Vrbo's 12% host fee: what changes for owners
Vrbo moves most hosts to a single 12% commission on October 29. Here's what it costs a $600 night, who it hits hardest, and what to check before you change your rates.
October 16, 2026
Checked October 16, 2026.
For a lot of owners, Vrbo was the quiet second listing: lower fees, fewer messages, a hedge against Airbnb. That hedge is getting more expensive. Starting October 29, Vrbo moves most hosts to a single 12% commission.
What is Vrbo changing?
Vrbo's parent company, Expedia Group, says in its announcement that hosts on pay-per-booking will pay a flat 12% commission, and that the 12% includes payment processing. Rates can run from 12% to 15% in some regions, and your exact rate is shown in your Vrbo Dashboard.
Vrbo's help page says the commission applies to the rental amount plus the fees you charge, including cleaning and pet fees.
For most hosts, that's an increase:
- Pay-per-booking, no software: about 8% today (5% commission plus 3% processing), rising to 12%.
- Connected through property management software: 5% today, rising to 12%.
- Annual subscription: moving to pay-per-booking at 12%.
Those before-and-after rates come from Vrbo's September 29 email to hosts, as reported by Rental Scale-Up.
One difference from Airbnb matters for pricing: guests on Vrbo still pay a service fee. So the price a guest sees at checkout can move even when your rate doesn't.
When does it take effect?
Expedia Group says changes begin October 29, 2026. If you're on an annual subscription, you switch at the end of your subscription term, not on October 29. Bookings made before the change keep the previous rate.
If you paid an annual fee, check the expiry date on each listing so you know when your switch happens.
What 12% looks like in dollars
- One $600 night: $72
- A five-night, $3,000 stay: $360
- $60,000 in annual bookings: $7,200
For a host paying about 8% today, that same $60,000 cost $4,800. The move to 12% adds $2,400 a year. For a software-connected host at 5%, it adds $4,200.
Remember the commission also applies to cleaning and other fees you charge, so your real number will be a little higher than the nightly rate suggests.
If you use booking software
Check how your software handles the new commission. Hospitable, for example, tells its users that Vrbo bills the commission to the credit card on file in your Vrbo account, not through your Hospitable payout. If your software shows an old commission rate, update it so your owner statements match what you actually pay.
Owners who process their own payments should also confirm with Vrbo what their total deduction will be.
How this compares with Airbnb
Airbnb has also moved home hosts to a single host-paid fee. Airbnb's fee guidance says most hosts on the single fee pay 15.5%, and its migration notice gave September 15 for most hosts and October 13 for hosts in the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
On a $600 night, that's $93 on Airbnb against $72 on Vrbo. But the guest totals differ: Airbnb guests no longer pay a separate service fee, while Vrbo guests still do. Our Airbnb fee explainer covers that change in detail.
What to check before changing your rates
- Find your rate. Open your Vrbo Dashboard and confirm the commission for each listing.
- Check your switch date. If you're on a subscription, note when each one expires.
- Update your markup. If your Vrbo markup was set for 5% to 8%, review it so your payout stays where you want it.
- Compare a real checkout on both platforms. Price a short stay and a full week on Vrbo and Airbnb with the same dates and guest count, all the way to checkout. The nightly rate can look right while the guest total is off.
- Start a fee log. Once a month, note total booked and total fees on Vrbo, the same on Airbnb, and anything booked directly. After a season you'll know what each channel really costs. To see a full season at once, run your numbers through the fee calculator.
Questions owners are asking
Is payment processing included in the 12%? Expedia Group says yes for pay-per-booking hosts. If you process payments yourself, confirm with Vrbo.
Do guests still pay a Vrbo service fee? Yes. That's different from Airbnb's host-only fee.
Does my subscription end on October 29? No. Subscription hosts switch at the end of their term.
Do existing reservations change? No. Bookings made before the change keep the previous rate.
A direct website is another way to book
You don't have to leave the platforms to build a direct channel. Most direct bookings come from guests who already know you: repeat guests, referrals, people searching your property's name, and your Google Business Profile. A site gives them a way to book you without a commission.
A direct site still has costs, including design, booking software and processing, so don't count every avoided commission as profit. And follow each platform's rules: don't steer guests who found you on Vrbo or Airbnb to book elsewhere.
For owners where it makes sense, Host Direct is our custom website service for luxury rentals, built around the booking software you already use. Builds start at $4,500 for one or two homes.
Keep Vrbo. Just stop paying 12% on guests who were already looking for you.
Estimates only. Your account terms and statements determine the fees you actually pay. This isn't legal, tax or financial advice.
