He left a Rs 2 crore job in the US to build Homeyhuts, India’s first zero-commission homestay platform

It usually begins with a simple frustration. For Yash Kumar, it was the feeling of not finding authentic, affordable homestays in India that matched the experiences he’d grown used to in the United States. 

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Every time he returned home, he saw charming cottages, villas, and family-run rentals scattered across India’s hills and towns, yet few were visible online, and even fewer had the tools to thrive.

That gap eventually gave birth to Homeyhuts, a Hyderabad-based startup on a mission to simplify homestay hosting in India. 

With its zero-commission subscription model, all-in-one App and AI-powered tools, Homeyhuts is betting that India’s fragmented homestay ecosystem is ready for disruption.

From the American Dream Back to India

Yash’s journey is anything but conventional. Raised in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, he pursued engineering and started a professional career in software development before heading to the United States in 2012, where he built a successful tech career. 

By his late thirties, he was earning over Rs 2 crore annually, owned multiple homes, and lived what many would call the “American Dream.” Yet, the entrepreneurial itch never left him.

In 2018, a road trip across South India rekindled that fire. He noticed that while global platforms like Airbnb and VRBO thrived abroad, India’s homestay owners, often middle-aged, family-run, and less tech-savvy, struggled. Many faced language barriers, high commissions, complex online eco-system, and poor visibility. 

“There was something missing, a need to build something meaningful that really connected with my roots and made a real difference for people in India,” Yash recalled.

By 2023, he started prototyping Homeyhuts while still in the U.S. A year later, he and his wife made the bold choice to sell their properties, quit their jobs, and return to India.

“I moved back to India in April 2024, sold everything in the US and spent 6 months learning on the ground in Uttarakhand. Entrepreneurship has been a lifelong passion, I ran a couple of ventures in India before I moved to the US in 2012 and then Homeyhuts became my passion. This is about empowering Indian homestay owners with the right technology and support to truly succeed,” he said.

The Problem: A Broken Hosting Ecosystem

More than 40% Homestays in India are not online, those that are online often rely on just one or two OTAs (online travel agencies like Airbnb, MakeMyTrip), giving up 15-21% of every booking as commission. Hosts struggle between multiple apps, risk double bookings, and face tools designed for hotels, not family-run Homestays.

On the guest side, travelers were left choosing between generic hotels or overpriced rentals, often missing out on authentic local stays. 

This is the gap Homeyhuts set out to fix: to give homestay owners easy, affordable tools, and to give travelers reliable, verified, and human-centered stays.

The Solution: “Host It Yourself” or “Managed” 

Homeyhuts started in 2024 with a pilot in Uttarakhand. Soon after, it launched “Managed by Homeyhuts,” a strategic service where the startup handles everything, including listings, guest communication, and booking management. This proved popular with time-strapped hosts in destinations like Nainital, Manali, J&K, Goa, and Hyderabad.

But the real breakthrough came in July 2025 with “Host It Yourself.” Homeyhuts All-in-One App Solution.

For a subscription fee starting at Rs 490 per property per month, hosts can list property, sync calendars across multiple OTAs using in-built channel manager, access dynamic pricing tools, and connect directly with verified guests, without paying any commissions.

The subscription plan extends up to Rs 490 per property per month which includes channel manager., while an alternative pay-per-booking model charges 8-10% commission. Hosts managing multiple properties can also opt for a channel manager add-on priced at Rs 400 per property per month.

The built-in channel manager syncs availability across more than eight OTAs and even includes a “Magic Cluster” tool to auto-sync multiple listings of the same property. 

Guest connections are also different: verified travelers can reach out to hosts directly via WhatsApp after ID checks, making communication seamless while retaining safety. To list a property, hosts must provide ownership proof, government-issued ID, and complete a one-time video KYC, ensuring trust and compliance. 

For hosts, payouts are fast. According to the startup, the money is transferred the very next day after guest check-in. Crucially, the platform supports multiple Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, combined with AI-driven pricing and chatbots, which makes it accessible even for non-English speakers.

“Most homestay owners are family-run businesses with tight margins. Our model ensures they keep 100% of their earnings while still using powerful digital tools,” Yash said.

What Makes It Different

Unlike Airbnb or MakeMyTrip, which are standalone apps requiring costly third-party channel managers, Homeyhuts bundles everything into one platform. Its built-in channel manager, AI-driven pricing, vernacular language support, and guest verification system are tailored to India’s unique hosting environment.

The platform also defines clear property standards, clean and well-maintained rooms, functional amenities like Wi-Fi and water, and proper hygiene practices, to reassure guests. 

