Stayz's 12% commission from 29 October 2026: what Australian hosts need to do

Vrbo, which runs Stayz in Australia, emailed hosts on 29 September 2026: "Beginning October 29, 2026, you will transition to a single, transparent 12% commission fee." Its help page now describes a "flat, all-in 12% commission fee".

Stayz's existing owner terms already allow commission changes on 30 days' notice, which is the gap between the email and the switch.

The commission applies to the rental amount and any additional fees you charge the guest, such as cleaning and pet fees. Vrbo's help page says taxes and refundable damage deposits are not subject to the commission. If Stayz processes the guest's payment, there's no separate processing fee on top. Bookings that come through Vrbo's "expanded distribution partners" may carry higher fees.

That last line matters for repricing. If you raise only your nightly rate, the 12% still comes off your cleaning fee at the higher rate. Lift both.

Under the old Australian rate card, a GST-registered self-managed host kept 95% of each booking. At 12% you keep 88%. To end up with the same money:

New rate = old rate × 0.95 ÷ 0.88 = old rate × 1.080 – an increase of about 8%

If you are not GST-registered and GST is charged on the full 12%, you go from keeping 94.5% to keeping 86.8%. The stand-still increase is about 8.9%.

A 7-night stay at $300 a night, GST-registered host:

Doing nothing costs this host $147 on one week. Over a summer of bookings that is real money. Run your own numbers.

Two numbers to avoid:

• "Raise your rates 12%." That treats the whole commission as new. You were already paying 5%.
• "About 4.5%." That is the US figure for hosts moving from 8% to 12%. Australian self-managed hosts were not on 8%, so it under-prices the change here.

A few details depend on your account. Check these against your first invoice after 29 October:

• GST. Stayz's help page says GST on the commission isn't charged if you're GST-registered and have entered a GST ID. Its Partner Terms (clause 13.4) say Australian GST applies for Australian residents. The help page also still says GST "is always 0.5%", the figure for the old 5% rate. On 12%, it's 1.2%. Assume 13.2% until your invoice says otherwise.
• Software-connected hosts. Stayz's help page says hosts on its Professional Plan in Australia may pay up to 15%, including processing. Check your dashboard.
• Older subscription listings. Vrbo's updated terms say it is not accepting new subscription listings and may not renew existing ones. If you are on one, check what happens when your term ends.

This is where Stayz differs from Airbnb. When Airbnb moved to a 15.5% host-only fee, the guest service fee disappeared for most bookings. Stayz is keeping one. Vrbo's host FAQ says that "in most cases, travelers will still see a service fee applied at the time of booking", which it is making "more flexible".

Skift reported the guest fee currently runs at 11–14% and that Vrbo intends to reduce it. Vrbo has not published new levels. If you lift your rate 8% and the guest fee drops, guests may pay roughly what they paid before. If the guest fee stays where it is, they pay more.

The usual way to cover one channel's commission is to charge more on that channel. Stayz's published terms don't stop you, as at 30 October 2026. Price each channel on its own numbers, and read any terms update Stayz emails you.

1. Check the commission on your first new booking. It should be 12% of the subtotal, or 13.2% if GST is added. If it's higher, ask Stayz why before you take the next one.

2. Check your GST settings. If you're GST-registered and haven't entered your ABN as your GST ID in the dashboard, you're probably paying GST on the commission. Speak to your accountant before changing tax details.

3. Reprice your nightly rate and fees together. Lift your nightly rate, cleaning fee and other mandatory fees by the same percentage. Bookings made before 29 October keep the old rate, so this only affects new bookings.

4. Look at your channel mix. Stayz at 12% is still cheaper than Airbnb at 15.5% for most self-managed hosts, but the gap has narrowed. What each channel costs has the side-by-side.

Stayz is going from 5% to 12% for most self-managed Australian hosts. Lift your rates and fees by about 8% if you want to stand still, a little more if you are not GST-registered, and check your first invoice, because GST treatment varies.

• About the pay-per-booking model – Vrbo Help
• FAQs: APAC contracting legal entity change – Vrbo Help (AU)
• Vrbo 12% commission: what the new host terms mean – RentalScaleUp
• Vrbo to double commissions as it plays catch-up to Airbnb – Skift
• Expedia Group to introduce Vrbo compensation model change – ShortTermRentalz
• GST – Australian Taxation Office
• Vrbo compensation model changes – Expedia Group
• Partner Terms and Conditions – Stayz