Don't front it. Collect every person's share upfront into one place the group can see, and book the house with money that's already there. The person who fronts an $8,000 rental is signing up to be a collections agency all summer.
Vacation rentals want the money early — a deposit now, the balance weeks before check-in. So one friend puts thousands on their card against seven promises to pay them back, and spends the run-up to vacation checking who has and hasn't.
Most rentals don't split evenly, because the rooms don't. The master with the en-suite is worth more than the bunk room, and the couple sharing a bed is paying for two. Rather than pretend it's all the same, set each person's share to match the room they're taking — the master pays more, the pull-out sofa pays less — and agree those numbers before anyone chips in.
Because every share is set in the open and shows on the record, the room math is agreed once, up front, instead of turning into a quiet resentment by day three. Everyone chips in their own number, the total still adds up to the house, and the group booked a trip together without anyone feeling they overpaid for the bunk bed.
The booker holds the money — through Stripe, directly — and the whole group sees every dollar, from first contribution to final payment.
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