VRBO: a home rental site by owners

VRBO: a home rental site by owners

VRBO for Vacation Rentals by Owner was launched by an American in 1995. The company was then acquired in 2015 by Expedia, a company well known in the travel world. Since then, it has been competing with the Airbnb platform to rent apartments, cottages, houses, condos, villas and even hotels. VRBO does business in 190 countries.

The online rental site of VRBO also has a traveller’s application, 24/7 customer service in a dozen languages, a secure payment system and a Reservation Guarantee policy. American Express, Mastercard and Visa credit cards are accepted.

Finally, more than 7 million reviews have been given by its users. This shows the popularity of the VRBO system.

Vrbo, a concept that promotes human interactions

VRBO is a platform that connects owners of rental houses with people who want to stay there often for vacations and other reasons.

Ten family members enjoyed a beautiful villa rented on the VRBO platform in Joshua Tree, California, in 2017. And this is in the context of my daughter’s wedding. 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 living rooms with pianos, a kitchen and a dining room to make chefs swoon. We still dream about it. Especially since there were ten of us to share the cost.

VRBO's Safe Booking Guarantee

This policy is put forward by VRBO to protect the customer against fraudulent listings and misrepresentations. It comes at no extra cost. Here is how it works:

Before the stay:

• The « Premier Host » label indicates that an outstanding experience awaits you and that all the information and photos in the VRBO listing are true to reality.
• To prevent any fraud, accounts are certified and both backgrounds and listings are verified. VRBO also commits to reimbursing you if one of your payments is sent to someone other than the host.
• Finally, if the host were to cancel at the last minute, you will be assisted by VRBO staff to relocate you to a similar accommodation.

During the stay:
\nA support team is available at all times, for any questions or a need to find a new accommodation.

After the stay:
\nYou will be helped to recover the security deposit with the help of VRBO if the host wrongfully withholds it.

Register on VRBO and choose

Creating a free account for lessors on VRBO is easy to browse the site. A search bar and filters allow you to target the destinations or types of rentals you want.

Would you like to be near a lake? In the heart of a big city to visit it? As a couple or with friends? Also, indicate the price range you are willing to pay. The offers will be displayed. You will then be able to book and communicate with the VRBO host via your vacationer account inbox.

You will find for each completed reservation:

• the host’s contact information,
• cancellation policy for the reservation,
• the address of the property,
• the security features of the property,
• Details such as Wi-Fi instructions, access code for the front door, etc.

Then, seven days before your stay, an email containing the latest information will be sent to you by VRBO. You will also find this information in your guest account via the mobile application.

Cancelling / refunding a VRBO reservation

Each property has its own cancellation policy. They may vary from one ad to another. Take the time to read them carefully before booking.

To cancel a reservation, go to the « My Stays » tab and select the reservation you want to cancel. Then under « details » and « manage my reservation, » you select « cancel reservation. » The host must process your request within 24 hours. You can also communicate directly with him via the secure messaging platform.

Please note that the VRBO service fee will also be refunded if you are within the full refund period. This will be paid in the same way as the original payment, but according to the exchange rate and exchange fees charged by the banking institution. This is, of course, if the currency that was used at the time of booking is different from yours.

Using Travel Reward Points with VRBO

Since VRBO is a travel booking platform, most credit card issuers will let you apply your reward points against the VRBO charge posted to your credit card account.

This is the case, for example, with:

• American Express Membership Rewards points and the American Express Cobalt Card
• National Bank Rewards and the National Bank World Elite Mastercard
• RBC Rewards and the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
• Scene+ and the Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite + Card

Conclusion

The VRBO platform offers a very secure service, available at any time of the day and in several languages. With the addition of its free secure booking guarantee, everything is in place for a very positive customer experience.

If you choose this type of hosting, don’t forget to use the VRBO affiliate link that Milesopedia has with this partner. It won’t cost you anything extra and it encourages our business!