GuidesInvoice template
Vacation rental invoice template: what it must show
The details an invoice for a short stay must carry, a template you can copy, and how to have every stay draft its own invoice — numbered in order, corrected with credit notes, never deleted.
Updated September 28, 2026
In short
- An invoice is a legal record: who sold what to whom, when, for how much, and with which tax.
- Numbers run in one unbroken sequence. An invoice issued by mistake is cancelled with a credit note, never deleted or reused.
- What is required differs by country — VAT, tourist tax, and whether invoices must be fiscalised or sent electronically. Check yours with your accountant.
What it must contain
Who issues it
Your name or company name, address and tax or VAT number, and your registration number as a host where your country issues one.
Who it is for
The guest's full name and address — or the company's name, address and VAT number when a business pays for the stay.
Number and dates
A unique number in an unbroken sequence, the date of issue, and the dates of the stay itself — arrival and departure.
The stay
The unit, the number of nights and guests, the price per night or in total, and extras such as cleaning, breakfast or parking on lines of their own.
Taxes and totals
The net amount, the VAT rate and amount if you charge VAT — or the legal reason you do not — the tourist tax on its own line, and the total due.
Payment
How and when it was paid or is to be paid — card, transfer or cash — any deposit already received, and your bank details for what is still due.
The template
INVOICE No. [number]
Issued by: [name or company], [address], tax/VAT number [number], registration number [number].
Billed to: [guest's full name or company], [address], VAT number [for a company].
Date of issue: [date]. Place of issue: [town].
Stay: [unit], from [date] to [date], [number] nights, [number] guests.
Accommodation: [number] nights × [price] = [amount].
Extras: [cleaning, breakfast, parking] — [amount each].
Net amount: [amount]. VAT [rate]%: [amount] — or: VAT not charged under [legal basis].
Tourist tax: [number] guests × [number] nights × [rate] = [amount].
Total due: [amount] [currency]. Deposit received: [amount]. Balance: [amount].
Payment: by [method] by [date] to [IBAN], reference [invoice number].
[Name and signature, where your country requires them.]
This template is a starting point, not tax or legal advice. It is not a fiscal receipt: where your country requires fiscalisation or e-invoicing, the invoice must also pass through a certified system. Check the rules that apply to you.
An invoice for every stay, drafted
In Staywick every stay drafts its invoice with the nights, the price and the taxes; you issue it in a click and the number is the next one, never skipped. A mistake is undone with a credit note, the numbering stays whole, and the invoice is a PDF ready to send.
Questions
Do I have to issue an invoice for every stay?
It depends on your country and how you are registered: a business generally must, and a private host often must when the guest asks. A portal invoices you for its commission — the invoice for the stay itself is still yours to issue.
Can I delete or change an invoice once it is issued?
No. Cancel it — in whole or in part — with a credit note, and issue a new one if needed. A gap or a changed number is the first thing a tax inspector notices.
Does the tourist tax go on the invoice?
Show it on a line of its own: it is collected for the town or region, not part of your price. Whether VAT applies to it depends on the country.
What is the difference between an invoice and a fiscal receipt?
An invoice records the sale. In some countries the sale must also be reported to the tax authority as it happens, through certified software or a cash register. If yours is one of them, an invoice template alone is not enough.
More guides
Channel manager
What is a channel manager — and how to set one up
What it does, calendar link or direct connection, and six steps to set it up.
Calendar sync
How to sync your Airbnb and Booking.com calendars
Connect the two calendars in both directions, and close the gap a calendar link leaves.
Rental agreement
Short-stay rental agreement: a free template
What it must cover, a template to copy, and signing it at online check-in.
Ready to run it from one place?
Set up your first apartment in minutes. Free for 14 days, and we will not ask for a card.