Homes and Rooms

Homes and Rooms is web-based vacation-rental management software for independent owners and managers who want to handle bookings, rates and guest administration alongside their rental websites. Its breadth and free entry point make it worth considering for owner-managers, but property limits and booking commissions can change the economics as a business grows.

Overview

The service brings direct-booking websites, listing connections and operational tools into one workspace. It is a sensible fit for owners of villas, B&Bs, cottages, condos or apartments who want fewer separate systems for managing rental activity. The trade-off is scale: paid plans top out at 15 properties unless you contact the company, and some bookings carry commission.

Key features

Websites and listing connections

Owners can build mobile-responsive websites with online booking and payments, or use plugins on an existing site. Homes and Rooms says it synchronizes availability and bookings with more than 40 listing sites, including HomeAway, VRBO and Flipkey. That combination can support direct sales while reducing calendar upkeep across channels. The Owner plan’s one-property allowance, however, makes it a narrow fit for anyone with a portfolio.

Inquiries, rates and guest payments

Inquiry Manager can send personalized automated email replies and instant quotes, with optional email or SMS alerts. Rate Builder supports seasonal and special rates, property options, tax calculations and charge-breakdown reports. Together, these tools cover recurring quoting and pricing tasks rather than just presenting a booking page.

The Guest Portal lets guests pay owners online, but Homes and Rooms says it does not handle the money. Owners therefore retain responsibility for the funds. The company says it charges no commission on bookings generated by an owner’s own marketing or entered manually, but does charge commission on bookings obtained through its Marketing Manager; that distinction matters when comparing direct bookings with service-generated demand.

Reporting and support

Report Builder provides financial and tax information, including income and profit performance reports. Subscribers can contact support by online chat, email or telephone, and can also use blog articles and a searchable knowledgebase. These resources suit operators who want assistance across both day-to-day use and financial review.

Pricing

Homes and Rooms has a free plan, paid plans starting at $9/user/mo (annual), and a 14-day trial with no credit card necessary. The stated paid tiers are billed monthly on an annual basis:

Free Owner: free, with no subscription charges ever. The plan is identified as an Owner plan; contact Homes and Rooms for details.

Owner: $9 a year, billed per month when paid annually. It covers 1 property, unlimited listing-site integrations, one user and one currency. This is aimed at a solo operator with a single rental; the single seat and currency leave little room for a team or multi-currency business.

Professional: $37 a year, billed per month when paid annually. It supports up to 5 properties, unlimited listing-site integrations, multiple users and multiple currencies. This is the more appropriate tier for a small team or multi-property owner.

Manager: $67 a year, billed per month when paid annually. It supports up to 15 properties, with more available by contacting the company, alongside unlimited listing-site integrations, multiple users and multiple currencies. Larger operators need to confirm terms for additional properties.

The plan figures are stated as per year while billing is described as monthly when paid annually, so check the charge and commitment before subscribing. Subscriptions can be canceled online, but monthly subscriptions end at the end of the cancellation month and annual subscriptions at year end; cancellations are not refunded. Those terms make the trial useful for assessing fit before committing to an annual plan.

Platforms

Homes and Rooms runs on the web. Its websites are mobile-responsive, but the service’s listed platform is web rather than a separate mobile app.

Who it's for

Independent vacation-rental owner-managers are the clearest audience, especially those who want their own booking site, listing synchronization, automated inquiries and financial reporting in the same service. A solo owner with one property can start on Owner, while small teams can use Professional for multiple users and currencies. Operators with larger portfolios should weigh the 15-property ceiling and contact requirement; owners who want the provider to handle guest funds should also look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pro: Mobile-responsive booking websites and plugins support both a new direct-booking presence and an existing site.

Pro: More than 40 listing-site connections and automated inquiry replies can reduce repetitive calendar and response work.

Pro: Rate, tax and financial reporting tools address operational and owner-accounting needs in one service.

Con: The Owner plan is limited to one property, one user and one currency, so it does not scale far without upgrading.

Con: Manager covers up to 15 properties unless the company is contacted for more, which adds a step for larger operators.

Con: Marketing Manager bookings incur commission, and cancellations are not refunded, so booking source and renewal timing deserve attention.

Alternatives

Goliday is another freemium web option; its free plan covers one property, one language and up to 100 additional pages, while its Pro plan is €25 a month. Consider it if those website allowances suit your needs.

Dtravel offers a free Starter plan for up to 25 listings, with a 5% booking fee and 9% referred booking fee, as well as a Pro plan at $19 a month. It may suit operators prioritizing a larger free listing allowance, provided the fees fit their booking mix.

Lodgix is a paid option with a $79.99 a month plan for 1–7 properties and a free trial; consider it if that property range fits better than Homes and Rooms’ tier structure.

Tokeet has a free plan and an AdvanceCM plan at $14.99 a month with 50+ channel connections, automated messaging, dynamic rates, invoicing and payments. It is worth comparing if those channel and rate tools are a closer match.

Futurestay is a paid alternative with an Amplify plan at $20 a year, billed as $239 total per year, that includes a direct-booking website, Google Vacation Rentals and SmartRates by AirDNA. It may fit those seeking that bundle.

i-Rent is a paid option with a Rental Manager plan at €72 a month for 5–24 properties; consider it if your portfolio falls within that range.

iGMS is paid and offers a FLEX plan at $1 a month per booked night, with a $20 per property/month minimum, 0% booking fee and no charge for canceled reservations. Its fee structure may appeal to operators comparing costs against booking activity.

Lodgify is another paid alternative with a Basic plan shown at $73 a month; its billing interval is unclear in the displayed price.

For broader comparisons, see Vacation Rental Website Builders, Vacation Rental Channel Manager Software and Short-Term Rental Management Software.

Verdict

Homes and Rooms is a strong match for independent rental owners who want direct-booking websites, listing synchronization, guest communications and reporting together, with a free starting point and paid tiers that add properties and seats. Choose it when those owner-focused tools matter more than having the provider process guest money. Look elsewhere if you need a larger published property allowance, want to avoid commissions on service-generated bookings, or require a different cancellation commitment.