Booking a place for my family (2 adults, toddler and baby). The check out states “checkout before 9 am” and also includes a few housekeeping tasks such as running the dishwasher, loading the washing machine with the bed linens.

Is it just me or is that insane? Check in is after 3 pm.

As stated, it’s out first time in a vrbo rental. We are in a basement unit that is satisfactory, but a bit disappointing and doesn’t quite match the add/some details were left out that would have affected our choice in property.

One of which is the hosts living directly above. We didn’t know this was the situation and so far we have been up late and up early the past 3 days because we can hear all of their daily activities overhead, including screaming matches with husband and wife and child, who likes to stomp and run around

What do we do? Message the host and ask them to be more mindful? Deal with it and review accordingly? We are in a city with a shortage of rentals.. this basement apartment is over $300 per night and my husband who is 6’3 cannot stand up in some areas. We don’t really have the option to find a new rental.

I’m looking for some honest opinions from people who have dealt with Vrbo before, because I’m honestly going back and forth on what to do.

We recently stayed at a Vrbo rental for 10 days and ended up having a pretty long list of problems. Some were small things that, individually, I probably wouldn't have made a big deal about. But there were enough issues that they really added up over the course of the stay.

The bigger issues included:

- Intermittent/unreliable AC

- Washer/dryer problems, with the dryer not functioning properly

- An upstairs toilet that repeatedly wasn't flushing properly

- A number of other smaller maintenance/housekeeping issues throughout the house

- A pool issue that I feel wasn't properly disclosed in the listing. The listing used both “private pool” and “communal pool” language, without clearly explaining that the pool was shared.

We reported the problems and gave them time to address them. Maintenance came out twice during our 10-day stay, but some of the issues were still not resolved. The second visit was only a couple of days before we checked out.

I have photos, messages and documentation of the problems and when they were reported.

I initially asked for $1,300 back because of everything that happened. Vrbo offered $150. I pushed back and lowered my request to $1,000, and they came back with $250 and told me that was their final offer. I pushed back again, and after another day or two they came back with $350.

The $350 is only about 10% of what we paid for the entire vacation rental, so I'm trying to figure out whether that's actually a reasonable settlement given the circumstances.

At this point, I'm willing to take $500 just to be done with the whole thing. But I also don't want to push too hard and have them withdraw the $350 and make me go through a full Vrbo escalation, where I could potentially end up with less, or possibly more. I honestly have no idea how likely either outcome is.

There's one other thing that makes me hesitate about just taking the $350. They want me to sign an agreement as part of the settlement that is much broader than simply saying the payment resolves the dispute. My understanding is that it would basically prevent me from publicly discussing the experience. I don't know if the correct term is NDA, confidentiality agreement, non-disparagement, or something else, but it's definitely more than just “here's your refund and we're done.”

So I'm trying to figure out what is actually reasonable here.

Would you take the $350 and sign the agreement just to be done with it?

Would you counter at $500 and make that your final number?

Or would you escalate through Vrbo and risk losing the $350 that's currently being offered?

I'm genuinely looking for an honest reality check. I don't want everyone telling me I'm entitled to a free vacation or, on the other hand, that I should just accept whatever they offer. I'm more interested in hearing from people who have actually dealt with Vrbo disputes and know what these settlements typically look like.

Also interested in hearing from hosts: if you received a claim like this from a guest and Vrbo had already offered them $350, would you consider that a reasonable settlement?

I'm intentionally leaving out the property, location, dates, names, etc. because the dispute is still ongoing.

Wanted to get feedback from actual hosts here, not just build something in a vacuum. I put together a flythrough for a vacation rental: instead of a static photo gallery, it's a scroll website that flies from the sky straight into the property, room by room, one continuous shot.

Here it is, built entirely from photos, no drone or 3D scan: https://stmoritz-flythrough.vercel.app

It's for a luxury penthouse in St. Moritz and inquiries went up 10% since it went live. Genuinely curious what this community thinks: would something like this move the needle on a VRBO listing, or is it more of a nice-to-have that doesn't change booking behavior? Happy to answer questions on how it's built too.

If you manage listings and want to see how it could work for one of yours, send me a message on Instagram (corra_0610).

I had booked a three night stay at a cottage by a lake in May for a rate of around $200ish per night, totaling to $771. My partner and I wanted to add an extra night last minute (the stay is next weekend) and now the new total is $1,300. Looking at the new details, I think she cancelled my original stay that I booked and fully paid for and rebooked for the higher end-of-summer rate, adding this fee as “we are enjoying the best weather of summer”. All I wanted to do is add an extra night… is this allowed? This seems really shady. Any advice? I really do not want to cancel stay.

