Improved host standards and updates to industry-first guest policy make booking vacation rentals easier and stress-free

Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, Vrbo is revealing major changes aimed at solving travelers’ number 1 complaint about the entire vacation rental category: stays not meeting expectations. Today, Vrbo released several new features on its platform that elevate the quality and consistency of vacation rentals, giving guests the confidence they need to book their next weekend getaway or family trip.

“Vrbo has been a trusted name in vacation rentals for 30 years. Over time, we’ve seen the industry drift away from what travelers truly value — a consistent, reliable, high-quality experience,” said Larry Plawsky, General Manager of Vrbo. “That’s why Vrbo has made a series of changes to our products, policies, and host programs to clean up the category, build traveler trust, and take the worry out of trip planning. We're using AI to optimize the shopping experience and help guests find the perfect vacation rental, while expanding our industry-first traveler protection guarantee — now called VrboCare — to reassure guests that Vrbo has their back if problems arise before or during their stay.”

VrboCare: Nearly a decade ago, Vrbo introduced the industry-first Book with Confidence Guarantee. Now named VrboCare, this longstanding policy promises travelers that Vrbo will help them find another place to stay when things don’t go as planned. VrboCare provides safeguards in the event of host-initiated cancellations, check-in issues, fraud, and significant property misrepresentation. Travelers do not need to pay extra for VrboCare; every booking made through Vrbo is automatically backed by the VrboCare guarantee.

One of the top benefits of VrboCare is that Vrbo agents can help rebook guests if they experience check-in issues or host-initiated cancellations. Previously, Vrbo would help rebook guests into comparable accommodations if their reservations occurred within 30 days. Vrbo has now expanded the eligibility of VrboCare’s rebooking benefit, offering rebooking assistance for stays occurring within 90 days, where applicable.

High quality standards for properties and hosts: 69% of vacation rental shoppers are concerned about listing accuracy when choosing a property.* To reduce uncertainty, Vrbo has added features to the shopping experience that improve listing accuracy and make key information easier to find. These updates are breakthroughs for vacation rental guests, offering clear, data-driven quality indicators that help identify top-tier listings and the most reliable hosts.

• Loved by Guests: The Vrbo Loved by Guests badge identifies properties previous guests have given near-perfect reviews. Properties earn the Loved by Guests designation if they have a 9.4 or above overall rating and also score 9.4 or above on cleanliness, location, listing accuracy, and ease of check-in. Travelers can find Loved by Guests properties using the “Loved by Guests” filter on the Vrbo site and app.
  
  
• Premier Host: For years, Vrbo has recognized the most exceptional hosts through the Premier Host program, rewarding them with increased visibility and higher search rankings. Now, Vrbo is introducing stricter criteria for the Premier Host program, so travelers can expect an even higher level of quality from Premier Host properties.
  
  
  
  Starting early next year, the Premier Host designation will transition from a host-level to an individual listing-level recognition. This means hosts with multiple listings must meet the new standards for each listing to earn the Premier Host badge. New qualifications include:
  • 99% acceptance rate
  • 0% cancellation rate
  • 9.2+ review rating

Travelers can find properties managed by Premier Hosts by using the “Premier Host” filter and will see a new Premier Host badge on corresponding listings. In addition to recognizing the top hosts on the platform, Vrbo also removes hosts who fail to meet our high standards.

Enhanced shopping experience to help guests find the perfect rental: Travelers rely on accurate property descriptions, images, and trusted, verified reviews from former guests to inform their travel plans and booking decisions. Only real guests are allowed to leave verified reviews on Vrbo, and Vrbo does not alter them in any way. Guests can also leave a rating for listing accuracy as part of the review experience. This reassures future travelers that the images and descriptions on listing pages are accurate, relevant, and current. To further improve the search and shopping experience, Vrbo has rolled out:

