r/vrbo

We have booked a VRBO for next month (California). It’s fully paid. The host messaged me today asking for the best phone number to send check-in instructions, and he also provided his phone number in the message.

The listing has also been removed, but from what I’ve read, that doesn’t sound like an issue as long as our booking is there (yes) and the host is responding (yes). It had good reviews so i didn’t notice any red flags when booking.

I haven’t been asked for my number directly before (I assumed hosts could see my contact info when I booked?), so between that and the listing removal, my antenna is up a little. Is this normal or should I be wary for any reason?

I just wanted to warn hosts that those VRBO “account managers” who contact you are not there to help you. They are there to help VRBO. Their “recommendations” have the potential to be very detrimental to your bottom line. Here is what I’ve learned from implementing ALL of their recommendations:

1. They don’t work. I wanted to give VRBO every chance of succeeding, so I literally followed all of their recommendations, and none of them moved the needle.

2. VRBO’s price suggestions are wildly inaccurate, usually either way too low, and sometimes way too high. As bad as Airbnb Smart Pricing is, VRBO’s price suggestions are much worse.

3. None of their discounts brought additional views. I noticed that most people in my market aren’t offering any VRBO discounts, so offering all of their discounts should have set me apart, but it didn’t.

4. After a VRBO account manager contacts you, check all of your settings and discounts to make sure they didn’t make changes without your permission.

5. After a year of trying all of their recommendations, it’s clear to me that account managers are really just sales people trying to generate more profit for VRBO, not for the hosts. They will enthusiastically recommend things that may cause you significant financial losses.

6. I’ve also learned that VRBO will not take responsibility or pay for their mistakes. You are truly on your own.

I have been using VRBO regularly for a few years now for my team to travel and play in rugby tournaments. We prefer to book a house so we can all hang out together, bring our dogs, and cook real meals.

I booked a house in Missoula for 9 people for the annual Maggotfest, which is a huge tournament that over a thousand ruggers travel to, internationally as well so housing, even hotels, get packed. I booked on 4/16 for 5/14-5/18 and we all pretty much drove through the night from CO (14 hour drive) to be able to check in at 4p. We got into town early, and our host had not yet sent us our check-in info. I messaged them and called them with no response. Then suddenly could no longer view the property details. Called VRBO support who tried repeatedly to contact the host. After hours, they said they would cancel the booking and issue me a refund, which would take 5-7 business days ($2.5k).

They had no other place that could house us so I then had to find housing for all of us elsewhere. Posted a review and now VRBO won’t post my review because what I wrote ‘broke content guidelines’.

I will never use VRBO again and will recommend everyone I know to never use VRBO either.

Hosts: what would make you switch from Airbnb to another platform?

Hello, so I booked a home on Vrbo for San Diego. This is my 1st time using Vrbo as I usually solely use Airbnb.

I got an email saying the payment didn’t go through (not from Vrbo from the hosts website SDStay.com). I checked my card and the Vrbo fee went through but not the full price of the booking. I contacted the host and Vrbo customer service and they reached out to the host who said she would just collect payment upon check in. I also called the number attached to the email just to confirm that I wanted the place and the guy that answered started to try and get my info over the phone and I told him this seemed sketchy. He said it was how they do it and I asked if the host could respond through Vrbo messaging so I could have a record of it all. He said he’d have the person I message contact me through Vrbo.

She did but it was at midnight and asking to call me. I explained the next day I was sleeping and would like to keep the messaging on Vrbo for records purposes.

That’s where I’m at. I need this place but am worried as it seems a bit sketchy. I’ve never had anything like this happen with Airbnb so I’m just trying to get some feedback from the Vrbo vets out there.

Thank you for reading all that and any help/advice you can give.

would not book with VRBO again until they change their policy and not allow hosts to use a third party to collect payment. You can find several stories and news articles of the same thing that happened to me that has been happening to others for a long time.

The reason I book with VRBO is for the peace of mind that my payments and the refund policy and terms of agreement are secure.

But it’s not.

I booked a place on May 4th for July 22nd. I had until May 22 to cancel for 100 percent refund. I actually had to cancel on May 9th because we found out one of our family members can’t go that week so we have to completely change our vacation plans.

Went through the online process of canceling and it said I was eligible for 100 percent refund. Went ahead and cancelled. And that’s where the headache began.

The host thinks he’s some clever scammer and decided to not respond to phone calls or email from us or VRBO agents and refused to refund my 3k I had paid him just a few days prior.

VRBO then tells me I can proceed with a chargeback which I do and it’s currently in process and I hope this crook gets hit with a big fine.

But in the meantime, why is he still able to have listings online!! And tell me why the day after I cancelled he rebooked those dates!!

VRBO should not allow hosts that break the terms of agreement. I do not feel comfortable ever booking through them again.

This property is listed on VRBO and AirBNB. The guy will give you a tour, then offer it at a discounted price if you don't go through VRBO/AirBNB. This is a SCAM! He will cancel on you the day of check-in and try to extort you for more money!

When I got to the house there was a lockbox like a real estate agent uses to get into the house. Open it with a code and key pops out. There is also a garage with a code to get in. I noticed that the door has 2 deadbolts accessed from outside but nothing on the inside to keep anyone with a key from coming in. (I thought there was a law against this)

I asked the host if they changed the codes with each guest and housekeeping. They said no. So anyone could have made a copy of the keys, and they know the code to the garage.

Question- Would you be concerned to stay here?

Currently on our final night in Rome, Italy and pretty shaken up. Looking for advice on how to handle Vrbo support tomorrow.

