Short-term rental has become very popular in the travel and tourism sector.
According to the 2025 Outlook Report, the short-term rental (STR) market will see an increase in demand—from 4.9% in 2025 to 6.2% in 2026. The RevPAR (revenue per available prenatal) will also increase from 2.9% to 3.7% by the end of 2026.
Vrbo, an online vacation rental marketplace, currently has a 21% share of the rental market and is showing an impressive 18.2% year-over-year revenue growth.
Looking at the future demand predictions of the STR market and the growth of Vrbo, it is quite sure that every host should be on the platform to utilize the future benefits.
But how can a property owner be a ‘host’ on Vrbo? What are the requirements, rules, and local regulations? How can they comply? Read this guide to learn this!
- Meet the Legal Age of Adulthood
- Be Owner (or Manager with Permission of Owner)
- Comply with Local Rental Laws
- Accurately Describe Rental Property
- Have High-Quality Property Photos
- Maintain a Safe Property
1. Meet the Legal Age of Adulthood
The first of Vrbo’s requirements for hosts is to be at least 18 years old.
Vrbo is strict when it comes to host age requirements. To create an account and list a property, you must meet the legal age of adulthood.
This rule is in place to ensure that only legal adults can enter into rental agreements. So they can handle the necessary financial transactions on the platform properly.
How does Vrbo verify the age? Vrbo requires identity verification for this purpose. You must submit a government-issued ID during the account setup process.
For example, you can use a passport, driver’s license, or any other official document that proves your identity and age.
Please note that there is only a lower age limit but no upper age limit.
2. Be Owner (or Manager with Permission of Owner)
To be a host and list the property on Vrbo, you should either own the property or have explicit permission from the owner to rent it out.
Vrbo has no space for unauthorized listings, and this requirement helps achieve the goal.
If you’re an owner, you can verify your ownership by submitting documents like property deeds, purchase agreements, and/or utility bills.
On the other hand, property managers can showcase signed management/leasing contracts.
These documents confirm that you can legally manage the property as a vacation rental.
However, legal verification may not end here. Vrbo can request additional verification if there are concerns about the authenticity of the listings.
3. Comply with Local Rental Laws
Every state and/or city has different short-term rental laws and regulations.
While it is legally permitted to pursue renting properties on a short-term basis, major cities may or may not allow this renting model.
New York City in the United States is the perfect example of this. This city doesn’t allow anyone to rent out any of the permanent residential buildings for less than 30 days.
Just like that, every state has different laws, such as:
- Restriction of STR to certain areas, such as commercial or residential zones
- Limited number of vacation rentals in a given area
- Requires hosts to register their property or get a license
- Limit the number of guests allowed per rental
- Require owners to have proper insurance coverage
As a host, you must thoroughly research local STR laws and confirm they allow it (along with the terms and conditions) before listing your property on Vrbo.
You can research on the internet, ask other hosts, ask your local authorities, and/or check out government websites for this purpose.
Simply put, Vrbo wants you to comply with the local vacation rental regulations. So, do it.
4. Accurately Describe Rental Property
One thing you have to remember is that you can only list entire properties or whole homes. Vrbo doesn’t allow listing shared spaces at all.
If you have such a property plus meet the requirements of age, ownership/permission, and compliance with local laws, Vrbo welcomes you to list your property.
However, the platform clearly states that you must accurately describe the rental property and listing content based on the platform’s Marketplace Standards.
Fortunately, Vrbo has clear guidelines for how hosts should describe their rental properties.
Each listing should include:
- A headline with at least 20 characters
- A detailed property description with at least 400 characters
- The exact property address and latitude/longitude codes
- Accurate information about the number of bathrooms and bedrooms
- A list of amenities that guests will find useful
- Up-to-date booking availability and pricing information
- House rules and policies, such as check-in/check-out times, pet policies, and smoking restrictions
In addition to these rules, you cannot copy and paste information from other listings or create multiple listings for one property from one profile.
Vrbo, Airbnb, Booking.com, and other OTAs make it a must to process within the platform. Therefore, they prohibit sharing personal contact information, such as email, phone number, or external links to a website with your listing.
So DO NOT add any such information that Vrbo doesn’t recommend.
5. Have High-Quality Property Photos
Along with a title and description to describe a property, Vrbo also requires hosts to use at least six high-quality photos for this purpose.
It seems Vrbo loves to follow the idiom “A picture is worth a thousand words” in order to describe the whole story of a property and get more bookings.
Hosts must upload clear, high-quality images that accurately represent the property.
Vrbo’s photo guidelines include:
- Minimum resolution: 1024 x 683 pixels
- Accepted formats: JPEG, JPG, PNG, or GIF
- Maximum file size: 20 MB per image
- Photo orientation: Horizontal/landscape
Photos should showcase all key areas: the building exterior (if a multi-unit property), bedrooms, bathrooms, guest rooms, kitchen, living spaces, and outdoor areas.
Does your property have any special amenities like a pool, garden, or game room? Don’t forget to capture them and submit their photos to the listing.
Vrbo does not allow any photos that are:
- Blurry, low-resolution
- Overly dark
- Oriented incorrectly
- Black and white
- Watermarket
- Stock image
- Copies from another listing
- Duplicated
- Inappropriate
- Unrelated to the property/area
Vrbo automatically flags any of the images that do not meet its standards. If this happens, hosts should replace them with clearer images to improve the listing’s performance.
6. Maintain a Safe Property
Vrbo even has property safety requirements for the hosts.
Guest safety is the priority of Vrbo, and it wants the hosts to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety is secure, well-maintained, and safe.
To improve safety, hosts should equip their properties with:
- First aid kits
- Fire extinguishers
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Clearly marked emergency exits
- Adequate exterior lighting
- Working doors and windows locks
In addition, hosts should provide guests with emergency contact details. For example, phone numbers for local fire departments, police, and hospitals.
The host must also disclose if a property has security cameras. All the cameras should only be placed in common areas without invading guests’ privacy.
Consider childproofing measures if marketing to families. Secure sharp objects, cover electrical outlets, and install stair gates if necessary.
Safety measures protect guests from accidents and hosts from legal issues.
Conclusion
You need to follow a few key rules to become a Vrbo host.
You must be at least 18 years old and either own the property or have permission to rent it out. If so, check local rental laws and ensure they allow short-term rentals.
Have a clear and honest description in your listing, along with high-quality photos.
As a host, Vrbo also requires you to keep your property safe for guests by adding things like smoke detectors and emergency contacts.
Following these rules will help you succeed as a host.
FAQs
What Property Types Can Be Listed on Vrbo?
Vrbo allows many types of properties, but they must be for whole-home rentals. You can list vacation homes, apartments, cabins, condos, and even beach houses.
Do I Need a License to List a Property on Vrbo?
Vrbo does not require a license directly but wants you to follow local laws.
Whether you need a license depends on your location. While some cities and states require vacation rental licenses or permits, many don’t. Make sure you check local laws.
How Much Does It Cost to Be a Host on Vrbo?
Vrbo offers two payment options for hosts.
You can pay a yearly subscription fee of about $499 and a 3% payment processing fee. This model is good for hosts who get frequent bookings.
Or, you can choose a pay-per-booking model, where Vrbo takes a 5% cut of each booking plus 3% payment processing fees.
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