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Airbnb and Booking.com charge no guest fees. But Vrbo has stated that it will keep guest fees, although the amounts will be flexible. That lack of specificity will stoke host anger because this gives hosts little visibility into the actual prices their guests will have to pay.
Vrbo, the Expedia Group vacation rental brand, said Tuesday it is transitioning hosts and property managers to a flat 12% fee starting October 29.
Property managers connected to a property management system currently pay Vrbo a 5% fee, and hosts not connected to a PMS pay an 8% commission. About 55% of listings globally connect to Vrbo through PMS software, including 51% in the U.S., according to AirDNA.
A note to hosts announcing the update did not address guest fees, which currently sit at 11-14%, but a vacation rental expert familiar with Vrbo's plans said the company plans on drastically reducing them.
In a link to frequently asked questions seen by Skift, Vrbo said some guest fees would remain: "In most cases travelers will still see a service fee applied at the time
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Tags: airbnb , expedia , fees , online travel newsletter , vacation rentals , vrbo