Houst
Houst is a London-based short-term rental property management company operating in 35 cities across 12 countries, serving homeowners, landlords, multi-property owners, and real estate investors with end-to-end Airbnb co-hosting powered by its proprietary OccuMax dynamic pricing engine.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Houst does
Houst (formerly Airsorted) is a London-headquartered short-term rental property management company that operates an end-to-end co-hosting service for individual property owners, landlords, multi-property owners, and real estate investors. Founded in 2015, the company manages more than 11,650 properties across 35 cities in 12 countries (UK, Ireland, France, Portugal, UAE, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand), handling listing creation, professional photography, multi-platform distribution (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo), 24/7 guest communication, cleaning and housekeeping coordination, smart-lock check-ins, maintenance, and property insurance integration.
The technology backbone is a proprietary property management platform with a host-facing dashboard (dashboard.houst.com) and a dynamic pricing engine called OccuMax, built from over 350,000 bookings and credited with generating more than £112M in host earnings. Ancillary tooling includes six free web calculators (Airbnb income, investment, short-let vs long-let, holiday let tax, rent-to-rent vs partnership, and business income) that serve as top-of-funnel lead generation, and a direct booking site (stay.houst.com) layered on top of OTA distribution.
Houst monetizes primarily via commission on rental revenue, typically 12% in London/Paris/Dubai and 14-18% in other markets, with a separate full-service tier starting at 18%. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer through the website, a 15-minute consultation, and a five-day onboarding cycle, supplemented by an affiliate programme and a 2024-launched operator Partnership Programme that requires £10,000 investment for UK/Ireland partners. Two disclosed acquisitions (Sama Sama Holiday Homes in 2019 and Hostmaker in 2020) and more than $20M in cumulative venture funding underpin the company's expansion into new geographies and product modules.
Houst firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Houst
- Legal name
- Houst Limited
- Website
- https://houst.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Houst is a London-based short-term rental property management company operating in 35 cities across 12 countries, serving homeowners, landlords, multi-property owners, and real estate investors with end-to-end Airbnb co-hosting powered by its proprietary OccuMax dynamic pricing engine.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Houst industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Short-term rental property management
- NAICS
- Residential Property Managers (531311), Rental and Leasing Services (532)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Owner Services, Reporting & Portfolio Administration (THAMAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Standard Turnover Cleaning (Cleaning + Reset) (HSAEAEAA), HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH)
Keywords
Where Houst is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Houst business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Commission-based Property Management: Houst earns revenue by charging a commission on rental revenue generated from managed properties. Commission rates vary by property type and location, starting from 12% of rental revenue. This is the primary revenue stream and aligns Houst's interests with host earnings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Full-Service Plan from 18% commission |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Plan from 12% commission |
| Subscription | Monthly | Market-specific rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels12 records
Houst product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Houst provides end-to-end short-term rental (Airbnb) property management services, taking a commission on booking revenue in exchange for handling listing creation, multi-platform distribution, dynamic pricing via the proprietary OccuMax algorithm, 24/7 guest communication, cleaning and housekeeping, check-in coordination, maintenance, and host reporting through a dedicated dashboard. The company also runs an operator Partnership Programme that supplies pricing technology, guest communication systems, and operational infrastructure to entrepreneurs building Airbnb management businesses under the Houst brand.
Product overview
Houst is a short-term rental property management company operating as a unified platform-plus-services model. The core offering is the Airbnb Management Platform, which provides end-to-end management from listing creation through guest communications, dynamic pricing (via OccuMax Pricing), and property maintenance. This is supported by a Host Dashboard providing real-time visibility into bookings, earnings, and property status. The product portfolio includes multiple add-on modules covering the complete hosting lifecycle: Professional Photography, Guest Vetting, Guest Check-in, Guest Communication (24/7 support), Cleaning and Housekeeping, Property Maintenance, Price Optimisation, Property Insurance, Smart Locks, and Linen and Toiletries. A suite of free calculator tools (Airbnb Income Calculator, Airbnb Investment Calculator, Short-Let vs Long-Let Calculator, Holiday Let Tax Calculator, Rent-to-Rent vs Partnership Calculator, Airbnb Business Income Calculator) supports property owners and investors in decision-making. The Houst Partnership Program enables entrepreneurs to launch Airbnb management businesses under the Houst brand, while the Referral Program incentivizes existing hosts to recruit new participants. Multi-platform distribution across Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo is managed through synchronized listings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Airbnb Management Service Full-service short-term rental management for individual property owners, homeowners, landlords, and investors. Houst handles listing creation, multi-platform distribution across Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo, dynamic pricing via the OccuMax algorithm, 24/7 guest communication, cleaning and housekeeping coordination, check-in management, property maintenance, insurance, and financial reporting through a dedicated Host Dashboard. Charged as a commission on rental revenue (12-20%).
