TL;DR: Vrbo is a major booking channel for whole homes and larger spaces. Once you meet the basic host requirements, listing is a simple six-step process: gather your information, create your account, add property details, set rules and photos, verify payment, and publish your listing for Vrbo to review.
Listing your short-term rental on multiple channels puts your property in front of more travelers and gives you leverage when setting rates. With roughly 50 million monthly visitors, Vrbo is a strong next step for hosts and property managers focused on whole homes and larger vacation rental spaces. Founded in 1995 and now part of the Expedia Group, Vrbo has built a reputation as one of the most trusted platforms for vacation home bookings worldwide.
How to list on Vrbo in 6 steps
To list on Vrbo, gather your property and banking details, create or log into your Vrbo host account, add your property information and house rules, upload photos, verify your contact and payment details, then set your rates and availability. After you publish, Vrbo reviews and activates your listing.
Requirements to list on Vrbo
To maintain its position as a top booking channel, Vrbo holds hosts and property managers to specific guidelines.
Vrbo’s requirements typically cover listing accuracy, photo quality, clear house rules, and transparent pricing and fees. Always confirm the latest details in Vrbo’s help center before you list.
One requirement worth highlighting: your listing must accurately reflect the rental the guest will stay in. If guests book a “3-bedroom beachfront home” but arrive to find a 2-bedroom unit 10 minutes from the beach, Vrbo may treat this as misrepresentation. Keep this in mind when writing your headline and description.
Before you get started
Have the following ready before you begin the Vrbo listing process:
- Payout details: Bank account information (Vrbo needs to know where to send your income)
- Photography: At least six high-quality photos, but aim for 15 or more
- Location: Full, accurate property address
- Pricing: Base nightly rate plus cleaning, pet, and extra-guest fees
- Taxes: Local tax registration info if your jurisdiction requires it
If you’re a 10-unit manager listing three properties on Vrbo at once, it’s best to gather addresses, photos, and pricing for all three upfront, then move through Vrbo’s flow in one focused session. Batch your prep work, and the process moves faster.
Starting the process
With your information ready, here’s how to kick off your Vrbo listing:
- Click “List your property” from Vrbo’s homepage (top right corner)
- Enter your bedroom and bathroom counts accurately—this affects how your listing appears in search filters and whether guests find you when filtering by size
- Verify your property location and click next
- Create a Vrbo account or log in to your existing one
Use a business email and owner or brand name consistent with your other OTAs. This makes support interactions easier and helps owners recognize your account across platforms.
Completing the details of your Vrbo listing
Now that Vrbo has basic information about your property, it’s time to build out the full listing.
Add property details and amenities
Guests often filter by bed type and key amenities like Wi-Fi, parking, or pool access. Make sure these details are 100% accurate. Mistakes here mean missed bookings or disappointed guests.
Write your headline and description
Your headline and description are what potential guests see first when your property appears in search results. A few guidelines:
- Lead with your strongest selling point (“Walk to the lifts”)
- Define who it’s for (“Perfect for families or two couples”)
- Anchor the location (“In downtown Breckenridge”)
- Avoid keyword stuffing—write for humans first
You can edit these later, but taking time upfront pays off in click-through rates.
Set your house rules
At minimum, specify: maximum guest count, minimum booking age, pet policy, smoking policy, party rules, and quiet hours. Clear rules up front prevent disputes later on and protect your reviews.
Upload your photos
Vrbo requires a minimum of six photos, but 15 is the sweet spot. Order matters:
- Lead with your best wide-angle shot of the main living area
- Follow with bedrooms and outdoor spaces
- Finish with detail shots showing finishes and amenities
The first five photos carry the most weight in search results—make them count.
Verify contact and payment details
Fill in your contact information and provide your deposit bank account details for payouts.
Set rates and availability
Set your nightly rate, minimum stay length, and any additional fees. Keep your rates and minimum stays aligned with your other channels to avoid pricing mismatches. Decide on cleaning, pet, and extra-guest fees in advance so they’re consistent across your portfolio.
Before hitting publish, double-check: accurate bed and bath counts, professional-looking photos, clear house rules, and rates aligned with your market.
You’re almost done
Once you’ve reviewed your settings and published, Vrbo will review your submission. Most listings are approved within a few hours to a couple of days, though timing varies by market and season.
After Vrbo approves your listing, search for it as a guest. Check the map pin, verify your photos display correctly, and make sure your headline and first five photos look strong in search results.
Already have a Vrbo listing? Connect it to Guesty
If you’re already listing on Vrbo and want to manage everything from one platform, you can connect your existing Vrbo account to Guesty. The integration supports Vrbo and its regional brands (Abritel in France, Fewo-direkt in Germany, Stayz in Australia, and Bookabach in New Zealand).
Before connecting:
- Make sure your listings are already live in both Vrbo and Guesty
- Disconnect any existing PMS or channel manager from Vrbo (contact Vrbo support—this can take up to two weeks)
- Have access to the email and phone number registered with your Vrbo account
To connect, sign in to Guesty, go to Channels > Vrbo, and follow the prompts to link your accounts. You’ll map each Vrbo listing to its corresponding Guesty listing, then add the Guesty integration email to your Vrbo profile as a secondary email. Within an hour, your listings will show as connected, and your calendars, rates, and guest messages will sync automatically.
Manage multiple channels from one place
When you add Vrbo on top of Airbnb, Booking.com, and direct bookings, updating each site manually becomes a full-time job. A PMS (property management system) or channel manager keeps your availability, rates, and messages synced across all OTAs — so one booking on Vrbo blocks those dates everywhere else without you lifting a finger.
Multi-channel distribution is where the real revenue gains happen. List once, distribute everywhere, manage from one dashboard.
Listing your rentals on multiple channels is easy with Guesty. Learn more.
FAQ
Vrbo requires accurate listing information, high-quality photos, clear house rules, and transparent pricing. Your listing must accurately represent what guests will find when they arrive.
Most listings are reviewed within a few hours to a couple of days. Timing can vary by market and season.
Vrbo focuses primarily on whole-home vacation rentals rather than shared spaces or single rooms. It’s an ideal channel for vacation homes, cabins, condos, and larger properties.
Connect your Vrbo account to a PMS or channel manager like Guesty. This keeps your calendar, rates, and availability synced across Vrbo, Airbnb, Booking.com, and other OTAs automatically.
Guesty’s talented marketing team is comprised of passionate professionals who share insightful industry knowledge and shape brand narratives. By bringing a diverse blend of expertise to the table, we are the visionary architects behind the Guesty brand and innovative campaigns that help people understand our product.
