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For Property Owners

A Curated Network of New Zealand's Best Direct-Booking Holiday Homes

Skip the commissions. Book directly with verified New Zealand hosts and save on every stay. Just a 1.5% secure booking fee for complete peace of mind.

The Founder's Collection

Verified New Zealand holiday homes from our founding hosts. Book direct and save.

Why Founder Properties?

We aren't a massive, faceless marketplace. We are a collection of New Zealand hosts who believe in fair pricing and direct relationships. Every property in the Founder's Collection has been verified for quality and is managed by a host dedicated to a better way of hosting.

Why book on Hostu?

Pay by Bank

Pay securely through New Zealand's banking system. You will be directed to your own bank to authorise the transfer, with a flat fee of just 15c.

1.5% Secure Booking Protection

Guests pay a nominal fee to hold funds securely until check-in. Your payment is held in a secure trust account, giving you complete peace of mind.

Direct Relationships

Talk directly to the property owner. Get local tips, flexible arrangements, and a personal touch no platform can match.

How Payment Works

1.

Pay securely by Bank — select 'Pay by Bank' and you will be redirected to your own bank (ANZ, ASB, BNZ, or Westpac) to authorise the transfer, with a flat transaction fee of just 15c.

2.

Funds are held in a secure trust account — your payment is held in a secure trust account until you check in. This protects both you and the host.

3.

Funds released after check-in — You have a 24-hour window from check-in to raise any serious issues. A 1.5% secure booking fee covers the payment processing and trust account protection.

We'll only email you when new properties join.

Built by a Host and a Guest.

Andy

Whangarei Heads

Andy

I live at Whangarei Heads on a lifestyle property. In 2025 we renovated a cottage on the property for family, guests and to rent out on Airbnb. I was surprised by the high commissions Airbnb and the other global platforms charged on every stay and thought it would be much fairer to charge a single annual subscription. I pitched the idea to Julian, and Hostu is the result.

Julian

Plimmerton

Julian

I live in Plimmerton with my partner and daughter. As an active family keen on mountain biking and tramping, we always choose holiday homes over hotels. Talking to friends who rent out holiday homes, I realised the biggest barrier was that US platforms own all the ‘eyeballs,’ trapping hosts in 15.5% commissions. We built Hostu to focus on what the big guys ignore: building and marketing to your repeat business through a proactive, low-cost system.

How can you help?

To help us build Hostu into New Zealand’s gold standard, rebook your stays and make referrals to friends and family. If you believe in a fairer way to holiday, please recommend us to other guests and hosts.