Welcome to Fort Lauderdale's favorite hideaway — where your group becomes our family.
This is your private setup tab. Fill in the details for THIS specific booking and the portal pre-fills everything for the guest. The guest will never see this tab — it only appears when you visit with ?admin=1 in the URL.
When you save and send the link, the Vote tab is already configured. Guests just tap their vote and it texts straight to this number — no setup required on their end.
1. You bookmark this page with ?admin=1 — that's how you get back to the Host Setup tab.
2. For each new inquiry, you fill in the fields above.
3. Click "Generate Guest Link" → you get a clean URL with the details baked in.
4. Send that URL to the group leader (text, email, whatever).
5. They open it, see a customized portal, no setup required.
Because each booking gets its own URL with parameters, your Netlify dashboard can track engagement per inquiry. If a portal gets 5+ unique opens but no booking, you know that group is interested but hesitating — perfect moment for a personal follow-up text.
Look — I'm just gonna talk to you like you're a friend, because if you end up staying here, that's pretty much what we'll be. I built this little site for you and your group so you can poke around, see everything, and figure out together whether this is the right trip. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just take a look.
I've stayed at a LOT of rentals over the years. And honestly? Most of them were a letdown. Pictures didn't match. Owner had a million rules. Hidden fees at checkout. One place charged me extra for using the WiFi. Seriously.
So I built the kind of place I actually wanted to stay in — and then I rented it out so other people could enjoy it too. That's it. That's the whole story. If you read the reviews, you'll see it worked.
Pool's heated. Saltwater. There's a waterfall. The kitchen has everything — knives, pans, wine glasses, the works. Beds are new and the linens are nicer than what's on my own bed at home (not kidding). And it's quiet. The neighbors are great. You'll feel like you're at someone's beach house, because you are.
I'm around if you need me. Text, call, email — whatever works. I help guests with grocery runs before arrival, restaurant reservations, beach gear, whatever. Treat me like the family friend who happens to know Fort Lauderdale really well.
Scroll through whatever you want — the house, the reviews, the area, my favorite restaurants. There's even a live beach cam so you can see what the weather looks like today.
When you're ready to get your group involved, hit the Share With Group tab and one tap sends this to everyone. Then everyone heads to the Vote tab and texts you their answer — in, out, or maybe. You're the one who calls it in the end. Tie goes to whoever cares the most. Usually that's you.
3 bedrooms · 3 bathrooms · sleeps 8 · heated saltwater pool with waterfall · chef's kitchen · complete privacy.
The Pool. Heated saltwater pool with a waterfall. Sun chairs, corn hole, BBQ. Complete privacy. Guests routinely tell me they "never missed a day at the pool" the entire stay.
The Kitchen. Fully outfitted Chef's Kitchen — pots, pans, knives, wine glasses, anything you'd need to cook a real meal. New everything. Most guests cook here at least a few nights.
The Master Suite. Spacious master bedroom with what guests call "the best shower ever" and a walk-in closet that "could be a bedroom of its own."
The Beds. Brand new mattresses. Highest-quality linens. You'll sleep like you mean it.
Jonathan's House has been inspected by the City of Fort Lauderdale and is 100% compliant. Hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Fire extinguisher on premises. Safety alarms on the doors to the pool area to help protect children — set them at your preference.
The website pictures don't do it justice (that's a direct quote from a guest). The best place to browse the full gallery:
This is the live feed from Fort Lauderdale Beach — about a 6-minute drive from the house. Check the weather, the crowd, the sunshine. It's playing right now.
Photos and brochures are great. But you know what's better? Seeing what's going on right now. If it's gorgeous out, you'll know. If there's a storm, you'll know. If the beach is packed, you'll know.
This is the live cam from Lauderdale-By-The-Sea — close by, same weather, same vibe you'd be walking into. Just close your eyes and imagine you're already there.
For the full photo gallery of our place — every room, every angle, the pool, the kitchen, all of it — check out jonathanshouse.com or follow along at @jonathans.house on Instagram.
Hundreds of guests have stayed at Jonathan's House. Here's what they had to say — unedited, in their own words.
The full review history — Airbnb, VRBO, and direct guests — is available on the main site.
Jonathan's House sits in one of Fort Lauderdale's most beloved neighborhoods. Minutes from the beach. Minutes from Las Olas. Minutes from everything.
Beach time: Fort Lauderdale's stretch of white sand is famously clean. Pack light — you're 6 minutes away.
Las Olas Boulevard: Boutique shopping, art galleries, sidewalk cafés, and some of South Florida's best restaurants — all in walking distance of each other.
Bonnet House Museum, Antique Car Museum, Everglades Holiday Park: Worth a half-day each if you want a break from the beach.
Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale: Scenic waterfront walk through the heart of downtown. Great for evening strolls.
