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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(i503)
i946-3650
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
_________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of Each Exchange
on Which Registered
iClass A Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share
iVCSA
iThe
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐iNo☒
Indicate by check
mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐iNo☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. iYes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files). iYes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer,""accelerated filer,""smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer☐
iAccelerated filer ☒
Non-accelerated filer ☐
Smaller reporting companyi☐
Emerging
growth companyi☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. i☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. i☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the
registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. i☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of these error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1 (b). ☐
Indicate by
check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No i☒
The aggregate market value of the Class A common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing price of a share of the registrant's common stock on June
30, 2023, was $i98,113,245.
As of February 28, 2024, i13,603,113 shares of the
registrant's Class A Common Stock were outstanding, i8,465,553 shares of the registrant's Class B Common Stock were outstanding, and i316,666
shares of the registrant's Class G Common Stock were outstanding.
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2024 annual meeting of stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual
Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The registrant’s definitive proxy statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Annual Report") contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Annual Report, including statements regarding our results of operations, financial position, growth strategy, seasonality, business strategy, policies, and approach are forward looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may
cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, in some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “aim,”“anticipate,”“believe,”“contemplate,”“continue,”“could,”“estimate,”“expect,”“intends,”“may,”“might,”“plan,”“possible,”“potential,”“predict,”“project,”“should,”“will,”“would”, or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results, performance, or achievements, and one should avoid placing undue reliance on such statements.
Forward-looking
statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us. Such beliefs and assumptions may or may not prove to be correct. Additionally, such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to:
•our ability to achieve profitability;
•our ability to grow and manage the growth of our business;
•our ability to compete in our industry;
•our ability to attract and retain homeowners and guests;
•our
ability to provide high-quality customer service;
•our ability to develop new or enhanced offerings and services;
•our ability to maintain relationships with distribution partners;
•our ability to cost-effectively drive traffic to our platform;
•our ability to maintain and enhance our brand and reputation, and avoid negative publicity that could damage our brand;
•the safety or perception of safety of our platform and services;
•our ability to manage our international operations;
•our ability to consummate
or successfully integrate recent and future acquisitions;
•our ability to raise additional capital or generate the significant capital necessary to expand our operations and invest in new offerings;
•our ability to attract and retain capable management and employees;
•increased personnel costs or labor shortages;
•declines or disruptions to the travel and hospitality industries or general economic downturns;
•the effects of seasonal and other trends on our results of operations;
•our ability to obtain adequate insurance coverage for the needs of our business;
•any
future impairment of our long-lived assets or goodwill;
•significant fluctuations in our results of operations from quarter to quarter and year to year as a result of seasonality and other factors;
•operational metrics subject to inherent challenges in measurement and real or perceived inaccuracies;
•upticks or downturns in bookings are not immediately reflected in our results of operations;
•our ability to manage funds held on behalf of customers;
•our expectations regarding our tax liabilities and the adequacy of our reserves;
•any undetected errors on our platform;
•our
ability to adapt to changes in technology and the evolving demands of homeowners and guests;
•our ability to protect our intellectual property and our data;
•our use of "open source" software;
•our use of artificial intelligence, or AI, in our business;
•our ability to stay in compliance with laws and regulations, including tax laws, that currently apply or may become applicable to our business both in the United States and internationally and our expectations regarding the impact of various laws, regulations, and restrictions that relate to our business;
•risks related to the ownership of our Class A Common Stock; and
•those
risks, uncertainties, and assumptions identified in Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" and Part II, Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in this Annual Report.
There may be additional risks that we currently consider immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks.
The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Annual Report, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such
statements, such information may be limited or incomplete. These statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report and are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
You should read this Annual Report and the documents that we incorporate by reference into or filed with this Annual Report with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance, and achievements may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report, whether as a result of any new information, future events, or otherwise.
Basis
of Presentation
Vacasa, Inc. was incorporated on July 1, 2021 under the laws of the state of Delaware as a wholly owned subsidiary of Vacasa Holdings LLC ("Vacasa Holdings") for the purpose of consummating the business combination described herein. In December 2021, Vacasa, Inc. merged with TPG Pace Solutions Corp., with Vacasa, Inc. continuing as the surviving entity, following which Vacasa, Inc. consummated a series of reorganization transactions through which Vacasa, Inc. became the sole manager and owner of approximately 50.3% of the outstanding equity interests in, Vacasa Holdings, and Vacasa Holdings cancelled its ownership interest in Vacasa, Inc. The business combination was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization (the "Reverse Recapitalization") in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
("GAAP"). For the period from inception to December 6, 2021, Vacasa, Inc. had no operations, assets or liabilities. Unless otherwise indicated, the financial information included herein is that of Vacasa Holdings, which, following the business combination, became the business of Vacasa, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Additionally, unless the context otherwise requires, references herein to the "Company,""we,""us"” or "our" refer (a) after December 6, 2021, to Vacasa, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries and (b) prior to December 6, 2021, to Vacasa
Holdings and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties when investing in our common stock. The principal risks and uncertainties affecting our business include, but are not limited
to, the following:
•We have incurred net losses in each year since inception, and we may not be able to achieve profitability;
•Our ability to appropriately manage the historical growth and any future growth experienced by our business and operations;
•Our past growth may not be indicative of our future growth, and our historical growth also makes it difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects;
•Our ability to compete successfully with our current or future competitors;
•Our ability to attract new vacation rental homeowners to our platform and maintain relationships with existing vacation
rental homeowners;
•Our ability to attract new guests or retain existing guests;
•Our ability to provide high-quality customer service;
•Our ability to maintain our relationships with our existing distribution partners or develop and maintain successful relationships with additional distribution partners;
•Our efforts to create new offerings and initiatives are costly and may not be successful;
•Our ability to cost-effectively drive traffic to our platform;
•Our ability to maintain and enhance our brand and reputation, and avoid negative publicity that could damage our
brand;
•Owner, guest, or third-party actions that are criminal, violent, inappropriate, dangerous, or fraudulent, may undermine the safety or the perception of safety of our services and affect our ability to attract and retain homeowners and guests;
•Risks related to payment-related fraud, fraudulent activities, fictitious transactions, or illegal transactions;
•Measures that we are taking to improve the trust and safety of our platform may cause us to incur significant expenditures and may not be successful;
•Our ability to manage the risks presented by our international operations;
•Our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions
or to enter into other acquisitions;
•Our ability to raise additional capital or generate the significant capital necessary to expand our operations and invest in new offerings;
•Our ability to attract and retain capable management and employees;
•Increased personnel costs or labor shortages;
•Any decline or disruption to the travel and hospitality industries or economic downturn, natural disasters, local and global public health emergencies, geopolitical conflict, and other catastrophic events or other events outside of our control;
•Our ability to obtain adequate insurance for the needs of our business;
•A
future impairment of our long-lived assets or goodwill;
•Significant fluctuations in our results of operations from quarter to quarter and year to year as a result of seasonality and other factors;
•Certain operational metrics are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in such metrics may harm our reputation;
•Upticks or downturns in bookings are not immediately reflected in our results of operations;
•Any failure to properly manage funds held on behalf of customers;
•Our reliance on third-party payment service providers to process payments made by guests and certain payments made to homeowners
on our platform;
•Risks related to payment network rules and any material modification of our payment card acceptance privileges;
•Risks related to any indebtedness we may incur from time to time;
•Uncertainty in the application of taxes to our homeowners, guests, or platform;
•Exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities;
•Changes in tax laws or tax rulings;
•Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes;
•Our dependence upon distributions from Vacasa
Holdings LLC ("OpCo") to pay taxes and other expenses;
•We may incur certain tax liabilities attributable to the Blockers as a result of the Business Combination;
•We may bear certain tax liabilities that are attributable to audit adjustments for taxable periods (or portions thereof) ending prior to the Business Combination, or that are disproportionate to our ownership interest in OpCo in the taxable period for which the relevant adjustment is imposed;
•Vacasa, Inc. will be required to pay the TRA Parties for certain tax benefits it may claim (or is deemed to realize) in the future;
•Our ability to comply with federal, state, and foreign laws relating to privacy and data protection;
•Risks related to cyberattacks, data security breaches, or other security incidents;
•Our reliance primarily on Amazon Web Services to host and deliver our platform and on a number of other third-party service providers in connection with other key aspects of our platform and operations;
•Any undetected errors in our platform;
•System capacity constraints, system or operational failures, or denial-of-service or other attacks;
•Our ability to operate
effectively on platforms other than desktop computers;
•Our ability to adapt to changes in technology and the evolving demands of homeowners and guests;
•Our ability to protect our intellectual property and our data;
•Risks related to claims that we or others violated certain third-party intellectual property rights;
•Risks related to our use of “open source” software;
•Risks related to our use of artificial intelligence;
•Risks related to laws, regulations, and rules that affect the short-term rental business;
•Risk
related to complex, evolving, and sometimes inconsistent and ambiguous laws and regulations that may adversely impact our operations and discourage homeowners and guests from using our services;
•Our reliance on a mix of independent contractors and employees to provide operational services to us and any potential reclassification of independent contractors as deemed employees;
•Risk related to regulatory audits, inquiries, litigation, and other disputes;
•Liability for information or content that is on, or accessible through, our platform;
•Risks related to governmental economic and trade sanctions laws and regulations;
•Any violation
of anti-corruption laws;
•Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” will not apply with respect to any director or stockholder who is not employed by us or our subsidiaries;
•Our focus on the long-term best interests of our company and our consideration of all of our stakeholders;
•Our principal stockholders have significant influence over us;
•Volatility in the trading price of the shares
of our Class A Common Stock;
•Future sales of our Class A Common Stock in the public market;
•Our status as an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act; and
•Our expectation not to pay any cash dividends on our Class A Common Stock in the foreseeable future.
