Business Model of 9flats | How the Platform Earns Revenue

If you’ve ever searched for a cozy vacation rental, chances are you’ve come across 9flats. Founded in Germany, 9flats is a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects travelers looking for unique stays with property owners ready to rent out their spaces.

What makes 9flats particularly interesting is how it has carved out a profitable niche alongside giants like Airbnb. Its business model offers valuable lessons in diversification, trust-building, and monetization strategies. Whether you’re planning to launch your own rental platform or simply curious about how these companies generate revenue, exploring the business model of 9flats is worth your time.

What is 9flats & How It Works

9flats is an online marketplace where individuals can list, discover, and book short-term accommodations. Think of it as a platform bridging the gap between travelers searching for authentic, affordable stays and hosts who want to earn money by renting out spare rooms, apartments, or entire homes.

Here’s how it solves real problems:

Problem Solved:
- For travelers: It offers an alternative to traditional hotels, often at better prices and with a more local flavor.
- For hosts: It provides a simple way to monetize unused space.
Who Uses It:
- Leisure travelers who prefer unique stays over chain hotels.
- Business travelers looking for cost-effective long-term rentals.
- Property owners, landlords, and even professional property managers seeking a reliable booking channel.
How It work Operates:
- Hosts create listings on the 9flats website or app, adding descriptions, photos, and pricing.
- Guests browse listings, read reviews, and book their stay directly on the platform.
- 9flats handles secure payments, booking confirmations, and customer support.
- After check-out, both hosts and guests can leave reviews, strengthening trust across the platform.

This model combines convenience with a peer-reviewed reputation system, making it easier for both parties to transact confidently.

Target Audience

9flats serves a diverse mix of users, but its core audience can be grouped into a few primary segments:

Urban Explorers:
Travelers who want to immerse themselves in local neighborhoods rather than tourist hubs. They value authentic experiences and prefer staying in apartments or shared homes.
Business Professionals:
Individuals traveling for work who need short- to medium-term stays, often for weeks or months. They appreciate reliable WiFi, kitchen facilities, and competitive rates compared to hotels.
Budget-Conscious Vacationers:
Families, couples, or solo travelers looking for affordable alternatives to hotels, especially in major European cities.
Hosts & Property Managers:
- Homeowners with spare rooms or second homes to monetize.
- Professional property managers seeking to list multiple properties for steady income.
Digital Nomads:
Remote workers searching for longer-term rentals that feel like a home away from home.

Understanding this audience helps explain why 9flats emphasizes trust, transparency, and user-friendly booking tools.

Features that Support the Business Model

9flats has developed a suite of features that not only attract users but also drive revenue. Here are the core functionalities that power its business model:

Verified Listings:
Hosts undergo a verification process to ensure properties are genuine. This builds trust and reduces fraud risk, encouraging more bookings.
Secure Payment System:
All transactions are processed through 9flats’ secure gateway. This enables the platform to collect service fees and ensures payouts to hosts after check-in.
Review & Rating Mechanism:
After each stay, both guests and hosts leave reviews. Positive reviews improve listing visibility, driving repeat bookings and higher platform engagement.
Flexible Cancellation Policies:
Hosts can choose from different cancellation options, balancing guest flexibility with host protection. This flexibility helps retain both sides of the marketplace.
Messaging & Booking Management:
An integrated messaging system allows guests and hosts to communicate easily, while dashboards help hosts manage reservations, calendars, and pricing.
Multi-Currency & Multi-Language Support:
The platform supports various currencies and languages, expanding its reach to international travelers and hosts.
Mobile Apps:
User-friendly apps make it convenient to search, book, and manage stays on the go, driving higher engagement and conversion rates.

These features aren’t just about convenience—they directly contribute to 9flats’ ability to scale transactions and generate revenue consistently.

Revenue Streams of 9flats

9flats earns money through a combination of service fees and value-added offerings. Here’s a clear breakdown of how each revenue stream works:

Revenue Stream	How It Works
Guest Service Fees	A percentage fee added to the booking total, paid by guests at checkout.
Host Service Fees	A commission deducted from hosts’ payouts after each successful booking.
Premium Listings	Hosts can pay to feature their property higher in search results.
Cleaning Fees (Optional)	Some bookings include cleaning charges that 9flats processes on behalf of hosts, sometimes retaining a small margin.
Currency Conversion Fees	Fees applied when payments involve currency exchange.
Late Cancellation Fees	Penalties charged to guests for last-minute cancellations.

Details and Explanations:

Guest Service Fees:
Typically range from 6% to 15%, depending on the booking amount. This fee covers platform maintenance, customer support, and payment security.
Host Service Fees:
Around 3% to 10% per booking. This incentivizes hosts to price competitively while ensuring 9flats earns a cut of each reservation.
Premium Listings:
Hosts can promote their listings for increased visibility, especially in high-demand seasons.
Cleaning Fees:
While most of this goes to hosts or their cleaning teams, 9flats may charge a processing fee on top.
Currency Conversion Fees:
For international bookings, 9flats earns margins on exchange rates.
Late Cancellation Fees:
These discourage last-minute cancellations and help maintain platform reliability.