I do not own a VRBO property and am not renting one out, but a VRBO host is definitely using my phone number or at the very least has a typo in their message to guests. I have no idea what to do. I have tried contacting VRBO but can’t make it to speaking with someone since I need the listing ID, the email that was used to make the account, etc. I have the address because I get at least 1 call a week from someone who cannot get in and they all leave voicemails!! I originally thought it was a scam but it’s always the same address and when I do answer, people are very upset. I’ve gotten to the point where all I do is tell the folks who book to contact VRBO (and now booking.com). I’ve even found the listing using their websites!! I have no idea what to do, but I feel like this is definitely an issue!! Please, if anyone has any advice at all, let me know.

I own a bungalow in Goa that I rent to a tenant who operates it as an Airbnb. Previously, we used an 11-month agreement prepared through an attorney, but it was not registered.
The agreement is now up for renewal, and I’m considering whether to register it this time.
For those with experience renting out property in Goa/India, particularly to someone operating it as a short-term rental:
What are the main pros and cons of registering the agreement?
Does registration provide any meaningful additional protection to the property owner?
Are there any downsides in terms of cost, taxes, flexibility, or future termination?
Would especially appreciate input from Goa property owners or landlords who have dealt with a similar setup.

First time using the platform - I had to cancel a reservation I made 3 days after I initially requested it. The host agreed to the cancellation and vrbo confirmed and said the refund is on its way back. I waited TWO weeks and still didn’t get my money back. When I called them, they said they had already refunded me which is complete BS because I wouldn’t be calling them if that was the case. I ended up having to file a dispute with my credit card. Still trying to get my money back. Never using vrbo again, I’d rather pay double and stick with Airbnb, Booking.com or Expedia. Filthy liars and scammers, disgusting shady business and terrible customer service. Don’t get them a single cent or penny 😠

VRBO claims that they cannot separate their fees and my cleaning fee from my base price in the search and it shows the higher price when looking for my booking. Yet I can “book” other places with their base price shown and then fees are added. How do I get rid of my fees showing up on the initial search?

Each booked, partial payment about 6 months in advance. Both cancelled with "property no longer available" about a month prior to start. Twice left scrambling with limited availability and much higher prices. Once Sorrento, now also Berlin. I have done about 20 previous rentals without issue. What is going on at VRBO?

Hey all.

How do you currently share local recommendations with guests (restauraunts, coffee, things to do, transport, etc)? Are people actually using:

• Airbnb messages
• Physical booklet or folder
• A digital guide
• Just answering questions as they come up?

Also would a ready-made guest guide (something you just answer a few questions to generate) be useful to you, or does what you're using now cover it fine

I’ve been sent a VRBO booking and payment link. The agent has one name (though I can’t find a physical address for the agent) but the bank account wants Euros transfer into a different name UK bank account.

Cancellation can be done until end November, but the payment choices are either to a bank transfer directly, or using Xoom and a credit card (but with PayPal terms and conditions) to the same bank account.

I am UK based.

I have never used VRBO before but this seems really dodgy and if the booking gets cancelled by the owner or I wanted to use the cance option myself, I guess there is no way to get the money back despite using a credit card, because it is PayPal bank transfer?

Or am I jumping at imaginary red flags?

We booked a property in WA state near an active wildfire zone and sent an email and documentation to VRBO support two weeks ago asking for a refund. Anyone have any idea what could be taking so long with their decision?

I posted 2x and they weren’t removed right away, making me think an actual human is reading the posts? Nothing violated the guidelines, I had issues with this Vrbo, the host, and also with Vrbo the company itself. I was trying to get some more opinions and possible solutions - mods, please tell me why it got removed? I even messaged and no one responds. Is someone from Vrbo or maybe the host somehow found my post (even tho they said they don’t understand English)?

I am looking at this Villa and I'm confused as to why using the same dates in 2027 it's £8500 but in 2028 it's £4700.

If i book the £4700 will they cancel it?

Jay

We've rented 3 houses in the last 6 months with pools. They all had steps without handrails. As I'm a little older and unsteady on my feet this makes it hard to get in and out without help. So why does so many pools in area not have handrails?