Vacasa, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") operate a vertically integrated vacation rental management platform in North America. Our integrated technology and operations platform is designed to optimize vacation rental income and home care for homeowners, offer guests a seamless, reliable, and high-quality experience, and provide distribution partners with a variety of home listings. Our marketplace aggregates approximately 42,000 home listings in hundreds of destinations across the United States, and in Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Our guests are able to search, discover, and book properties on Vacasa.com, our guest app,
and on the booking sites of distribution partners including, but not limited to, Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we generated approximately $2.3 billion in Gross Booking Value ("GBV") from over six million total number of nights stayed by guests in homes hosted on our platform over the period ("Nights Sold").
Our business model is based on shared success. As a vertically integrated vacation rental manager, we act as an agent on behalf of our homeowners, which allows us to avoid the capital requirements of owning the underlying real estate. We collect nightly rent from guests on behalf of homeowners and earn the majority of our revenue from homeowner commissions and service fees paid by guests.
Since our inception, we have focused primarily on
the supply side of the short-term rental market and on growing our homeowner base. Booking channels such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo have historically had more focus on the demand side of the market and collectively drive hundreds of millions of site visits each month.
Through our integrated technology and operations platform, we unlock new supply and increase the availability of vacation rental home listings for guests to discover and book. Our comprehensive set of capabilities, enabled by technology, is designed to remove barriers to renting vacation and second homes by solving critical challenges for homeowners such as listing creation, pricing optimization, multi-channel distribution and demand generation, home care, insights and analytics, smart home technology, and owner and guest support.
Our global marketplace connects guests with the
homes we bring onto our platform. Our listings are aggregated on vacasa.com and on the sites of major demand channels. Our direct channel, which includes our booking site and guest app, has become a significant source of guest demand, driving approximately 40% of GBV for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Developments in Our Business
Reverse Recapitalization
On July 28, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement to become a publicly traded company through a business combination with TPG Pace Solutions Corporation, a Cayman Islands exempted company ("TPG Pace").
On
December 6, 2021, we consummated (the "Closing") the business combination (the "Business Combination") contemplated by that certain business combination agreement, dated as of July 28, 2021 (as amended, the "Business Combination Agreement"), by and among TPG Pace, Vacasa Holdings, Turnkey Vacations, Inc., a Vacasa Holdings equity holder ("TK Newco"), certain other Vacasa Holdings equity holders (together with TK Newco, the "Blockers"), us, and certain other parties, pursuant to which, among other things, TPG Pace merged with and into us, following which the separate corporate existence of TPG Pace ceased, and we became the surviving corporation.The transactions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement are further described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization
to our consolidated financial statements.
TurnKey Acquisition
On April 1, 2021, we acquired the operations of TurnKey Vacation Rentals ("TurnKey"), a provider of vacation rental management and marketing services for residential real estate owners in the United States (the "TurnKey Acquisition"). The TurnKey Acquisition advanced our strategy to create a premium standard for vacation rentals. The acquisition also increased our market density in regions where we had existing operations and expanded our footprint into several other top vacation rental destinations. See Note 4, Acquisitions to our consolidated financial statements.
We continue to focus on addressing our market opportunities, including:
•Optimize existing supply. We expect to continue to innovate on our platform to expand our technology advantage, improve our operational efficiency, grow Nights Sold, and manage homeowner churn.
•Grow supply in existing markets. We intend to grow our footprint and increase our managed home density in existing markets to achieve further economies of scale, primarily using our individual approach to onboard individual vacation rental properties through our direct sales force.
•Expand
our range of homeowner services. We intend to leverage our homeowner relationships to monetize adjacent services and expand our suite of product offerings. Our expanded range of homeowner services may include multiple service levels for homeowners who want or need assistance with select aspects of our end-to-end offering. We believe these services also have the potential to funnel more homeowners into our core product over time.
•Elevate the guest experience. We plan to elevate the guest experience with enhanced technology and services, including our Guest app and smart home technology.
•Expand into new domestic markets. We also seek to expand into new domestic markets using our individual sales approach. In
2023, we began adjusting the sales organization structure so every sales representative focuses on a single market, allowing them to build intimate local market expertise to best serve the needs of each market’s homeowners.
•Expand into international markets. We currently have an international footprint in Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Over time, our new market expansion may include selective entry into attractive international markets, primarily in Europe and the Americas.
Our Platform and Product Offerings
Our platform is designed to deliver a comprehensive offering to homeowners looking to rent their vacation homes and guests looking to experience the potential that vacation rentals can offer.
Offerings
for Homeowners
We have designed our platform with a homeowner-first approach. Our homeowner offerings include a range of products and services designed to enable homeowners to optimize rental income from their properties. Our homeowner offering suite includes:
•Property setup and listing optimization. We promptly handle the numerous steps involved in preparing and listing a homeowner's home for rent. We offer design resources, professionally written descriptions, professional home photography and digital tours, and feature and amenity recommendations in order to maximize guest appeal. Once a listing is live, we handle all aspects of marketing, calendar management, and guest interaction.
•Demand
generation. Our proprietary software automatically syndicates listings across our direct booking site and on the booking sites of third-party distribution partners, including Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. We have also built tools to allow for granular modifications on listings or prices by channel. We strive to optimize our listings across our partner network to maximize bookings regardless of channel.
•Dynamic pricing. We use proprietary pricing tools to optimize homeowner income. To achieve this optimization, we continuously adjust rental rates across all our channels based on a guest's itinerary, a home's availability, and real-time booking dynamics. Our data scientists and machine learning engineers continually test for optimization, iterate, and release new algorithms in an effort to improve revenue per available night.
•Tax
and compliance support. We strive to simplify compliance and tax-related tasks for homeowners. We collect and remit transient occupancy taxes through our platform and may assist with filing necessary permits for vacation rental properties in certain jurisdictions.
•Real estate analytics. We offer homeowners analytics about vacation rental activity. We are able to provide rental projections to help buyers make informed decisions about potential purchases.
•Homeowner dashboard and mobile app and
communication tool. Homeowners can access their booking, payment, and performance details on our homeowner portal or via our mobile app. In 2023 we launched our homeowner communication tool, allowing owners to interact with our teams directly through our portal or mobile app. Using this tool, owners can message their local teams directly or through their account to request support at their home.
