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A WordPress site is only as safe as its weakest part, and it has many parts.
The short answer: WordPress can be safe, but it is only as safe as its weakest part. A WordPress site depends on PHP, WordPress itself, a theme and often many plugins, and each one needs updates for as long as the site is online. If nobody does that work, the site is at risk. A site with no PHP, WordPress or plugins removes most of that work.
A lot of rental websites run on WordPress. It is popular, it is flexible, and many web designers know it. So is it safe? The honest answer is: it can be, but it takes work that never stops.
This matters now. In October 2026, two serious bugs were found in PHP, the engine behind WordPress. Read what happened in A PHP attack just hit WordPress.
Why does a WordPress site need constant care?
A WordPress site is built from many pieces, and every piece can have bugs:
- PHP, the engine on your web host's server
- WordPress, the main software
- Your theme, the design
- Plugins, add-ons for booking, forms, photos, speed and more
When a bug is found in any one of them, attackers try it on thousands of sites. WordPress itself says that keeping your site safe means updating, using strong passwords and limiting who can log in.
A simple safety list if you stay on WordPress
- Ask your host which PHP version you use, and keep it on a version that still gets fixes. See PHP's list of supported versions.
- Update WordPress, your theme and your plugins as soon as updates appear.
- Delete plugins and themes you do not use.
- Use a long, unique password, and turn on two-step login for every admin.
- Give each person their own login, and remove people who leave.
- Keep a recent backup, stored away from your website.
- Check your site now and then for pages or users you do not recognise.
Do all of that, and you are in good shape. The catch is that it is a job with no end date. It needs to be done every week, even when you are busy with guests.
What can a hack cost a rental owner?
- Your booking page goes down in a busy week
- Guests are sent to a fake page, or lose trust in you
- You pay to clean it up, and you still need to be sure that it is clean
Most owners are not technical, and that is fine. It just means the job needs a person who is.
Another way: a site with nothing to update
We build rental websites on Next.js, with no PHP, no WordPress and no plugins. Your pages are made ahead of time and served quickly, and guests pay on Stripe's payment page, so your site never sees a card number. We keep it updated, so you do not have to.
With no plugins, there are no plugin updates for you to keep up with. We keep your site updated, so you can stop updating plugins for good.
No website is 100% safe, and anyone who says so is not being honest. But a site with less to attack is a harder target, and a site that someone else keeps updated is one less job for you.
How do you decide?
- Stay on WordPress if you have someone who keeps it updated every week, and you want to control every detail.
- Move to a done-for-you website if you would rather spend your time on guests than on updates.
Curious what it costs? Read direct booking website cost in 2026, or see the plans and prices.
Not sure what is possible for you? Ask us
On a call, we will:
- Check your WordPress site for the basics: updates, plugins you no longer use, strong logins and backups.
- Tell you what is possible to fix on your current site, and what a move would involve.
We will tell you honestly what is realistic. We do not promise results, because nobody honest can.
Common questions
- Is WordPress safe for a vacation rental website?
- It can be, if PHP, WordPress, the theme and every plugin are kept up to date, and admin logins are strong. Every part that is out of date is a way in, so it takes steady work.
- How do I make my WordPress site more secure?
- Keep PHP, WordPress, themes and plugins updated, delete what you do not use, use strong passwords with two-step login, keep a recent backup, and give each person their own login. WordPress has a free hardening guide.
- What is the most secure type of website for a rental business?
- A site with fewer parts to attack is harder to break into. A site built without PHP, WordPress or plugins, with payments on a trusted payment page, removes most of the usual ways in. No website is completely safe.
Sources and helpful links
- WordPress: hardening WordPress — free steps to lock down a WordPress site
- WordPress: requirements — the PHP versions WordPress works with
- PHP: supported versions — which PHP versions still get security fixes
- OWASP Top Ten — the most common website security risks
- Stripe: security — how card payments are kept safe
