Legal responsibility in direct booking
In direct booking the host is the contractual party, not HemmaBo.
Who is responsible for what?
When you take direct bookings, the booking agreement is directly between you and the guest, and HemmaBo is never a party to it.
- You as host are the contractual party with the guest: The booking agreement is directly between you and the guest. HemmaBo is not a party to the agreement and does not act as an intermediary.
- HemmaBo delivers the booking website — not the service: HemmaBo gives you a booking system, payment integration (Stripe Connect), calendar sync and communication tools. The legal relationship with the guest is entirely yours.
- HemmaBo is never a party to agreements between host and guest: Regardless of what happens during the stay — damage, complaints, disputes — it is you as the host who handles it directly with the guest.
- GDPR responsibility: You as the host are the data controller for your guests' data. HemmaBo is the data processor. Read more in our privacy policy.
Cancellations and refunds
You set your own refund schedule, the guest accepts it at booking, and a cancellation is refunded by that schedule through Stripe from your account.
- You set your refund schedule: You decide how much the guest gets back depending on how many hours before check-in they cancel. The guest sees the schedule before booking, and it is locked to the booking when the guest books.
- The guest accepts the policy at time of booking: By completing the booking, the guest agrees to your terms — including cancellation rules, house rules and payment terms.
- Refunds follow your schedule: When a guest cancels, the refund is calculated from the schedule locked to that booking and paid back through Stripe from your account. Cancelled bookings are shown in your dashboard.
Disputes
Disputes are handled directly between you and the guest; a card dispute follows Stripe's dispute process, and you should always document your booking terms and communication.
- Disputes are handled directly between you and the guest: In a dispute, you and the guest are the parties. HemmaBo is not involved in dispute resolution.
- Stripe handles card disputes: If a guest disputes a card payment, the dispute follows Stripe's dispute process.
- Always document booking terms and communication: Always save booking confirmations, guest communication and terms. That is your strongest evidence in a dispute.
EU-wide regulations
GDPR applies across the EU/EEA, and EU Regulation 2024/1028 lets a country or region require a registration number for each short-term rental.
- GDPR — General Data Protection Regulation: GDPR applies to all EU/EEA countries. As a host, you are the data controller for your guests' data. You must inform guests about what data you collect, why, and how long it is stored. HemmaBo is the data processor.
- EU Regulation 2024/1028 — short-term rental data: Under this regulation, a country or region can require a registration number for each short-term rental. Where it does, you enter the number in your dashboard and it is included in your booking website's structured data.
Applicable laws (by property location)
The legal framework that applies depends on where the property is located, not on the guest's nationality or your language.
- Laws depend on property location: The legal framework that applies to your rental depends on where the property is located — not the guest's nationality or your language. A property in Spain follows Spanish law; a property in Germany follows German law.
- Common requirements in many EU countries: Guest registration, tax reporting on rental income and, increasingly, a registration number for short-term rentals. Check the rules of the municipality where the property is located.
- Properties outside the EU/EEA: Local consumer protection and rental laws apply. GDPR can still apply when you offer stays to people in the EU. Always consult a local legal expert.
HemmaBo's responsibility
HemmaBo is never a party to the agreement between host and guest and is not an intermediary; the information provided is general guidance, not legal advice.
- The host runs the rental — HemmaBo delivers the booking website: HemmaBo is never a party to the agreement between host and guest. We provide booking systems, payment integration, calendar sync, and communication tools — but the legal relationship with the guest is entirely yours.
- HemmaBo is not an intermediary: Unlike OTA platforms, HemmaBo does not act as intermediary or broker. You have your own domain, your own payment solution via Stripe Connect, and direct contact with the guest.
- Booking website system, not legal advice: The information on this page is general guidance — not legal advice. Always consult a local legal expert for questions about your specific situation.
- Disclaimer: This page contains general information about legal responsibility in direct booking. It is not legal advice. Always consult a local legal expert.
Read our terms and conditions
Review the full terms and conditions that govern use of HemmaBo.
Questions about legal matters?
If you have questions about legal matters, get in touch with us.
Related
Related pages with more detail on guest data and what HemmaBo is.
- Guest data and privacy (/data-and-privacy)
- What is HemmaBo? (/what-is-hemmabo)
What is a VRP vacation rental?
A VRP vacation rental is a holiday home whose host runs its own booking site on its own domain and publishes stay offers signed by that domain under the Vacation Rental Protocol (VRP). Any guest or AI agent can check, over plain HTTPS, that the price, the dates and the conditions come from the host — with no listing site, catalog or connector in between.
HemmaBo is software that makes a host's home a VRP vacation rental: the booking site on the host's own domain, the signed stay offers, and payment straight to the host.