•End-to-end property care. We provide comprehensive home care, including housekeeping, maintenance, inspection, and related services as part of our full-service offering to homeowners.
Offerings for Guests
For guests, our offerings are designed to provide a frictionless way to search, discover, book, and experience
Vacasa listings. Our guest offerings include:
•Direct booking site. Our booking site serves as our own demand channel. Approximately 40% of GBV was generated through our direct channel, which includes our booking site and guest app, in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
•Payment capabilities. We offer guests multiple payment options, including payment plans offered through our partnership with Affirm.
•24/7 support. Our customer support team is available 24/7 and is accessible via phone, vacasa.com, or our guest app.
•Smart
home technology. Our smart home technology includes keyless locks, Wi-Fi routers, and noise monitoring technology.
•Guest app. Our guest app is designed to drive guest demand, engagement, and satisfaction. Our guest app includes a comprehensive suite of features for before, during, and after a guest’s stay. For example, guests are able to search, book, and pay for their stay through the app. The guest app also facilitates access to the property, Wi-Fi connection, and our 24/7 support.
Technology Utilized by our Local Operations Teams
Our teams care for homes in hundreds of destinations and are key to delivering an enhanced level of service to our homeowners and guests at the local level. Underpinning our
local operations teams is our proprietary technology that guides all aspects of home care. These capabilities include:
•HomeCare Hub. Our HomeCare Hub is a proprietary software tool purpose-built for vacation rentals. Our HomeCare Hub allows us to optimize staffing, assignments, dispatching, and workflows across our local markets. Operations managers are able to monitor the homes in their portfolio 24/7 with bi-directional flow of information from the property. Furthermore, we have built application program interface integrations to vendors to maximize efficiency in the process.
•Field application. Our field application is leveraged by our home care staff, maintenance personnel, and local managers and is connected into our HomeCare
Hub software tool to enhance coordination between managers, contractors, and field personnel. Our proprietary application provides visibility to our field team on assigned tasks and open tickets. The field application is used in a myriad of ways, such as to monitor guest check-out status and to facilitate accelerated cleans and post-cleaning photo submissions for real-time inspection approval.
•Ticketing system and time tracking. We provide comprehensive management of employee activity on our platform to track and manage workflows and productivity.
•Smart home technology. Smart home technology, such as smart locks, improves our operational efficiency. For example, local staff do not need to visit homes to change lock box codes or replace
lost keys, and certain locks can be programmed to trigger notifications when a guest checks in or out. We utilize this data to inform our scheduling algorithms, which improves the efficiency of our local teams running home care.
We have a research and development team responsible for delivering enhancements to the functionality, usability, and performance of our platform for our owners, guests and our employees. We have assembled a team of engineers, designers, product managers, and data scientists whose expertise spans a broad range
of technical areas.
Sales and Marketing
We deploy focused sales efforts targeted at homeowners of properties we predict will be high-value listings on our platform. Once prospects are identified, our sales executives work to convert homeowners to our platform. Our sales executives strive to further develop crucial area relationships and referral networks to identify and target their sales efforts towards such homeowners.
Our marketing strategy primarily relies on performance marketing, which we complement with engagement marketing and brand marketing. We deploy performance marketing strategies through digital and offline channels to drive additional traffic from prospective guests. Engagement marketing initiatives include email and other outbound communications to ensure that we retain
high-value homeowners and guests. Brand marketing seeks to increase awareness among potential homeowners and guests, helping them understand the benefits of renting their home through Vacasa and of booking and experiencing a Vacasa property. In addition to performance, engagement, and brand marketing, we engage in various public relations and communications activities to increase awareness of our offerings and strengthen our brand among homeowners and guests.
Our Distribution Partners
As part of our multi-channel distribution strategy, we have established relationships with numerous booking sites, including Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo, which make Vacasa-listed properties available for booking by guests through their online platforms. Bookings through our distribution partners accounted for approximately 60%, 70% and 70% of our GBV during the years
ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
Our agreements with our distribution partners typically provide either that (i) the partner will receive a commission on bookings made through the channel transactions (with the rate varying by partner) or (ii) we will pay the partner a fixed subscription fee, typically on an annual, per-listing basis. Certain partners may charge guests additional fees directly.
Human Capital
Our People
As of December 31, 2023, we employed a total of approximately 6,400 team members globally.
Our dedicated local operations teams work directly with our full-service homeowners to provide comprehensive vacation rental management services, and exceptional care for guests. Our field teams are supported by our central team employees who work in our offices or remotely. This group is composed of engineers, product managers, marketers, operations leads, finance professionals, human resources, and legal personnel.
We are committed to having a diverse workforce. We seek to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be their authentic selves and all voices are heard and to create an environment that is aligned with our values and that reflects our global community.
Our Culture
At Vacasa, we are reimagining the vacation rental experience for homeowners and guests
through our end-to-end technology platform.
Vacasa’s culture has grown and evolved along with its people. We started in 2009 with one home and a small team. As of December 31, 2023, we managed approximately 42,000 homes with a team of professionals across the travel and hospitality industry. Even with this scale, we strive to maintain an entrepreneurial spirit. We hold ourselves accountable to the values we’ve grown into as a company, which guide our decision making:
•Innovation: We look to the future and anticipate what’s next.
•Accountability: We are committed, purposeful and intentional. We take aim and follow through with decisive action.
•Growth:
We set the bar high and push ourselves and our teammates to continually expand, improve and progress.
•Empathy: We listen closely, engage thoughtfully and cultivate lasting relationships built on mutual benefit and trust.
Our culture is also one of inclusion. We continuously aspire to be a more equitable, safe, and welcoming work environment for all of our team members, and a better advocate to the communities we serve.
Competition
We
operate in a highly competitive environment. As we seek to expand our geographic footprint and grow our business, we face competition in attracting and retaining homeowners and guests.
Homeowners. Homeowners can either self-manage or use local vacation rental management businesses to market and care for their homes. Homeowners who self-manage are able to list on sites such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and Evolve and may choose to leverage additional off-the-shelf software tools to handle aspects of the process such as pricing or scheduling. We compete for homeowners based on many factors, including the volume and pricing of bookings generated by guests on our platform and those of our distribution partners; ease of onboarding onto our platform; the service fees and commissions we charge; the owner protections we offer, such as our accommodation protection program; and the strength of
our brand.
Guests. We also compete to attract guests to our platform. Guests have a wide range of options for finding and booking accommodations, and as such, we compete with other forms of travel accommodations including hotels, other vacation rental companies, and serviced apartment providers, both online and offline. We also compete for traffic and demand generation through our direct booking channel with nationally recognized booking sites such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Evolve, regional booking sites, and online travel agencies, and to a lesser degree, urban rental sites such as Sonder, and niche programs such as Inspirato. We compete for guests based on many factors, including: the uniqueness and quality of our homes and the availability of homes; the value and all-in cost of our offerings relative to other options; our brand; and the ease of use of our platform.
We
believe we compete favorably on the basis of the key competitive factors noted above. However, many of our competitors and potential competitors are larger and have greater financial, technical and other resources, including greater brand name recognition, longer operating histories, larger marketing budgets and established marketing relationships, access to larger customer bases and significantly greater resources for the development of their offerings. See Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—The business and industry in which we participate are highly competitive, and we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors.”
Intellectual Property
Our intellectual property is an important component of our business.
We rely on a combination of trademarks, domain names, copyright, know-how, trade secrets and patents, as well as contractual provisions and restrictions, to establish and protect our intellectual property. As of December 31, 2023, we held one U.S. patent application, which was published in April 2021 and remains in progress, and three patents. While we believe our patent application and registrations are important to our competitive position, we do not believe any single patent application or registration is material to our business as a whole. We may pursue additional patent protection to the extent we believe it would be beneficial and cost effective.
As of December 31, 2023, we owned 49 trademarks registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as well as additional international trademarks,
including “Vacasa” and related logos and designs. We also own several domain names that we use in, or relate to, our business, including “vacasa.com” and other country code top level domain name equivalents.