- Houst Partnership Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- Hosts can earn up to 56% more than average market returns
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Houst
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Houst technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
Houst partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- StripecorePayment processing provider for financial transactions on the Houst platform. Handles payment processing for bookings and host payouts.
- GoCardlesscorePayment services provider for direct debit and bank payment processing.
- HyperwalletcorePayment services provider used to deliver payments to hosts. Subject to Hyperwallet Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
- GuardHogcoreInsurance provider protecting properties listed through Houst, offering coverage beyond Airbnb's AirCover for bookings on other platforms.
- Airbnb (AirCover)corePlatform partner providing AirCover insurance including up to $1m damage protection and $1m liability insurance for hosted properties.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Houst competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Vacasa: One of the largest professional vacation rental management companies in North America, offering full-service short-term rental management with proprietary technology, scaled local operations, and direct booking platform — broader incumbent with similar model.
- Airbnb Co-Host Network: Airbnb's own native co-host marketplace connecting hosts with local co-hosts; represents Airbnb's vertical integration into the management services category where Houst operates.
- Vrbo (Expedia): Major vacation rental OTA and Expedia-owned platform; while Houst distributes through Vrbo, Expedia also operates partner property management programmes that overlap with Houst's full-service offering.
- TurnKey Vacation Rentals: US-based full-service vacation rental manager with proprietary technology stack for dynamic pricing, housekeeping, and guest support — comparable full-service business model at larger US scale.
- Evolve (vacation rental management): US-focused vacation rental manager with a low-fee professional management model; comparable full-service approach with national scale, operating in adjacent geography.
Direct peers
- Hostmaker: London-based Airbnb management company offering full-service hosting including cleaning, pricing, and guest support across multiple cities; Houst actually acquired Hostmaker in 2020, but the brand continues to operate as a competing service in select markets.
- GuestReady: Direct competitor offering full-service short-term rental management across Europe, Middle East, and Asia with dynamic pricing, cleaning, and guest communication — directly comparable offering and target customer base to Houst.
- Smoobu: European short-term rental management software and services platform enabling hosts and agencies to manage properties across OTAs with channel manager, dynamic pricing, and guest communication — overlapping functionality and customer base.
Emerging players
- Beyond Pricing: Dynamic pricing tool for vacation rentals used by hosts and property managers — overlapping technology capability with Houst's OccuMax and competing for the same revenue optimisation budget.
- PriceLabs: Dynamic pricing and revenue management software for short-term rentals used by professional managers and hosts globally — overlaps with Houst's OccuMax pricing tool and represents a potential self-serve alternative for hosts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Houst social profiles
Digital presenceHoust compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Houst financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Houst leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Houst funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Houst M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Houst
What does Houst do?
Houst provides end-to-end short-term rental (Airbnb) property management services, taking a commission on booking revenue in exchange for handling listing creation, multi-platform distribution, dynamic pricing via the proprietary OccuMax algorithm, 24/7 guest communication, cleaning and housekeeping, check-in coordination, maintenance, and host reporting through a dedicated dashboard. The company also runs an operator Partnership Programme that supplies pricing technology, guest communication systems, and operational infrastructure to entrepreneurs building Airbnb management businesses under the Houst brand.
Is Houst a public or private company?
Houst is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Houst founded?
Houst was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Houst based?
Houst is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Houst make money?
One revenue line is on record: commission-based Property Management.
Who are Houst's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Vacasa, Airbnb Co-Host Network, Vrbo (Expedia), TurnKey Vacation Rentals and Evolve (vacation rental management). Direct peers are Hostmaker, GuestReady and Smoobu. Emerging players are Beyond Pricing and PriceLabs.
Does Houst have an API?
No public API is recorded for Houst.
What industry is Houst in?
Houst's product category is Short-term rental property management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMAKAI, Owner Services, Reporting & Portfolio Administration, with a secondary code of HSAEAEAA, Standard Turnover Cleaning (Cleaning + Reset). Its NAICS code is 531311 and its SIC code is 6531.