Your Vacation Rental Is About to Get Pricier, and Vrbo Is the Reason

Vrbo is raising the commission it charges hosts to 12 percent, more than double what some pay today, with the change taking effect on October 29. At the same time it is eliminating or sharply reducing the fees guests see at checkout.

It mirrors a move Airbnb made in 2025, when it dropped guest fees and raised host commissions to 15.5 percent. The trade-off is that the money has to come from somewhere, and Skift reports that travelers are likely to pay through higher nightly rates rather than visible fees.

The reaction from property managers has been sharper than it was for Airbnb. One vacation-rental technology executive said people feel more violated by Vrbo’s increase, because many hosts had viewed the platform as friendlier than its rival. Expedia Group sent senior leaders and account managers to the Vacation Rental Management Association conference in Nashville to address the concerns.

Vrbo also plans to ease its rate parity rule, which restricts hosts from listing lower prices elsewhere, though details were not available. For travelers, the practical advice is to compare the total price, not the headline rate, and to check whether booking direct with a host is now cheaper.

Sources: Skift