How Do I Get a Refund Through VRBO?

Follow our helpful tips for instructions on how to get a refund from VRBO.

Nov 19, 2019

VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) is a great service for booking property rentals directly from property owners. It's a perfect option for large traveler groups and is often a more affordable option compared to hotels. However, sometimes travel plans change. Perhaps you were planning to travel with a large group and several people had to cancel, or you're worried about the weather for your trip. Note that VRBO property owners have five types of cancellation policies: relaxed, moderate, firm, strict, and no refund.

Follow our step-by-step instructions for instructions on how to get a refund from VRBO.

Cancel Your Trip & Get a Full Refund

  1. Go to www.VRBO.com

  2. Select 'Login' in the top right menu and select 'Traveler Login.'

  3. You'll be asked to sign into your account with your email address and password. Alternatively, you can sign in with your Google or Facebook account.

  4. Select your name in the top right corner, and click on 'My Trip.'

  5. Select the trip you wish to cancel.

  6. Select 'Manage My Booking.'

  7. Make sure to read the cancellation and refund policy before you move ahead. Each property owner will establish their own policies including if they give full or partial refunds, and time cutoffs for cancellation requests.

  8. If you are comfortable with the cancellation and refund policy, select 'Cancel the booking.'

  9. Review the amount of the refund and click 'Continue with the cancellation.'

  10. Select the reason you are canceling.

  11. Enter an optional message to the property owner if you wish.

  12. Click 'Cancel Booking.'

  13. You'll receive an email confirming your cancellation.

Cancel Your Trip & Get a Partial Refund

If the refund and cancellation policy only allows you to receive a partial refund, the process is slightly different. You will need to provide the owner with a reason you're canceling the trip in order to receive the partial refund.

  1. Go to www.VRBO.com

  2. Select 'Login' in the top right menu and select 'Traveler Login.'

  3. You'll be asked to sign into your account with your email address and password. Alternatively, you can sign in with your Google or Facebook account.

  4. Select your name in the top right corner, and click on 'My Trip.'

  5. Select the trip you wish to cancel.

  6. In the 'Manage Your Booking' section, select 'Request Cancellation' and choose the most applicable reason you're canceling the trip.

  7. The owner will review your request and either accept or decline it. If your request is accepted, you'll receive a refund for an amount in accordance with their cancellation policy.

Full refunds will include the HomeAway service fee that you were charged. Refunds typically take 5-7 business days to be transferred to your account. However, some banks take longer. If you have not received your refund within 14 business days, contact the VRBO Customer Support team.

Note that you can only cancel a confirmed reservation. If the property owner hasn't confirmed your booking yet, you can proceed to cancel the reservation request instead without being charged.

If at any point of this process you have difficulties, you can reach out to the VRBO Customer Support team by phone. The team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Get a Refund After Your Trip

Getting a refund after your trip may be difficult. If the property was misrepresented in the listing or dirty, you are encouraged to reach out to the owner during the stay. You're also encouraged to post reviews of disappointing properties. VRBO states that you can reach out to them if you're unable to contact the owner or if the owner is unable to resolve your issue. You can contact the VRBO Customer Support team via phone.

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Christian has been writing about long hold times and customer service call center experiences since 2010. He's been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.

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