Guides·Get your money back

How to Get a Refund From Airbnb or Vrbo

Refunds usually come down to three things: whether the problem is covered, whether you reported it in time, and whether you can prove it. Here is how to get all three right.

By The Renter’s Court · Updated October 22, 2026

Platforms do give refunds, but they follow their written policies closely. Knowing the rules before you ask makes a big difference.

When Airbnb owes you a refund

Airbnb’s Rebooking and Refund Policy (read it here) covers these “Reservation Issues”:

• The host cancels before check-in. You are entitled to a full refund. Airbnb often converts it to travel credit for quick rebooking, but says you can always ask for a refund to your original payment method, and unused credit is refunded after 72 hours.
• The host cannot get you in.
• The place is not habitable: not reasonably clean, or with safety or health hazards.
• The place is significantly different from the listing: wrong space type, fewer rooms, wrong location, an undisclosed person or pet, or a listed special amenity missing or broken.

For everything except host cancellations, you must report the issue within 72 hours of discovering it, with evidence such as photos or videos. The size of the refund depends on how serious the problem was, how much of the stay it affected, whether you left, and the strength of your evidence.

Anything else, such as changing your own plans, falls under the listing’s cancellation policy, which you agreed to at booking. Check it in your trip details.

When Vrbo owes you a refund

Every Vrbo booking made through its checkout is covered by VrboCare, which says that if there is a significant issue your host cannot resolve, Vrbo will help you find a similar place or get your reservation refunded (VrboCare). Vrbo’s guarantee terms list four covered situations: fraud on Vrbo, being wrongly denied entry, undisclosed defects that make the property unusable, and a host wrongly refusing to return deposits or payments (Vrbo guarantee terms, PDF).

The terms also say you must report material defects within 24 hours of arriving, ask the host for a refund first, and in some cases seek a refund from your card issuer before Vrbo pays. Payments by cash, check or wire are not protected.

Step-by-step: asking for your money back

1. Gather evidence. Screenshots of the listing and your receipt, time-stamped photos and video of the problem, and the full message thread. If you bought a replacement stay, keep the receipt.
2. Ask the host first, on the platform. On Airbnb, use the Resolution Center to request a specific amount (Airbnb Resolution Center). Be specific: “Requesting $420, two nights of a five-night stay, because the heating did not work. Photos attached.”
3. Escalate to the platform. If the host declines or does not answer, contact Airbnb through the Help Center (Contact Airbnb Support) or Vrbo through your account or the VrboCare page. Reference the policy by name: “This is a Reservation Issue under the Rebooking and Refund Policy.”
4. Keep it in writing. After any phone call, send a message in the support thread summarizing what was said and promised.
5. Ask for a supervisor or a review if the first answer is no and you have strong evidence.

Damage claims run the other way

If a host files a damage claim against you, you do not have to accept it. Respond through the Resolution Center, ask for receipts and original photos, and send your own check-in and check-out photos. In one case reported by The Guardian, a guest successfully appealed a claim of more than £12,000 (roughly $16,000) she said was based on altered photos. Read the claim.

If the platform says no: chargebacks

If you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer. The FTC explains that under the Fair Credit Billing Act you can dispute charges for things that were not delivered as agreed, and that your letter should reach the issuer within 60 days of the first statement showing the charge (FTC: Using credit cards and disputing charges). The issuer must acknowledge your dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90.

• Send the platform’s final answer, your evidence and the listing screenshots.
• Be aware that a chargeback can lead the platform to restrict your account. Many people use it only after the platform route is exhausted.
• Debit cards, bank transfers and payment apps have much weaker protections. If the bank mishandles your dispute, you can complain to the CFPB.

Other places to escalate

• Your state attorney general’s consumer protection office (find yours at NAAG).
• The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, especially for scams.
• Small claims court for larger losses. Check the platform’s terms for arbitration rules first. Our Fix It playbook has links.

Common mistakes that kill refunds

• Waiting until you get home to report a problem.
• Leaving the property without telling the platform first.
• Agreeing to a refund by payment app or cash outside the platform.
• Accepting travel credit when you wanted cash, without asking.
• Calling a “support” number from a search result. See fake support scams.

Got a refund story, good or bad? Share it with other renters.

Sources

1. Airbnb Rebooking and Refund Policy
2. Airbnb Resolution Center
3. Airbnb Help Center: Contact Airbnb Support
4. VrboCare guarantee
5. Vrbo: Book with Confidence guarantee terms (PDF)
6. FTC Consumer Advice: Using credit cards and disputing charges
7. CFPB: Submit a complaint
8. NAAG: Find my attorney general

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Platform policies change, so check the linked source for the current version. Spot an error? Tell us.