Vrbo is an abbreviation for Vacation Rentals by Owner, and it is a website that does exactly what it says.
It is a website where property owners may post their vacation homes for rent, tourists can book them, and it handles the transaction.
Its residences range from enormous mountain cabins suited for a group ski vacation to more traditional suburban homes to exotic structures such as Costa Rica’s “Cockpit Cabana,” where you literally sleep inside an airplane.
Table of Contents
What is Vrbo?
Let us begin with the name. You might be wondering what’s behind the name of this vacation rental platform, which is pronounced “verbo.”
It was founded in 1995 as Vacation Rentals By Owner, which was later abbreviated as VRBO.
It was one of the first websites that allowed vacation home owners to post their properties for sale online. A decade later, HomeAway purchased many vacation rental websites to form a consolidated vacation rental marketplace. VRBO was one of these acquisitions, and by 2005, it had grown to offer over 60,000 properties.
What is Vrbo Account?
A Vrbo account allows you to view a variety of vacation rental information on our website. This includes seeing booked excursions, communicating with hosts, and reviewing previous reviews. If you do not already have an account, you will be required to create one at the time of booking.
About Vrbo
It pioneered a new way for people to travel together in 1995, connecting homeowners with family and friends looking for someplace to stay.
We had one goal in mind: to give individuals the space they needed to escape away from the distractions of everyday life and simply be together.
We’ve now expanded into a global community of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties all around the world. It makes it simple and enjoyable to book cabins, condos, beach cottages, and other types of accommodations.
It is a subsidiary of Expedia Group and provides homeowners and property managers with access to over 750 million monthly visits to Expedia Group sites. Visit www.vrbo.com for additional information.
Vrbo, an Expedia Group subsidiary, 2022 Every right is reserved. HomeAway’s trademarks include Vrbo, HomeAway, the Vrbo logo, and the HomeAway logo.
What do people think about Vrbo?
It has been around for a decade longer than Airbnb, so it has a loyal following as well as some strong opinions. As of April 28, 2020, it has a rating of 2/5 on Consumer Affairs and a rating of 4.3/5 on Trustpilot.
It has recently received a slew of bad reviews from both property owners and visitors, many of which criticize the company’s handling of cancellations and refunds linked to the COVID-19 problem.
Even without omitting its COVID-19 policies, property owners believe the site’s payment policy is unfavorable, the site charges exorbitant fees, and it’s difficult to contact a customer service person.
Positive reviews, on the other hand, praise its high-quality guests, the accuracy of their search results algorithm, and the friendliness of their customer support professionals.
How do I log into my Vrbo account?
- Go to vrbo.com to access your Vrbo account.
- From the Log in drop-down box, select Owner Login.
- Enter your email address and password for your account.
- Click Log in.
- Perform two-factor authentication if required.
Vrbo App
With its smartphone app, Vrbo offers to plan the “ideal vacation.” You can look for over 2 million distinct places to stay in over 190 countries. (It’s available on iOS and Android.)
Pros: The new Trip Boards feature in Vrbo’s app makes it simple to find and share vacation properties with friends and family. The software excels at showing rather than informing, with large photographs taking center stage.
Cons: Non-American renters occasionally complain about glitchy software or currency misunderstanding.
Its renters also complain about the excessive costs.
What is a Premier Host on Vrbo?
Vrbo Premier Host is a free invitation-only program that gives you a competitive advantage if you are a competent enough Host.
The initiative, according to it, “recognizes owners and managers that continuously deliver exceptional traveler experiences.”
So, when you satisfy certain performance standards, you are immediately promoted to Premier Host status.
Vrbo Owner Login
To begin using the platform, just register, then utilize the Vrbo owner login to begin displaying your vacation rental properties for travelers to browse and book.
How to Create a Vrbo Account
Creating a Vrbo account is an easy process.
Take the following steps:
- Go to their official website (vrbo.com) and click on “sell your property” in the upper right-hand corner.
- You will next be asked to give information about your property, such as its size and address.
- After entering your name, email address, and custom password, you will be given an estimate of how much you could earn by renting out your house.
- Select “Continue”
- Confirm your property’s location.
- Upload images of your house.
- Enter the necessary security details.
- Establish payment methods
- Mention your fee.
- Make your reservation public.
Getting started with Vrbo Owner login
If you own a vacation home and want to make some money from rentals, it is the appropriate platform for you.
Furthermore, it is simple to register and access the owner login to get started.
