Quick Answer
Vrbo says its pay-per-booking fee usually includes a 5% commission on the rental amount and host-added fees, plus a 3% payment processing fee when processing applies.
For conservative deal analysis, many hosts model VRBO fees at about 8% of booking revenue, then adjust if their owner dashboard or software setup shows something different.
The Simple Math
Commission
5%
Processing
3%
Underwrite at
8%
Example: on a $1,500 booking, an 8% fee assumption is $120. That leaves $1,380 before your other expenses like cleaning, taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs, mortgage payment, and management.
When 8% is not the right number
Use 5% if you are modeling commission only or payment processing does not apply to your setup. Use a different number if your property management software, region, tax treatment, or owner dashboard shows a different fee.
Guest service fees are separate checkout-side fees. They matter for conversion, but they are not the same as the fee deducted from your host payout.
Model VRBO fees in the deal
The VRBO Calculator uses an 8% platform-fee default that you can adjust.
Confirm your actual fee treatment in Vrbo's owner help or dashboard before buying.