How to sync your Airbnb calendar with Vrbo

Airbnb and Vrbo do not connect to each other on their own. What they share is a calendar link, an iCal address that lists the nights a listing is booked or blocked. Each link carries dates in one direction only, so a two-way sync takes two links: Vrbo's link imported into Airbnb, and Airbnb's link imported into Vrbo.

If you only need the link itself, our calendar link page shows where to find it on each site, with short videos for Airbnb and Vrbo. Menus change from time to time, so if a step looks different, search that site's help center for "sync calendar".

Before you start

• One link per listing. Repeat these steps for each property you list on both sites.
• Vrbo imports need the Vrbo dashboard. Vrbo imports calendars only for properties managed in its Owner Dashboard or app, not through other property management software, and allows up to five per property.
• Know your gap between stays. Decide how much time your cleaner needs between guests. Our free Airbnb cleaning checklist is a simple way to time a full turnover.

Step 1: Copy your Vrbo calendar link

1. Log in to the Vrbo Owner Dashboard and, if you have more than one property, open the listing you want.
2. Select Calendar, then in Settings open the Availability tab.
3. Under Calendar sync, select Connect calendars, then Export calendar.
4. Leave Include tentative bookings off. Vrbo says to use that option only for a private calendar, never for another booking site.
5. Select Copy URL.

Step 2: Add the Vrbo link to Airbnb and copy Airbnb's link

1. In Airbnb, click Calendar and select the same property's listing.
2. Click Availability, then under Connect calendars click Connect to another website.
3. Paste the Vrbo link into the calendar address field, name it Vrbo, and click Add calendar.
4. On the same screen, copy the Airbnb calendar link. This is the link Vrbo needs.

Step 3: Add the Airbnb link to Vrbo

1. Back in Vrbo, open Calendar, then Settings, the Availability tab and Connect calendars.
2. Select Manage imported calendars, then Import a calendar.
3. Paste the Airbnb link into Calendar URL and select Next.
4. Name the calendar Airbnb (Vrbo allows up to 30 characters) and select Import.

Adding Booking.com as well

In the Booking.com extranet, go to Rates & Availability, then Sync calendars, click Add calendar connection and paste the link to import. For Booking.com's own link, choose Skip to export, then Copy link. Booking.com says calendar sync is not available to every property, and those that are not eligible can use a connectivity provider.

Connect every pair of sites directly rather than counting on one site to pass another site's bookings along. With a direct link, each booking waits for only one refresh.

Step 4: Test the connection

1. Block one night far in the future on Airbnb. Airbnb says nights you block there are blocked on the other site too.
2. In the Vrbo Owner app, refresh the imported Airbnb calendar and check that the night shows as blocked.
3. Open the test night again on Airbnb.
4. In Airbnb, open the connected Vrbo calendar, check when it last updated, and confirm your existing Vrbo reservations show as blocked.

Do not test by blocking a night on Vrbo. Airbnb says nights blocked on another calendar may or may not carry over, while nights booked there are blocked automatically.

Copy the setup checklist

The checklist on this page covers every step above. Copy it once for each listing.

AIRBNB AND VRBO CALENDAR SYNC CHECKLIST

Property: ____________________
Set up on (date): ____________
Set up by: ____________________

1. VRBO TO AIRBNB
[ ] Vrbo: Calendar > Settings > Availability > Calendar sync > Connect calendars > Export calendar
[ ] "Include tentative bookings" left off
[ ] Vrbo link copied
[ ] Airbnb: Calendar > this listing > Availability > Connect calendars > Connect to another website
[ ] Vrbo link pasted into the calendar address field, named "Vrbo", Add calendar clicked

2. AIRBNB TO VRBO
[ ] Airbnb calendar link copied from the same Airbnb screen
[ ] Vrbo: Connect calendars > Manage imported calendars > Import a calendar
[ ] Airbnb link pasted into Calendar URL (webcal changed to https if needed)
[ ] Named "Airbnb" and imported (allow up to 20 minutes)

3. OTHER SITES (for example Booking.com)
[ ] Each extra site imported into Airbnb and into Vrbo
[ ] Airbnb and Vrbo links imported into each extra site

