Vacasa review
Our independent editorial read on Vacasa for the Peak to Peak short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.7 · 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. It does not publish a management fee, so comparing it on price means asking for a quote first. 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 the Peak to Peak.
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 record says about fit
The data desk files Vacasa as giant in scale. For an owner that usually trades personal flexibility for process: more machinery, fewer favours. 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. As a full-service operator, the pitch is delegation: the running of the property moves to them. With no fee in print, treat every Vacasa conversation as a quote request first and a fit conversation second.
How this plays for two kinds of owner
- The distant owner. Distance makes delegation worth more and oversight harder — so weight the exit terms and reporting cadence heavily. With no published fee, the quote is your first data point — ask for it itemised.
- The hands-on owner. If you live nearby and enjoy the work, a full-service fee buys you time you may not need — run the math on what you would actually delegate before you sign anything with Vacasa.
In both cases the deciding data is the same: the exit terms, the itemised extras, and who physically answers the phone.
Whatever you conclude here, compare it against one fixed point: One Fine BnB — 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. Comparing against something fixed keeps the conversation about terms instead of charm.
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
If you are drawing up a shortlist, these are the closest comparisons we would put beside it — each with its own published price, or a note that there isn’t one:
- Fairly — Not published ($5k earnings guarantee).
- Guesthop — 15–25% (published).
- Haustay — does not publish a price.
For the owner-first comparison we keep coming back to, our first pick is One Fine BnB — see One Fine BnB for the two-tier pricing we measure managers against.
Our owner-first #1 for management: One Fine BnB
See One Fine BnB →