It allows a range of properties, including homestays, villas, cottages, boutique resorts, B&Bs, and serviced apartments, while deliberately excluding large hotels and dormitories to stay true to its niche.

For hosts, this means choice, affordability, and control. For guests, it means verified properties, direct communication with hosts, and lower prices.

The Indian homestay OTA market was valued at Rs 24,100 crore ($2.9 billion) in 2024 and is projected to reach Rs 85,420 crore ($10 billion) by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 13.5%.

The supply-demand gap is striking: India has nearly 27 lakh second homes, of which 40% could be used as homestays. Yet only a fraction are online today. Rising internet penetration in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns, coupled with changing traveler preferences for authentic, local stays, is fueling growth.

For startups like Homeyhuts, the opportunity is massive.

Since launch, Homeyhuts claims to have onboarded 2,000+ properties across 16 states and crossed Rs 2 crore in gross booking volume. The startup also recorded Rs 22 lakh+ in revenue so far.

Its Facebook group of 169,000+ property owners has also been a secret weapon. While not directly used for marketing, it has helped Homeyhuts listen to hosts, collect feedback, and shape its services.

Challenges of Being Bootstrapped

Building a dual-sided platform without external funding hasn’t been easy. Hiring skilled AI engineers, maintaining product quality, and balancing limited resources with growth ambitions were constant hurdles. But being bootstrapped also gave Homeyhuts the freedom to iterate quickly, experiment with models, and build credibility among hosts. 

“The biggest challenge has been building a highly skilled team within a limited budget. But it’s also been our biggest learning curve,” Yash admitted.

Future Plans

Homeyhuts plans to expand aggressively across India, targeting 10,000 properties by 2026 and 20,000+ by 2027–28, with deeper penetration into Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharashtra, and the Northeast. Globally, it aims to take its AI-powered tools abroad under a separate brand, Letloom, starting with Southeast Asia. 

The startup also expects profitability by 2026, though Yash emphasises sustainability over short-term profits. 

“Long-term, we want to build a trusted, host-friendly ecosystem that brings authentic Indian travel experiences to guests worldwide. We want Homeyhuts to be synonymous with genuine, affordable, and locally rooted stays in India and beyond,” Kumar added.

FAQs

1. What is Homeyhuts and how does it differ from platforms like Airbnb and MakeMyTrip?

Homeyhuts is India’s first dedicated homestay OTA platform, offering a zero-commission subscription model and integrated channel management tools for hosts. Unlike Airbnb and MakeMyTrip, Homeyhuts bundles its AI-driven pricing, guest verification, and multiple OTA sync in a single platform tailored to family-run homestays and smaller vacation rentals.

2. How can homestay owners join Homeyhuts?

Owners can download Homeyhuts Mobile App, signup and list their property in 5-10 mins by submitting ownership proof, a government-issued ID, and completing one-time profile verification.

3. What services does “Managed by Homeyhuts” provide?

Managed by Homeyhuts is a concierge service for busy hosts, handling everything from listings, guest communication, dynamic pricing, and booking management, popular in top travel destinations across India.

4. How does the “Host It Yourself” subscription work?

Host IT Yourself is for expert or professional hosts with an option to pay a monthly subscription (starting at Rs 490/property) to access features like calendar syncing with 8+ OTAs, AI-based pricing, direct WhatsApp connections to verified guests, and an integrated channel manager add-on. This can reduce platform and management cost by more than 70%.

5. What types of properties can be listed on Homeyhuts?

Homeyhuts welcomes homestays, villas, cottages, boutique resorts, B&Bs, and serviced apartments, but does not allow large hotels or dormitories, maintaining focus on authentic family-run accommodations.

6. Does Homeyhuts support multiple Indian languages and non-English speaking hosts?

Yes, Homeyhuts offers platform support and payout communication in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, with AI chatbots for seamless multilinguistic accessibility.

7. Are guest bookings on Homeyhuts verified and secure?

All travelers must undergo ID checks, with direct host communication enabled via WhatsApp post-verification, and property listing requires government-issued ID and KYC for safety.

8. Can hosts choose between fixed subscription and commission models on Homeyhuts?

Yes, hosts can select either a monthly subscription (from Rs 490–990/property) or a pay-per-booking commission (8–10%), depending on their volume and preference.

9. How does Homeyhuts’ channel manager benefit homestay owners?

Homeyhuts is India's 1st and only Channel Manager dedicated to Homestays and Vacation Rentals at a fraction of cost compared to other channel managers. The built-in channel manager syncs availability across eight major OTAs and offers unique clustering tools to avoid double bookings and optimise visibility without extra costs.