Planning your next big trip and want to try something a little different?
A tiny house is one of the coolest places to stay during a holiday and thanks to the massive popularity of the tiny movement there are now more tiny house rentals than we ever could have imagined a few years ago.
Even better, finding and booking one is easier than ever. We put together this list of apps and sites that offer the best selection of tiny houses available to rent and a breakdown of which one is best for which kind of holiday.
1. Airbnb
Airbnb is by far the biggest name in the modern house-share and online vacation rental market. While better known for its home and room rentals, Airbnb has one of the largest selections of rentable tiny homes out there.
They’ve even taken the time to organize tiny home holidays rentals into their own searchable page. In our experience, many big rental sites don’t have a way to search specifically for tiny homes.
When planning your tiny home trip Airbnb also benefits from its sheer scale. You can find all different kinds of tiny homes to rent all over the world.
If you’re looking to experiment with different types of tiny living, such as container homes, tiny homes on wheels, cabins, etc, Airbnb is one of the best ways to do so.
2. Getaway House
Getaway House is a great way to experience tiny living in an authentic and perfectly curated experience. It offers a way to disconnect, reset, and get back in touch with nature, your relationships, and yourself.
Unlike most of the rental apps out there Getaway House owns and operates all the gorgeous tiny homes they have available. Each one is equipped with the essentials for a relaxing few days, including a fully functional kitchen, private bathroom with toilet and shower, and spectacular views right from your comfy queen bed.
What’s missing from that list are things like Wifi, TVs, and electronic entertainment of any kind. Getaway purposefully bills itself as a way to disconnect from the distractions and temptations of modern life and rebuild your bond with nature and yourself.
That model has pros and cons depending on what you’re looking for out of your tiny house holiday.
If you’re looking to experiment with tiny living, Getaway isn’t the best choice. They do such a spectacular job smoothing out every possible hiccup that you won’t get a good sense of the real tradeoffs tiny living requires. With the lack of wifi and generally poor cell service (every tiny house has a working landline for emergencies), it’s not a great place to try and work remotely.
Getaway House offers an excellent option for those looking for a way to disconnect and truly experience oneness with nature. They’ve been working hard to expand access with tons of great locations. If you want to learn more, check out our full review on Getaway House and some of their most popular locations.
3. Outdoorsy
Tiny homes aren’t the only sustainable living option out there. If you’re looking to experience van dwelling, RV life, or another alternative lifestyle on your next holiday, Outdoorsy is a great place to start.
They have a massive selection of RVs, travel trailers, vans, and skoolies located all over the world. Their app is easy to navigate and makes it straightforward to find just what you’re looking for in the location you’re most interested in traveling to.
Here’s a cool short bus skoolie in Austin as an example.
The exterior is gorgeous, but the interior is even more impressive. It includes a kitchen, toilet, shower, and sleeping space for six.
Even cooler, they offer extensive protection for the renter, the owner, and the vehicle. Every rental is covered for $1 million, making it easy for owners to put their vehicles up for rental without worry.
Outdoorsy is one of the best ways to rent RVs, skoolies, vans, and other alternative living options that aren’t tiny homes.
4. Hipcamp
Hipcamp is a lesser-known travel site that nonetheless offers a ton of value for tiny house owners and enthusiasts. Framed as ‘Airbnb for campsites’, Hipcamp lists campsites, RV parks, state parks, glamping locations, and anywhere else you can get back in touch with nature.
It started off purely with campsites and RV spots but has since expanded into a range of outdoor recreation rentals. You can find gorgeous tiny homes, treehouses, cabins, wagons, and other alternative living rentals available all over the place.
They combined listings of existing campsites along with a way for landowners to rent out beautiful places to campers, glampers, and everyone in between.
Even cooler, you can also find campsites and RV parks that accept tiny homes through Hipcamp. That feature allows both those who want to rent a tiny house for their holiday and tiny dwellers looking for somewhere to take their home on holiday to benefit.
5. Vrbo
Vrbo is one of the largest competitors to Airbnb and offers a very similar model. Owners post their houses and rooms for renters to rent out on a short or long-term basis.
Vrbo has fewer listings than Airbnb, but they’ve still got millions of properties all across the world. Some of those properties are tiny homes, RVs, cabins, and similar locations.
They don’t have a tiny house specific search function but do have one for RVs and cabins. We were able to find several tiny homes for rent and a bunch of cute cabins and RVs.
Overall though, we think Airbnb is a better option than Vrbo for finding a tiny house holiday rental. It’s easier to search and has a better selection. You should still check Vrbo, as sometimes you can find a great deal on a gorgeous rental across different rental sites.
Final Thoughts
There are more ways than ever for those curious about tiny life to experience it. The apps above offer a great way to take a tiny house holiday for a day, a week, or even longer.
Check them each out and see which one fits your style and needs.
