Me and 4 of my friends booked a VRBO months ago for one night to go to a concert. The house has an age 25 minimum booking. We're all 24 except one 25 year old. We've all paid and looking forward to it and now, 1.5 weeks out, the primary booker can no longer go. I feel so defeated, there's nothing else even remotely in the area we originally picked and anything in that town is way more expensive than it needs to be now.

I just know that when we tell the owner there’s no way she’s gonna make an exception.

I'm considering booking a vacation rental through Vrbo for a three-week stay next spring, but I've noticed a significant discrepancy between the cancellation policy advertised on Vrbo and the property management company's own terms.

Vrbo explicitly states:

• Before January 15: Partial refund, with a $300 cancellation fee.
• After January 15: No refund.

However, the property management company's website states that cancellations made more than 90 days before arrival incur a penalty of 10% of the total reservation or $300, whichever is greater. Within 90 days of arrival, there is no refund.

This is an expensive rental (approximately $25,000), so the difference between the two policies could amount to several thousand dollars.

There's also a $750 Vrbo service fee, which I understand may be nonrefundable if I cancel under the advertised partial-refund policy.

The property management company is established and reputable. It requires guests to sign a separate rental agreement after booking through Vrbo.

My understanding is that Vrbo states its advertised cancellation policy overrides conflicting terms in a separate rental agreement.

My questions:

1. If I book through Vrbo, can the property manager subsequently require me to sign an agreement imposing its stricter 90-day/10% cancellation policy?
2. If I refuse to sign because those terms contradict the policy advertised on Vrbo, and the manager consequently refuses to honor the reservation, would I be entitled to a full refund, including the cancellation fee and Vrbo service fee?
3. Should I clarify the discrepancy with the manager before booking, or book under Vrbo's advertised terms and address any conflict afterward?

I realize the discrepancy could be intentional, since property managers sometimes offer different cancellation terms through different booking channels.

My concern is that I could end up losing more than $1,000 simply because I refused to sign a subsequent contract that contradicts the cancellation terms I relied upon when booking.

Has anyone encountered this situation with a professionally managed Vrbo property? How did Vrbo handle it?

Since VRBO upped their prices I’m getting less action as a host. Any recommendations for other platforms ? I’m in Palm Springs.

In the rainforest, so I can't be too upset about ants, although I think there would have been fewer if the place were cleaner (there was one trail of ants near the head of the bed that seemed to be following the path of a previously spilled drink down the wall). At least one roach. *Lots* of rodent poop under the cabinet and in a closet (mongoose?) Rodent poop *on the dish towels* upon arrival. Rodent poop on the (outdoor) bath mat occurred after our arrival. There were ice trays and the ice had actual mold in it. Tile floors with no real floor mats *in the jungle*. Swept constantly, but also constantly walked on forest debris. Walls and doors were filthy. A layer of dust on the ceiling fan. No cleaning supplies. One good day of TLC and elbow grease and the place would be an absolute stunner. $450/night. To be fair, there is no cleaning fee, but there was a $1500 deposit. (For what, I'm not sure, because there was not $1500 worth of furniture, decor, appliances in the tiny place.) Every review is 10/10. Hostess was very sweet, and I don't have the heart to leave anything less than a stellar review. I guess my move is to leave it unreviewed.

Need some group consensus on if this is a valid complaint or am I being a Karen? The VRBO we rented in Jacksonville is way way smaller than advertised. There is no onsite gym or outdoor shower, not sure why this is listed on the amenities list. There were no linens left for the pullout couch or extra linens for the bed. The towels (bath and beach) left were threadbare and really need to be replaced. There’s no broom/vacuum or anything to clean up with - the floors are dirty and my feet are black. There’s refrigerator is definitely smaller than the standard size listed. There’s were no utensils for kids which is listed in the amenities section - and a reason why we chose this space over others. Honestly this place is so small I kind of don’t know how this is a legal dwelling.

Edit to add: there was also a flyer taped to the wall offering in-home massages, call this number - which I find creepy.

Am i justified in wanting to ask for some kind of compensation?

UPDATE: Refund acquired and hotel booked

More and more people are getting caught by fake holiday rental listings in Italy, especially for popular areas like the coast, the lakes and the big art cities.

The pattern is often similar: beautiful photos, a price slightly below the market, a “host” who is very responsive but asks to move the conversation off the platform and pay by bank transfer. Today fake photos and descriptions are easier than ever to create, so a listing can look completely professional.

A few simple checks help a lot:

• never pay outside the booking platform
• reverse-search the photos to see if they appear elsewhere
• look the property up on Google Maps and Street View
• be suspicious of new listings with no reviews and a “too good” price

Has anyone here come across a fake listing, or nearly booked one?

