Industry News

Stay informed on the latest developments in the vacation rental and short-term rental industry. This category provides vacation rental managers and short-term rental managers with news on industry growth, trends, events, and insights into the future of short-term rental property management. From major updates across European markets to professional insights into industry shifts, explore the news shaping the landscape of vacation rentals.

EU Signals Short-Term Rental Regulation as Part of Housing Crisis Response.

EU Signals Short-Term Rental Regulation as Part of Housing Crisis Response

Thibault Masson

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen briefly mentioned short-term rentals (STRs) in her 2025 State of the Union address, ...

Airbnb-to-Appeal-New-Orleans-Ruling-Expands-Compliance-Push-in-Spain-Key-Data-Launches-New-Tools-in-the-UK-

Airbnb to Appeal New Orleans Ruling, Expands Compliance Push in Spain, Key Data Launches New Tools in the UK

Snigdha

Airbnb to Appeal Court Ruling Upholding New Orleans’ Strict Rental Laws Snigdha’s Views Airbnb Scales Up Its Compliance Push Across ...

Vrbo Payments: Expedia Takes Over as Merchant of Record Expedia Group has announced a pilot for Vrbo Payments, a new system that makes Expedia the merchant of record for vacation rental transactions. It’s a big shift for a platform that, until now, often left payment processing in the hands of property managers or third-party providers. For short-term rental managers, the change has implications for how bookings are processed, how money flows, and how Vrbo connects with Expedia’s broader loyalty ecosystem. What Vrbo Payments Means When Expedia acts as merchant of record (MoR), it is the entity that: Charges the guest’s credit card or digital wallet. Collects booking fees and holds funds before disbursement. Issues refunds and handles chargebacks or disputes. Appears as “Expedia” on the guest’s payment statement. In short, Vrbo managers won’t be the ones directly processing guest payments anymore, Expedia will. Implications for Property Managers The Upside Reduced payment risk: Chargebacks and fraud are handled by Expedia, not managers. Simpler onboarding: Less compliance paperwork and integration hassle. Guest trust: Many travelers feel safer paying “Expedia” than an unfamiliar management company. The Trade-offs Less control over payouts: Expedia sets the payout schedule; managers can’t customize it. Policy limitations: Cancellation and refund rules may be standardized, with less flexibility for managers. Increased dependency: If payments run through Expedia, it becomes harder to operate outside the platform’s ecosystem. Why Expedia Is Making This Move Airbnb has always been merchant of record. Booking.com is increasingly shifting from its older agency model (guest pays host directly) toward facilitated payments. Vrbo has been an outlier, one of the last major OTAs where managers often collected payments themselves. By stepping in as MoR, Expedia is: Aligning Vrbo with industry norms. Streamlining guest experience (fewer unfamiliar charges, more consistent refunds). Centralizing financial control within the Expedia ecosystem. The Loyalty Angle: OneKeyCash Perhaps the biggest reason for Vrbo Payments is loyalty. Expedia’s unified program, One Key, rewards travelers with OneKeyCash that can be spent across Expedia, Hotels.com, and now Vrbo. Before: Guests could earn OneKeyCash when booking Vrbo, but couldn’t always spend it there, because Vrbo wasn’t the merchant of record. Now: With Expedia processing payments, OneKeyCash can be applied directly to Vrbo stays. For property managers, that means more visibility to loyalty-driven travelers who might otherwise choose a hotel. For Expedia, it’s a powerful way to keep travelers within its ecosystem. What Managers Should Watch For Payout timing: How quickly will managers get their money after Expedia collects? Airbnb’s schedule, for example, is predictable but rigid. Fee structures: Will MoR change Vrbo’s commission model, or add processing fees? Policy control: How much flexibility will managers lose in setting payment, deposit, or refund policies? Adoption timeline: The pilot is limited, but Expedia hasn’t said when or if Vrbo Payments will roll out universally. The Takeaway Vrbo Payments brings Vrbo in line with how the rest of the OTA world already operates. For managers, it reduces risk and expands access to loyalty demand, but it also shifts more control into Expedia’s hands. As Expedia continues to integrate Vrbo into its global machine, payments are no longer just a back-office function. They’re a strategic lever for guest trust, loyalty, and platform control.

Vrbo Payments: Expedia Takes Over as Merchant of Record

Uvika Wahi

Expedia Group has announced a pilot for Vrbo Payments, a new system that makes Expedia the merchant of record for ...

Vrbo Tightens Its Premier Host Standards What Property Managers Need to Know

Vrbo Tightens Its Premier Host Standards: What Property Managers Need to Know

Uvika Wahi

Expedia Group just expanded Vrbo’s demand funnel, and now it’s tightening the rules on who gets to benefit from it. ...

Bright comparison image of Vrbo and Expedia logos over fishbowls with goldfish, illustrating vacation rental booking platforms.

Vrbo Just Got a Lot Bigger By Tapping Into Expedia’s Global Network

Uvika Wahi

Expedia Group has announced a slate of updates for its vacation rental brand Vrbo, but one stands out as the ...