We rely on trade secrets and confidential information to develop and maintain our competitive advantage. We seek to protect our trade secrets and confidential information through a variety of methods, including confidentiality procedures and non-disclosure agreements with employees, third parties, and others who may have access to our confidential or proprietary information. We also require our employees to sign invention assignment agreements with respect to inventions arising from the course of their employment, and we restrict unauthorized access to our proprietary technology. In addition, we have developed proprietary code and algorithms that are protected through a combination of copyright
and trade secrets.
Notwithstanding our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights, there can be no assurance that the measures we take will be effective or that our intellectual property will provide any competitive advantage. Our intellectual property rights may be invalidated, circumvented or challenged. Furthermore, the laws of certain foreign countries do not protect intellectual property and proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States and, as a result, we may be unable to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. In addition, while we have confidence in the measures we take to protect and preserve our trade secrets, we cannot guarantee that these measures will
not be circumvented, and we may not have adequate remedies should any breach of such measures occur. Accordingly, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or independently discovered by competitors. For more information regarding the risks related to intellectual property, see Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Information Technology, Data Security and Data Privacy.”
Data Security and Data Privacy
The protection of identifiable information about individuals, often referred to as personal data, that we collect is important for ensuring trust with our stakeholders. In the course of our operations, we collect and process a variety of personal data from interactions with customers and visitors, use of our websites
and/or applications, social media, advertisements, or communications with us relating to any services we offer. We also collect personal data from job applicants, employees, independent contractors, and employees of certain companies with which we work.
We store, protect, use and transmit personal data in accordance with our online privacy policy and internal data security and data handling policies and procedures, in addition to a variety of industry-standard technical, administrative, and physical measures. We also employ a variety of measures designed to comply with our legal obligations in relation to the collection and processing of personal data.
Such measures include, but are not limited to: specifying collection and processing purposes; restricting the use of personal data to specified purposes; minimizing the collection and retention of
personal data beyond what is required for our operations; anonymizing, pseudonymizing, or otherwise obfuscating certain personal data; encrypting personal data; administering privacy awareness training; and managing service providers processing personal data on our behalf.
We are subject to a variety of data security and data privacy laws and regulations across multiple jurisdictions where we have operations, employees or guests, which set forth a variety of compliance requirements related to the collection and processing of personal data. To support compliance with such requirements, we maintain cross-functional and interdisciplinary privacy procedures, including, but not limited to the following areas: data subject (consumer) rights; training and awareness; vendor management; data retention and destruction; privacy policy management; and incident management.
Regulations
We
are subject to a wide variety of laws, rules, and regulations enforced by both governments and private organizations. Many of these rules and regulations are constantly evolving. If we are unable to comply with them, we could be subject to civil and criminal liabilities, revocation, or suspension of our licenses or other adverse actions. We may also be required to modify or discontinue some or all of our offerings, and our ability to grow our business and our reputation may be harmed. See Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” for a discussion of our regulatory risks.
Short-Term Rental Regulatory Considerations in the Markets in which we Operate
We operate in hundreds of locations across the United States, with varying sets of rules and regulations associated with each state, county, city, town, township, or village. We typically focus our operations
in jurisdictions that allow for un-hosted, non-owner occupied short-term rentals, and avoid major cities, such as San Francisco and Denver, that only allow “homeshares,” which are rentals of all or a portion of the owner’s primary residence. Occasionally, however, past acquisitions of other management companies have included a small number of rentals that are subject to these primary residence rules.
With very few exceptions, owners of the properties we manage are ultimately responsible for obtaining and maintaining applicable permits, licenses, and tax registrations, and for complying with local zoning restrictions as well as restrictive covenants and homeowner association bylaws. We often assist with permitting, licensing, and taxation to the extent we are legally able, and strive to verify and help ensure compliance
with state and local laws for all of our homes. If alleged violations occur, we assist owners in seeking to correct them and abiding by the decisions of government officials.
Some states require short-term rentals to be managed or offered for stays through a licensed real estate broker. Where applicable, we offer and operate rentals through a licensed subsidiary.
Real Estate Regulatory Considerations for our Business Operations
As discussed above, our vacation rental management operations are considered real estate
services in certain states. Real estate service providers must be licensed at a brokerage or broker level, and are commonly referred to as a real estate brokerage. Real estate brokerages are licensed at the state level and are primarily regulated by state level agencies dedicated to real estate or licensing services.
State Regulation
Real estate brokerage licensing laws vary widely from state to state. All entities and individuals providing brokerage services must be licensed separately in each state where they operate. Generally, a corporate entity must obtain a firm level license, although in some states the licenses are personal to individual brokers and an entity is associated with the individual broker’s license. Where a firm license is obtained, an individual broker is appointed as the principal broker. Licensed agents or salespersons must
also obtain a license and affiliate their license under a firm or a principal broker to engage in licensed real estate brokerage activities.
The principal broker in each state is responsible for compliance with licensing laws and for actively supervising the licensed brokerage activities of all its licensees within the state. All licensed market participants, whether individuals or entities, must also comply with a state’s real estate licensing laws and regulations. The licensing laws and regulations vary in each state, but generally detail minimum duties, obligations, and standards of conduct for licensees include requirements related to contracts, disclosures, record-keeping, local offices, handling of trust funds, agency representation, advertising regulations, and fair housing regulations. In each of the states
where our operations require, we have designated a properly licensed principal broker and, as required, we also hold a corporate real estate broker’s license.
Federal Regulation
Several federal laws and regulations govern the real estate brokerage business, including federal fair housing laws such as the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 ("RESPA"), and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 ("FHA"). RESPA restricts kickbacks or referral fees that real estate settlement service providers such as real estate brokers, title and closing service providers and mortgage lenders may pay or receive in connection with the referral of settlement services. RESPA also requires certain disclosures regarding certain relationships or financial interests among providers of real estate settlement services.
RESPA
provides a number of important exceptions that allow for payments or referral commissions to be made and received between licensed real estate brokers and for market-rate compensation payments between service providers for services actually provided. RESPA is administered by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB"). The CFPB has applied a strict interpretation of RESPA and related regulations, and often enforces these regulations in administrative proceedings. Consequently, industry participants have modified or terminated a variety of historical business practices to avoid the risk of protracted and costly litigation or regulatory enforcement.
The FHA prohibits discrimination or any preference in housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability. The FHA applies to real estate brokers and licensees involved in the purchase or sale of homes and to
the non-transient rental of homes. The FHA also applies broadly to many forms of advertising and communications, including Multiple Listing Service ("MLS") listings, websites and social media postings.
Local Regulation
In addition to state and federal regulations, residential transient and non-transient transactions may also be subject to local regulations. These local regulations generally require additional disclosures by parties or licensees, or the receipt of reports or certifications, often from the local governmental authority, prior to or at the time of contracting with a party in a real estate transaction. Local regulations also may expand those protected from housing discrimination laws by protecting additional
classes of people and providing additional fair housing laws.
MLS Rules
Our real estate brokerages are also subject to rules, policies, data licenses, and terms of service established by over 50 MLSs of which we are a participant. These rules, policies, data licenses and terms of service specify, among other things, how our licensees may access and use MLS data and how MLS data must be displayed on websites we control or that our licenses maintain. The rules of each MLS to which we belong can vary widely and are complex.
NAR, as well as state and local associations of REALTORS, have codes of ethics and rules governing members’ actions in dealings with other members, clients, and the public. Our licensees and licensed entities must comply with these codes of ethics and rules as a result of membership in these organizations.
Seasonality
Our industry and our business is seasonal, reflecting typical travel behavior patterns over the course of the calendar year. In addition, each market where we operate may have unique seasonality, events, and weather that can increase or decrease demand for our offerings. Certain holidays can have an impact on our revenue by increasing Nights Sold on the holiday itself
or during the preceding and subsequent weekends. Typically, our second and third quarters, spanning the U.S. peak summer travel season, have higher revenue due to increased Nights Sold. Our GBV typically follows the seasonality patterns of Nights Sold. Our operations and support costs also increase in the second and third quarters as we increase our hourly staffing to handle increased activity in those periods.
