Lately it feels like everybody wants a piece of your payout.

Airbnb moved to a single 15.5% host-only fee on September 15th, and it applies to your whole subtotal, cleaning fee included. Now Vrbo is following. Starting October 29th, every host moves to a flat 12% commission. For hosts connected through a management system who were paying 5%, that’s more than double. Unlike Airbnb, Vrbo is keeping its guest service fee too.

In this solo episode, Christine draws on 20+ years in the short-term rental industry to cover what changed, what’s coming, and where your energy should really go. She compares Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and your own direct booking site on Google Vacation Rentals: what each one costs you, and who owns the guest relationship. She also explains the catch with direct booking: the management software that connects you to Google often takes its own cut, usually tucked into payment processing.

You’ll leave with six questions to ask before you sign with any property management software, a quick look at new platforms trying a different model, and a clear channel strategy whether you’re brand new or have been hosting for years.

6 questions to ask any property management software before you sign:

1. What does payment processing cost on a direct booking, and do you add anything on top of the processor’s rate?
2. Is there a booking engine fee or any per-reservation fee on direct bookings?
3. Does that fee change by country or payment processor?
4. Is the direct booking website in my plan or an add-on, and does the fee change if I upgrade?
5. Can you connect me to Google Vacation Rentals, and is that included?
6. Who owns my guest data, and can I take my guest list with me if I leave?

Free resources:

• The Repricer: see what Airbnb’s 15.5% and Vrbo’s 12% do to your payout → guide.thefullybookedhost.com
• The Channel Brief: the week’s STR channel news in your inbox every Monday → thefullybookedhost.com

Connect with The Fully Booked Host:

• Website: thefullybookedhost.com
• Instagram: @thefullybookedhost
• Facebook: /fullybookedhost
• TikTok: @fullybookedhost
• YouTube: @thefullybookedhost

Fees and figures are accurate as of October 2026. Platform pricing changes often, so confirm current rates with each provider.

Almost every host starts in the same place: bedding configurations, duvet covers, towel counts, and what the living room will look like in the photos. Most people focus on the wrong things!

In this solo episode, Christine walks through what actually comes first when you're moving out of your own home for a season and renting it to guests and the order that saves you months and, in one case, your house.

In this episode:

* Why the regulatory shift of the last two years narrowed the door instead of closing it and why the person it narrowed toward is someone renting out the home they live in.

* The three separate authorities that each get an independent veto over whether you're allowed to do this at all, and how to approach each one.

* The insurance reality most homeowners find out about at the worst possible moment, plus why platform host guarantees are not insurance.

* The one door in your house you have to get right before you pack a single box.

* How to work out your nightly rate backwards from what your home actually costs, instead of from what the neighbours are charging.

* What to do when the market pays less than your break-even (hint: it isn't better photos).

Get the free checklist + break-even calculator

Send the words MOVE OUT, RENT OUT:

DM us on Instagram: @thefullybookedhost

Or comment it on this episode on YouTube

It's built to be printed and carried around the house while you work: the three gates, the insurance list, the lock-off walkthrough, what leaves the property entirely versus what goes into storage, the safety items inspectors actually ask about, and a blank worksheet for your numbers. The calculator takes about 10 minutes if you have your statements handy and gives you your break-even rate and the rate you'd need to hit the profit you actually want.

Free. No hoops. Prefer a form? Sign up here: moveout-rentout.vibepreview.com

What's coming up:

Move Out, Rent Out (live, free) — 45 minutes. 30 taught with screen shares, then open Q&A for as long as it takes. Licensing in the order that saves you time, and where you should be listed and why the answer isn't automatically Airbnb. [PRE-REGISTER]

The Playbook Sessions — four sessions with Christine and Sarah, working through the Fully Booked Playbook front to back. One: the ground you have to be standing on. Two: the listing itself. Three: the money. Four: the systems, so the thing runs without you answering messages at midnight. [PRE-REGISTER]

None of it's a pitch. Every session ends with open Q&A.

A note: short-term rental rules change fast and they change block to block. Everything here is general guidance to help you ask better questions — always confirm what applies to your exact address before you spend a dollar.

You were never meant to host alone. We're building a village.

📍 thefullybookedhost.com · 📩 hello@thefullybookedhost.com

Karmen woke up to twenty notifications. Every upcoming reservation at her property, cancelled!

Karmen and Jesse Brown have been hosting in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada for five years. Great reviews, an established business, a property guests love. And a licensing notice that arrived by email and got lost in the noise every host knows too well.

In this episode, Christine and Sarah walk through exactly what happened next: the first message, the first decision, and the plan that came together over tacos and a very long list of phone calls. Roughly 90% of those guests rebooked. About $25,000 in reservations moved off the platform and into Karmen and Jesse's own business.

This one is a real story with a real recovery plan, and four things you can put in place today so you're never starting from zero.

In this episode:

- Why an established listing is not a protected listing

- What Karmen had that made the recovery possible (and what most hosts don't have)

- The exact offer that brought guests back

- How to talk to a guest whose booking just disappeared

- Building a habit for catching the notices that actually matter

- Why community and a plan beat panic every time

Featured Host of the Week: Karmen and Jesse Brown, Viewpoint Lodge, Vernon, BC. Perched above the lake among the orchards, with a hot tub, cold plunge, barrel sauna, arcade games, and mini putt in the front yard. Go show them some love.

Viewpoint Lodge: https://viewpointlodge.holidayfuture.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/view_point_lodge/

Mentioned in this episode - The Direct Booking Checklist. Free, no gatekeeping: https://directbookchecklist.vibepreview.com

Want your property featured? Send us your listing link and tell us what you're facing right now. Every month we feature at least one property on the show and across our channels, and we choose one host for a coaching call where we dig into the business and make real recommendations.

The Fully Booked Host is hosted by Christine Brandle and Sarah Churchill. Website: https://www.thefullybookedhost.com

You were never meant to host alone.