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Safety information

Travel involves trusting someone you have not met. Here is what we do to make that safer, and what you can do alongside us.

Every listing is reviewed

Properties are submitted for review and stay unpublished until an administrator approves them. Listings that misrepresent a property are removed.

Payments never touch our servers

Card details are handled entirely by our payment provider. VirTrav only ever sees the amount, currency, and status of a transaction.

Accounts are protected

Passwords are hashed with bcrypt, sessions use httpOnly cookies that can be revoked server-side, and sensitive actions are written to an audit log.

See it before you book

360° virtual tours let you inspect a property before paying, which is the single most effective protection against a listing not matching reality.

If you are booking

  • Keep communication and payment on the platform — off-platform payment requests are the most common scam.
  • Take the virtual tour before booking, and compare it against the photos and description.
  • Read the cancellation policy on the listing before you confirm.
  • Check the total price breakdown, including cleaning and service fees, before paying.

If you are hosting

  • Keep your listing, pricing, and availability accurate and up to date.
  • Only upload images and virtual tours you have the right to publish.
  • Make sure you hold any permits or licences your local authority requires.
  • Report guests who ask to move payment off the platform.

Reporting a problem

If a listing looks fraudulent, a property is not as described, or you feel unsafe, tell us through the contact page with the booking reference. If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first.