Available Information
Our website address is www.vacasa.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website
does not constitute part of this Annual Report. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the "Exchange Act") are also available free of charge on our investor relations website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
We webcast our earnings calls and certain events we participate in or host with members
of the investment community on our investor relations website. Additionally, we provide notifications of news or announcements regarding our financial performance, including SEC filings, investor events, press and earnings releases, as part of our investor relations website. The contents of these websites are not intended to be incorporated by reference into this report or in any other report or document we file.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
Our business, operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described below, that could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and the trading price of our Class A Common Stock. The following material factors, among others, could cause our actual results to differ materially from historical results and those expressed in forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf in filings with the SEC, press releases, communications with investors, and oral statements. If any of the following risks, or others not specified below, materialize, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our Class A Common Stock could
decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in our Class A Common Stock.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We have incurred net losses in each year since inception, and we may not be able to achieve profitability.
We incurred net losses of $(528.2) million, $(332.1) million, and $(154.6) million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Historically, we have invested significantly in efforts to grow our homeowner base, both through our individual and portfolio strategies, as well as through strategic acquisitions, to grow our guest community and to improve our platform technology. If our
revenue does not increase to offset increases in our operating expenses, we will not achieve profitability in future periods and our net losses may increase.
Revenue growth may slow or revenue may decline for a number of possible reasons, many of which are beyond our control, including slowing demand for our offerings, listing growth constraints, increasing competition, changing travel patterns or any of the other factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section. Certain types of homes and certain regions in which we operate result in listings with lower commission rates and/or lower service fees, which could have a materially negative impact on our overall operating margins. We have experienced, and in the future may experience, fluctuations and high volatility in operating costs and expenses. We incurred operating costs and expenses of $1,655.3 million, $1,578.9 million and $1,014.5 million for the
years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. In addition, we have changed, and may in the future reduce, our
commission rates and service fees for strategic or competitive reasons. Failure to increase our revenue or manage the increase in our operating expenses could prevent us from achieving or sustaining profitability as measured by net income, operating income, or Adjusted EBITDA at all or on a consistent basis, which would cause our business, results of operations and financial condition to suffer
and the market price of our Class A Common Stock to decline.
Our business and operations have experienced rapid growth, and we have encountered difficulties managing such growth. If we do not appropriately manage this growth and any future growth, or if we are unable to improve our systems, processes and controls, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects will be adversely affected.
The historical growth and expansion of our business has placed a continuous and significant strain on our management, operational, financial and other resources. In order to manage such growth effectively, we must continue to improve and expand our information technology and financial infrastructure, our security and compliance requirements, our operating and administrative systems, our customer service and support capabilities, our relationships
with various distribution partners and other third parties, and our ability to manage headcount and processes in an efficient manner.
We may not be able to sustain the pace of improvements to our platform and services, or successfully develop and introduce new offerings or implement systems, processes, and controls in an efficient or timely manner or in a manner that does not negatively affect our results of operations. Our failure to improve our systems, processes, and controls, or their failure to operate in the intended manner, may result in our inability to manage growth of our business and to forecast our revenue, expenses, and net income (loss) accurately, or to prevent losses.
As we continue to improve our systems, processes and controls, we may find it difficult to maintain our corporate culture while managing our workforce. Any failure
to manage our workforce or organizational changes in a manner that preserves our culture could negatively impact future growth and achievement of our business objectives. Additionally, our productivity and the quality of our offerings may be adversely affected if we do not integrate and train our new employees quickly and effectively. Failure to manage our historical growth, and any future growth, effectively could result in increased costs, negatively affect homeowner and guest satisfaction and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
Our past growth may not be indicative of our future growth, and revenue may decrease in the future. Our historical growth also makes it difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects and may increase the risk that we will not be successful.
Our
past growth may not be indicative of our future growth, and revenue may continue to decrease in the future. Our past growth also makes it difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects and may increase the risk that we will not be successful. Our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 was $1,118.0 million, $1,188.0 million, and $889.1 million, respectively, representing a decrease in year-over-year growth rate of 6% during 2023 and an increase in year-over-year growth rate of 34% during 2022, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our ability to avoid further declines in our revenue depends on maintaining our existing homes on our platform, the growth of supply of new homes for our platform and demand for vacation rentals on our and our distribution partners platforms. Our
business is also affected by general economic and business conditions worldwide, as well as trends in the global travel and hospitality industries, all of which can adversely impact our growth. In addition, we believe that our revenue growth depends upon a number of additional factors, including other risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report.
A softening of demand for our offerings or our accommodations category, whether caused by events outside of our control, such as a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease, changes in homeowner and guest preferences, any of the other factors described elsewhere in this Annual Report or otherwise, may impair our ability to grow our revenue. If our revenue continues to decline, or our growth rates do not meet expectations, we may not achieve profitability, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
In
addition, our historical growth has made and may continue to make it difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects. Our ability to forecast our future results of operations is subject to a number of uncertainties, including our ability to effectively plan for and model future growth. We have encountered in the past, and may encounter in the future, risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies in changing industries that may prevent us from achieving the objectives discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report. If we fail to achieve the necessary level of efficiency in our organization as it grows, or if we are not able to accurately forecast future growth, our business would be adversely affected. Moreover, if the assumptions that we use to plan our business are incorrect or change in reaction to changes in our industry and the markets in which we operate, or if we are unable to maintain consistent revenue or revenue growth, the market
price of our Class A Common Stock could be volatile, and it may be difficult to achieve and maintain profitability.
The business and industry in which we participate are highly competitive, and we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors.
We operate in a highly competitive environment and face significant competition in attracting and retaining homeowners and guests.
Homeowners primarily choose between self-managing their homes or using a local vacation rental management business
to list and care for their homes and in some cases adopt a hybrid approach using a third-party provider to help with guest demand generation, pricing, booking and support, while the owner takes care of the home. Homeowners who self-manage are able to list on third-party sites such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Evolve, and Vrbo and may choose to leverage additional third-party software tools to handle aspects of the process such as pricing or scheduling, or homeowners may fully self-manage. We compete for homeowners based on many factors, including the volume and pricing of bookings generated by guests on our platform and those of our distribution partners; ease of onboarding onto our platform; the service fees and commissions we charge; the owner protections we offer, such as our accommodation protection programs; our cancellation policies; and the strength of our brand.
We also compete to attract guests to our
platform. Guests have a wide range of options for finding and booking accommodations, and as such, we compete with other forms of accommodations including hotels, other vacation rental companies, and serviced apartment providers, both online and offline. We also compete for traffic and demand generation through our direct booking channel, with Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, regional booking sites, and online travel agencies, and, to a lesser degree, urban and corporate travel rental sites, vacation clubs, timeshares, and niche programs such as fractional ownership programs. We compete for guests based on many factors, including the uniqueness, quality, safety and cleanliness of our homes and the availability of homes; the value and all-in cost of our offerings relative to other options, our brand; and the ease of use of our platform.
Some of our competitors are adopting aspects of our business model, while others,
such as local property managers, are increasingly using third-party vacation rental software for aspects of their business, including pricing, booking, housekeeping and maintenance, all of which could affect our ability to differentiate our offerings from theirs. Increased competition could reduce demand for our platform from homeowners and guests, slow our growth, and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Many of our current and potential competitors are larger and have greater financial, technical and other resources that provide substantial competitive advantages, such as greater brand name recognition, longer operating histories, larger marketing budgets and established marketing relationships, and significantly greater resources for the development of their offerings. In addition, many of our current and potential competitors have access to larger user
bases and/or inventory for accommodations, and may provide multiple travel products, including flights. As a result, our competitors may be able to provide consumers with a better or more complete product experience and respond more quickly and effectively than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards, or homeowner and guest requirements or preferences. The global travel industry has also experienced significant consolidation, and we expect this trend may continue as companies attempt to strengthen or hold their market positions in a highly competitive industry. Consolidation amongst our competitors will give them increased scale and may enhance their capacity, abilities, and resources, and lower their cost structures. In addition, emerging start-ups may be able to innovate and focus on developing a new product or service faster than we can or may foresee consumer need for new offerings or technologies before us.
