Industry kit

Vacation rental templates and hotel forms for direct bookings

A holiday rental or small hotel that takes direct bookings needs a booking form, a rental agreement with house rules, a way for guests to sign before arrival, a website and a survey after the stay. This kit links finished examples of each, written for invented Australian properties.

Direct bookings need their own paperwork

A holiday rental or small hotel listed on a platform lets the platform handle the booking terms. Taking direct bookings, which avoids the commission, means the owner has to supply that paperwork. A booking form collects the guests, dates and requests. A rental agreement sets the rate, the bond, the house rules, the cancellation policy and what happens if something is damaged. Guests sign it before arrival, and a survey after the stay brings the reviews and the repeat bookings.

Hotels and short stays share most of it

A boutique hotel adds a direct booking form for rooms, a website that sells the stay rather than listing amenities, and a survey that covers the room, the staff and the breakfast. Rooms let in shared homes and student accommodation need agreements of their own. The examples below show each piece complete and written for invented properties, so an owner can read the terms and questions in full before adapting them. Each card opens the finished example, from the first enquiry to the survey after check out.

Who the kit is for

The kit is written for holiday rental owners, small hosts and boutique hotels in Australia. Short term rental accommodation is regulated by states and councils, and in New South Wales properties must be registered and follow a code of conduct, so check your local rules before taking direct bookings. Prices in the examples are in dollars with GST where the business is registered, the properties are invented, and none of the examples claims to replace the platform rules for bookings taken through a listing site.

The kit, piece by piece

The agreement that prevents bad stays

A holiday rental agreement works when the rules are specific: the maximum number of guests, quiet hours, whether parties and pets are allowed, smoking, parking and what to do with rubbish. It should state the bond, how and when it is returned, and how damage is assessed. Put the cancellation policy in plain words with dates. The holiday rental agreement example carries each of these and can be signed online before the guest receives the key code.

Taking the booking and the money

A direct booking form should collect the lead guest, the number of adults and children, dates, pets and any special request, and ask the guest to accept the house rules. The owner then confirms and sends an invoice for the deposit or the full amount. From the proposals module, an invoice carries a pay link that opens Stripe Checkout on a paid plan with a connected Stripe account; bank transfer details are printed on every invoice.

Reviews and repeat guests

Direct bookings depend on repeat guests and reviews. Send a short survey a day after check out, ask about cleanliness, comfort, communication and value, and invite a public review from guests who rate the stay highly. The guest survey in this kit does this in under two minutes. A website that shows the rooms, the area and honest prices brings returning guests back without the platform fee.

The tools behind the kit

Step by step in the builders: Send a document for e-signature, then Create a form with AI.

Questions people ask

What should a holiday rental agreement include?

It should include the guest and property details, dates, number of guests, the rate and fees, the bond and its return, house rules, check in and check out times, the cancellation policy, the damage process and the owner contact. The lead guest signs it before arrival.

Do I need a rental agreement for direct bookings?

Yes. Without a platform, the agreement is what sets the rules and the cancellation terms. It protects the owner if a guest breaks the rules or damages the property, and it tells the guest exactly what they agreed to before they arrive.

Do short term rentals need to be registered?

In some states, yes. New South Wales requires short term rental accommodation to be registered and to follow a code of conduct, and some councils elsewhere have their own rules. Check your state and council before taking bookings, and keep the registration number on the listing and agreement.

How should a holiday rental take a bond?

Take the bond with the booking or before arrival, state the amount and how it will be returned, and return it promptly after an inspection if there is no damage. Record the condition of the property before each stay so any claim is based on evidence.

Can guests sign a rental agreement online?

Yes. The agreement can be sent for e-signing, the lead guest confirms with a code sent to their email, and both parties receive a certified PDF. This avoids paper at check in and gives the owner a record of when the guest agreed to the rules.

Start the first piece of the kit

The button opens a generator with a starting description already filled in. Change the business details to your own before you run it.

Create a document with OneCraft

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Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .