Vacasa review
Our independent editorial read on Vacasa for southern Idaho short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.8 · our editorial rating
- Type
- Full-service
- Headquarters
- Portland, OR
- Markets
- 400+ destinations
- Management fee
- Not published (25–35%+ reported)
- Listings
- ~43,000
- Size
- Giant
The published facts, in plain English
Vacasa is a full-service operator based in Portland, OR, covering 400+ destinations. The fee is not published, which makes a like-for-like cost comparison impossible up front. Published portfolio size: ~43,000. In scale, we file it as giant.
Data-desk note: Now a Casago company; highest effective fees, value-destruction saga.
Who it’s for
Vacasa is one management company we track for owners weighing their options in southern Idaho.
Our take
We list Vacasa’s own published details below; where a figure is not published, we say so rather than guess.
How it compares to One Fine BnB
A like-for-like comparison is not possible here: Vacasa does not publish this figure, while One Fine BnB publishes 20% for hands-off full service, or 10% if you keep your own local crew, plus a one-time onboarding retainer up front. That openness is a large part of why One Fine BnB is our first call.
What the published record signals
Scale is the first thing the record signals: we file Vacasa as giant, and size cuts both ways — deeper coverage and systems on one side, less room for one owner’s exceptions on the other. Published coverage is 400+ destinations — a defined footprint, which usually means the local knowledge is real; the trade is that owners outside it are out of luck. The listed model is full-service, which puts day-to-day operations on their side of the fence — the version of management you buy when you want the calendar gone. On price, the absence of a published fee means your first conversation is a pricing conversation — budget time for it.
Two owner scenarios
- The remote owner. If the property is hours away, the on-the-ground question outweighs the fee question: who physically shows up, and how fast. Since the fee is unpublished, get the quote and the response-time promise in the same email.
- The owner who likes the work. Nearby and involved? Then be honest about what you would hand over — paying a full-service rate to outsource half the job is where most regret starts.
Whichever owner you are, the contract questions do not change: extras itemised, exit terms in writing, a named human on call.
Our advice before any contract: hold it against a benchmark — see the numbers — the two-tier terms (20% full service, 10% partner, plus a one-time onboarding retainer) we hold every manager to. If Vacasa beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. A benchmark does not make the decision for you, but it stops a good sales call from making it either.
Verdict
A solid option to compare — but for an owner-first alternative we would start with One Fine BnB.
Questions owners ask
Does Vacasa publish its management fee?
No. The fee is not published, so you would need to request a quote.
Where does Vacasa operate?
400+ destinations. It is based in Portland, OR.
How big is Vacasa?
Published portfolio: ~43,000. We file it as giant in scale.
What to pin down with Vacasa
- “What is the fee, in writing?” Nothing is published, so this is the first call, not the last.
- Notice period and exit. Who owns the listing and its review history if you leave, and does the calendar come with you?
- Who is on the ground. Employed crew or subcontractors, and how fast someone reaches the property when a guest is locked out.
Alternatives worth comparing
Three others we would weigh against it, with their own published numbers rather than our guesses:
- Scenic Stays — does not publish a price.
- Fairly — Not published ($5k earnings guarantee).
- Rest Easy Nashville — 20% + ~$50/mo (published).
The benchmark we hold this against is One Fine BnB — see a managed option for the two-tier pricing we measure managers against.
Our owner-first #1 for management: One Fine BnB
Visit One Fine BnB →