To log in as an owner, follow these steps:
- Open the Vrbo owner login page.
- Type in your email address
- Enter the password you choose when you registered for the Vrbo rental management page.
- After entering your information, click ‘Sign in’ or press enter on your keyboard.
Accessing Property Listing Through Login
When a company or a guest is looking to reserve any type of vacation rental, they want as much information as possible. The dashboard will be accessible once you log in to your Vrbo owner page. You can enter all of your rental details here. Having easy access to the location where you need to create your Vrbo listing will set you up for rental success.
Using the Vrbo Login to Check Fees
After logging in, a host who uses Vrbo to list their vacation rentals for management and bookings can simply check their account. Owners may simply keep track of what Vrbo costs they owe, or go through the process of switching from a subscription to a pay-per-booking option, for example.
Vrbo Customer Service
One of the numerous advantages of using Vrbo is the ease of use and enormous amount of data provided. It is not essential to use your login to contact Vrbo customer care. You might have some vacation rentals that you wish to sell on the site as a homeowner but aren’t sure how.
You will find a lot of help in the help area.
You can also speak with a salesperson regarding your rentals directly. When a family is ready to leave, they can also contact customer support. They can do this if they need assistance with booking or have any other questions.
If you have any issues regarding using your account, please call 1-877-202-4291 (US) or visit help.vrbo.com. You can locate commonly asked questions on their website, which may help you get an answer without having to call customer service.
Using Vrbo Phone Number
Even while checking in and making an account on Vrbo are simple operations, they can be challenging at times.
Any host can contact them using their phone number if necessary. However, checking the help section first may be sufficient.
If guests have any questions, they can consult this resource.
If they want to book but can’t locate the information they need on the website, this is a useful resource to use.
From the login to the dashboard
Anyone with a rental property can utilize our property rental management and listing website. After logging in, the homeowner is taken to their own personalized dashboard, where they have complete control over their listing. All that is required to fully utilize the website is to log in and begin listing any type of vacation rental property.
Vrbo’s 2022 U.S. Vacation Homes of the Year
- Big Sky, Montana: This secluded mountain lodge is set on 20 acres near Yellowstone National Park. Hiking, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and fishing are popular activities for outdoor enthusiasts, but the vistas are what keep this property on the list.
- Broken Bow, Oklahoma: This pet-friendly modern cabin is popular among extended families, multi-generational groups, and families with children. This lodge sleeps 18 guests and has a large outdoor grilling area as well as a game room with twelve bunk beds.
- East Hampton, New York: This modern home is within a few minutes’ walk from Georgica Beach.
The gourmet kitchen, private pool, and 15-foot movie screen in the house’s home cinema have received 35 5-star assessments from guests.
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee: This quaint cottage has received fifty 5-star evaluations.
It is close to Dollywood and the Smoky Mountain National Park and offers outside lawn games, inside arcade games, and a pool table for competitive customers or families with children.
- Hawaii Island, Hawaii: This beachside getaway overlooks the Pacific Ocean and offers daily views of whales, dolphins, and the sunset.
The infinity pool is a pleasant alternative for tourists seeking a peaceful vacation away from crowded resorts.
- Hilton Head, South Carolina: This luxurious beachfront house’s host has been in the vacation rental business for over a decade.
This villa features spectacular ocean views, a heated pool, a fully equipped chef’s kitchen, and personal property concierge services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Palm Springs, California: This stylish refuge in the Little Tuscany district includes a pool, alfresco eating areas, and an outdoor kitchen, colorful art and furniture throughout the holiday house, and even a Peloton bike for visitors to utilize.
- Santa Rosa Beach, Florida: This beachfront beach house in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida has nearly fifty 5-star reviews and sleeps sixteen people.
This vacation home’s host has been with Vrbo for 15 years, and his property includes its own private pool and balconies with views of the surf.
- Sawyer, Michigan: The owners of this modern residence near Lake Michigan have been renting out their property for the past six years.
This hideaway is a short walk or bike ride from Warren Dunes State Park, and guests appreciate the several outdoor gathering places around the hot tub and firepit.
- Telluride, Colorado: This mountain lodge, located between Telluride ski resort and Mountain Village, is ideal for adventurous visitors and environment lovers.
The mansion is called “Overlook Haus” because of the stunning mountain vistas from practically every room.
Vrbo vs Airbnb?
In many ways, the experience of searching for properties on Vrbo is identical to that of Airbnb.
