What Vrbo charges hosts
On the pay-per-booking model Vrbo charges a 12% commission on the rental amount and every additional fee you charge the traveler (cleaning, pet, boat…), and nothing on taxes, refundable deposits, insurance or the traveler’s service fee (Vrbo Help). When Vrbo processes the payment, the 12% includes processing; with your own processor, Vrbo still takes 12% and your processor’s fees come on top.
| 4 nights at $200 + $120 cleaning | Fees | Fee rate | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vrbo processes payment | $110.40 | 12.0% | $809.60 |
| Own processor at 2.9% | $137.08 | 14.9% | $782.92 |
| With $150 lodging tax | $110.40 | 12.0% | $809.60 |
Vrbo Host Fees: What the 12% Is and Isn't Charged On
The base is everything you charge for the stay: nightly rent plus your cleaning fee and extras. On the booking above that’s $920, so Vrbo’s fee is $110.40, about $27.60 a night. Taxes you collect pass straight through, and a refundable security deposit isn’t commissioned either.
That makes cleaning fees worth a second look. Because they carry the same 12%, a $120 cleaning fee costs you $14.40 in commission; folding part of it into the nightly rate changes nothing on Vrbo’s side, but it can make your listing look cheaper at a glance.
A week-long example
Seven nights at $150 with a $100 cleaning fee is $1,150. Vrbo takes $138, and you receive $1,012 before your own costs. If you collect lodging taxes too, they pass through without commission. The traveler also pays Vrbo a separate service fee at checkout, which doesn’t come out of your payout.
Compare with Airbnb
Same booking, different platform: run it through the Airbnb fee calculator to see which leaves you more. Rent out a car too? The Turo calculator uses the same approach.
