Vrbo Fee Calculator
Vrbo is moving pay-per-booking hosts to a single 12% commission on October 29, 2026. Enter a stay to see what Vrbo takes now, what it took under the old 5% + 3%, what Airbnb and Booking.com would take, and the price that keeps your payout the same.
Fees verified October 2026What you keep
An estimate from Vrbo's published pay-per-booking rates for US hosts. Your own rate can differ: check the fee on your payout report or Owner Dashboard. Not affiliated with Vrbo, Airbnb or Booking.com.
Vrbo's host fees in 2026
- From October 29, 2026: 12% of the booking. Vrbo's commission is charged on the nightly total and the fees you charge guests, such as cleaning and pet fees. It isn't charged on taxes, refundable deposits, Vrbo's own traveler service fee or insurance.
- No separate payment processing fee when Vrbo processes the guest's payment. If you use your own payment processor, you pay its fees on top of the 12%.
- Before: 5% commission plus 3% processing. The 3% was charged on everything the guest paid, taxes included, so the old fee came to a little over 8% of the booking.
- To keep your payout, raise prices about 4.2% (with 10% lodging taxes; 4.5% with none). You kept 100% - 5% - 3% of each dollar before and keep 100% - 12% now.
- Guests also pay Vrbo a traveler service fee, on top of your price. It doesn't come out of your payout.
- Airbnb's single fee is 15.5% for most hosts, so Vrbo's 12% still leaves you more of the same booking. Hosts on Airbnb's older split fee pay 3%, but their guests pay Airbnb's service fee on top.
Worked example
Example. A lake house books for 3 nights at $200 with a $100 cleaning fee: a $700 subtotal, plus $70 of lodging taxes (10%).
| Platform | Fee rate | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb, single fee | 15.5% | $108.50 | $591.50 |
| Airbnb, split fee | 3% | $21.00 | $679.00 |
| Vrbo, from Oct 29, 2026 | 12% | $84.00 | $616.00 |
| Vrbo, before Oct 29, 2026 | 5% + 3% | $58.10 | $641.90 |
| Booking.com | 15% | $105.00 | $595.00 |
| Direct booking | 2.9% + $0.30 | $22.63 | $677.37 |
The new fee costs this host $25.90 more per stay than the old one. Charging $208.41 a night and $104.20 for cleaning keeps the old $641.90 payout.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vrbo's host fee in 2026?
From October 29, 2026, pay-per-booking hosts pay a 12% commission on the rental amount and the fees they charge guests, with no separate processing fee when Vrbo takes the payment. Before that it was 5% commission plus 3% payment processing.
Does Vrbo charge its fee on the cleaning fee?
Yes. The 12% commission covers the nightly total and fees you charge the guest, such as cleaning and pet fees. It isn't charged on taxes or refundable damage deposits.
Is Vrbo's 12% fee higher than before?
For most pay-per-booking hosts, yes: the old 5% + 3% worked out to a little over 8% of the booking. On the example's $700 booking, Vrbo takes $84.00 instead of $58.10.
How much should I raise my Vrbo rates?
About 4.2% to keep the same payout (with 10% lodging taxes), or 4.5% if no taxes are collected. The calculator works out the new nightly rate and cleaning fee for your stay.
Is Vrbo cheaper than Airbnb for hosts?
On the host side, yes: 12% against Airbnb's 15.5% single fee. On the example booking you'd keep $616.00 on Vrbo and $591.50 on Airbnb. Guests pay Vrbo a traveler service fee on top, so compare what guests see too.
I have a Vrbo subscription. Does the 12% apply to me?
Vrbo's help article describes the pay-per-booking model. If you pay an annual subscription, check the notice Vrbo sent you and your Owner Dashboard for when your fees change.
Are Vrbo fees tax deductible?
Yes. They're an expense of renting the property, usually on Schedule E. Lodging taxes Vrbo collects for you aren't your income or your expense.
More calculators
Sources
Fee pages behind these rates, checked October 2026. Vrbo's October 29 start date is from its email to hosts, as reported by the two hosting-software blogs listed.
- https://help.vrbo.com/articles/How-is-the-booking-fee-calculated
- https://www.hostaway.com/blog/vrbo-new-commission-for-hosts/
- https://www.lodgify.com/blog/vrbo-host-fees/
- https://help.vrbo.com/articles/Do-I-have-to-pay-a-booking-fee-on-my-taxes-security-deposit-or-extra-fees
- https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857