Controversial VRBO fees boost vacation rental costs
By Ellen Creager, Detroit Free Press
Vacation rentals are suddenly more expensive, thanks to a new guest service fee tacked on to the rental price by the big sites VRBO and HomeAway.com.
Travelers looking for a place to stay will pay up to $499 a week extra now that the sites have instituted a 4 percent to 9 percent service fee on all vacation rentals.
How does the fee impact travelers? A look at the VRBO site shows that a typical vacation condo that rents for $1,420 a week is subject to a new 9 percent guest service fee of $121, a $124 cleaning fee and taxes of $163, putting the actual rental price at more than $1,800.