• AI Guest Review Summaries: GenAI instantly scans and summarizes guest reviews, making it quick and easy to see at a glance what real guests consistently call out about properties.
• AI Property Q&A: Pulling from verified reviews and listing details content, AI Property Q&A can instantly answer commonly asked questions about a vacation rental property. This helps guests find the answers they need quickly and minimizes time spent on back-and-forth communication with the host.
• Property Highlights: This feature uses AI to dynamically showcase a property’s unique qualities, leveraging verified guest reviews and listing details. Using AI, Vrbo displays the highlights that are targeted and personalized for the traveler.
• Guest Photos: Vrbo now displays photos from former guests to help future bookers make informed vacation rental decisions. Travelers can upload photos alongside their written reviews, and shoppers can see the photos in the reviews section on the property description page or in the listing’s photo gallery.

With holiday travel and busy booking season fast approaching, Vrbo’s 24/7 live customer service team is available to support guests around the clock. Travelers can find contact information for Vrbo’s support team in multiple places: the Help Center on the app, the VrboCare page, and in booking confirmation emails. Travelers can also access Vrbo’s Virtual Agent and live chat directly from the homepage.

Learn more about Vrbo’s latest products and features here. Download the Vrbo app to plan your next vacation with Vrbo.

*Vrbo consumer research of U.S. vacation rental travelers, July 2025

About Vrbo

Since 1995, Vrbo® has been the go-to place for families and groups to find the perfect vacation rental for their next getaway — whether it’s a beach house, cozy cabin, city condo, or spacious villa with room for everyone.

Vrbo has grown into a trusted global vacation rental marketplace, connecting guests with dedicated hosts around the world. Offering high-quality stays and 24/7 live support, Vrbo helps guests spend less time worrying about trip planning and more time making lasting memories together.

Vrbo is part of Expedia Group and offers hosts exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month.

© 2025 Vrbo, an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Vrbo and the Vrbo logo are trademarks of HomeAway.com, Inc.

For more information, use our mobile app or visit vrbo.com.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is VrboCare?

A: VrboCare is the new name for Vrbo’s Book with Confidence guarantee policy. It offers protection and support to guests who book on Vrbo, if issues arise before or during a stay, e.g., host-initiated cancellations, fraud, misrepresentation, or safety concerns.

Q: What’s new about VrboCare?

A: Vrbo has expanded the eligibility for VrboCare’s rebooking assistance. Previously, for host-initiated cancellations, Vrbo provided rebooking support for trips occurring within 30 days. Now, Vrbo has broadened the book-to-stay window for this benefit, offering rebooking assistance for a wider range of reservations. Where applicable, travelers with reservations occurring within 90 days will receive rebooking support.

Q: Does VrboCare cost anything?

A: No. Every booking made on the Vrbo site or app is automatically covered by the VrboCare guarantee.

Q: How is Vrbo improving vacation rental quality?

A: Vrbo is improving vacation rental quality by raising standards for hosts on Vrbo. New badges, filters, and updates to shopping pages help travelers easily identify top-rated listings.

Q: What is the “Loved by Guests” badge?

A: The “Loved by Guests” badge indicates top-rated, quality listings on Vrbo. This badge is given to listings with 9.4+ ratings for cleanliness, location, listing accuracy, and ease of check-in. Travelers can use the “Loved by Guests” badge to find these properties in their searches.

Q: What’s changing with the Premier Host program?

A: Starting in January, Vrbo hosts will have to meet stricter criteria to earn the Premier Host recognition. Properties must meet a 99% acceptance rate, 0% cancellation rate, and 9.2+ review rating to earn Premier Host status. The badge will now apply at the individual listing level instead of the host level.

Q: How do travelers contact Vrbo’s 24/7 live customer support?

A: Travelers have access to 24/7 customer support throughout the entire booking process. Travelers can find contact information for Vrbo’s support team on the Help Center on the app, the VrboCare page, and in booking confirmation emails. Travelers can also access Vrbo’s Virtual Agent and live chat directly from the homepage.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251029140630/en/

Vrbo is revealing major changes aimed at solving travelers’ number 1 complaint about the entire vacation rental category: stays not meeting expectations.