Email Blast October 9, 2026 - Vrbo is changing its commission fee to 12%: What you need to know

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Vrbo is changing its commission fee to 12%: What you need to know

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Hi [first name]!

Vrbo has announced changes to its host pricing that will begin taking effect on October 29, 2026. We’ve been working directly with Vrbo to clarify what these changes mean for OwnerRez users.

What’s changing?

For affected properties on Vrbo’s Pay-Per-Booking (PPB) model, Vrbo will charge a flat 12% commission on new bookings made on or after October 29, 2026. Vrbo calculates this commission on the rental amount and applicable guest fees, such as cleaning and pet fees.

Importantly, Vrbo’s traveler service fee is not going away. The new 12% commission is charged to the host in addition to the dynamic service fee Vrbo charges travelers.

Vrbo is also retiring its annual Pay-Per-Subscription (PPS) program. If you currently have subscription listings that are being transitioned, your existing subscription will continue through its expiration date before moving to the new PPB pricing. Vrbo is communicating directly with hosts about how and when their individual accounts will be affected.

No new listings can be added under the subscription model.

How will Vrbo collect the 12% commission?

For OwnerRez users who collect guest payments directly, Vrbo will continue handling commissions the same way it does today. The commission will be charged to the credit card on file with Vrbo in the month after the guest checks out.

The new 12% rate applies to bookings made after your account transitions to the new pricing structure, either beginning October 29 or after your applicable subscription expires and moves to PPB.

Offset the Vrbo commission with a Channel Rate Adjustment

If you’d like to account for Vrbo’s higher commission, OwnerRez allows you to increase the rates you send specifically to Vrbo without changing the rates on your own website or other channels.

You can do this using a Channel Rate Adjustment in OwnerRez.

For example, you could configure a positive rate adjustment for Vrbo so that your Vrbo rates are higher than your direct-booking rates, helping offset some or all of the additional commission.

To configure this:

1. Go to Settings > Channels in OwnerRez.
2. Open your Vrbo API integration.
3. Find the Rate Adjustment setting.
4. Choose whether to adjust rent only or rent and surcharges, then enter your percentage increase.
5. Save your changes.

Note: A 12% rate increase won’t fully offset a 12% commission because Vrbo calculates its commission on the increased amount. To offset that commission, you’d need to increase both the rent and surcharges by approximately 13.64%. For example, a $100 nightly rate becomes $113.64, leaving approximately $100 after the 12% commission is deducted.

Before making an adjustment, consider how the higher rate will affect the total price guests see on Vrbo, particularly since Vrbo will continue charging travelers its separate service fee. OwnerRez will not automatically increase your Vrbo rates to offset the new commission. Any rate adjustment is optional and must be configured by you. For more information, check out our Per-Channel Rate Adjustment support doc.

What do you need to do?

There is no required change you need to make in OwnerRez for the new Vrbo commission structure.

However, we recommend reviewing the communication from Vrbo about your account, confirming the credit card Vrbo has on file for commission billing, and deciding whether you’d like to use an OwnerRez Channel Rate Adjustment to help offset the new commission.

Vrbo has indicated that additional information about these changes will also be available through the Vrbo dashboard.

-The OwnerRez Team