# Vrbo's 30-day rule: when a direct booking owes Vrbo a fee > Vrbo's new Host Terms (Oct 29, 2026) let Vrbo charge commission on direct bookings made within 30 days of a Vrbo lead. What section 4.8 says and how to log leads. Page: https://strhosttools.com/guides/vrbo-30-day-off-platform-booking-rule Tool: https://strhosttools.com/tools/vrbo-lead-log Question: Can Vrbo charge me for a direct booking? What is the 30-day rule? Yes, in some cases. Under Vrbo's new Host Terms, effective Oct 29, 2026, if a guest contacts you through Vrbo and then, as a result, books directly with you within 30 days, Vrbo is entitled to its commission on that booking. Reporting it is your job, so keep a record of where each guest first reached you. ## What section 4.8 says Section 4.8 of the Vrbo Host Terms of Service is called "Off-Platform Bookings." In plain words: - **Vrbo Lead (4.8.1).** An inquiry, booking request, or other contact from or on behalf of a guest about a listing that you receive through Vrbo. - **Off-Platform Booking (4.8.1).** You complete a booking for that listing directly with the guest or their representative, "including by telephone or email," "as a result of and within thirty (30) days of the Vrbo Lead." Vrbo treats these bookings as coming from Vrbo. - **What you owe (4.8.2).** For pay-per-booking listings, Vrbo is entitled to the commission on every Off-Platform Booking. For subscription listings, Vrbo is entitled to a fee, unless the guest books through Vrbo or otherwise pays the service fee to Vrbo. - **Other properties (4.8.3).** If the listing is not available for the guest's dates and, within 30 days of the lead, you book that guest into another property you own or manage for the same or similar dates and destination, Vrbo is entitled to the commission or a fee. This applies even if the other property is not on Vrbo. - **How much (4.8.4).** Fees are generally a percentage of the total before taxes. The rates are in the rate schedule or statement Vrbo gives you and can change with reasonable notice. - **Reporting (4.8.5).** Reporting Off-Platform Bookings through the Dashboard is the host's "sole responsibility." If Vrbo decides an unreported booking came from a Vrbo Lead, it can charge the fee "unless Host provides reasonable evidence to the contrary." ## What the terms do not spell out - **Browsing.** The definition of a Vrbo Lead is about contact you receive through Vrbo. The terms do not say a guest who only looked at your Vrbo listing is a lead. They also do not say such a guest is always safe, so keep notes. - **Counting days.** The terms say "within thirty (30) days of the Vrbo Lead" and stop there. Our lead log counts calendar days from the first Vrbo contact to the date of the direct booking. That is our choice, not Vrbo's wording. - **The rate.** Vrbo's Help Center also says that hosts using property management software are charged a 10% booking fee when a reservation comes from Vrbo's sites but is not booked through Vrbo's checkout. How that 10% fits with the new terms after Oct 29 is not clear from Vrbo's pages. Your Dashboard and rate statement are the place to check. ## Worked example A guest first messages you on Vrbo on Nov 2, 2026, asking about Thanksgiving week. 1. **They book direct on Nov 20.** That is 18 days after the first contact. It is inside the 30-day window. If the booking came from that Vrbo message, it is an Off-Platform Booking. Report it in your Dashboard. 2. **They book direct on Dec 10.** That is 38 days after first contact. It falls outside the 30-day test in 4.8.1. Still log it, since Vrbo reviews reporting and you may need to show evidence. 3. **Your listing is full, so they book your other cabin direct on Nov 15.** That is 13 days after the lead, for similar dates. Section 4.8.3 covers this case, even if the cabin is not on Vrbo. The [Vrbo lead log](https://strhosttools.com/tools/vrbo-lead-log) does the day count for each guest and flags anything inside 30 days. You can also download it as a CSV for Google Sheets or Excel. ## Steps 1. Log every Vrbo inquiry when it arrives: guest name, date of first Vrbo contact, listing, and how they reached you. 2. When someone books direct, ask how they found you and save the answer with the booking. 3. Note the direct booking date and count the days since any Vrbo contact from that guest. 4. If it is inside 30 days and came from the Vrbo contact, report it in your Dashboard. 5. If Vrbo flags a booking you think did not come from a lead, reply with your records. The terms let you offer "reasonable evidence to the contrary." 6. Check your rate statement for the fee that applies to Off-Platform Bookings. ## Why a simple log helps The burden in 4.8.5 sits with you. A dated list showing when and where each guest first reached you is the kind of record that can answer a Vrbo question. It also tells you which direct bookings to report, so you do not guess. ## Sources - [Vrbo Host Terms of Service, effective Oct 29, 2026 (PDF), section 4.8](https://forever.travel-assets.com/flex/flexmanager/mediaasset/1512451-0_2-legal_partner_tos_vrbo_us_en_final.pdf) - [Vrbo Help: About the pay-per-booking (PPB) model](https://help.vrbo.com/articles/How-is-the-booking-fee-calculated) Last checked Oct 17, 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Check your own platform terms and dashboard.