4. TEST
[ ] One night far ahead blocked on Airbnb: ____________
[ ] Imported Airbnb calendar refreshed in the Vrbo Owner app, test night shows as blocked
[ ] Test night opened again on Airbnb
[ ] Airbnb shows a recent "last updated" time for the Vrbo calendar
[ ] Existing Vrbo reservations show as blocked on Airbnb

5. SETTINGS
[ ] Preparation time set in Airbnb: ____ nights
[ ] Advance notice set in Airbnb: ____________
[ ] Owner stays and repairs blocked on Airbnb

6. AFTER EVERY NEW BOOKING
[ ] Booked on Vrbo: open Airbnb and click Refresh Calendar on the Vrbo calendar
[ ] Booked on Airbnb: refresh the imported Airbnb calendar in the Vrbo Owner app
[ ] Your cleaner knows about the turnover

7. ONCE A MONTH
[ ] Next few months match on both sites
[ ] Every imported calendar shows a recent update time

How often each calendar refreshes

Calendar sync is not instant. Each site fetches the other sites' links on its own schedule, and these are the times each site's help center gives.

Why double bookings still happen

Suppose a guest books your Vrbo listing just after Airbnb last checked your Vrbo calendar. Those nights can stay open on Airbnb until its next check, up to about 3 hours later, and with Instant Book a guest can reserve them without sending you a request. A booking made on Airbnb should reach Vrbo sooner, because Vrbo says it syncs every 30 minutes, but that is still not instant.

A broken link can let one through too. A link pasted into the wrong listing, or a calendar disconnected and never reconnected, fails quietly, so check each imported calendar's last update time.

What a double booking costs

Airbnb's Host Cancellation Policy names double-booking a listing as a cancellation the host is responsible for, and the fee depends on timing.

The minimum fee is $50, the reservation amount includes your cleaning fee, you get no payout for the canceled stay, and Airbnb can block your calendar for those dates. Vrbo says a host cancellation can bring fees, a drop in search visibility or a listing suspension, the guest gets a full refund unless they broke your house rules, and waiver requests must be made within 10 days. If a double booking happens, contact the site's support before you cancel anything.

How to lower the risk

• Refresh by hand after every booking. When a booking arrives on one site, refresh that calendar on the other site instead of waiting. Airbnb limits manual updates, so save them for new bookings.
• Set preparation time and advance notice in Airbnb itself. Airbnb's link includes nights blocked for preparation time, advance notice and minimum stays, so they close on Vrbo too, while the same settings made on Vrbo may not reach Airbnb.
• Think about last-minute dates. A booking for tonight leaves the least time for a refresh. Airbnb's advance notice setting can block same-day reservations, though your listing may then not appear in searches for those dates.
• Enter owner stays and repairs on Airbnb, because Airbnb sends its blocked nights to Vrbo.

When a channel manager makes sense

A calendar link carries only booked or closed dates, not prices, minimum stays or listing details. A channel manager or property management system connects to each site through software instead, and Airbnb lets that software sync pricing and availability or every listing detail. Airbnb notes that connected software can have a short delay, so ask any provider how quickly a new booking reaches each site.

A channel manager is worth a look when:

• you list on three or more sites, because every pair needs two links (three sites need six, four sites need twelve);
• you get many same-day or next-day bookings, where a gap of up to 3 hours matters most;
• you change nightly prices often and want them to match everywhere;
• you manage several properties, or you have already had a near miss.

Calendar links are usually enough when you list on two sites, most guests book well ahead and you refresh after each booking. Vrbo does not allow calendar imports for a property managed through other software, so on Vrbo you choose one method or the other.

Where your cleaner fits in

A synced calendar keeps guests apart, but your cleaner also needs to hear about every booking, wherever it was made. TurnMyRental reads your calendar links, or a direct OwnerRez connection, and texts your own cleaner each turnover job to accept or decline. It reads calendars only, so you still need the connection above or a channel manager. If a place is listed on both sites, add both of its calendar links to the same property in TurnMyRental. We put the stays from both on one schedule, so an Airbnb checkout followed by a Vrbo arrival the same day is flagged as a same-day turnover. Our plans are a flat monthly price by number of properties, and our How it works page shows each step.

For the clean itself, see our Airbnb turnover cleaning guide, and have a plan for a cleaner who does not show up.