Setting Up Your Listing

Getting started

Creating a great listing

Photos & video

Who can stay

Getting started

Who can host with Campable?

Anyone with a flat, safe spot where a campervan or motorhome can park overnight. That could be a paddock, an orchard, a lawn, a vineyard car park, or a club or pub car park. You don't need a toilet, shower, power or water. They add value, but plenty of our most-loved hosts offer nothing more than a beautiful, quiet spot and a friendly welcome.

What does it cost to list?

Nothing. It's free to list and there are no monthly fees. Campable only earns when you do: a fee on each booking (see Payments & fees).

Where do I set up my listing?

On the Campable website, at campable.com → Become a host. The guided setup works well on a phone, so you can even do it standing in the paddock. The Campable app is for guests to search and book.

What does the guided setup ask for?

It runs in this order:

  1. About you and a photo of you
  2. Your bank account for payouts (through Stripe)
  3. Your IRD number
  4. Your place and where it is on the map
  5. A short interview: your story, you and your rules, getting there, wet weather, favourite places nearby
  6. Your sites
  7. How guests book
  8. Photos and videos
  9. Private arrival instructions
  10. Marketing terms
  11. Preview and publish

Everything saves as you go. You can stop and pick up where you left off, on any device.

How long does it take?

The basics take about 20–30 minutes. A great listing takes a bit longer, mostly waiting for good light for photos. It's fine to publish with the essentials and come back to improve it. Just do come back!

Can someone help me set it up?

Yes. Every setup step (and your listing page) has a Need a hand? link: Get help from a Campable Pathfinder, who can visit and set up your listing with you, or Ask Campable to review my listing, which sends your listing to our team in your Campable thread. See Pathfinders.

What's my listing's web address?

Every listing gets its own address: campable.com/stays/your-place-name. Share it anywhere. Old links still redirect to it.

Creating a great listing

What makes a listing get booked?

The listings that get booked most have:

  • a clear, appealing headline
  • a cover photo that stops people scrolling
  • honest details about access
  • good reviews
  • a description that tells guests what they will experience

Campable guests are mostly travellers in hired or owned campervans and motorhomes, plus Kiwis in their own rigs and caravans. They value privacy, an authentic New Zealand experience, meeting locals, and special spots they won't find at a campground.

What's the difference between my place's name and the headline?

  • Name: what your property is called, e.g. Kōwhai Ridge Farm.
  • Headline: one line (up to 80 characters) that only your place could say, e.g. Wake up to tūī above the estuary.

A headline that sells the experience ("Sand, Surf & Farm") works much better than a place name alone ("Waipu Stopover").

How should I write my description?

Write to the guest, about what they will experience:

  • Use "you" language. "You'll wake up to…", "You're welcome to…", "You can wander down to the river…" works better than "Our site has…".
  • Sell benefits, not features. Not "there is a swimming hole", but "You can cool off in the swimming hole after a day on the road."
  • Cover the essentials:
    • the setting and the view
    • how private it is
    • what makes it special
    • anything you can offer (a farm tour, fresh eggs, fishing, a chat over the fence)
  • Under-promise and over-deliver. If something depends on you being home or on the season, say so: "If we're around, you're welcome to help feed the calves."

The setup doesn't give you a template, on purpose. Listings that all read the same get skipped. In your own words is best.

What are the "interview" questions for?

They build your listing in sections guests actually read:

  • About you (who you are, and whether you like a chat or leave guests be)
  • House rules
  • Pets
  • Getting there
  • Big vehicles and anything in the way
  • Wet weather and winter
  • Your favourite places nearby

Local tips are gold to travellers: the best beach, the good coffee, the nearest dump station, water fill and LPG refill.

Should I put my phone number or email in my listing?

No. Listings can't include phone numbers, email addresses or website links: if you add one, we'll ask you to take it out before the listing saves. Before a booking, guests contact you through Campable messages, which hide phone numbers, emails, addresses and links. That keeps everyone protected and makes sure the booking, payment and cancellation terms cover the stay. Once a guest has booked, you can talk directly (see Messaging).

What if I'm on a gravel road or outside cell coverage?

That's fine, just say so.

  • Gravel road: mention it under Getting there. Some rental companies' insurance doesn't cover gravel roads, so renters need to know before they book.
  • Mobile coverage: set it for each site (Good / Patchy / None), and tell guests in your arrival instructions to save the directions before they lose signal.

What's a "powered site"?

It depends on the socket you offer:

  • Proper caravan/motorhome connection: only if you have a campground-style outlet that guests plug their vehicle lead into.
  • Standard 3-pin household socket: fine for charging phones and small things, but not a proper motorhome hook-up. If you have an adapter lead, mention it in your description.

You can set an extra nightly charge for power, or include it in the price.

Do I have to greet my guests?