Some
of our competitors and potential competitors have more established or varied relationships with consumers than we do, and they could use these advantages in ways that could affect our competitive position, including by entering the travel and accommodations businesses. For example, some competitors and potential competitors are creating “super-apps” where consumers can use many online services without leaving that company’s app. If any of these platforms are successful in offering services to consumers that are similar to ours, or if we are unable to offer our services to consumers within these super-apps, our customer acquisition efforts could be less effective and our customer acquisition costs, including our brand and performance marketing expenses, could increase, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We also face increasing
competition from search engines, including Google. The way Google presents travel search results, and its promotion of its own travel meta-search services, such as Google Travel and Google Vacation Rental Ads, or similar actions from other search engines, and their practices concerning search rankings, could decrease our search traffic, increase traffic acquisition costs, and/or disintermediate our platform. These parties can also offer their own comprehensive travel planning and booking tools, or refer leads directly to suppliers, other favored partners, or themselves, which could also disintermediate our platform. In addition, if Google or Apple use their own mobile operating systems or app distribution channels to favor their own or other preferred travel service offerings, or impose policies that effectively disallow us to continue our full product
offerings in those channels, it could materially adversely affect our ability to engage with homeowners and guests who access our platform via mobile apps or search, which would negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If we are unable to maintain our market share, attract new vacation rental homeowners to our platform and maintain relationships with existing vacation rental homeowners, or if homeowners reduce the availability of their homes on our platform, our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Our business depends on our ability to maintain our market share, attract new vacation rental homeowners to our platform, maintain relationships with our existing homeowner base, and on homeowners allowing
us to make their homes available for rent through our service. If our sales personnel are unable to accurately identify and convert a sufficient number of prospective homeowners, if they fail to accurately predict the rental revenue of these homeowners’ properties on our platform, or if our sales and marketing efforts are otherwise unsuccessful, our revenue and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. Our company and the broader vacation rental industry have seen elevated levels of homeowners changing property managers or moving to self-management in recent periods. We have also recently seen an increase in the supply of short term rental units available, in a number of markets, which can reduce demand for the units we manage or put pressure on our revenue per available night. The number of homes we manage on our platform decreased by approximately 5% during the
year ended December 31, 2023. If we do not maintain existing homeowners and the availability of their homes on our platform, and maintain or increase our market share, our revenue and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. Homeowners can also limit the number of nights available through our services, and these practices are outside of our direct control. If homeowners do not establish or maintain availability of their vacation rentals, or if the number of Nights Sold declines for a particular period, then our revenue would decline and our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
In addition, homeowners may not continue their contractual arrangements with us, if we cannot attract prospective guests to our platform, generate sufficient guest bookings and create attractive returns to
homeowners. If we are unable to retain or add homeowners, we may be unable to offer a sufficient supply of properties to attract guests to our platform. If we are unable to attract and retain individual homeowners in a cost-effective manner, or at all, our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
We also work with certain homeowner associations to manage their association activities, and we often manage vacation rental properties for homeowners within these associations. If our fee structure and payment terms are not as competitive as those of our competitors, these homeowner associations may choose to end their business relationships with us, thereby reducing the number of homeowners using our platform and vacation rentals listed with our service.
A number of factors affecting homeowners could
cause homeowner attrition, including: changes to, or the enforcement or threatened enforcement of, laws and regulations, including short-term occupancy and tax laws; homeowners’, condominium and neighborhood associations adopting and enforcing governing documents or contracts that prohibit or restrict short-term rental activities; regulations that purport to ban or otherwise restrict short-term rentals; homeowners opting for long-term rentals of their properties outside of our service; perceptions of the value or quality of our services; economic, social, and political factors; perceptions of trust and safety on and off our platform and within our homes; or negative experiences with guests, including guests who damage homeowner property, hold unauthorized parties, or engage in violent and unlawful acts, or the occurrence of a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease.
Our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected if our homeowners are unable or unwilling to allow us to list and manage their properties.
We believe that our accommodation protection program, provided via a third-party insurer, is integral to retaining and acquiring homeowners. Our homeowner protection program offers specified vacation rental liability and damage protection to homeowners. If this program were to become unavailable for any reason, including if the third-party insurance provider ceases to provide coverage, or if the cost of the program rises significantly, then the number of homeowners who list with us may decline.
If we are unable to attract new guests or retain existing guests, our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Our
success depends significantly on existing and new guests continuing to book homeowners’ vacation rentals through the Vacasa platform or those of our distribution partners. Our ability to attract and retain guests could be materially adversely affected by a number of factors, including, among others:
•increased competition and use of our competitors’ platforms and services;
•our failure to provide differentiated, high-quality,
and an adequate supply of homes at competitive prices;
•guests not receiving timely or adequate customer support from us;
•declines or inefficiencies in our marketing efforts;
•negative associations with, or reduced awareness of, our brand;
•issues with our distribution partners or their platforms;
•negative perceptions of the trust and safety on our platform or in our homeowners’ homes;
•macroeconomic and other conditions outside of our control affecting travel and hospitality industries generally, including inflation and elevated interest rates;
•the
occurrence of events beyond our control, such as a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease, increased or continuing restrictions on travel and immigration, trade disputes, economic downturns or recession, significant labor shortages, political, civil or social unrest, and the impact of climate change on travel (including fires, floods, severe weather and other natural disasters) and seasonal destinations; and
•other risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report.
In addition, for guests who book directly with us, if our platform is not easy to navigate, guests have an unsatisfactory experience on our platform, the listings and other content provided on our platform are not displayed effectively to guests, we fail to make our brand known to guests during their rental experience or we fail to provide a rental experience in a manner
that meets rapidly changing demand, then we could fail to convert first-time guests into repeat customers, which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our customer support function is critical to the success of our platform, and any failure to provide high-quality service could affect our ability to retain our existing homeowners and guests and attract new ones.
Our ability to provide high-quality support to our homeowners and guests is important for the growth of our business and any failure to maintain such standards of customer support, or any perception that we do not provide high-quality service, could adversely affect our ability to retain and attract homeowners and guests. Meeting the customer support expectations of our homeowners and guests requires a substantial customer support
team and significant investment in staffing, technology, including automation and machine learning to improve efficiency, infrastructure, policies, and customer support tools. The failure to develop the appropriate technology, infrastructure, policies, and customer support tools, or to manage or properly train our customer support team, could compromise our ability to resolve questions and complaints quickly and effectively. Growth in the number of homeowners and guests using our platform will put additional pressure on our customer support and on our technology organizations. Our service is staffed based on business forecasts. Any volatility in those forecasts could lead to staffing gaps that could impact the quality of our service. We have in the past experienced and may in the future experience substantial delays or other issues in responding to requests for customer support, which may reduce our ability to effectively retain homeowners and guests.
We
also help to mediate disputes between homeowners and guests. We rely on information provided by homeowners and guests and are at times limited in our ability to provide adequate support or help homeowners and guests resolve disputes due to our lack of information or control. To the extent that homeowners and guests are not satisfied with the quality or timeliness of our customer support, we may not be able to retain homeowners or guests, and our reputation as well as our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
When a homeowner or guest has a poor experience on our platform or with our service, we may issue refunds or future stay credits, or make other payments, such as in respect of lost or damaged property, all of which reduce our revenue. A robust customer support effort is costly, and we expect such costs to continue to rise in the future as we grow
our business. If we incur such increases in costs without a corresponding increase in revenue, this could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Bookings through our distribution partners account for a significant portion of our revenue, and if we are unable to maintain our relationships with them or develop and maintain successful relationships with additional distribution partners, our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected. These relationships also subject us to certain risks.
