Guests should cancel their own reservations through their account, even if the booking is not eligible for a full refund. This ensures the cancellation is properly recorded and avoids penalties for the host. 

If the guest is unable to cancel on their own—especially for reservations not eligible for a refund—they should contact Vrbo support for assistance. Hosts should avoid canceling on behalf of the guest, as partner-initiated cancelations may impact ranking metrics and result in fees unless a waiver is granted.  

In some cases, guests may not be able to cancel their reservation instantly and will instead submit a cancellation request, which requires host approval.  

When a guest submits a cancellation request, the booking status will appear as Cancellation Requested in your inbox. These are not considered host-initiated cancellations and will not result in penalties or fees when you approve them. 

Cancel a guest’s booking as a host 

  1. Log in to your account.  
  2. Select the property (if you have multiple properties).  
  3. Go to Inbox.  
  4. Use Filters to narrow down your conversations.  
    • You can also search by the guest's name or reservation ID (Res ID) in the search bar.    
  5. Select the guest's name.  
  6. Select Cancel booking.  
  7. Select the cancellation reason.  
  8. Include a message to the guest explaining why the reservation is being cancelled.  
  9. Review the refund amount and select Continue.  
    • Full refunds are required for all partner-initiated cancellations except for instances of house rule violations.  
  10. Review cancellation terms to understand the impacts before proceeding. 
  11. Select Cancel reservation to confirm and process the refund. 

The booking will be updated to show a canceled status, and any applicable fees will appear below the cancellation status. If you have requested a cancellation waiver and it is approved, it will be reflected in the booking details. 

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