By business · Travel and stays

Instagram auto-replies for vacation rental hosts

A host posts a cabin or flat and gets the same message ten times: is it free on these dates, does it sleep six, can the dog come. Comment-to-DM answers with questions that turn a comment into an enquiry. It cannot read your calendar, so you confirm every stay.

Updated 6 October 2026

Start free See the set-ups

Comment words for vacation rental hosts

Ask people to comment one word in your caption or video. Each word sends something different.

DATES: How to check availability for your property: the dates, the number of guests and the minimum stay, with a note that you confirm the answer yourself.
HOUSE: The house rules in plain words: quiet hours, party and visitor limits, smoking, the extra-guest fee and the damage deposit.
DIRECT: How to book with you without a listing site, what you can offer in return, and how the payment and the contract work.
PETS: Your pet policy: how many animals, any size limit, the cleaning fee and the fields or beaches nearby where dogs may run.
LONGSTAY: Monthly rates for stays of a month or more, what is included in bills, the Wi-Fi speed and the desk set-up, for remote workers.
ARRIVAL: How check-in works: the time window, the key safe or the meeting, the parking and the road that your sat nav gets wrong.
LOCAL: Your own guidebook: the shop that opens early, the beach with the least wind, a table worth booking and the pharmacy rota.

4 set-ups to try

Each one shows the conversation it creates. After a comment, the first DM is plain text, as Meta requires, and the link follows once they answer.

Availability questions from a property Reel
Someone comments on your post
DATES
Public reply under their comment
Thanks, I've sent how to check dates to your DMs 🏡
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for the comment. Which dates are you looking at, and how many adults and children would be coming? Reply and I'll send how to check availability and the minimum stay.Yes pleaseCheck dates and bookSee availability
The same listing sleeps six or does not, depending on how many are children and which nights. Dates and party size are the two facts you need before answering, and asking for them in the first message saves several rounds of back and forth.
House rules sent before anyone books
HOUSEThanks for asking. Is this a family stay, a group of friends or a celebration of some kind? Reply and I'll send the house rules, including quiet hours and the limit on visitors.House rules and what we askRead the rules
A host who explains party limits before a booking avoids the awkward conversation after one. Asking about the kind of group lets you spot a celebration early and answer it yourself rather than let the standard rules do the talking.
Gap-night fill from a last-minute Story
Replied to your story
LASTMINUTEThanks for replying. Are you free to travel this week, and is it for two people or more? Reply and I'll send the nights that are still open and the price for each.Open nights this weekSee the dates
A cancellation leaves a gap that earns nothing unless someone hears about it quickly. Story replies come from followers who already like the place, and the message should be edited each time you post a new gap so the nights stay correct.
Remote-worker enquiries from a desk-and-view post
Someone comments on your post
LONGSTAY
Public reply under their comment
Monthly details are in your DMs 💻
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for the comment. How long are you thinking of staying, and do you need to work from the property? Reply and I'll send the monthly rate, what's included and how fast the Wi-Fi is.Yes pleaseMonthly stays and Wi-FiSee the monthly rate
A month-long stay needs a different price from a weekend, and the guest cares about a desk and a connection, not the hot tub. The question shows you which kind of guest wrote, and the card answers the doubts a remote worker has before booking.

Freebies worth commenting for

A printable guidebook for your area: groceries, a good pharmacy, the beach with parking and a place to eat on a Sunday
A packing list for a stay in your kind of property, from beach towels to what to bring for a log burner
A pre-arrival sheet with the check-in window, the route in, the parking and what to do if you arrive late
A rainy-day plan with opening times, ticket prices and what to book in advance
A guide to leaving the property as you found it, with the bins, the recycling and what to do with the key
A dog-friendly guide to the area: walks, beaches, cafes that allow dogs and the nearest vet
A winter stay guide: heating, wood, road conditions and what is closed out of season
A group-trip planner with a sheet for splitting the cost and a menu for a first-night dinner

What guests ask a host before they book

The messages to a host cluster around one worry: will this place work for us? The questions differ by property, so write the replies about yours and keep any answer that depends on today's calendar for yourself.