Screenshot from Airbnb Stay Grounded ad showing icons for Homes, Experiences, and Services

Airbnb’s “Stay Grounded” Ad Marks the Official Start of Its Identity as a Lifestyle Platform

Uvika Wahi

Airbnb has a new commercial out called Stay Grounded, animated in its signature whimsical style, set to George Michael’s Freedom! ...

AI Airbnb Scams in 2025 How Artificial Intelligence Is Powering Fraud

AI Airbnb Scams in 2025: How Artificial Intelligence Is Powering Fraud

Uvika Wahi

A London traveler booked an Airbnb in Manhattan and nearly walked away with a $16,000 bill for damage she never ...

Vrbo’s Host-Initiated Cancellation Policy Why Property Managers Are Worried

Vrbo’s Host-Initiated Cancellation Policy: Why Property Managers Are Worried

Uvika Wahi

When guests arrive at a property and can’t get in, it’s more than a bad first impression. It’s a breach ...

Gathern Raises $72M in Saudi Push, Funchal Halts New Rental Licenses, Canadian Airbnb Bookings Jump 10%

Gathern Raises $72M in Saudi Push, Funchal Halts New Rental Licenses, Canadian Airbnb Bookings Jump 10%

Snigdha

Gathern Raises $72M to Power Saudi Arabia’s Vacation Rental Growth About Gathern: Founded in Riyadh in 2017, Gathern has built ...

Airbnb Host-Only Fee at 15.5% What It Means for Property Managers

Airbnb Host-Only Fee at 15.5%: What It Means for Property Managers

Thibault Masson

On August 25, 2025, Airbnb announced a major change to its commission model. The split-fee system — where hosts paid ...

What the Data Says (and What the Experts Do) to Keep Occupancy Strong in Shoulder Season

What the Data Says (and What the Experts Do) to Keep Occupancy Strong in Shoulder Season 

Snigdha

The summer rush is over, and for property managers, that usually means one thing: the shoulder season slowdown. But in ...

Airbnb’s “Reserve Now, Pay Later”: More Bookings, But Who Carries the Risk?

Airbnb’s “Reserve Now, Pay Later”: More Bookings, But Who Carries the Risk?

Thibault Masson

In August 2025, Airbnb introduced Reserve Now, Pay Later for US travelers. Guests booking eligible listings can now reserve with ...

Airbnb Talks Up Hotels Again — And This Time, It’s Strategic

Airbnb Talks Up Hotels Again — And This Time, It’s Strategic

Thibault Masson

During its Q2 2025 earnings call, Airbnb announced it expects moderate growth in Q3 and especially Q4. Alongside the cautious ...

Forget-Airbnbs-Flashy-New-Services-Expansion-—-Its-Time-to-Put-the-BB-Back-in-Airbnb-scaled

Forget Airbnb’s Flashy New Services Expansion — It’s Time to Put the B&B Back in Airbnb

Thibault Masson

Airbnb has been talking up new services, experiences, and hotels — but there’s a quieter, more strategic growth lever hiding ...

3D map of Europe with red border, representing platform tourism in Europe and regional travel data

How One Viral Statistic Is Skewing Europe’s Short-Term Rental Debate

Uvika Wahi

Few industries are as routinely scrutinized, and misunderstood, as short-term rentals. Media coverage doesn’t just inform the public; it often ...

Vrbo Q2 2025: Expedia Group chart showing room nights booked and average daily rates across all accommodation brands.

Vrbo Q2 2025 Results Show Clear Shift Toward Promotions, Shorter Stays, and Bundled Value

Uvika Wahi

Vrbo’s Q2 2025 results confirm a clear shift: the U.S. market is growing, but just barely, and the brand is ...

Hostaway-adds-AI-messaging-Airbnb-pushes-back-on-Australian-Rental-Caps-Lodgify-laun

Hostaway Rolls Out AI Messaging, Airbnb Challenges Restrictions in Australia, Lodgify Debuts Payments and Financing Tools

Snigdha

Hostaway unveils AI Auto Reply to cut response times for guest queries About Hostaway:Hostaway is a comprehensive vacation rental property ...

Airbnb earnings Q2 2025 visualized with a global travel network map over a cityscape.

Airbnb’s Platform Activity: What Vacation Rental Managers Need to Know for Q2, Q3, and Q4 2025

Thibault Masson

If you’re managing vacation rentals and rely on Airbnb, it’s key to understand how many bookings are happening on the ...

Airbnb’s Long-Term Bet on Experiences & Services Faces Short-Term Skepticism

Airbnb’s Long-Term Bet on Experiences & Services Faces Short-Term Skepticism

Thibault Masson

Airbnb is making one of its boldest strategic moves yet: expanding beyond homes to become a lifestyle brand. With its ...

The Airbnb Squatter Phenomenon in France Why the “Squatteurs Airbnb” are trending in 2025

The Airbnb Squatter Phenomenon in France: Why the “Squatteurs Airbnb” are trending in 2025

Thibault Masson

At the heart of the “Squatteurs Airbnb” issue is a surprising legal loophole unique to French tenant law. In contrast ...

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