In 2025, the vacation rental market is booming, expected to reach $84.26 billion, with projections soaring to $113.45 billion by 2030.
This growth is fueled by travelers seeking unique, home-like stays over traditional hotels. Platforms like Vrbo are leading this shift, offering personalized experiences and tips for renters that resonate with modern tourists.
Getting started with building an app like Vrbo (stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner) now positions you at the forefront of this expanding market.
As an experienced IT service provider, we understand the nuances of developing such platforms. Our expertise ensures your app is user-friendly, secure, and scalable.
Demand for vacation rentals is skyrocketing.. Travelers want more than hotel rooms - they want private, cozy, and affordable places that feel like home.
That's why sites like Vrbo are more popular than ever.
If you're looking to build a vacation rental app, now is the right time. The world is traveling again. People are booking longer stays.
They're also traveling with family, friends, and even pets. Vacation homes fit these needs better than hotels.
Let's break down the reasons:
They choose places where they can cook, relax, and stay longer.
With smart vacation booking app development, you can tap into this growing market. A well-built app helps travelers find what they want and helps hosts manage bookings with ease.
You're not just building an app. You're building a platform that connects people and creates trust, just like Vrbo.
Discover our Unique Services - A Game Changer for Your Business!
When building an app like Vrbo, the goal is to create a seamless, secure, and efficient experience that connects property owners with travelers.
Here are the key features that make an app like Vrbo stand out:
One of the most important aspects of a vacation rental app is helping guests easily find the right property. Your app should offer advanced search filters that allow users to sort by:
A simple and intuitive interface ensures that users can quickly find what they need.
For property owners, an app like Vrbo should make listing and managing their properties simple. Features include:
These tools help owners stay organized and manage their properties efficiently.
A smooth booking and payment process is essential for both guests and hosts. Key features here include:
This ensures trust and convenience for both users.
Effective communication between guests and hosts is crucial. The platform should include:
By providing an easy way to communicate, users can clarify details before and during their stay.
Trust is vital in any marketplace. A review and rating system allows:
Reviews help future users make informed decisions, ensuring transparency and credibility.
Unexpected issues can arise during bookings or stays. A responsive customer support system is crucial, offering:
Customer support is essential for resolving issues and maintaining a positive user experience.
Ensuring the security of personal and financial information is a top priority. Features include:
These features build trust, helping users feel safe when using the platform.
In today's world, many users expect to browse, book, and manage bookings on the go. A mobile-friendly design or dedicated app allows users to:
Mobile accessibility ensures a convenient experience for all users.
These features are essential when creating an app like Vrbo to ensure it's both competitive and user-friendly.
If you're planning to build a vacation rental app, focusing on these key functionalities will help ensure success in the market.
Read Also: How to Build a Money Transfer App
Take Your Business to New Heights With Our Services!
Creating a vacation rental app like Vrbo starts with a solid plan. Whether you're launching a startup or expanding an existing travel business, each step in the process matters-from research to launch and beyond.
Start with Market ResearchBegin by understanding how people use vacation rental apps today.
Look at what Vrbo, Airbnb, and others do well. Pay attention to what users complain about in reviews. This helps you find gaps you can fill. Use surveys and interviews to validate your idea and make sure there's a real demand for what you're building.
Choose a Business Model That FitsDecide early how your app will make money. Will you take a commission per booking, offer paid plans for hosts, or mix in premium features? Your monetization model should support growth while keeping the user experience smooth and trustworthy.
Focus on Features That MatterStart simple with the basics: listing properties, searching with filters, booking securely, and managing user accounts.
Once those are in place, you can add extras like personalized suggestions, in-app chat, and reward programs. Don't overload the first version-prioritize what helps users most.
Design a User-Friendly ExperienceGood design makes people stay. Keep it clean, fast, and easy to navigate.
The goal is to make booking or listing a property feel effortless. Use calming visuals and intuitive layouts to create a positive user experience on both mobile and desktop.
Build and Test Your MVPYour Minimum Viable Product should focus on solving one core problem well.
It's not about adding every feature at once. Launch your MVP to a small audience, gather feedback, and improve based on real usage. This helps reduce costly mistakes down the line.
