What Is the Vrbo Book with Confidence Guarantee?
The Vrbo Book with Confidence Guarantee is the former name of VrboCare, the free guest protection that applies automatically to every booking made on the Vrbo site or app. It covers host-initiated cancellations, check-in issues, fraud and significant property misrepresentation, and took the VrboCare name on October 29, 2025 (Introducing VrboCare (Expedia Group newsroom)).
Last updated: November 2026
How the Vrbo Book with Confidence Guarantee works
Coverage starts when the booking does: the payment is protected once the booking is completed on the platform (VrboCare Guarantee (Vrbo)).
The guarantee steps in when the host cannot fix a problem. If a significant issue comes up that the host can't resolve, Vrbo commits to helping the guest find a similar place or get the reservation refunded (VrboCare Guarantee (Vrbo)). A home that turns out significantly different from its listing leads Vrbo to move the guest into a new space that meets their needs (VrboCare Guarantee (Vrbo)). Guests reach Vrbo for these cases around the clock, by chat or phone (VrboCare Guarantee (Vrbo)).
The 2025 update changed how host cancellations are handled. Rebooking support after a host cancellation used to cover trips occurring within 30 days; where applicable, it now covers reservations occurring within 90 days (Introducing VrboCare (Expedia Group newsroom)).
The guarantee also reaches past checkout. When a guest believes a damage deposit was wrongfully withheld, Vrbo mediates a resolution between guest and host (VrboCare Guarantee (Vrbo)). How the deposit itself is set and returned belongs to Vrbo damage deposit.
The program started with narrower rules. The February 2016 terms, published under the HomeAway name for HomeAway, VRBO and VacationRentals.com, required booking through the HomeAway checkout and protected against four incidents: internet fraud, wrongful denial of entry, material misrepresentation and wrongful deposit loss (Terms and Conditions, Book with Confidence Guarantee from HomeAway (2016)). Before any payout, the traveler had to be refused reimbursement by both the property advertiser and their own bank or card issuer, and the company could arrange alternative lodging for up to three nights (Terms and Conditions, Book with Confidence Guarantee from HomeAway (2016)).
Why it matters for hotel distribution
Most of the events the guarantee covers start on the host's side: a canceled reservation, a check-in that fails, a listing that does not match the property. For a hotel, aparthotel or vacation rental manager selling on Vrbo, every claim a guest makes under it is a sign that something in the operation or the listing broke.
Cancellations carry the clearest cost. While Vrbo looks after the guest, a host who cancels may be charged a cancellation fee or have the listing suspended (Our commitment to trust and safety (Vrbo)). The fee tiers sit on the Vrbo cancellation policy page. A property that sells the same dates on Vrbo, other channels and its own website faces this risk every time a double booking forces it to cancel the Vrbo guest.
Listing accuracy is the second exposure. Photos, room details, amenities and the calendar a property sends to Vrbo are what a guest measures the stay against, so content that drifts out of date on one channel can turn into a relocation request on that channel.
The guarantee also has a hard edge at the platform boundary. Off-platform bookings get none of Vrbo's or Expedia Group's benefits or support (Our commitment to trust and safety (Vrbo)). A guest who finds a unit on Vrbo and then books on the property's own site, a common direct booking path, leaves the guarantee behind, and any protection that guest gets comes from the property's own policies.
Some events sit outside the guarantee on any channel. In a 2018 consumer case, Vrbo declined cover because force majeure is excluded, and the columnist who reported the case added that paying by check voids the guarantee (The Travel Troubleshooter (Elliott.org)). Under the terms in force in 2017, the program would not refund a traveler whose rental was dirty on arrival (Consumer loses confidence in VRBO's booking guarantee (Truth in Advertising)). Both reports predate VrboCare and describe the older terms.
Vrbo Book with Confidence Guarantee compared with related Vrbo policies
| Policy | What triggers it | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| VrboCare (formerly the Book with Confidence Guarantee) | Host-initiated cancellation, check-in issue, fraud, significant misrepresentation | Vrbo, for bookings made on Vrbo |
| Extenuating Circumstances Policy | Natural disasters, public health emergencies, passport or visa changes | Vrbo, under a separate policy |
| Damage deposit | Damage during the stay | The host collects it; Vrbo mediates if a guest disputes a withheld deposit |
VrboCare row: Introducing VrboCare (Expedia Group newsroom). Extenuating Circumstances row: Our commitment to trust and safety (Vrbo). Damage deposit row: VrboCare Guarantee (Vrbo)
Large-scale disruptions such as unforeseen natural disasters, public health emergencies and changes to passport or visa requirements fall under Vrbo's separate Extenuating Circumstances Policy (Our commitment to trust and safety (Vrbo)).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vrbo Book with Confidence Guarantee called now?
Does a guest need to buy the guarantee?
Does the guarantee cover a rental that is dirty on arrival?
Can the payment method affect the guarantee?
Related terms
See all termsWhere Jetstream fits
A guarantee like VrboCare rarely gets used when a property's channels all show the same availability and an accurate description of what the guest will find. Jetstream builds an AI channel manager that connects a property's systems to the channels where guests book, and keeps rooms, rates and availability accurate on each one, managed from one place.