The growth of our business depends, in part, on our ability to maintain our relationships with our existing distribution partners and to identify, develop, and maintain strategic relationships with additional distribution partners, particularly as we continue
to grow our brand recognition and our own booking platform. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we generated approximately 60%, 70%, and 70%, respectively, of our GBV through our distribution partners. The impairment or termination of any of these relationships, or the failure of our distribution partners to effectively market our listings and provide satisfactory user experiences could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our agreements with our
existing distribution partners are non-exclusive, meaning our distribution partners can and do provide guests looking for vacation rentals with access to listings other than ours. Our distribution partners are not required to continue to market our listings, and may take actions that promote their or other third-party listings above ours. In addition, certain of these companies are now, or may in the future become, competitors of ours. While we view our distribution partners more as partners than competitors and believe our relationships with these parties are mutually beneficial, we cannot guarantee that our distribution partners will continue to share this view. If our distribution partners view us as competitive, they could limit our access to their platforms, allow access only at an unsustainable cost, or make changes to their platforms that make our listings less desirable to users or harder to access.
In
addition, bookings through Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo account for a significant portion of our GBV. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, GBV generated through Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo together accounted for approximately 90%, 90%, and 95%, respectively, of the GBV generated through all of our distribution partners. The loss of any one or more of these key distribution partners, or a material reduction in the number of stays booked through their platforms, would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our efforts to create new offerings and initiatives are costly, and if such offerings and initiatives are unsuccessful, we may fail to grow, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition
would be materially adversely affected.
We invest in developing new offerings and initiatives that we expect will differentiate us from our competitors and help grow our business. Developing and deploying new offerings and initiatives is challenging and increases our expenses and our organizational complexity, and they may not deliver the benefits we expect.
Our new offerings and initiatives have a high degree of risk, as they may involve significant investment and upfront costs. For example, we have invested, and expect to continue investing, in the deployment of smart home technology across our portfolio. There can be no assurance that homeowner demand for such technology or other offerings and initiatives we may develop will exist or sustain at the levels that we anticipate, that we will be able to successfully manage the delivery of such offerings
and initiatives, or that any of these offerings or initiatives will generate sufficient revenue to offset associated expenses or liabilities. It is also possible that offerings developed by others will render our offerings and initiatives noncompetitive or obsolete. Further, these efforts will divert capital and other resources from our more established offerings and geographic regions, may result in increased legal and regulatory compliance expenses, and could distract management from our core business operations. Even if we are successful in developing new offerings and initiatives, regulatory authorities may implement new rules, taxes, or restrictions or more aggressively enforce existing rules, taxes, or restrictions that could increase our expenses or otherwise prevent us from successfully commercializing these initiatives. If we do not realize the expected benefits of these investments, we may fail to grow, and our business, results of operations, and financial
condition would be materially adversely affected.
We rely on traffic to our platform to grow revenue, and if we are unable to drive traffic cost-effectively to our platform, it would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We believe that increasing awareness of our brand among potential homeowners and guests is an important aspect of our efforts to increase traffic on our platform and grow our revenue. We have invested considerable resources to drive homeowner and guest acquisition and increase awareness regarding our brand, and expect to continue to invest in sales and marketing activities and personnel as a key component of our growth strategy. Our marketing efforts are expensive and may not be cost-effective or successful. If our competitors spend more on marketing efforts or are more effective
in such efforts, we may not be able to maintain and grow traffic to our platform.
A critical factor in attracting homeowners and guests to our platform is how prominently listings are displayed in response to search queries for key search terms. The success of vacation rentals and the alternative accommodation industry has led to increased costs for relevant keywords as our competitors competitively bid on our keywords. We may not be successful at our efforts to drive traffic growth cost-effectively. If we need to increase our performance marketing spend in the future, including in response to increased spend on performance marketing from our competitors, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Digital performance marketing is increasingly subject to strict regulation, and regulatory or
legislative changes could adversely impact the effectiveness of our performance marketing efforts and, as a result, our business. Many countries have adopted, or are adopting, regulations governing the use of cookies and similar technologies, and individuals may be required to “opt-in” to the placement of web browser cookies used for purposes of marketing. For example, to the extent we send direct electronic marketing communications to EU/UK residents and/or place cookies on their electronic devices, we may be subject to evolving EU privacy laws on cookies and e-marketing. If we are required to change our marketing practices as a result, this could lead to substantial costs, require significant systems changes, limit the effectiveness of our marketing activities, divert the attention of
our technology personnel, adversely affect our margins, increase costs, and subject us to additional liabilities. Widespread adoption of such regulations could adversely affect our ability to market effectively to current and prospective homeowners and guests, and thus materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We focus on search engine optimization ("SEO") on unpaid channels to drive traffic to our platform. SEO involves developing our platform in a way that enables a search engine to rank our platform prominently for search queries for which our platform’s content may be relevant. Changes to search engine algorithms or similar actions are not within our control, and could adversely affect our search-engine rankings and traffic to our platform. To the extent that our brand and platform are listed less
prominently or fail to appear in search results for any reason, we would need to increase our paid marketing spend, which would increase our overall customer acquisition costs and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. If Google or Apple uses its own mobile operating systems or app distribution channels to favor its own or other preferred travel service offerings, or impose policies that effectively disallow us to continue our full product offerings in those channels, there could be an adverse effect on our ability to engage with homeowners and guests who access our platform via mobile apps or search.
Moreover, as guests increase their booking search activity across multiple travel sites or compare offerings across sites, our marketing efficiency and effectiveness is adversely impacted, which could cause us to increase our sales and marketing expenditures
in the future, which may not be offset by additional revenue, and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, any negative publicity or public complaints, including those that impede our ability to maintain positive brand awareness through our marketing and consumer communications efforts, could harm our reputation and lead to fewer homeowners and guests using our platform, and attempts to replace this traffic through other channels will require us to increase our sales and marketing expenditures.
Maintaining and enhancing our brand and reputation is critical to our future growth, and negative publicity could damage our brand and thereby harm our ability to compete effectively, and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Maintaining
and enhancing our brand and reputation is critical to our ability to attract homeowners, guests, and employees, to compete effectively, to maintain relationships with our distribution partners, to preserve and deepen the engagement of our existing homeowners, guests, and employees, to maintain and improve our standing in the communities where our homeowners operate (including our standing with community leaders and regulatory bodies), and to mitigate legislative or regulatory scrutiny, litigation, and government investigations. As our brand awareness grows, we depend more heavily on the perceptions of homeowners and guests who use our platform and our services to help make word-of-mouth recommendations.
Any incident, whether actual or rumored, involving the safety or security of vacation rental homes, homeowners, guests, or other members of the public, fraudulent transactions, or incidents that are mistakenly
attributed to Vacasa, and any resulting media coverage, could create a negative public perception of our platform, which would adversely impact our ability to attract homeowners and guests. In addition, when homeowners cancel reservations or if we fail to provide timely refunds to guests in connection with cancellations, guest perception of the value of our platform is adversely impacted and may cause guests to not use our platform in the future. The impact of these issues may be more pronounced if we are seen to have failed to provide prompt and appropriate customer support or if our platform policies are perceived to be too permissive or restrictive, or as providing homeowners and/or guests with unsatisfactory resolutions. We have been the subject of media reports, social media posts, blog posts, and content in other forums that contain allegations about our business or activity on our platform that create negative publicity. As a result of these complaints and negative
publicity, some homeowners have refrained from, and may in the future refrain from, listing with us, and some guests have refrained from, and may in the future refrain from, using our platform, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our brand and reputation could be also harmed if we fail to act responsibly or are perceived as not acting responsibly, or if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements, in a number of areas, such as safety and security, data security, privacy practices, provision of information about users and activities on our platform, sustainability, human rights, diversity, non-discrimination, and support for employees and local communities. Media, legislative, or government scrutiny around our company, including the perceived impact on affordable
housing and over-tourism, neighborhood nuisance, privacy practices, provision of information as requested by certain governments or agencies thereof, content on our platform, business practices and strategic plans, impact of travel on the environment, public health policies that may cause geopolitical backlash, our business partners, and our practices relating to our platform, offerings, employees, competition, litigation, and response to regulatory activity, could adversely affect our brand and our reputation with our homeowners, guests, and communities. Social media compounds the potential scope of the negative publicity that could be generated and the speed with which such negative publicity may spread. Any resulting damage to our brand or reputation could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We rely on our homeowners and guests to provide trustworthy reviews and ratings that our homeowners or guests may rely upon to help decide whether or not to book a particular listing or accept a particular booking. We also use these reviews and ratings to uphold quality standards. Our homeowners and guests may be less likely to rely on reviews and ratings if they believe that our review system does not generate trustworthy, reliable reviews and ratings. We have procedures in place to combat fraud or abuse of our review system, but we cannot guarantee that these procedures are, or will be, effective.