Add Secure Payments and Location FeaturesTrust is critical. Use reliable tools to process payments securely and protect user data.
Location-based features also play a big role, helping users find nearby rentals and improving search results. If you're going global, support different currencies and languages.
Test Everything Before You Launch Don't skip quality assurance. Test the app on different devices and networks.
Fix bugs, fine-tune the experience, and make sure every feature works as expected. Both manual and automated testing will help catch issues before users do.
Launch Smart and Market RightA strong launch plan sets the tone. Promote your app through social media, influencer partnerships, and tech platforms.
Offer early deals to attract your first users. Track engagement from day one and refine your strategy based on real-time feedback.
Maintain, Update, and Grow Post-launch, stay active. Fix problems quickly, keep communication open, and release updates based on user needs.
Regular improvements not only boost performance but also build trust and long-term loyalty.
Choosing the right tech stack is like building the foundation of a house. If it's strong, your app runs smoothly, grows easily, and stays secure.
If not, you may face performance problems, bugs, or higher costs down the road.
Let's break down the essential technologies needed to build an app like Vrbo. These tools help you manage everything-from the user interface to data storage and real-time features.
This is the part your users interact with-the screens, buttons, and search options.
This saves time and money.
These tools make sure the app is fast, responsive, and works well on different screen sizes.
This is where bookings are handled, messages are stored, and payments are processed.
Your backend must be fast, reliable, and able to scale as more users join.
You'll need to store lots of data-property details, user accounts, bookings, reviews, and payments.
Pick a database that fits your app's size and complexity.
Your users must feel safe when paying for bookings. You also need a system that works globally and handles refunds.
These tools also help with tax calculations and payment tracking.
Cloud platforms help you host your app, scale quickly, and manage storage.
Using cloud services cuts down the need for in-house servers and IT costs.
To build a feature-rich app, you'll likely need third-party services.
APIs save development time and add more power to your app.
The admin dashboard is where you manage listings, users, payments, and disputes.
This panel helps you stay in control of your app's performance and user experience.
How Much Does It Cost to Build an App Like Vrbo?
Creating a vacation rental app like VRBO involves many moving parts, and your total cost depends on several key factors.
Think of it like building a house - the more rooms, features, and custom touches you add, the more you'll spend. Let's look at what drives the cost.
But adding features like messaging, reviews, or calendar syncing will increase the budget.
Custom designs with animations and advanced UX will take longer and cost more.
or Europe charge higher rates than those in Asia or Eastern Europe.
Outsourcing can save money if you work with an experienced and reliable team.
To give you an idea, a basic version of the app (MVP) could start at around $50,000 to $100,000. If you plan to launch a full-featured app with advanced tools and custom experiences, you might be looking at $150,000 to $300,000 or more.
Don't forget the cost of ongoing maintenance and future updates, it's not just a one-time spend.
Instead of building everything at once, consider starting with an MVP. This helps you test the market and get feedback fast, without blowing your budget.
You can always add new features based on user needs later.
Turning your Vrbo-style vacation rental app into a money-making business isn't just possible; it's smart.
With more people booking travel online than ever before, the demand is already there. But how do you earn revenue from the app? Let's break it down into real, proven strategies.
This is the most common and reliable model. You earn a percentage from each booking made on your platform. For example, charge hosts a 10% to 15% fee for every successful reservation.
It's a win-win: hosts only pay when they earn, and you get steady income as your app grows.
Give hosts the option to promote their properties. For a fee, they can boost their listings to appear higher in search results or on the homepage.
It's a great way to generate extra revenue while helping hosts get more bookings.
Offer a free version for regular users, but provide added benefits with a monthly or yearly subscription. This could include:
Work with local businesses like restaurants, tour operators, or car rental companies. You can run ads in the app or earn through affiliate links.
Just be sure the ads don't disrupt the user experience.
Some platforms charge guests a small service fee on each booking. This helps cover support, security, and platform improvements.
Read Also: How to Build a Booking App
Once your vacation rental app is live, there are several ways to generate revenue without compromising user experience:
Charge Commission on BookingsTake a percentage (10-15%) from each successful booking.
