bank for now – with the intention of enabling auto payments and transfers e.g. using Stripe Connect.
- Host & User/Guests: definition of the charges and example
- We do not charge any fees, only commission.
- User/Guest pay 5% commission per booking.
- Host pays platform owner 5% per booking.
- Earnings example (5% each side, 0 fee on £200 subtotal): Guest pays £210 (£200 + £10); host receives £190 (£200 – £10); platform keeps £20 (10% total).
- When Charged: When charges are taken
- User/Guests at checkout; hosts deducted from payouts.