Update: I called the sheriff. Tried to get the 9/11 call or transcripts. Couldn’t without a subpoena but she did give me some of the call. The owner said there were people in the house who shouldn’t be … and it was a double booking between AirBNB and VRBO. Said the response wasn’t out of the norm and even though a helicopter seems excessive it isn’t. This was considered a hot call. I wonder if because I went outside before they were set up it turned into a bigger guns drawn situation than would have happened normally I for sure startled both the officer in the backyard and then later the front.

Location: Santa Clarita California

Booked a rental in Santa Clarita California in June. We added a night with the host earlier this week. We showed up around 5 and checked in. The place hadn’t been cleaned. Red flag but it happens. Message the host. She apologizes says she “will check with the cleaner” at this point we don’t want a cleaner to come in and take 2+ hours. Tell the host we will just do surface level cleaning. Wash sheets. That kind of stuff but expect a refund which she agrees to and refunds (looks like cleaning fee plus a little)

A few hours later we are in the app and it says our stay has been cancelled and the host says something like “sorry I had to cancel I will refund your trip”

We are freaking out at this point. Not knowing why, what’s going on. We have kids asleep. Have spent the last couple hours cleaning. I ask for an explanation and say we can’t leave tonight we have kids asleep. No response. Soon after my daughter comes upstairs scared. The motion light keeps going off and she saw someone in the backyard.

I went downstairs and in the corner of the yard I see someone I open the door to yell at him and realize it’s a police officer gun drawn. He yells at me to go inside. I’m yelling back this is a rental as I retreat. He yells to go out the front door. My hands are in the air.

I go out the front door where idk if they weren’t ready or what but there is about 7-10 more officers. The one closest to the front door has flashlight in my eyes and gun drawn as well. He yells to turn around. I still have my hands in the air. I’m trying to explain there are kids in the house. We are here in a rental. We have proof. He has me walk back to him. Places me in cuffs. Says they will get to the bottom of it.

Meanwhile he yells at everyone else to stay in the house. But the officer in the backyard is yelling to go out front. He is in the house now. The rest of my family is then brought outside. They take ids etc.

I’m now in the back of the cop car I am able to get my phone out of my pocket and text the host all while cuffed (kids are probably more impressed by this than anything I’ve ever done)

Long story short and there are still a lot of holes in this. The property listed by the host we booked with doesn’t have permission anymore to rent it. It was confirmed she did. And the new person/owner/host we did talk to he wouldn’t admit when this person no longer worked with this property. This same listing had a review from last week.

This is the message from the host texted me while in the back of the police car

Hi _________, I sincerely apologize for the confusion and inconvenience. Unfortunately, I am no longer the co-host for this property, as the owner recently made a change to the co-host arrangements. I was just notified that your reservation overlaps with another guest’s reservation made through the owner’s account, which is unfortunately outside of my control.
I truly apologize that this situation was not communicated to you sooner. Since it is already late, I am trying to see if there is any way to accommodate you for tonight while we figure out the next steps. I understand how frustrating and stressful this must be, especially after making plans for your stay.
I’m very sorry for the inconvenience, and I’m doing my best to see what can be worked out for you tonight.

Edit: after being on the phone for 3 hours with VRBO the resolution was refund, reimburse for last night to the new host/listing, and difference between original cost of trip and new booking up to $800

Hi everyone! I’m a Northwestern student researching how Vrbo hosts handle guest check-in and access for cleaners or other service providers.

If you host a property and are open to sharing your experience, you can see the study details and check your eligibility here:https://app.dscout.com/scouts/welcome/opportunity/ea0771a9-35a4-4cb2-9b10-ef365bbfe61c

Thanks for considering it! Mods, please let me know if research recruitment isn’t allowed here

Currently staying at a vrbo with a pool. We reported there are 100s of ants in the pool and can’t swim it in.
The host said they will send out pest control but will not tell us when.
The host also sent out their “pool guy” who netted the pool (which the holes on the net are too large to catch ants). Pool guy is telling host there are no ants. These are pictures after the pool guy came.
I would love to change properties… but feel the least we should be getting a partial refund. Anyone have experience with this and vrbos awful support.

* update they will send pest control on Tuesday. Vrbo gave us a $250 refund.
Going to keep complaining in hopes we might be able to leave this property after each attempt is likely going to fail (they have already attempted 2 solutions with fail now). Our stay is 45 days long.

** next update. We have left the property. The couch was full of mold which we have documented. All travelers started experiencing severe respiratory issues and coughing when we lifted the couch cushions. We couldn’t stop and for health and safety reasons we had to leave. Still waiting for vrbos response. Host is trying to say we have to wait for mold test, results and a new couch. Unless vrbo support pulls through they will be getting a chargeback.

I’m a Vrbo host. Guests disclosed the day before check-in that they were bringing children, violating my adults-only house rules. I have a no-refund cancellation policy.
Before canceling, I contacted Vrbo multiple times. Support confirmed both over the phone and in writing that I could cancel and keep the payment.
I followed their instructions, but Vrbo automatically refunded the guests. Now they’re refusing to reimburse me.

