Did you notice the service fees on Airbnb disappear at the end of 2025? You might have thought, “Finally. They got rid of those.” I hate to be the one to say it… but they didn’t. If you care about getting the best deal when you travel, this is something you’ll want to understand.

What The Service Fee On Airbnb And VRBO Really Is

Airbnb and VRBO are just booking platforms. Think Expedia. Think Ticketmaster. They connect you with a place to stay and they charge a fee for doing that. That fee is called a service fee. It covers their marketing, payment systems, and customer service. You can read Airbnb’s explanation here https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857 and VRBO’s explanation here https://help.vrbo.com/articles/What-is-the-service-fee.

For years, that service fee showed up clearly on your invoice. You saw it. You paid it. But at the end of 2025, that fee disappeared off your invoice. Don’t start happy dancing yet. The service fee on Airbnb and VRBO did not go away. It just moved.

What The Service Fee On Airbnb And VRBO Is Based On

Here’s what most people don’t realize. The service fee on Airbnb and VRBO is not just based on the nightly rate. It’s based on almost everything tied to your stay.

That usually includes the nightly rate, the cleaning fee, and any extra guest fees. It can also include mandatory charges like a resort fee or HOA fee. So the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO is calculated on the full amount you’re paying to stay, not just the price you saw first.

What The Service Fee On Airbnb And VRBO Is Not Applied To

There are a few things the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO usually does not touch. Taxes that the platform collects are generally separate. Optional add-ons like mid-stay cleanings, equipment rentals, or refundable deposits are often handled differently.

Still, for most normal bookings, the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO is tied to the core rental costs. And when you’re booking four or five nights for a family trip, that percentage adds up faster than you think.

Real World Example Of The Service Fee On Airbnb And VRBO

Here’s a simple example:

Three nights at $200 per night equals $600.
Cleaning fee equals $100.
Extra guest fee equals $30.
Tax equals $50.

Your total shows up as $780.

The service fee on Airbnb and VRBO is generally calculated on the $600 plus $100 plus $30. That’s $730. At around 15 percent, that’s about $109.50 additional in just service fees.

That money could have been dinner for the whole family. Or another activity day. Or almost half of another night somewhere.

The Service Fee Game Changed In 2025 

In 2025, they changed how the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO style platforms is shown. They did not remove it. They just changed the angle.

Before, guests and owners split that service fee. Now, in many cases, the full service fee is taken from the owner’s side. So when you book, you no longer see a separate service fee line on your invoice.

Sounds like good news, right?

But here’s the part that matters. Most owners cannot just lose 15 percent and keep their prices the same. So they build that service fee on Airbnb and VRBO into their nightly rate. That’s actually what Airbnb and VRBO told them to do. 

So instead of seeing a separate fee, you now see a higher base price. Same cost. Different presentation.

(There are a few small exceptions where you would see the service fee on your invoice. For example, If you book from owners with only one property, you might still see it there. But not for the majority of listings)  

Why Pay Those Fees At All When You Do Not Have To

Here’s the part most travelers never think about. You don’t always have to pay the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO.

If you find a vacation rental you love, search the property name online. Many independent owners have their own direct booking website. When you book directly with them, you’re not paying the middleman.

Owners would much rather avoid paying the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO too. If they save that 15 percent, they can often give you a better value.

How To Reach Out To A Vacation Owner

So let’s say you want to try booking directly. Airbnb and VRBO do not allow you to send messages that move bookings off their platform. So you won’t be able to ask for a direct website inside their messaging system.

Instead, try this:

• Search the property name on Google.
• Search the host’s name and city.
• Look carefully at reviews for business names.

If you find their website, they will often have a direct booking option on there, and then you’re set.

If you do need to reach out to the owner, keep it simple and kind. Something like, “We found your property on Airbnb and love it. Do you offer a direct booking option?”

Keep in mind that if their direct price is already lower than Airbnb or VRBO, don’t push for more. They’ve already factored out the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO for you. That’s a good sign you’re working with someone upfront and thoughtful.

Finding Those Savings Can Be Even Easier

We use a tool called HiChee when we travel. You can find it at https://www.hichee.com.

HiChee lets you compare the same property across multiple platforms and see if a direct booking option exists. Instead of opening a bunch of tabs and trying to calculate whether the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO is driving up the total, you can see the difference right away.

For independent properties (like My Star Vacation Rentals), HiChee often shows a lower total because the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO is already taken out of the price. For large corporate properties, the price may look similar across all the platforms. That tells you something too.

We love to travel, and we love to save. If understanding the service fee on Airbnb and VRBO helps you keep more money in your pocket, then this post did its job. Save it. Come back to it before your next trip. Use it anytime you’re comparing prices.

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