1. Make an inventory of every listing

List every platform where you have ever started a property listing, including unfinished experiments. For each one, record the property ID, whether it is publicly bookable, who receives reservation alerts, and who is responsible for its calendar.

Check the owner dashboard and the public listing view. A draft label or an old email is not enough evidence that a property cannot receive bookings. If you intend to stop selling on a channel, use its documented deactivation process and verify what happens to existing reservations.

• Airbnb and Vrbo listing links and property IDs.
• Any additional platform or direct booking source.
• Current booking status and future confirmed reservations.
• The person monitoring alerts and calendar errors.

2. Connect calendars in both directions

Export Airbnb’s calendar into Vrbo, then export Vrbo’s calendar into Airbnb where your setup supports this. Importing one feed does not automatically establish the return connection. Use descriptive names so you can recognize which property and platform each feed belongs to.

Airbnb describes export and import as separate steps. Keep the private calendar addresses secure; they are not the public listing links you share with guests.

Official reference: Airbnb: synchronizing calendars.

3. Understand what the connection does

Vrbo supports iCal imports in its owner dashboard, with different arrangements for properties managed through third-party software. Check the instructions that match your account rather than combining two management methods without checking compatibility.

Imported calendars update on a schedule. The receiving platform determines when a change appears. Also distinguish reservations from manual blocks and preparation settings: verify which restrictions actually travel between your channels. Consult the current provider instructions instead of assuming every setting synchronizes.

Official reference: Vrbo: importing a calendar.

4. Test a block and its removal

Choose unreserved future dates and create a temporary manual block. Record its start and end dates and which platform created it. Refresh or wait according to the receiving platform’s instructions, then check the other calendar and its bookable dates.

Remove the test block and verify the removal as carefully as its arrival. If manual blocks are not supported by that connection, use the provider’s documented test process; do not create a fake paid reservation. Check the date boundaries, especially checkout day and turnaround time.

5. Make confirmation a deliberate step

Before confirming a direct stay, review the current calendars and any pending inquiries or holds. Record the accepted stay in your management system and verify that it blocks the relevant dates elsewhere. An inquiry by itself is not a reservation.

JustStay supports manual blocking and periodic iCal connections. It does not make synchronization instant or synchronize rates and messages. If your booking volume requires tighter coordination, evaluate a compatible channel manager against your actual platforms and workflow.

If you discover a conflict

First establish which reservations are confirmed and stop further sales of the affected dates. Contact the relevant platform support promptly and explain the facts to the affected guest. Keep records of the timeline, messages, and calendar state.

Do not pressure a guest to cancel on your behalf or promise that a platform will waive fees. Handle each reservation through its applicable process. After resolving the immediate issue, identify the failure—visibility, notification, mapping, or sync delay—and repeat the calendar test.