Frequently Asked Questions

OTBT is part of the peer to peer land-sharing economy. Not just confined to bare land, but also applies to the converted barn, the woolshed that's unused most of the time, or even the private family bach built down the back of the farm.

The majority of New Zealand is in private ownership, much of it simply breath taking. We want these landowners to be able to monetize what they already own, and provide holidaymakers with an incredible private land outdoors experience.

Simply search how you want to get Off the Beaten Track, by region or destination or by experience. If you search on desktop (not mobile) you are able to filter by north or south island, animals, motorhome sites etc. You can then see all the properties details and check pricing & availability. You can then click “Book now” to send off a booking request. You will be required to Sign up or Login before you make a booking. Please note: bookings are not instant and need to be confirmed by the landowner first.

Landowners have 24 hours to respond to booking requests. If this is a last minute booking or on the day of your trip and you haven’t heard back send an email to [email protected] or call us on 07 595 0494 and we will make every effort to contact the landowner for you. Please note many of our landowners are working farmers, so contact at the last minute is not always possible.

Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed a confirmation notification which will contain all the contact details of the landowner, including address, directions and phone number. If you need further assistance please contact us at [email protected]

Cancellations must be organised through us at [email protected]. If you cancel after the booking has been accepted and confirmed, your booking will be subject to the terms of the cancellation policy selected by the host.

We collect your credit card details at the time of booking, but we won't charge your card until the landowner has confirmed your booking.

OTBT accepts payments in $NZD only. If you're making a booking from another country, your payment will be converted into $NZD automatically. OTBT accepts the three major credit card providers - Visa, Mastercard & American Express. Visa Debit & Mastercard Debit/Maestro is also accepted.

Your credit card details are kept secure with our secure payment provider. You will be emailed a booking acceptance/receipt at the time of a booking.

We do not save your credit card details on our website. However, if you make a new booking your account details will be saved to help speed up the process for you but you will be asked to add your credit card details for each booking.

Sorry, unfortunately not. The person named on the booking must be going on the getaway. You can however buy custom gift vouchers, visit here for more info.

The booking fee is charged at 5% of the total booking amount. You can see the amount on the booking payment page before you pay for your booking. This covers the costs of OTBT website and services.

We will market and promote your property
Earn additional income to fund the things you love to do
Booking payments deposited weekly into your account
Your land is protected by OTBT with additional FREE insurance cover
We do EVERYTHING! You just focus your efforts on being a great host

Sign up as a landowner and start by creating a listing. This is where you can get imaginative and provide details of your site. Describe your site, upload photos (we will help you with this), pick a price and set your availability Holidaymakers will find your listing when searching and book through OTBT. You will then receive an email with all the details You can have as much or as little interaction with the holiday makers as you’d like.

No, it’s free to list, and almost anyone can be a member.

We suggest you check with your local council to check compliancy and make sure you don’t upset your neighbours.

In addition to being banned from the OTBT community and suffering any due legal recourse for their actions, we have secured comprehensive liability cover for participating landowners. This provides cover, in addition to your existing liability arrangements to the combined limits of; Public Liability and Statuary Liability of $1,000,000 in the event a holidaymaker damages your property during their confirmed stay, and the issue is not resolved by direct payment from the holidaymaker.

Just ensure you detail any potential hazards on your listing form so holiday makers are made aware of these when booking. As part of our terms and conditions, Campers/Holidaymakers acknowledge they have read and understand the details in all listings.

As part of our terms and conditions holidaymakers are required to take away ALL rubbish and leave your land as they found it.

Most people are looking for a place to pitch a tent and will need vehicle access. It will be totally up to you where you allow access and where holiday makers can park their cars. On your listing specify the details around access, parking, walking distance to site, terrain and any other relevant information.

Nothing. The more amenities you supply, the more you are able to charge. We can assist you with contacts for affordable compostable toilets for landowners with bare land options. Items like drinking water are not required to be provided, just make sure you advise in your listing that holiday makers will need to bring their own.

It is up to you how much or how little interaction you have with holidaymakers. You're not required to interact with the holidaymakers. In fact, many may actually prefer the privacy, peace and quiet. We suggest that you use proper signage and maps to help guide them to the right area.

Most holidaymakers will have a car and are just looking for a great Kiwi experience. It's up to you what type of access you want to allow on your property and where holidaymakers can park their vehicle. Specify on your listing whether your site is a tent only, motorhome/caravan appropriate or specific other accommodation. Also specify the access as either drive in or parking details and length of walk to site.

Campfires: As you set the rules, it's up to you to determine whether providing a firepit and allowing campfires is suitable for your property. We suggest contacting your local fire department to get the most up to date rules and regulations.

Rubbish: We want your property looking as good as when your holidaymakers arrived, so ensure removal of all rubbish is included in your property rules.

You will be sent the holidaymakers profile details. You have the option of requiring that they meet and greet with you prior to settling in. Others provide directions that will lead the holidaymaker straight to the site. You choose what works best for you!

You will receive your bookings via email and will be able to view them online in your Landowners Dashboard. Bookings are not instantly confirmed so you need to respond as soon as possible with a confirm or decline. We aim to confirm bookings within a maximum of 24 hours to keep guest waiting times as low as possible.

All information you need the holidaymaker to know can be added to your listing. The holidaymaker receives all details including any additional information around arrival times, how to get there, how to contact you etc once booking is confirmed. We also will release guest email addresses so you can email your guests directly an information pack if you have one.

Yes, you can add as many accommodation types to your property listing as you want eg multiple camping spots, cottages, motorhome park etc. Simply set up your first accommodation type and then get in touch and we can help you get sorted with the rest.

Once you log in, you will see on your dashboard the option to view your calendar, add block out dates, import calendars and change your pricing.

Yes, we have an international calendar that can sync automatically with Airbnb, bookabach etc. Get in touch us and we will walk you through how to do it.

You choose the policy that works best for you Flexible, Moderate or Strict. The cancellation policy corresponds with the check in time you choose and means you choose how late a guest can cancel prior to arrival.

Flexi-Credit - The guest must cancel at least 5 days before their check-in date to receive a gift card credit for the amount they paid
Very Strict - The guest must cancel at least two weeks before their check-in date to receive a refund
Strict - The guest must cancel at least one week before their check-in date to receive a refund
Moderate - The guest must cancel at least three days before their check-in date to receive a refund
Flexible - The guest must cancel at least 24 hours before their check-in date to receive a refund

You can log in and change any of the information about your listing at any time. You can also add pictures, include amenities, health and safety, driving directions and more.

We love it when you have special offers, just contact us on [email protected] and we will update your listing and work with you to promote this through our marketing channels.

What you charge is dependent on several things. We encourage you to consider the amenities and the activities you provide as the more value for money people perceive they are getting, the more they will be prepared to pay.

We advise you price your property comparable to similar sites in your region, taking into consideration whether you have a basic campsite with little to no amenities or can offer other attractions like beach/river access, bike trails, etc. With OTBT, you can add as many different sites as you'd like so you can always earn more by hosting more!

You will soon be guided on the level of your pricing as you benchmark your property against similar properties.

Absolutely! Providing unique experiences is what we are all about! For example you may be able to offer a breakfast or fun activities such as horse riding, fishing, feeding the farm animals etc. Simply use our “Add on” functions to add these which will be an additional charge to the holidaymaker.

It is up to you to charge a cleaning fee. We are currently working to build this feature into our website. Please email [email protected] in the interim to get this added.

Yes, on your dashboard you can amend all the pricing and guest details. You can set a standard price per night which covers a certain number of guests. You can also set it so your property can host additional guests at an additional price.