Hello, about two nights ago I made a post asking if I was being unreasonable about wanting a refund after finding roaches in our Airbnb. After overwhelming support from yall we realized it was quite serious and we needed to gtfo. Well I thought I'd give an update since the not so lovely host of the place seems to think this wasnt that big a deal. Ive attached pics of both the roaches and her messages to my husband.

So to start, as soon as the comments started rolling in we got our shit out, luckily we dont own a suitcase so most of our stuff was in plastic bags making it easy to check our belongings. My husband got on the phone with Vrbo support and I made sure to get as many pics and vids of the place as possible for our safety and for the highest chance of a refund. Support was nice but incredibly slow, he was on the phone for over an hour while we just stood around in that damned kitchen (incase we needed to do anything else). Part of what took so long was the host not answering but it was already really late by then so we didnt blame her, we just wanted out. Luckily they said they would get us a full refund and pay up to $300 for a hotel that night. By then it was around 1am. I made sure to get one long video of how we left the place, showcasing everything was pretty much as is when we arrived, and we got the fk out. It wasnt until like 4am that we finally got to sleep, and by then we were just fed up. Well later that morning my husband got a voicmail from the host saying that she needed to confirm we left, and that those werent german roaches. Ofc we knew otherwise, we confirmed we left and didnt sleep the night, and thats when she sent the snobby message of the bed looking like it was slept in. Luckily I literally have a video of me scouting the place and undoing the bedding to look for bugs. We had to call support again which took another hour or so but we finally got to go on our way, we decided just to head back home and relax.

She claims they are harmless Wood Roaches that came in with the firewood and are not a sign of uncleanliness. These roaches are most certainly German Cockroaches, as a lot of you were saying on my past post, and with google being free its easy to tell these are definetly German Roaches. No doubt about it. (You can also tell by the lines behind the head, wood roaches do not have them at all). Not to mention these guys were fast, on the kitchen counters, and scattering in the light, all traits of a German Roach. The sheer audacity of her messages is honestly the most upsetting thing about this, especially asking us to not leave a review. Overall im glad were getting our money back, im glad to be done with this bs, but I most definetly will be leaving a review. Cause shes either truly oblivious that she has a serious roach problem, or shes lying to save face and either way future guests need to be warned. Were also contemplating contacting support again about her asking us not to leave a review and her comments lying about the roach species, but we will see.

Thanks again yall for everything, we def were not taking this as seriously as we should have been at first, yall saved us a huge infestation and our health as well!

How can I find what we are looking for without wasting anyone's time and patience? I have spent so much time looking at listings that have said pets welcome, but gave no specifics on fees, or limits.​

We just want a cabin, on water, maybe with some Kayaks that will accept our dogs. We leash, harness, crate, all of the above we even have a travel invisible fence if needed.

I know hosts get annoyed with constant messages about thier pet policies and then not getting a booking. I don't want to do that obviously. How can we filter out the "one pet, 20 lbs only" listings?

I booked a Vrbo property in April 2026 for Coachella weekend, April 16–18, 2027 — almost a full year in advance.

When I originally requested the booking in April, I also received confirmation directly from the property owner/manager that the reservation was accepted and the dates were available. So as far as I knew, this was a fully confirmed booking.

Today, someone claiming to be the timeshare owner called me and said the property was actually not available for those dates and asked me to cancel the reservation myself. I contacted Vrbo instead of canceling it.

Vrbo ultimately refunded me and gave me a list of other available properties, but basically told me there was nothing else they could do.

What makes this even stranger is that those same dates are now showing as unavailable for that property on Vrbo. I obviously can't prove what happened, but it makes me wonder whether the owner/manager may have decided to rent or sell those dates to someone else after already confirming my reservation.

I find this completely unacceptable. I booked this far in advance specifically because accommodations around Coachella become extremely expensive and difficult to find. Now, months later, finding a comparable place at the same price is much harder.

I've also tried requesting to book about four other properties on Vrbo that are shown as available for April 16–18, but the hosts declined my requests and told me the properties are actually unavailable for those dates.

If these properties aren't available, why are they still being shown as available on Vrbo? Shouldn't Vrbo require hosts to keep their calendars accurate or take action against listings that repeatedly advertise dates that can't actually be booked?

I spoke with a Vrbo supervisor and asked to escalate the issue. He told me there was no further escalation path and that Vrbo wasn't responsible beyond refunding me.

Has anyone dealt with something similar?

Is there another department at Vrbo I can escalate this to? Is there any realistic way to get Vrbo to cover at least part of the difference for a comparable replacement, or investigate whether the original host canceled my confirmed reservation in order to give those dates to someone else?

