Rent a summer house with no service fee: here is how

When you book a summer house online, the price you see is rarely the price you end up paying. On top of the rent itself, most platforms add a service fee, and on Airbnb it is usually the guest who pays the larger share of the roughly 15 percent in total fees. On a week that costs 6,000 kr, that can quickly add several hundred kroner you never budgeted for. The good news is that you can easily rent a summer house with no service fee. Here is a simple guide to how.

Why do you pay a service fee at all?

A service fee is what the platform charges for standing between you and the host. On the big portals, the fee covers their marketing, customer service and payment system. The problem is that the fee is rarely visible until you reach the checkout page. You find a summer house at a price that looks reasonable, and only at the very end do the extra kroner appear.

For you as a guest, this has two effects. You pay more than the listing promised, and you find it hard to compare prices across properties because the fee varies. Two summer houses with the same weekly rate can end up with very different totals, depending on how large a service fee the platform adds on top.

How to find a summer house with no service fee

The most effective way to avoid the service fee is to rent directly from the host. When there is no middleman that needs to earn on every booking, the fee disappears. You pay for the property, not for the platform. Here are the main routes:

Choose a platform where the guest pays no service fee. Some newer platforms have dropped the guest fee entirely and let the host pay a fixed amount instead. That way, the price you see is also the price you pay.

Book directly with hosts you find through local listings, summer house owners’ own websites or recommendations. Here you agree on price and payment directly, without a portal taking a cut.

Always ask whether the price shown is the final one. A short message to the host before you book can reveal both hidden fees and some flexibility on the price.

What to watch out for

Renting with no service fee does not mean compromising on safety. On the contrary, a direct line to the host often gives you more clarity. Message the host before you pay and ask for the practical details: when can you check in, what is included in the price, and how does payment work. A host who replies kindly and clearly is a good sign.

Pay attention to how the money is transferred. Payment should reach the host in a secure way, ideally through a recognised payment provider, so you have documentation for your booking. Avoid sending a deposit to unknown accounts without a clear written agreement. You can read more about how safe, direct rental works on How it works.

Work out the real total price

Before you book, add up all the numbers: weekly rent, any cleaning, utilities and any service fee. The total is what you should compare, not the weekly rate alone. A summer house that looks more expensive at first glance can easily be cheaper once the fees on the other one are added in.

Try converting the fee into a percentage. If you pay 700 kr in service fee on a week that costs 6,000 kr, that is a little over 11 percent on top. That money could instead go towards an extra day, a good dinner or simply stay in your own pocket. If you have questions about how prices and payment work without a middleman, take a look at our FAQ.

FlyMHD: 0 kr in service fee for you as a guest

FlyMHD is built on a simple idea: the guest should not pay to book. With us, the guest service fee is 0 kr. The host pays a fixed subscription instead of a percentage of every booking, and your payment goes directly to the host. That means the price you see on the listing is the price you pay. No more surprises at checkout.

We have not opened for booking yet, but you can already secure your place. Sign up at flymhd.com and book without fees when we open. Then you are ready to find your next summer house without a service fee eating into your holiday.