Trust & Safety

Vrbo is a global community built on trust and inclusion. We're dedicated to providing a safe and secure marketplace for travellers, owners and property managers. We are here to support you 24/7, whenever you have questions or require assistance.

Trust

Traveller Reviews

Owners have the option to rate guests who book through Vrbo, evaluating them on factors such as cleanliness, communication and adherence to house rules. You can read traveller reviews to learn more about your guests before accepting their booking requests. These ratings are shown to owners when a traveller submits a reservation request via the online booking system.

House Rules

Set your house rules to ensure that travellers know what is and what isn't allowed at your property. House rules may include conditions such as quiet hours, whether parties or events are allowed, age restrictions or maximum occupancy. Travellers must accept your house rules before completing the booking.

Reporting Guest Misconduct

If a traveller has acted inappropriately or caused you to feel unsafe, Vrbo will investigate your case to determine if our policies have been violated. Contact us if you require assistance or wish to submit a complaint. In case of emergency, immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

Security

Privacy

We leverage world-class systems to detect and prevent fraud, and protect payments between travelers and owners. Our community members transact securely in the Vrbo marketplace thanks to HomeAway systems and infrastructure that meet rigorous security requirements to be PCI-DSS compliant.

Liability Insurance

$1M Liability insurance provides owners with $1,000,000 in liability protection for all stays that are processed online through the HomeAway checkout at no additional cost to you. If you do not already have a liability policy, this policy is your first defence should a traveller make a claim against you. If you already have a liability policy, it will provide additional coverage.

Secure Communication

Always communicate with travellers through HomeAway's secure messaging platform, which protects both parties from phishing and identity theft.

Property Access

For the safety and security of guests, we recommend that hosts adopt industry best practices for giving guests access to a property. When delivering the entrance code or key to upcoming guests please do so in a safe and secure manner such as using a unique key code with a digital lockbox or a secure front-desk concierge. If you use a code, we recommend you change the code after each check-out. Vrbo’s policy is that hosts may not leave keys in a public place where the owner, property manager or staff is not present. We prohibit leaving the keys with anyone not associated with the property or in a location other than the rental property or rental office. Any host who violates this policy may be removed from the marketplace.

Support

Customer Support and Help Portal

The Vrbo Customer Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via online chat and telephone. For assistance, please visit our Help Portal.

Industry Support

Vrbo has a growing team dedicated to educating local officials about the short-term rental industry in order that fair and effective regulations can be put in place.

Renting Responsibly

We advise owners to comply with local laws and regulations and to be considerate of local residents and the neighbourhood in which they're hosting. Our community is built on respect and inclusion, and we expect all our members to behave in a neighbourly way towards each other.

Disaster Support

In the event of a natural disaster, our customer support team can help you manage your listing and calendar and rebook affected travellers who have been impacted during their stay. For assistance, please visit our Help Portal.

Safety

Home Safety Preparedness

We advise you to equip homes with safety essentials such as carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, deadbolt locks, outdoor lighting and provide essential safety information for travellers. The disclosure of any monitoring devices at homes is required and hazardous conditions or obstacles that impede escape in the event of an emergency are prohibited. We support owners by providing them with guidance on safety best practices and we help facilitate the sharing of information about available safety features and devices with travellers.

Authenticity

We use technology to detect fraudulent activity by verifying user accounts, giving owners the ability to confirm the identities of travelers. We advise owners to always read traveler profiles and ratings.

Inclusion

Accessibility

We encourage you to communicate with travellers about any accessibility features in your home and to accurately describe your property on your listing.

Nondiscrimination

We're committed to being an inclusive marketplace built on a foundation of trust, safety and respect, and to being a global platform that is open to travellers and owners without regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or marital status. We expect all users to demonstrate respect and tolerance in all interactions, and we reserve the right to remove from our marketplace anyone who fails to adhere to these principles.