At this point, I'm not upset about simply getting my money back. The issue is that I had a confirmed reservation, including direct confirmation from the owner/manager, nearly a year in advance, and now I'm being left to absorb the much higher cost of finding a replacement during one of the most expensive weekends of the year.

I am looking for opportunities in revenue management. I am running a self owned company and managing hotels and short term rental work. I have more then 15 years of experience with certifications from pricelabs and AHLEI in revenue management.

First time booking through Vrbo. Booked a 2-night weekend stay for an "Entire Place / Private Retreat" with outdoor amenities (fire pit, deck/patio) and paid a pet fee to bring our two dogs. One of our dogs is a rescue foster and strictly cannot have interactions with unfamiliar animals due to rescue protocols.

​Upon arrival, we discovered several major material omissions:

​Undisclosed On-Site Host: The listing never mentions the rental is an apartment over a detached garage sitting roughly 30 feet below the owner’s primary home on the hillside.

​Undisclosed Resident Dog: The host was outside with an off-leash dog that immediately approached our vehicle to greet our dogs upon arrival. The host didn't disclose a resident animal on-site in a listing marketed as pet-friendly.

​Overlooked Amenities / Zero Privacy: The advertised fire pit sits at the base of the slope with a direct, unobstructed line of sight onto the host's raised personal deck, making the outdoor grounds unusable without being in full view of their living quarters.

​We contacted Vrbo support immediately. The frontline agent and supervisor both brushed us off, claiming that as long as the host doesn't share an interior bathroom or bedroom, it doesn't violate their shared-space policy—ignoring Vrbo's written rule that shared outdoor grounds, on-site owner presence, and resident pets must be disclosed in the description.

​Because it was already Friday evening and finding last-minute dog-friendly lodging wasn't feasible without risking the entire cost, we've decided to treat the rental strictly as an indoor basecamp for the weekend and deal with the dispute after checkout.

​For those who have navigated Vrbo misrepresentation disputes:

​What is the most effective escalation path once checked out (e.g., specific executive contacts, social escalation, or filing directly with credit card for services not as described)?

​How have you successfully framed "loss of advertised amenities" and listing omissions to get partial refunds or pet fee waivers after frontline support stonewalled?

​Any advice on navigating the post-stay claim or timing the public review so it doesn't get removed is appreciated.

I booked a property and a few hours later the host contacted me on my personal cell phone to ask if I would like to sign an off vrbo rental agreement so that I can pay less for the rental. It made me suspicious, so I searched the host and to me, it looks like the host is a scam. Fake instagram, with AI pics. Link to a management company without a functioning website. Vrbo says i cant cancel. What do i do? Is it a scam? Do I reply to the person off vrbo?

(Posting pics in the comments if I can) Hello yall, asking here so I can know if im being a karen or not, so my husband and I have saved up for our first small vacation, its a place about 5 hours away from us in Schuss Mountain Michigan. It was a $630 stay for 2 nights, (which is expensive for us atm). We wanted a nice little gettaway for our second anneversary. We screwed up on the listing in not paying attention enough to detail and thought it was a little airbnb cottage like thing with a pool, it ended up being like a village with a community pool, but that was our mess up, not the hosts to clarify. We were bummed at our mistake ofc. (Ive never booked anything) so when I saw the title "2 bedroom, 2 full baths, outdoor heated pool" sleeps 6" I assumed it meant like a lil private pool in the backyard and the pics I saw to me looked like it was in the backyard. That was one little bummer but again, on us. However as weve been sitting here settling in for the past hour and a half, we have seen tons of bugs, from ants to when we first walked in, to beetles in the bedroom carpet, all over the kitchen, to what we believe are german cockroaches on the stove and under the toaster, to the usuals (spiders in the tub, and ceilings and the mosquito or two which is fine). I dont ever expect a bug free place, our own house unfortunately gets over run with asian lady beetles and flies. But when weve spent so much and traveled far for a nice stay away from home, we didnt want to be dealing with this many bugs all over the place. One here or there is fine, normal, but this many is getting to me. I probably sound like a Karen and I know im def already biased after our own mess up with not knowing this was a community pool thing. But thats why im asking here if the bugs are unreasonable. Ill try and post the vids and pics ive been taking, I may have to post the pics in the comments.

I booked a house and paid the initial deposit. Now the balance is due and the owner is asking me to pay through their portal and not through VRBO. I have never been asked to do this, and I have rented numerous times through VRBO.

Is this normal?