Vrbo’s Marketplace Standards are requirements based on industry best practices to provide guests with a simple, secure, and consistent booking experience. Partners must comply with the applicable Marketplace Policies or Vrbo help articles.

Breaching our Marketplace Standards is a violation of our Terms and Conditions. These standards are intended to minimize risk and provide the best experience possible for you and your guests. Should any of these be violated, your listing is subject to the following:

  • Reduced visibility to guests
  • Penalties that include, but are not limited to, removing or disabling your ability to receive inquiries, demotion or removal from search results, or removal from the listing site altogether without any refund

 

Marketplace Standards

Bookings

  • You must uphold the booking terms from the time of booking and maintain  fair relocation, cancellation, and refund practices.
  • All bookings must be processed through the Vrbo marketplace. Listing content that attempts to direct guests to book outside our checkout flow isn’t permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, language containing URLs, phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses. See Offline booking is not allowed for more information.
  • You must accept a material number of booking requests. While we understand that not all booking requests are desirable for your property, you must accept a material number of requests.
  • You must not cancel a material number of confirmed reservations.

Partner-initiated Cancellation Fee Policy

To maintain traveler trust in our marketplace, it is essential partners honor all confirmed bookings. If a partner cancels an accepted booking, or is responsible for the cancellation, we will charge a tiered partner fee. Additional actions, such as a temporary listing suspension, may also be imposed.

To find out more, please see the Partner-initiated Cancellation Fee Policy.

Extenuating Circumstances Policy

When broad scale travel disruptions prevent or legally prohibit Vrbo travelers from completing their reservation, Vrbo may activate its Extenuating Circumstances Policy, applicable to all bookings made on Vrbo.

Accommodations

  • You must provide safe, clean, and accessible environments.
  • You must accommodate guests with service animals. All property owners and managers with properties located in the United States and U.S. Territories are required to accommodate guests who require the use of a service animal.
  • You must ensure that your property meets all relevant building codes and safety requirements and has all required safety devices (e.g. smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors) installed and maintained in good working order.

Listings

  • How you present your listing should be transparent and accurately represent your listing so that travelers can make informed decisions.
  • The property description must be for the advertised unit only. Don’t use the property description fields to describe additional units.
  • Amenities: Ensure the key amenities stated in your listing are functioning and available for use by the guest (for example, swimming pool, hot tub, Wi-Fi, AC, essential kitchen appliances such as fridge or stove, etc.).

Communications

  • You should communicate with travelers in a prompt manner, with clarity and respect.
  • Your calendar should always be kept accurate. This saves: 
    • Potential guests submitting booking requests for unavailable dates; and
    • You from having to respond to availability requests.
  • Provide property access/check-in instructions, and respond to critical questions from guests in accordance with the Host Communication Policy.

Charges

Your fees, prices, and any other costs associated with a booking must be transparent, reasonable, and fair.

Partner-Collected Fees & Taxes Policy

Effective: May 12th, 2025 (Global)

Transparency builds trust. This policy helps ensure price transparency for travelers by requiring partners to clearly communicate any Fees and Taxes associated with a booking. For details, see the Partner-Collected Fees & Taxes Policy.