What is HomeAway?

Updated 2026-05-28

HomeAway was an online travel agency (OTA) that specialized in vacation rentals, including houses, condos, and cabins, available for short-term stays. It operated as a platform where property owners and managers could list their properties for rent and travelers could find and book accommodations worldwide.

In 2020, parent company Expedia Group consolidated its vacation rental assets, and the HomeAway brand and website were fully integrated into its sister site, Vrbo.

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How it works

Before its consolidation, property owners would create listings on HomeAway, complete with photos, descriptions, amenities, and pricing. They could choose between an annual subscription fee to list their property or a pay-per-booking commission model.

Travelers would search the platform using filters like destination, dates, and number of guests to find suitable properties. All communication, booking requests, and payments were handled through the HomeAway platform, which provided a secure system for both parties.

Why it matters

HomeAway was a foundational player that helped establish the online vacation rental market long before the rise of competitors like Airbnb. It legitimized the practice of renting private homes for travel on a large scale.

The brand's eventual merger into Vrbo is a significant example of the ongoing consolidation within the online travel industry, where major corporations acquire and streamline competing brands to unify their market presence.

Examples

In 2017, a family looking for a beachfront house in Florida would have browsed listings on HomeAway.com to find and book their week-long summer vacation.
A property owner in Tuscany who listed their villa on multiple sites could have chosen HomeAway's annual subscription model to maximize their profit on bookings from that specific channel.
Starting in 2019, a traveler might notice that many listings on HomeAway were identical to those on Vrbo, as Expedia Group began integrating the platforms' inventories prior to the official rebrand.
After 2020, a user attempting to log into their HomeAway account to view past trip details would be automatically redirected to Vrbo.com, where their account history had been migrated.

Frequently asked questions

Is HomeAway the same as Vrbo?+

HomeAway and Vrbo were once separate companies, but both were acquired by Expedia Group. In 2020, Expedia Group merged the HomeAway brand into Vrbo. Today, HomeAway.com redirects to Vrbo.com, and they operate as a single platform under the Vrbo name.

What happened to the HomeAway website and app?+

The HomeAway website and mobile app were discontinued and fully consolidated into Vrbo as part of a global brand simplification strategy by their parent company, Expedia Group. All listings, bookings, and user accounts were migrated to the Vrbo platform.

Can I still list a property on HomeAway?+

No, it is no longer possible to list a new property on HomeAway. Property owners and managers who wish to be on the platform must now create their listings directly on Vrbo, which serves the combined audience of both former brands.

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