You can also charge guests a separate service fee, ensuring earnings only come from completed transactions.
Paid Listings and PromotionsAllow hosts to pay for featured placements on the homepage, priority search results, or special badges, helping them get more visibility while creating a steady revenue stream.
Premium SubscriptionsOffer membership plans with perks like early access to listings, lower fees, or advanced analytics for hosts.
This creates a consistent income while rewarding loyal users.
In-App Advertising and Local PartnershipsPartner with local businesses to run targeted ads or affiliate links, ensuring the ads remain relevant and unobtrusive to users.
Guest Service FeesCharge a small service fee to guests for platform operations, secure payments, and other trust-building features, like identity verification.
Related Services - You May be Intrested!
Creating a vacation rental app like VRBO is a big project. It's more than just code and design. You need a team that understands tech, travel, user behavior, and business.
Here's why working with a professional vacation rental app development company makes all the difference:
Experts don't just build apps-they help you shape the right product. From picking the best tech stack to planning features, a professional team gives smart advice based on what works in the real world.
Your app might start small, but what happens when more users join? A skilled team will build a backend that grows with your business, without slowing down or crashing.
Looks matter. So does ease of use. A pro team designs clean, user-friendly interfaces that help guests book faster and keep property owners happy.
User data must be protected. A good app development partner knows how to build secure systems that follow global rules like GDPR or CCPA.
This builds user trust and keeps your app safe from legal trouble.
Working with a seasoned real estate app development company helps you launch faster, avoid costly mistakes, and build something users truly trust.
Creating an app like VRBO takes more than just a great idea. You need the right team, the right technology, and a clear plan to succeed in a competitive market.
At Coders.dev, we bring years of experience in travel and real estate app development to help you build smart, scalable, and user-friendly platforms.
Whether you're starting small or planning to go big, our expert developers, designers, and tech consultants are here to turn your vision into reality.
From backend to UI, we cover it all.
How do I attract property owners to list their properties on my vacation rental app?
To attract property owners, offer competitive pricing, a user-friendly dashboard, and easy listing management tools.
You can also provide free trials, targeted advertising, and features like professional photography services or marketing insights to help them showcase their properties effectively.
What are some types of effective marketing strategies to promote a vacation rental app like Vrbo?
Leverage social media platforms, collaborate with travel bloggers and influencers, and run referral programs to generate word-of-mouth.
Additionally, SEO optimization for your app's website, targeted ads, and partnerships with local tourism agencies can boost visibility and attract more users.
How do I handle disputes between guests and hosts?
To manage disputes, implement a clear and transparent dispute resolution process within the app. Provide automated workflows for resolving issues like payment disputes, damages, or cancellations.
Having a dedicated support team and clear terms of service that outline acceptable behavior can help prevent and resolve conflicts quickly.
Can I build a vacation rental app without hiring a development team?
While it's possible to use app-building platforms or no-code tools for simple versions, creating a full-fledged vacation rental app like Vrbo will typically require custom development.
It's important to hire at least a development team or work with an agency that specializes in app creation for scalability and security.
How can I manage multiple currencies and languages in my vacation rental app?
Integrating multi-currency and multi-language support can be achieved by using payment gateways that support international transactions, such as Stripe or PayPal, and APIs like Google Translate or localization libraries.
You can provide a language and currency toggle in the settings to cater to a global audience.
What are the maintenance costs for running a vacation rental app like Vrbo?
Maintenance costs can include hosting, security updates, bug fixes, customer support, and periodic feature upgrades.
Depending on the app's scale and complexity, annual maintenance can range from 15-20% of the initial development cost. Continuous monitoring and optimization to ensure smooth performance are also important.
Want to create a high-performing vacation rental app like Vrbo? At Coders.dev, our expert developers specialize in building scalable, secure, and feature-packed platforms for the travel and hospitality industry.
From real-time booking to interactive maps and smooth user experiences, we bring your vision to life with precision and speed.
Let's build your Vrbo-style app today!
Coder.Dev is your one-stop solution for your all IT staff augmentation need.