Before you publish

This is for hosts who want one list of everything to set up before guests can book. Work through the steps in order; each one names where it lives in Haven and links to the guide with the details. Only payments, your plan and the property itself decide whether your site is live (see Get your listing ready to go live). Taxes, policies and messages do not block going live, and the dashboard's Setup Checklist does not track them, so check them off here yourself.

1. Payments

1. Go to Payouts (/host?tab=payouts), find the Stripe card and choose Connect to Stripe.
2. Choose the country your business is based in (see below).
3. Complete Stripe's setup: Stripe asks for your business and identity details and a bank account for payouts, and verifies them itself.
4. Back in Haven, wait for the Stripe card to show connected and verified.

Step-by-step: Connect Stripe and get paid and Stripe setup.

Your Stripe country

• Pick where your business is based, not where your guests or your rental are. Stripe sets your account up for that country, and it can't be changed later.
• Stripe decides which countries it supports. Haven lists every country, and Stripe checks your choice. If Stripe doesn't open accounts there yet, Haven tells you before any account is created.
• Check before you start on Stripe's own list of supported countries: stripe.com/global.
• If your country isn't supported, you can take direct bookings without Stripe using Collect Payments Yourself (paid plans, not partner accounts): guests pay you by Zelle, Venmo, bank transfer or another way you name. Stripe is still needed for anything Haven charges by card, such as add-ons bought after booking.
• Ownership and bank questions are answered by Stripe during its setup. Haven doesn't decide whether your business or bank account qualifies.

2. Plan

Choose a paid plan under Settings → Subscription. On the Free plan your site stays private. See Subscription & billing.

3. Taxes

Add your lodging and occupancy taxes under Payouts → Tax rules: open the property, choose Manage, then Add tax rule. Haven collects them at checkout and itemizes them on each booking. It does not file or remit them for you; you pay them to your tax authorities. To show taxes in the price guests see before checkout, see Show taxes before checkout. Details: Taxes.

4. Policies

1. Cancellation policy: open the property and go to Edit Listing → Cancellation Policy.
2. Rental agreement (optional): Settings → Trust & Safety → Rental agreements, then Property settings → Sign at booking for each property that needs one.
3. House rules: Edit Listing → Arrival → Rules & safety.

See Cancellation policy and rental agreement and Rental agreements.

5. Guest messaging

1. Review the messages guests get from booking to checkout under Communication → Message automations. Each message can be edited or switched off. See Custom booking messages.
2. Check the account-wide switches under Settings → Account & Profile → Account → Guest communications. A message sends only when both places allow it, and nothing there is turned on for you. See Guest communications settings.

6. Test booking

Open your site as a guest would and walk through to checkout. See Make a test booking before you share. Then confirm your readiness wheel is green in Get your listing ready to go live.

7. Free setup help

Haven's team will set things up with you at no charge. Send a message on the Contact page saying you want white glove onboarding, or book a call on Calendly. See White Glove Onboarding.

You're done when…

Stripe shows connected and verified (or Collect Payments Yourself is on), you are on a paid plan, your taxes, cancellation policy, house rules and guest messages are set, and a test booking reaches checkout.

Related articles

• Get your listing ready to go live
• Connect Stripe and get paid
• Taxes
• Cancellation policy and rental agreement
• Guest communications settings
• White Glove Onboarding