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# Vacation rental trends for 2027: what changes for direct bookings

[![Adriaan de Jager](https://www.bookingmood.com/images/adriaan.gif?dpl=dpl_4FELBEa1bRh2wX9szctmfVyUL41W)Adriaan de Jager](https://www.bookingmood.com/en-US/blog?author=Adriaan+de+Jager)Feb 11, 2025Last modified November 10, 20263 min read

**What changes for vacation rental owners in 2027, and what to do about it. Five trends that affect how guests find you, book you and judge you, each with a practical next step.**

_Updated November 2026. We update this post every year._

## 1. Guests ask AI assistants where to stay

More travelers start planning by asking an AI assistant: “a quiet holiday home near the coast in Brittany, with a garden, for four people in July”. The answers draw on the same things search engines look at: clear pages about places to stay, facts about the area, and reviews on several sites.

**What to do:** make sure your website states the facts plainly. Where is it, how many people does it sleep, what does it have, how far is the beach or the station, is it free on my dates? Give each rental its own page, add an area guide, and collect reviews on more than one site. Our [SEO guide for vacation rental websites](https://www.bookingmood.com/en-US/blog/the-importance-of-seo-for-your-vacation-rental-website) covers the basics, and they apply here too.

## 2. Registration numbers on every listing

Since 20 May 2026, EU rules require platforms to check that listings show a registration number wherever a country, region or city runs a registration scheme, and to share booking data with the authorities. Where a scheme exists, listings without a valid number can be taken down.

**What to do:** find out whether a scheme applies to your address, register, and show your number on every listing and on your own website. Our overview of [vacation rental regulations](https://www.bookingmood.com/en-US/blog/the-impact-of-local-regulations-on-vacation-rentals) has a checklist.

## 3. Longer stays and work-from-anywhere trips

Remote work has made longer stays normal: a week that becomes two, or a month in the low season. For you, a longer stay means fewer changeovers, less cleaning and fewer empty nights between guests.

**What to do:** offer weekly and monthly discounts, make the Wi-Fi speed and a proper workspace visible on your property page, and lower the minimum stay midweek in the low season. See [how to get more bookings in the low season](https://www.bookingmood.com/en-US/blog/how-to-increase-your-occupancy-rate-during-the-low-season).

## 4. Paying on the phone, in one tap

Most guests now browse and book on their phone, and they expect to pay the way they pay everywhere else: with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a local method such as iDEAL. A booking that ends in a bank transfer or a form to print loses guests at the last step.

**What to do:** test your own booking process on your phone, from the first page to the payment. Offer online payment with the methods your guests use, and take a deposit at booking so the reservation is secure.

## 5. Green claims need proof

Guests care about sustainability, and regulators care about what you claim. New EU consumer rules, applying from September 2026, ban vague environmental claims such as “eco-friendly” or “green” when they can't be backed up.

**What to do:** replace general claims with specific facts guests can check: “solar panels cover our electricity from April to September”, “the bus to town stops 200 m from the door”. Our post on [eco-friendly vacation rentals](https://www.bookingmood.com/en-US/blog/sustainable-vacation-rentals-what-guests-expect) has practical changes worth making.

## What hasn't changed

Under every trend sits the same foundation: a website where guests can see what they get, check dates and book in a few minutes, with reviews that show others had a good stay. Our step-by-step guide on [how to get more direct bookings](https://www.bookingmood.com/en-US/blog/how-to-increase-direct-bookings) starts there.

Bookingmood gives you a booking calendar or a complete website, with online payments, automated messages and iCal sync, without commission. [Start your 14-day free trial](https://www.bookingmood.com/en-US/auth/sign-up).