We are staying in a 3-level villa. Today, our host wanted to swing by while we were out shopping to collect the tourist tax in cash. We explicitly told him to wait until tomorrow's check-out. He messaged back and agreed.

Well, came back from shopping and realized someone had been inside. The cash was gone, the lights were turned off, and a random laundry bag of blankets and towels was dropped on the lower floor. Worst of all, we found out the top floor door had been left unlocked. He went through all 3 private levels of our place.

The Creepy Part: As we were walking up the stairwell to our door, we crossed paths with a man sprinting down who looked exactly like our host. We are 99% sure he heard us coming, panicked, and snuck out of a lower-level door to avoid getting caught red-handed.

Is this a normal thing in Italy, or as massive of a violation as it feels? What is the best way to get Vrbo’s Trust & Safety team to take this seriously when I call them at check-out tomorrow?

Came to Paris after renting an apartment from VRBO. The listing says there is washer & dryer. Now we are here and there is no w&d. Contacted help and after an hour or two of trouble shooting they admit there is no w&d. We packed with cleaning our own clothes in mind, so now we will have to find a local laundry service, costing us money & time. How to handle?

I’m a new VRBO host (6 months) and could use some honest advice from other hosts/travelers on how you would handle this situation.

I had a 7-night booking for about $9k during college graduation weekend in a college town, so probably our busiest weekend. Unfortunately my cleaner/property manager dropped the ball badly before check-in. The guests arrived and found:

tools/power washer left outside

landscaping not fully cleaned up for the season

food left in the fridge/freezer

hot tub dirty and low on water

The guests called me upset shortly after arrival. I immediately responded and had someone at the property within about 1 hour to start correcting everything. I also offered:

immediate remediation

Full dinner reimbursement to the most expensive restaurant in town, so we could fix these issues while they're at dinner. I initially said I could offer a $1k refund and they asked for a 50% refund ($4.5k). I said I thought it would be best for us to show up, access the property and fix the issues before offering a refund that large.

When we showed up the guest was very upset and decided to leave the property before remediation was completed and opened a formal VRBO complaint requesting a full refund for the unused stay. We even gave them a $100 bottle of champagne, which they took, as they left.

A few additional details:

The listing photos accurately reflect the property/grounds (it’s more rustic/natural landscaping, not manicured). They said the biggest issue was the landscaping. However, It's on a lake and the woods are protected lands, they complained about leaves and not being able to safely walk through the woods that face the lake.

The house itself was usable and not unsafe in any way. They even said it looked nicer than the photos.

This happened last night and they did not spend the night, I am now writing this in the morning.

I fully acknowledge the turnover issues were unacceptable especially for an expensive stay and I’m not trying to avoid responsibility for that. I’m just trying to understand realistically:

Does this sound like a full refund situation?

Was offering 50% already too much?

How would VRBO likely handle this?

Would you try to settle further or hold firm at this point?

Looking for honest opinions from hosts or experienced travelers as I already have about $50k of bookings through VRBO this summer and I am afraid a bad review might jeopardize that.

my friends and I booked a home back in advance (october 2025) for 4 days and 3 nights in July 2026. We booked in advance because we are attending a festival and knew prices would rise A LOT. the host contacted us saying the “home owner is selling the home” and she had to cancel all future reservations. There are 10 of us that booked this house because it would fit everyone and is close to where we need to be. Now, she is offering to transfer us into another home hosted by her but it isn’t available on the first day that we arrive in the city. If we all book a hotel for the first night and go to the other house after it will end up costing us what we spent in total for 4 days 3 nights. Cancelling and getting refund is possible but booking a home for all of us now, less than 2 months away will cost us DOUBLE what we paid. What should we do??? We booked so far in advance so we didn’t have to pay insane prices.

I have a question for seasoned Vrbo guests or hosts.

I have used short term rental platforms, especially Airbnb, for many years. This is the first time I've encountered this.

The VRBO house instructions say you can get a "discounted" cleaning rate if you do certain tasks on departure. One of those tasks is not only to strip the bed, but to remake it with clean linens. I probably over 100 stays, I have never seen such a thing before.

Apart from it being unusual, why on earth would I as a guest trust that the former tenant had changed the sheets. Why would the host assume that?

Has anyone heard of this policy before? You have the option to refuse to do it (along with the usual extra tasks like taking out the trash, stripping the bed, washing dishes) though you incur an extra $50 fee, but that's not really the issue.

Interested in experiences! I'm now paranoid that the former tenant didn't change the sheets. I don't have evidence of that, but how do I know?

I've paid several thousand dollars for a trip coming up in 2 weeks and just got a message stating that I'm going to need to sign up again to keep the reservation because they are under new management. It feels like a scam. The account is the same but the name is different.

I’m exploring places to stay in Asheville this summer, but I can’t help but notice the lack of reviews on VRBO… most of what’s available on Airbnb have at least 20+ reviews, but most on vrbo have maybe 10.

Is there a reason for this? Does Vrbo filter reviews? Am I overthinking it? Lol

I found a place on with only 10 reviews (all positive) but the lack of them makes me wonder…

Hello, I'm buying a successful VRBO that will close in 2.5 months. How does VRBO handle a sale? I really want the seller to keep taking reservations as this will be the peak time for income. I understand I cannot assume his listing, etc. (or can I?). How does VRBO handle the future reservations and deposits, etc? Do I have to make a new page for myself after the sale? I understand the reviews can transfer. Would love to know how this is handled as I just went under contract. Thanks to you all!