You don't need a car — most things are walkable or a quick rideshare. Uber and Lyft are everywhere. For the airport run: 15 minutes, $20-30 typical fare. For the beach: a 6-minute Uber or a 25-minute walk.
Look, group trips are hard. Everybody's busy. Everybody's "checking with their partner." Nobody commits until somebody else commits first. This is where you cut through that. Each person taps how they feel. Your texts decide the trip.
Your vote becomes a text to whoever's organizing this trip. They'll see every vote in one thread and call it.
1. Whoever's organizing the trip sets up their info (one time, on their phone).
2. Everyone else opens this page and taps their vote.
3. Each tap opens a text — already filled in with name + answer.
4. The organizer sees all the votes in one text thread. If it's a tie, they break it.
I've watched group trips fall apart in group texts. Endless "I'll get back to you," someone always missing the message, someone always says "I'm flexible" and then bails on the day of. The vote button just... ends that. Everyone commits or doesn't. Done.
You came this far. Don't let your group lose the trip because nobody wanted to be the first to say yes.
Booking through Airbnb or VRBO is convenient — but it comes with service fees, cleaning markups, and "guest fees" that add up fast. Booking direct with me means none of that.
On a typical week at Jonathan's House, OTA service fees alone add $200-$400 on top of the nightly rate. That's money that goes to Airbnb/VRBO — not to me, not to better service, not to a better stay.
When you book direct, you pay the same nightly rate I charge on the platforms — minus the platform fees. For a 7-night stay, that's hundreds back in your pocket.
Same rates — no inflation to cover platform fees
Same amenities — every detail intact
Same Jonathan — your 24/7 host, available any time
Concierge service — pre-arrival shopping, event setup, recommendations
No platform fees — savings stay in your wallet
Fort Lauderdale rates fluctuate with the seasons — high season (December-April), shoulder season (May-June, September-November), and summer. For your specific dates and group size, reach out for a direct quote.
I've lived in this area long enough to know where to send my friends. These are the places I actually go.
Date night spot? Best place for kids? Where to watch the game? Text me directly — I know this area inside out and I'm always happy to point you somewhere great.
I keep the rules short and sensible — because I'm building the vacation rental I would actually want to stay at.
I built Jonathan's House because I was tired of rentals with surprise fees, surprise rules, and surprise "cleaning charges" at the end. What you pay is what you pay. The cleaning fee is upfront in your quote. There are no hidden surprises after checkout.
No legal essay here. Just the practical money stuff so your group knows what to expect. Full short-term rental agreement gets signed at booking — this is the financial part you and your crew need to talk through before you commit.
A short-term rental needs clear money rules. Here's how I do it — same for everyone, no fine print, no surprises.
Payment via Zelle, Venmo, or whatever the booking platform supports. We'll figure out what works for both of us at the booking step.
Life happens. Here's how cancellations work — same rule for everyone, no holiday surprises:
Fort Lauderdale's high season is December through April — most of our bookings happen during the holidays, snowbird months, and spring break. Once we're inside 30 days of a booking, the calendar is too tight to re-book without losing money.
The 15-29 day partial refund is a courtesy — I'd rather give back something than nothing. Under 15 days, the dates are essentially gone. These terms are what let me keep rates fair year-round instead of jacking them up to cover cancellations.
The complete short-term rental agreement — house rules, liability, indemnification, all the standard STR provisions — gets signed electronically at the booking step. The payment and cancellation terms above are part of that agreement.
If you have questions about anything before you book, just email me. I'd rather answer a question now than have you discover a surprise later.
I know direct bookings require more trust than booking through Airbnb or VRBO. You can verify I'm a real, legit host:
✓ Airbnb Super Host →
✓ VRBO Premier Host →
✓ jonathanshouse.com (this isn't my first rodeo) →
Your group's voted. Dates are set. Now the easy part — getting it on the calendar.
If you book through Airbnb or VRBO, they take a chunk in service fees and "guest fees." When you book direct with me, that money stays in your pocket. Same house, same dates, same Jonathan — minus the middleman.
Whether you book direct or through a platform, every stay involves signing the standard short-term rental agreement. You can preview it any time on the Rental Agreement tab. Friendly summary up top, full legal text below. No surprises.
Totally fine. If you want the protection of Airbnb or VRBO and don't mind their fees, here you go:
Airbnb (Super Host) → VRBO (Premier Host) →
Just heads up: platform bookings include their service fees and guest fees on top of the nightly rate.
Want to chat before pulling the trigger? Maybe you've got a specific date concern, group size question, dietary stuff for the kitchen, or something else? I'm reachable. Email's fastest, but text works too.
Email: info@jonathanshouse.com
Website: jonathanshouse.com
Instagram: @jonathans.house
If somebody you trust sent you here, it means they think this trip would be special. They're probably right. Read the reviews. Check the location. Look at the pool.
Then go have the conversation with your people. Tell them you're in. And let's get you here.