10/23/2026
As some know, I have been an Airbnb/(VRBO) Superhost for around 5 years as we enter red the industry in 2022. Our properties are in the top 5-10% of all listings. We started taking direct bookings 2-3 years ago, as the writing was on the wall and a pivot would be inevitable.
Right now, in the owner groups on Facebook, thousands of vacation rental owners are posting that they are pulling their homes off Airbnb and Vrbo, selling, or leaving the business altogether. This is an uprising, and it is happening in plain sight. Before you book your next family getaway, I'm asking you to understand why.
THE HOTEL STANDARD
Can you check into a hotel without showing your ID? No. Hotels verify who is staying in their building, require agreements, and enforce rules, because that is how you protect a multimillion-dollar investment.
Today, Airbnb announced that hosts can no longer require a rental agreement or verify the identity of the people staying in our homes. We don’t know their last name, address, or their phone number — NOTHING! To use their platform, we must allow complete strangers into our homes!
We can't ask guests to take out the trash. We can't even ask them to put their dishes in the dishwasher and press start. And we can't post house rules in the home unless they are also in the listing. Simple things we offer, that our property insurances require: Please wear life jackets which are located ____ when using the kayaks, paddle board or paddle boat, etc. Common sense items, but we need to be able to communicate these details for guest safety and improved satisfaction.
Hotels are allowed to protect their property. We are being told to hand over the keys to our homes and hope for the best. Imagine a serious issue happening in the home and you need assistance.
🆘 Hello 911 — “The guest is someone named Joey from Airbnb. I don’t have a last name, where they’re from, or a phone number.”
THE FEES
Last fall, Airbnb raised its host fee from about 3% to 15.5%. Airbnb dropped its separate guest service fee, but the 15.5% now comes out of everything we charge, including the cleaning fee.
Vrbo looked at that and went bigger. Starting October 29, Vrbo raises its host commission from 5% to 12%, and it still charges you a guest fee on top of it.
WHO PAYS
Owners can't absorb this. We have mortgages, taxes, insurance, repairs, and cleaners to pay. So nightly rates go up to cover the platforms' cut, and your taxes are then calculated on those higher rates. Margins disappear. More owners quit. And the homes that disappear are the family cabin, the lake house, and the place you take the kids every summer.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you love renting an entire home for your family to get away, please understand what is happening to the people who own those homes.
1. Find the cabin or management company name on the Airbnb or Vrbo listing.
2. Google that name and look for their own booking website.
3. Book direct. You deal with the people who actually care about the place, and the platform markup is gone.
I speak from many years of experience, and am asking you to seriously consider supporting the owners of the vacation rentals you love by booking direct. It is the best way to keep these getaways alive.
Book direct with us:
www.whitefishchainretreat.com
Please share this with anyone who loves a good family getaway. Explain to friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances that this helps both the guest and host. We can provide higher quality services at lower prices without being strong armed by the Airbnb and VRBO.
Book direct to not only save on your wallet, but help remove the constraints to owners and support local small business. We hire local and help stimulate local economies. Join the movement that makes sense. Book direct, you’ll be glad you did.