The primary difference between the two platforms is that Vrbo is just for whole-home rentals, and you will always have the entire house to yourself.
Airbnb, on the other hand, emphasizes hospitality and markets the value of a good host, whereas Vrbo is only focused on the property.
In reality, unlike on Airbnb, hosts and tourists do not have their own profile sites.
This means you can’t go to a reviewer’s profile to check if they write excessively harsh or favorable ratings, nor can you go to a host’s page to see what other properties they have and read the reviews for those.
Vrbo, on the other hand, has its own version of Airbnb’s Superhosts, which they name Premier Partners.
These are proprietors who have a low cancellation rate and an average guest rating of more than 4.5.
However, even these requirements are not as stringent as those required by Airbnb, where Superhosts must average a 4.8 rating to obtain Superhost rank. Furthermore, comparing pricing on Vrbo is more difficult than on Airbnb. To access the entire breakdown of costs for many Vrbo listings, you must click through to the final listing page, whereas Airbnb is more upfront about this information on its listings.
What is Vrbo’s Cancellation Policy?
You’ll need to examine individual listings’ cancellation conditions, which include the following alternatives according to it:
- No Refund – This is the most stringent policy, which means that no refunds are given for any reason.
- Strict – To receive a complete refund, bookings must be canceled at least 60 days before the start of the stay.
- Firm – Bookings canceled 60 days or more prior to the start of the stay will be refunded in full.
Cancellations made between 60 and 30 days before the start of the stay will receive a 50% refund.
- Moderate (recommended) – Cancellations made 30 days or more before the start of the stay receive a full refund.
Bookings canceled at least 14 days in advance receive a 50% refund.
- Relaxed – Bookings canceled 14 days or more before the start of the stay will be refunded in full.
Cancellations made at least 7 days before the start of the stay will receive a 50% refund.
How Much Does Vrbo Charge to Guests?
Payment methods vary slightly amongst vacation rental websites.
Its price structure in this scenario is based on a service fee that charges guests between 6% and 15% of the booking’s subtotal.
When you book a short-term rental, the company may ask for a damage deposit.
The service fee is calculated based on the cost of the reservation; typically, the bigger the payment, the lower the proportion of the price.
How Do You List a Property on Vrbo?
If you want to add your property listing to this short term rental brand and already have listings on other rental sites, You. Rentals can accomplish so fast and easily.
You can manage your listings on numerous sites, including Vrbo, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, and many others, using our Property Manager software.
You can also interact directly with guests from various platforms and manage all of your clients’ communications. In order to improve your booking revenue, we also promote direct booking. You may read about all of the advantages of having a Property Management System here.
Vrbo is a major rental website where hundreds of thousands of hosts offer their holiday rental units. It has around 2 million listings worldwide. It is a well-established brand in the market, and with the Expedia Group’s recent new brand strategy, a good recovery from the pandemic is projected. Create a free account in Your.Rentals today to list on Vrbo and dozens of other channels from a single platform!
FAQs
Who owns Vrbo?
Expedia Group currently owns Vrbo after purchasing HomeAway for 3.9 billion US dollars. The Expedia Group is a massive online travel corporation that owns eight other major companies, including Expedia.com, Trivago, and Hotels.com.
Is Vrbo safe?
Yes, in theory. It is a genuine vacation rental provider with risk-mitigation measures in place. However, because this is a company in which strangers enter your home (and you enter a stranger’s home), problems can develop.
Is there a charge for the vrbo app?
What is the Vrbo service fee? It charges a 5% service fee. It is based on the entire rental price, including all fees but excluding taxes and refundable deposits.
Does Vrbo have 24 hour customer service?
Its Customer Support is available by online chat and phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Can you get scammed on VRBO?
The biggest warning flag that a listing is a scam, according to Couch-Friedman, is being requested to leave a listing platform like Vrbo or Airbnb in order to give payment. A phony real estate owner will request $500, for example, via an online payment mechanism such as Zelle.
Is VRBO safer than Airbnb?
Airbnb is the more secure of the two corporations. This is because Airbnb includes houses that can be shared, whereas Vrbo concentrates solely on individual homes that may not look to be safe.
Is Vrbo a trusted site?
It is a trustworthy vacation rental site; nonetheless, sensible visitors typically conduct their own research to increase the chances of having a pleasant stay in someone else’s house. Take note of the amenities specified in the advertisement, as well as the reviews and cancellation policy details.