No. Some hosts love a chat and a cuppa; others are at work or away. Say which you prefer under About you so guests know what to expect. A short friendly message before arrival always helps guests feel welcome and confident about finding you.

Photos & video

How many photos do I need?

At least one property photo to publish, but aim for 5 or more. You can add:

  • up to 12 photos of your whole place
  • up to 6 photos for each site

What photos work best?

  • Your cover photo (the first one). Pick the most appealing thing about staying with you: the view, the sunset, a campfire, your animals, or you!
  • Each site. Where vehicles park, the view from the pitch, and the facilities. Site photos are labelled with the site's name automatically, so there's no need to write on them.
  • The setting and things to do, on your land or nearby.
  • Landscape shots, in daylight, and as sharp as possible. People view them on big screens as well as phones.

Add a short caption to each photo, e.g. "Top Paddock: view from the pitch". Captions replace the old advice about writing text over photos or renaming files.

What happens to my photos when I upload them?

They're resized for fast loading, and their location data is removed so they don't reveal your exact position.

Can I upload videos?

Yes, and we recommend it. There are two kinds:

  • Show off your place (public, up to 90 seconds). A slow walk or pan around, in landscape, with a steady phone.
  • Welcome and arrival video (private, up to 2 minutes). Only sent to guests with a confirmed booking. Record it as you drive or walk in: the gate, where to go, where to park, where to find you.

Can Campable use my photos to promote my place?

Yes. As part of the host terms, you allow Campable to use your listing's photos, videos and description to promote your property and Campable. That includes our website, social media, advertising, and partner material such as motorhome companies' guides. Only upload photos you have the right to share. You can ask us to stop using a photo in future material at any time.

Who can stay

What does "who can stay" mean?

You choose which travellers your place suits, based on two things:

  1. Toilets / self-containment. This is most hosts' main concern.
  2. Vehicle types. Campervan, motorhome, caravan, car + tent, housebus, and large American motorhome.

You set this for your whole property. A site can have its own rules if it's different.

What are the self-containment options?

  • Certified self-contained only (green warrant). Guests must have a current green self-containment warrant: a toilet fixed inside the vehicle, fresh and grey water tanks, and a sink. Choose this if there's no toilet guests can use at your place.
  • Certified, or a portable toilet they use. This also welcomes guests who aren't certified but carry a portable toilet, use it, and empty it at a dump station, never on your land.
  • Everyone, including not self-contained. Only choose this if guests can use a toilet at your place (a long drop, portaloo, composting toilet, or your bathroom).

Guests record their vehicle's self-containment in their Campable account. If a guest's vehicle doesn't meet your rule, they're warned or stopped before they book.

What changed with self-containment in 2026?

New Zealand's self-contained vehicle rules have moved to a new national system:

  • It was set up by the Self-Contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 and is run by the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board (PGDB).
  • From 7 June 2026, only the new green warrant counts as self-contained. Old blue warrants are no longer valid.
  • A permanently fixed toilet is required. Portable toilets no longer qualify.
  • Warrants last up to four years, and vehicles are on a national register.
  • The rules apply to freedom camping on public land (infringement fee $400). They don't bind private land like yours, so you are free to set your own rule. That's why Campable offers the "portable toilet" option.

Sources: PGDB: private vehicle owners; MBIE: freedom camping changes; NZMCA: self-containment certification.

Why is there a separate option for large American motorhomes?

They're often 10–13 m or more and very heavy, and often tow a car or trailer (or are fifth-wheels). They need wide gateways, firm level ground and lots of room to turn, and many farm sites can't take them. Untick them unless you're sure they fit.

Can I set a maximum vehicle length?

Yes. For each site you can set:

  • the longest vehicle that fits comfortably (including any trailer or towed car)
  • whether there's room to turn around
  • the ground (grass, gravel, hard stand)
  • whether it's level

Put anything else, such as low branches, tight gates, cattle stops, soft ground or height limits, under Big vehicles and anything in the way.

How many people can stay, and can I charge per person?

For each site you set:

  • the most guests it takes
  • how many people the price includes (2 if you leave it empty)
  • an optional extra-person price per night

Whether children count as extra people is up to you: each site has a "Charge children as extra people?" setting (yes unless you change it). Guests say how many of their party are children. Pets are never charged. Campable's fee on extra-person charges is 15% (see Payments & fees).

Do guests have to tell me who's coming?

Yes. Every guest must say how many people are coming (including children) and whether they're bringing pets, with a short description of the pets.

How do pets work?

Each site has a pets setting:

  • No pets: guests with pets can't book that site.
  • Dogs welcome on a lead: they can book as normal.
  • Pets by arrangement: a booking with pets becomes a request that you accept or decline.

Add your own words (e.g. "Dogs on a lead please, we have sheep and farm dogs") under Pets.

Back to all host FAQs · Still stuck? Message us in your Campable thread or email support@campable.com.

Happy hosting!

The Campable Team