Vrbo Reviews Policy | How to Remove Reviews on Vrbo

Most travelers rely on reviews when choosing a vacation rental, making it vital for Vrbo property owners to prioritize positive feedback. High ratings and strong reviews boost a listing’s visibility in search results, helping it stand out and attract more booking requests. Positive reviews serve as social proof, reassuring guests of the overall experience they can expect and driving more reservations.

Feedback from past guests on cleanliness, communication, and house rules directly impacts how future guests view a property. Vrbo’s two-way review system highlights the importance of guest satisfaction. By delivering excellent service and clear expectations, property owners can avoid bad reviews, maintain their reputation, and ensure consistent bookings.

Everything You Need to Know About VRBO Reviews

1. Why are reviews important to Vrbo hosts? 2. What is the Vrbo Reviews Policy for hosts? 3. What is Vrbo Reviews Extortion Policy? 4. What are Vrbo Reviews Content Guidelines? 5. What are Vrbo Eligibility Guidelines for reviewing Hosts? 6. How to remove a review on Vrbo? 7. How to deal with a Vrbo review that cannot be removed?

Why are Reviews Important to Vrbo Hosts?

Getting good reviews is important to Vrbo hosts for many reasons. A steady flow of good reviews will:

• Increase the visibility of your property to users.

• Provide social proof of the high quality of your listing and build trust in it.

• Increase the rate of conversion to bookings.

• Gain valuable feedback on what hosts are doing right.

Even negative reviews have their silver lining. They help hosts:

• Gain valuable feedback on what hosts are doing wrong.

• Improve guest experience by learning from the criticisms pointed out.

How does Vrbo Review Work?

Just like with Airbnb, Vrbo allows both guests and hosts to review their experience. Unlike Airbnb however, they have up to one year to leave their review.

What is the Vrbo Reviews Policy for Hosts?

Vrbo's review policy for hosts consists of several components:

Vrbo reviews visibility

Vrbo hosts can view their guests' ratings by other Vrbo owners when the guest makes a booking request for their vacation rental. This is the only time that reviews of a guest are made visible to Vrbo hosts.

Reviews of hosts can be viewed by anyone viewing the listing.

Vrbo reviews process

Vrbo hosts will find a marketplace feed card for reviewing their guests displayed in their account on the day of checkout. They will receive a reminder email 3 days later in case they have not yet given a review.

Vrbo reviews score

Guests can be rated between 1 and 5 stars for their cleanliness, communication, adherence to house rules, and overall experience.

Vrbo reviews timeline

Both hosts and guests are given a period of one year to submit their review. However, once one party has submitted their review, the other has only 14 more days to submit theirs.

Vrbo reviews publication

Reviews are published once both parties complete their reviews or the 14 days are over. Neither party can see the other's review of them until then. If one party does not submit their review within the deadline they cannot submit a review later.

Once published, neither hosts nor guests can edit their reviews. Vrbo hosts however can respond to a guest's review.

What is Vrbo Reviews Extortion Policy?

As part of its content guidelines, Vrbo's extortion policy is a clear prohibition on guests or property owners/managers extorting the other party for money or any other consideration. Therefore:

• Guests cannot threaten to use a review against the host to obtain a refund or additional compensation.

• Hosts cannot order a review in exchange for a refund.

• Hosts cannot ask a guest to revise their review for compensation.

• Extortion attempts can be reported to Vrbo along with supporting evidence.

What are Vrbo Reviews Content Guidelines?

Vrbo reserves the right to remove any content contributed by users. including hosts and guests. This includes reviews that do not meet its content guidelines.

It also does not take any responsibility for ensuring the legitimacy of any such content contributed and will not involve itself in any disputes that may arise as a result.

Vrbo's reviews content guidelines include:

• A review must be submitted within one year of the date of stay.

• Users who post content must have all legal rights to post the content.

• Content must be directly related to its purpose. For example, a review must focus on a Vrbo host's experience renting their property to the traveler.

• Reviews must be accurate and respectful.

• Reviews and responses must not disclose the physical location of the property.

• Reviews and responses must not disclose the actual rates charged by the Vrbo host. This is because Vrbo hosts can change or negotiate the rate they accept for a property.

• Reviews or responses cannot be posted for the direct purpose of forcing the other party to pay or return funds.

What are Vrbo Eligibility Guidelines for Reviewing Hosts?

Vrbo allows only one member of the rental party to leave a review. However, unlike with Airbnb, any member of the guest party can review the host as long as they meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old

• Not own or manage the property being reviewed

• Provide adequate evidence of their stay such as a receipt of property access information or proof of payment

• Be able to validate their identity or email

How to Remove a Review on Vrbo?

If a Vrbo host wants to remove a negative review from a guest or delete feedback they’ve left for a traveler, they can contact Vrbo customer support and submit a ticket requesting review removal. However, for the request to be successful, the host must demonstrate that the review violates Vrbo’s content guidelines. It’s important to note that once a published review is deleted, it cannot be replaced with a new one.

Before pursuing the removal of a review, consider whether it’s truly worth the effort. A single negative review among many positive ones is unlikely to impact your overall star rating or future bookings. On the other hand, if you’re receiving consistent bad reviews, it may signal the need to address broader issues with your rental property, such as cleanliness, communication, or house rules. Focusing on improving the guest experience can have a more lasting impact on attracting future guests than attempting to delete unfavorable feedback.

What if a Vrbo Review Cannot be Removed?

If you are not successful in getting the review removed, there are other ways of managing the review:

1. Post a response

Vrbo permits you to respond to any review of your listing on the platform so hosts can directly address the complaints and concerns expressed by the guests in the review. Be professional, show that you understood what they have stated, express your regret for how they felt, and address the criticism directly. Make sure you showcase your dedication to improving guest experience.

2. Ask other guests to leave a review

Asking your guests to leave a review is one of the best ways for hosts to ensure reviews keep coming in. Because Vrbo allows reviews to be submitted for up to one year, reach out to your past guests who haven't reviewed you yet to do so. Let the positive experiences of your past and new guests serve as proof of the high-quality experience provided by your Vrbo property.

FAQ's

1. Why are reviews important for Vrbo hosts?

Reviews increase your property’s visibility in Vrbo search results, attract more booking requests, and build trust through social proof. High ratings and positive feedback drive conversions and ensure consistent bookings.

2. How does Vrbo’s two-way review system work?

Vrbo allows both guests and hosts to review each other. Guests rate cleanliness, communication, house rules, and overall experience, while hosts review guest behavior. Reviews are published after both parties submit or when the 14-day review window ends.

3. What are Vrbo’s guidelines for removing reviews?

Vrbo reviews can be removed if they violate content guidelines, such as being inaccurate, disrespectful, or revealing property locations or rates. Hosts must contact Vrbo support and provide evidence of the violation.

4. What should hosts do if a review cannot be removed?

Respond professionally to show commitment to guest satisfaction. Encourage positive reviews from satisfied guests to outweigh the negative. Use feedback to improve cleanliness, communication, or house rules if needed.

5. How can hosts get more positive reviews?

Deliver excellent guest experiences with clear communication and a clean property. Encourage guests to leave reviews by sending reminders. Positive reviews improve your star rating and increase bookings.