They ask	Send automatically	Answer yourself when
Is it free in the first week of August?	The DATES card, with the questions you need	They give dates: you check your calendar
Does it really sleep six?	A clear description of beds, sofa beds and a note on children	A group wants to add an air bed or an extra guest
Can we bring the dog?	The PETS card	It is more than one dog, or the dog is large
Can we have a few friends over?	The HOUSE card	Always, because it is a judgement call
Is it cheaper if we book with you?	The DIRECT card	They ask for a discount on top of it
We're in the car and can't find it.	The ARRIVAL card, which should have the answer	Always, by a person or a quick phone call

Tip: Say what is not there. A message that admits the nearest shop is a twenty-minute drive, or the bed in the loft is steep, costs you a booking now and saves you a bad review later.

Posts that turn browsing into enquiries

A morning-to-night Reel at the property, ending on the view from the bed, with DATES in the caption.
A walk through the floor plan that shows who sleeps where, with HOUSE for the rules.
A Story the day a gap appears in the calendar, with LASTMINUTE in the text.
Your desk, the Wi-Fi speed test and a window, with LONGSTAY for the monthly price.
A muddy dog on the garden bench, with PETS.
Your best local day out as a carousel, with LOCAL for the full guidebook.

Many hosts see a first rush when the clocks change in spring and another when school holidays are announced. Check your own enquiry history, set the words live a few weeks before your busy dates and test each one by commenting from a second account.

From a comment to a booked week

The first DM asks for dates, guests or the reason for the trip. Their answer opens a conversation you can pick up yourself.
The card opens your own booking page, your listing or a form. DMFast does not sync calendars, hold dates or take payment for a stay.
Give away the area guidebook for an email. The CSV export gives you a list for next season without paying a booking site for the contact.
Switch on the single reminder for people who asked about dates and stopped replying. Groups often wait for a friend to confirm.
Change the message after each booking. A reply that offers a week you have already let costs more goodwill than a slow one.

A host in India could also use the DMFast store to sell a ready-made area guide as a digital product, or to take free or paid 1-on-1 calls with groups planning a long stay, with payments through Razorpay. The stay itself is booked and paid elsewhere.

Local rules and risks to check first

Permits. Many cities and regions require registration, a licence, a permit number in the advert or a cap on nights a year. Check yours before you post, and put the number where the rules say.
Taxes. Visitor or occupancy taxes differ by place. Say whether the price includes them.
Safety. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire exits and gas safety checks are legal requirements in many places. Do not describe a property as safe for children unless it is.
Neighbours. Rules about noise, parking and visitor numbers often come from the street, not the platform. State them in the HOUSE message.
Meta's limits. One private reply per comment within 7 days, and automated messages only within 24 hours of someone's last message.
Guests' privacy. Never post guests, their children or their booking details without clear consent.

Messages to copy

Questions people ask

Can DMFast tell people whether my property is free?

No. It cannot read your calendar or a listing site. It sends your message and a card with your booking page or contact details, and you confirm the dates. Ask for the dates and guests in the first DM, so your own reply can be fast and exact.

Will it stop me paying commission on bookings?

It does not change what a listing site charges. It gives guests a way to ask you directly from your own Instagram posts. Whether a direct booking is allowed, and how you take payment, is up to you and the terms of any site you use.

Can the first message include my house rules link?

Not after a comment. The first private message to a commenter must be plain text, so it asks a question and the link follows when the person replies. A Story reply or a DM someone sends first can get the card straight away.

I own several properties. Can I run one account for all of them?

Yes, with different keywords per property, such as one word per house name, and a card pointing to each page. Keep the words distinct so that a comment on one cabin never gets another cabin's details. The Pro plan covers up to three accounts.

Can I message past guests when I have a cancellation?

Not through Instagram. Automated messages go only to people who wrote to you within 24 hours, and official tools cannot send mass DMs. Post the gap as a Story with a reply word, or use the email list from a lead magnet and check your marketing-email rules.

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Words to know

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Answer every DATES comment in seconds

Pick a post and the word. DMFast replies under each comment, sends the DM and follows with your link once they answer, day and night. It can collect emails on the way. Free plan, no card.

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