re: Should Airbnb, VRBO, and others like that include hidden fees in their room prices?

We usually rent small houses, and most of the time you can contact the agency listing the rental (outside of vrbo) for a better deal. They often throw in bikes or chairs as well.

So scroll down and you’ll see Sandpiper Vacation Rentals.
https://www.vrbo.com/1540174?arrival=2021-04-11&departure=2021-04-17&unitId=2099892
Once we find a place available on vrbo, we just call up Sandpiper (or whoever) and act dumb...we’d like to rents a house on these dates, what do you have, are there any deals for that time...?

Check out those fees...I pulled this up randomly on vrbo, but have stayed in this exact house. Pretty funny when I looked at the photos better.