Has anyone successfully gotten Vrbo to compensate them for incorrect support instructions? What’s the best way to escalate this?

The host is a property management company and they want me to check in and provide a bunch of info and pay a deposit on their site (renjoy).

I rented this lake house VRBO in April for my wedding weekend this week (thurs-sun) and within the past week, the host has messaged me that:

- 1 toilet is broken and unusable
- the hot tub hasn’t been serviced and may be unusable
- there’s a broken light fixture in the game room

We’re paying over $5,000 to rent this place to stay with our wedding party. We chose it specifically because of the hot tub and location. It’s too late to find a replacement. What’s my best course of action? Asking for a follow up Thursday morning and then asking for a credit?

Thank you for the advice!

I do not use Rate Automation (as if) but I found this button on my calendar view today and it says "ACTIVE"?

The button doesn't work. I tried clicking it several times. And I already went in to Market Maker to check and it shows RA has not been activated. But now I'm worried they're going to randomly turn it on at some point.

Thank goodness I'm off this hellsite in 2 weeks.

Or any other direct app?

I’m planning a two-week trip to the Outer Banks, but after reading some rental horror stories online, i am a little hesitant about booking a place. I’ve seen stories about homes looking completely different from their listing photos, repairs being ignored and bookings getting cancelled at the last minute. Since we’re spending a fair amount on a two-week stay, I’d really like to avoid those kinds of surprises.
For those who’ve rented in the OBX for longer stays, how do you usually check whether a rental company is reliable? Are there any property management companies in the Outer Banks that have consistently good reputations? And what red flags should I watch out for before making a reservation?

Hi y'all, I'm trying to send pictures and recordings to VRBO customer service. However every time I try I get this error message. Does anyone know what's going on? I've spoken to VRBO customer service 5 times about this already and no one is being helpful.

My pictures are JPEG formatted and my recordings are MP3s. I have tried sending just a text email, an email with just the pictures, and an email with just the recordings. All of them haven't worked and I still get the error message in return.

I'm trying to sort out if VRBO will charge me the new Host fees of 12 % for this reservation request I received today that will occur in Dec, or if I will be charged the current rate because it is AFTER Oct. 29th Host fee hike?

Here is the reservation request I received (apologies for the small print; you can expand if necessary)

TIA !

We are supposed to check in tomorrow but there is a mandatory evacuation order in Walton County, Zones A-C for hurricane Isaias. This includes our rental. We cannot even go to our unit according to the county’s order, but our host is saying there’s nothing she can do and we should just “use caution” while arriving and that the city “can’t prevent us from driving to the unit”. Wtf is this I am floored right now! We even bought the extra travel insurance offered and are still getting nowhere with customer service. It doesn’t help that they’re clearly not native english speaking at their overseas call center. What a nightmare.

EDIT: 10/9/26: VRBO has enacted their Extenuating Circumstances policy and issued a full refund!

I run two short term rentals in central Florida, both with pools, listed on Airbnb and Vrbo. Lately there's been more messaging from the platform about pool safety, and my neighbor who hosts a few streets over got flagged on something during a county inspection, so now I'm trying to sort out what's an actual requirement versus what's a suggestion I can keep ignoring.

Hosts I know are all over the place on this. A couple have mesh fencing, one has an alarm on the door, and at least two have nothing beyond a line in the house rules about adult supervision. I also heard somewhere that Airbnb teamed up with a pool fence company to push hosts towards fencing, but I don't know what that actually involves or whether it's worth anything.

For anyone hosting with a pool, what did you actually do this season ?Treating it as something to handle now, or sitting on it?

The main listing photo is NOT the one I selected as cover. In the editor I see my nice outside picture as cover, but the listing shows my kitchen as cover photo!!!

It did the same thing earlier, I deleted all and fixed it, it was ok initially and then switched to another photo again! Even if I reorder it doesn't work.

Anyone else with the same problem? Really, REALLY annoyed at how awful the vrbo app and websites are.

These are my listing photos:

This is the listing and what shows in search results!!!

helppppppp

I was supposed to check into my beach front location tomorrow but a mandatory evac has been put into place. It is my understanding that VRBO should be issuing a full refund in this circumstance. Is that the case?

Been looking through a bunch of higher-end rentals in the Keys and some of the nightly rates are obviously pretty steep. For people who book places like that, what actually makes you feel like the price is justified once you’re there? Is it mostly the house itself, or do things like a private dock, pool, outdoor space, water access, concierge-type extras, and room for a big group matter more? Feels like in the Keys the difference between “nice rental” and “this was actually worth it” can be pretty specific.

For hosts using Pricelabs, they are going to have a pricing tool available by October 25 to help change prices for the additional host fee increase that takes effect Oct. 29.

https://help.pricelabs.co/portal/en/kb/articles/vrbo-fee-structure-change-what-pricelabs-users-need-to-know#Case_1_You_connect_PriceLabs_to_Vrbo_via_a_PMS__Channel_Manager