About the Vrbo Host Communication Policy

For booking dates starting January 1, 2025 onward, we’re enforcing rules for hosts about providing guests with critical information for their stay. 

The Host Communication Policy outlines the expected timeframes for hosts to provide check-in instructions and reply to guests’ queries, preventing stay-related issues.
 

Host Communication Policy 

Answering critical questions
You must answer critical questions from guests in accordance with the timeline below:

• 5+ days pre-stay: answer within 24 hours
• 2 - 4 days pre-stay: answer within 12 hours
• On the guest’s check-in day and during their stay: answer within 1 hour (for messages received between 8 am and 9 pm in the property’s time zone).

Examples of critical questions include; access instructions, arrival concerns, missing or broken key amenities, health and safety concerns, property location, outages, weapons, accessibility, and service animals.

• Note: You must provide a resolution to the specific issue or inform the guest when it will be resolved. Using an ‘automatic reply’ is not sufficient.

Access or Check-in instructions
You must inform guests how to check in or access your property at least 72 hours before their scheduled check-in time. Use one of the options below:

A. Property access instructions: Provide the guest with detailed access instructions in either your Welcome Guide, listing description, Reservation Manager or through the Vrbo messaging platform
(For example, include guidance in your listing description about picking up a key from the office upon check-in.)

B. Check-in process: Inform the guest when and how they’ll receive the property access details.
(For example, explain in your listing description or a message to the guest that you will email a door code at 9 AM EST on the day of check-in.)

Vrbo’s actions

• Depending on the issue, we will either provide the necessary information or contact you for a resolution so the guest can proceed with their stay.
• If we’re unable to resolve the issue or reach you, we’ll cancel the booking, refund the guest, and help the guest find somewhere else to stay. 

Penalties
In accordance with our Marketplace Standards and Partner-Initiated Cancellation Policy, if we have to cancel a booking because you didn’t provide critical information, you may have to pay a financial penalty (cancellation fee) and your listing may display lower in search results.

• Note: If you’re granted a waiver for the cancellation, you’re not required to pay the cancellation fee. See details on waiver reasons and timelines.

Listing suspension
Following the cancellation, you have 10 days to submit a valid waiver or receive a listing suspension. See the timeline below:

• Day 1: Booking cancellation. 
• Day 1-10: Waiver submission period. 
• Day 11: Listing is suspended for 7 days (if no valid waiver is submitted). 
• Day 18: Listing reinstated.