These diversified income streams make the business model resilient and adaptable to market fluctuations.

Cost Structure

Running a platform like 9flats involves significant operational and growth-related expenses. Here are the main cost categories:

Platform Development & Maintenance:
Continuous investment in website infrastructure, mobile apps, and security systems to keep the platform stable and scalable.
Payment Processing Fees:
Costs incurred from handling secure transactions, currency conversions, and chargebacks.
Customer Support:
A dedicated team providing multilingual assistance to guests and hosts via chat, email, and phone.
Marketing & Advertising:
Paid search campaigns, social media ads, affiliate partnerships, and content marketing to acquire both travelers and hosts.
Trust & Safety Operations:
Expenses for identity verification, fraud detection, and dispute resolution.
Insurance & Legal Compliance:
Costs related to host protection insurance, data privacy regulations (like GDPR), and compliance in different countries.
Hosting & Data Storage:
Cloud infrastructure to store user data, listings, photos, and transaction records securely.

This cost structure reflects the reality that marketplace platforms must balance revenue generation with robust investments in trust, technology, and user experience.

2024–2025 Innovations or Updates

9flats has been evolving its strategy to stay competitive in the vacation rental market. Here are some of the most notable recent innovations and updates:

Dynamic Pricing Tools:
In 2024, 9flats rolled out a smart pricing engine that suggests optimal rates based on demand, seasonality, and competitor listings. This helps hosts maximize occupancy and revenue.
Sustainability Features:
The platform introduced new filters and badges for eco-friendly properties, making it easier for travelers to book sustainable accommodations.
Simplified Insurance Coverage:
Expanded host insurance coverage to include accidental damage and liability protection up to a higher threshold, reducing risk for property owners.
Improved Mobile Experience:
Significant updates to the iOS and Android apps, including better search filters, faster booking flows, and integrated chat support.
Enhanced Verification Processes:
New AI-driven verification tools to flag suspicious listings and prevent fraud more effectively.
Partnership Integrations:
Integrations with property management software and smart lock providers, making it simpler for professional hosts to automate their operations.

These improvements not only strengthen the value proposition for guests and hosts but also reinforce the long-term sustainability of 9flats’ business model.

Takeaways for Startup Founders

If you’re considering building a vacation rental marketplace, studying 9flats offers some powerful lessons:

Trust is Your Currency:
9flats proves that a secure, verified platform is essential. Robust reviews, host verification, and clear policies build the confidence that drives transactions.
Diversify Your Revenue:
Don’t rely on a single fee. Combine service charges, premium placements, and value-added services like insurance or currency exchange to create multiple income streams.
Invest in Automation:
Features like smart pricing, instant booking, and calendar syncing reduce friction and make life easier for hosts and guests alike.
Focus on Niche Value:
While Airbnb dominates globally, 9flats carved out its place by emphasizing European cities and unique local stays. Find your differentiator.
Stay Agile:
The recent updates—like sustainability filters and better mobile apps—show the importance of evolving as customer preferences change.

If you’re serious about launching a rental platform, working with Miracuves can accelerate your success:

You get a proven, customizable Airbnb-style app ready to launch.
Our team helps you fine-tune features to fit your business model.
You save time and money compared to building everything from scratch.

Conclusion :

The business model of 9flats shows that even in a crowded market, you can build a sustainable, profitable platform by focusing on trust, smart monetization, and continuous innovation.

If you’re a startup founder dreaming of launching your own vacation rental marketplace, you don’t have to start from zero. At Miracuves, we specialize in developing ready-made app solutions inspired by the world’s most successful platforms.

Fast Deployment: Get your marketplace live in weeks, not months.
Custom Branding: Make it your own with tailored features and design.
Scalable Infrastructure: Grow confidently without worrying about tech bottlenecks.

Ready to build your 9flats alternative?

Contact Miracuves today or explore our Airbnb Clone Solution to see how easily you can launch your rental business.

FAQs :

1. How does 9flats differ from Airbnb?

While both platforms connect travelers with hosts, 9flats has historically focused more on European markets and smaller-scale hosts. Airbnb has a broader global footprint and more diverse offerings, including experiences and luxury rentals. However, their core business models—service fees, secure payments, and reviews—are quite similar.

2. What fees do hosts pay to 9flats?

Hosts typically pay a service fee between 3%–10% per booking. This fee is deducted automatically from their payout and covers payment processing, platform maintenance, and customer support.

3. Can guests cancel bookings easily?

Yes. 9flats allows hosts to choose from several cancellation policies (flexible, moderate, strict). The applicable policy determines if and how much of a refund guests receive when they cancel.

4. Does 9flats offer insurance to hosts?

Yes. 9flats provides host insurance that includes protection against damages and liability claims. In 2024, they expanded coverage limits to give hosts more peace of mind.

5. How can I build an app like 9flats?

The fastest, most cost-effective way is to use a ready-made solution. With Miracuves, you can customize a prebuilt Airbnb-style app to match your brand, integrate payment gateways, and launch quickly. Explore our Airbnb Clone or Contact Us to learn more.

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