A guest just toured your space, loved it, and floated the idea of "just paying you directly to skip the fee." It's tempting. But the platform fee isn't just a cost, it’s what protects you if the guest cancels or damages your space, and gives you a referee if anything goes wrong. Off-platform, you're the bank, the mediator, and the collections department all at once.
That's part of why we built Peerspace the way we did: to support your business beyond just bringing you guests. Every booking made on-platform comes with backing you'd otherwise have to build yourself, or go without. Here’s what that actually looks like.
1. Peerspace helps guests find you, so you don't have to
Peerspace works to bring guests to the marketplace through search, marketing, and a platform guests already trust. This means your space shows up in front of people who are actively looking to book, not just people who happen to stumble across it.
That visibility is part of what the platform fee funds. Off-platform, you're relying on your own marketing and word of mouth; Peerspace puts your space in front of guests who may never have found you otherwise.
2. You actually get paid – on time, no chasing
Peerspace handles your payout, so your money shows up on schedule with every booking.
Once a booking is confirmed and completed, payment is transferred directly to your bank account– no chasing an invoice or hoping a check clears. Booking outside of the platform means giving up that protection. If a guest pays you directly then disputes the charge, no-shows, or shorts you, you’re resolving it alone. Book through Peerspace, and we stand behind the transaction.
3. $1M supplemental liability insurance + $25K damage guarantee at no cost to you
Every on-platform booking includes up to $1,000,000 in supplemental host liability insurance. This coverage is supplemental to your own insurance policies, but is automatically built in without extra premium. The Property Damage Guarantee covers up to $25,000 if a guest damages your space (US-based venues only), so your furniture, floors, and equipment are protected without you chasing the guest for reimbursement.
That supplemental coverage is tied to bookings made on Peerspace. Off platform, you’d be taking on that risk yourself. A single accident – a fall, water damage, a broken fixture – could cost you far more than years of platform fees combined. Keeping bookings on Peerspace keeps that protection in place.
4. Peerspace's Trust & Safety team works behind the scenes
Every booking gets a risk score, and a dedicated Trust & Safety team reviews potentially suspicious behavior, flagging problem bookings before they become your problem. Community Guidelines and the Social Event Policy set enforceable expectations, backed by real consequences for guests who break them – leverage you simply don't have with a private handshake deal.
Our systems also automatically monitor for attempts to move bookings or payments off-platform. In some cases, messages containing contact information or language suggesting an off-platform transaction may be blocked or flagged for review before they reach you or your guest.
5. If a guest cancels or bails, you're not left empty-handed
Peerspace's tiered cancellation policies are disclosed and enforced upfront, so you keep the protection you agreed to rather than eating a last-minute cancellation. Cancellation penalties on guests, plus platform-wide demand, give a cancelled date a real shot at being rebooked – the marketplace works to backfill you.
Off-platform, a cancellation is total loss: no policy, no penalty, no replacement guests to fill the gap.
6. A documented record and a neutral referee – just in case
Every message, agreement, and booking detail is documented on-platform and can be referenced by both parties and Peerspace support. Texts can be edited, deleted, or denied – with Peerspace, we can pull up the entire conversation.
If a dispute arises (a damage claim, a disagreement over terms, etc.) Peerspace runs a formal dispute resolution process where both sides submit evidence and we render a decision, with neutral third-party arbitration as a backstop.
Off-platform, a dispute is two people arguing over texts with no mechanism to compel a fair outcome. On Peerspace, you have a paper trail and a process built to reach a fair outcome.
7. The one rule that keeps all of this working
Everything above – reliable payouts, $1M supplemental insurance, Peerspace’s Trust & Safety team, cancellation protection, the dispute resolution – depends on the booking actually happening on Peerspace. That’s what the non-circumvention provision in our Terms protects: when a guest is introduced to you through the platform, that relationship must stay a Peerspace transaction.
This applies to all charges associated with a booking, including space rental fees, overtime charges, add-ons and additional services, and equipment rentals. Specifically, hosts agree not to:
Solicit or accept off-platform work from guests, vendors, or add-on providers originally introduced through Peerspace.
Invoice or receive compensation outside the platform for services that originated on it.
Use information learned through the platform (messaging, booking process, etc.) to route transactions off-platform.
These rules exist to keep the whole ecosystem – insurance, payouts, dispute resolution, guest quality – intact for everyone. Peerspace has zero tolerance for off-platform bookings. Hosts who direct guests to communicate, book, or pay outside of Peerspace, or whose activity demonstrates a pattern of attempting to move bookings off-platform, may be subject to enforcement actions including warning notices, assessment of liquidated damages, deactivation of listings, or permanent suspension from the marketplace. Staying on-platform is what keeps your safety net funded and functioning.
Phone calls and site visits
We understand that some bookings may require a phone conversation or site visit before a guest is ready to book. These interactions are permitted when they help a guest evaluate your space – not to move the booking off Peerspace. In-app voice and video calling is also available for certain conversations to better support host and guest communication.
If you schedule a call or site visit, we recommend:
Add a video tour to your listing to reduce the need for in-person visits.
Follow up in the Peerspace message thread with a summary of what was discussed.
Send an Invite to Book so the guest can review and confirm the booking with just one click through Peerspace, keeping both parties protected.
Our enforcement is focused on protecting the integrity of the marketplace, not preventing legitimate site visits. However, repeated off-platform communication or site visits that consistently do not result in bookings through Peerspace may be reviewed and could result in enforcement action.
What if a guest asks to pay you directly?
Simply let them know that all bookings originating on Peerspace must be completed through the platform. You can also report the guest to Peerspace directly.
The Bottom Line
Going off-platform might save you the fee in the moment, but when you go off-platform, you’re giving up: reliable payouts, $1M supplemental liability coverage, a $25K damage guarantee, Trust and Safety support, cancellation protection, dispute resolution, and a documented record. You’re also putting your status on Peerspace and visibility to guests at risk. The fee isn't a cost of doing business – it's the reason the business is safe to do at all.
Protect your space and income by keeping your conversations and payments on Peerspace. Great hosts are a big reason why people love Peerspace, and we’re so proud to have so many of you on the platform.