If potential homeowners or guests disregard these reviews and ratings, our systems that use reviews and ratings to enforce quality standards would be less effective, which could reduce trust within our customer-base and damage our brand and reputation, and
could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Owner, guest, or third-party actions that are criminal, violent, inappropriate, dangerous, or fraudulent, may undermine the safety or the perception of safety of our services, affect our ability to attract and retain homeowners and guests, and materially adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Fraudulent or criminal activity could occur in connection with the use of our services, as we do not have complete control over, or the ability to predict, the actions of our users and other third parties, such as neighbors or invitees, either during the guest’s stay, or otherwise, and therefore, we cannot guarantee the safety of our employees, homeowners, guests, and third parties. The actions of homeowners, guests,
and other third parties have resulted, and can result in further, fatalities, injuries, other bodily harm, fraud, invasion of privacy, property damage, discrimination, and brand and reputational damage, which have created, and could continue to create potential legal or other liabilities for us. We do not verify the identity of all of our homeowners and guests nor do we verify or screen third parties who may be present during a reservation made through our platform. Our identity verification processes rely on, among other things, information provided by homeowners and guests, and our ability to validate that information and the effectiveness of third-party service providers that support our verification processes may be limited.
Certain verification processes may be less reliable than others. These processes are also currently minimal and subject to limitations, including laws and regulations that prohibit
or limit our ability to conduct effective background checks in some jurisdictions, the unavailability of information, and the inability of our systems to detect all suspicious activity. There can be no assurances that the measures we take will significantly reduce criminal or fraudulent activity on our platform or in the homes we manage.
In addition, we may not adequately police the safety, suitability, location, quality, availability of recreational items or other amenities, compliance with our policies or standards, and legal compliance, such as fire code compliance or the presence of carbon monoxide detectors, of all our homeowners’ properties. We have in the past taken steps to investigate issues raised by guests and homeowners and endeavor to require our local home care staff, including maintenance and housekeeping teams, to do periodic compliance checks, but we cannot ensure that these are consistently
performed. We have created policies and standards to respond to issues reported with properties, but some vacation rentals may pose heightened safety risks to individual guests because those issues have not been reported to us, because our local operations team has not taken the requisite action based on our policies,or because guests or third parties disregard safety measures. We rely, in part, on reports of issues from homeowners, guests and employees to investigate and enforce many of our policies and standards. In addition, our policies may not contemplate certain safety risks posed by rental homes or individual homeowners or guests or may not sufficiently address those risks. For example, we have been in the past, and may be in the future, subject to legal claims and potential liability relating to injuries or other damages sustained in connection with guests’ use of recreational items and other amenities on our homeowners’ properties. Though we typically seek to
obtain waivers from liabilities associated with guest use of these items, homeowners do not always inform us that such items are present on their properties and, in any event, we cannot guarantee that any waiver we are able to obtain will be found to be enforceable.
We have also faced civil litigation, regulatory investigations, and inquiries involving allegations of, among other things, unsafe or unsuitable rental homes, discriminatory policies, data processing, practices or behavior on and off our platform or by homeowners, guests, and third parties, general misrepresentations regarding the safety or accuracy of offerings on our platform, and other homeowner, guest, or third-party actions that are criminal, violent, inappropriate, dangerous, or fraudulent. Our policies, tools, and procedures to protect homeowners, guests, and the communities in which our homeowners operate may not be successful. Similarly,
listings that are inaccurate, of a lower than expected quality, or that do not comply with our policies may harm guests and public perception of the quality and safety of rental homes on our platform and materially adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
If homeowners, guests, or third parties engage in criminal activity, or misconduct, including fraudulent, negligent, or inappropriate conduct or use our platform as a conduit for criminal activity, consumers may not consider our platform and the listings on our platform safe, and we may receive negative media coverage, or be subject to involvement in a government
investigation concerning such activity, which could adversely impact our brand and reputation, and lower the adoption rate of our platform. For example:
•there have been shootings and other criminal or violent acts on properties booked on our platform, including as a result of unsanctioned house parties;
•there have been undisclosed hidden cameras and claims of invasion of privacy at properties; and
•there have been incidents of homeowners and guests engaging in criminal, fraudulent, or unsafe behavior and other misconduct while using our platform.
The methods used by perpetrators of fraud and other misconduct are complex and
constantly evolving, and our trust and security measures have been, and may currently or in the future be, insufficient to detect and help prevent all fraudulent activity and other misconduct. For example, there have been incidents where guests have caused substantial property damage to listings or misrepresented the purpose of their stay and used listings for unauthorized or inappropriate conduct including parties, drug-related activities, or to perpetrate criminal activities.
In addition, certain regions where we operate have higher rates of violent crime or more relaxed safety standards, which can lead to more safety and security incidents, and may adversely impact the adoption of our platform and services in those regions and elsewhere.
If criminal, inappropriate, fraudulent, or other negative incidents continue to occur due to the conduct of
homeowners, guests, or third parties, our ability to attract and retain homeowners and guests would be harmed, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected. Such incidents have prompted, and may in the future prompt, stricter regulations or regulatory inquiries into our platform, policies and business practices. Further, claims have been asserted against us from our homeowners, guests, and third parties for compensation due to accidents, injuries, assaults, theft, property damage, privacy and security issues, and other incidents that are caused by other homeowners, guests, or third parties while using homes booked on our platform. These claims subject us to potentially significant liability, increase our operating costs, and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We have obtained third-party insurance, which is subject to certain conditions and exclusions,
for claims and losses incurred based on incidents related to bookings on our platform. Even where we do have third-party insurance, such insurance may be inadequate to fully cover alleged claims of liability, investigation costs, defense costs, and/or payouts. Even if these claims do not result in liability, we could incur significant time and cost investigating and defending against them. If the quantity or severity of incidents increases, our insurance rates and our financial exposure will grow, which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We are subject to payment-related fraud, and an increase in or failure to deal effectively with fraud, fraudulent activities, fictitious transactions, or illegal transactions would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We
process a significant volume and dollar value of transactions on a daily basis. We have incurred and will continue to incur losses from claims by homeowners, fraudulent bookings and fraudulent refund requests, and these losses may be substantial. Such instances have and can lead to the reversal of payments received by us for such bookings, referred to as a “chargeback.” For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, total chargeback expense was $4.7 million, $5.1 million, and $2.8 million, respectively. Our ability to detect and combat fraud, which has become increasingly common and sophisticated, could be adversely impacted by the adoption of new payment methods, the emergence and innovation of new technology platforms, including mobile and other devices, and our growth in certain regions, including in regions
with a history of elevated fraudulent activity. We expect that technically knowledgeable criminals will continue to attempt to circumvent our anti-fraud systems. In addition, the payment card networks have rules around acceptable chargeback ratios. If we are unable to effectively identify fraudulent bookings on our platform, combat the use of fraudulent credit cards, or otherwise maintain or lower our current levels of chargebacks, we may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees or processors holding significant reserves against us, be required to post collateral or be unable to continue to accept card payments because payment card networks have revoked our access to their networks, any of which would materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Measures that we are taking to improve the trust and safety of our platform may cause us to incur significant
expenditures and may not be successful.
We have taken and continue to take measures to improve the trust and safety of the community on our platform, combat fraudulent activities and other misconduct and improve community trust, such as terminating the management contracts of homeowners who fail to comply with our policies. However, some of these measures increase friction on our platform by increasing the number of steps required to list or book, which reduces homeowner and guest activity on our platform, and
could
materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Implementing these trust and safety initiatives, which include, among other things, limited verification of homeowners and listings, restrictions on “party” houses, manual screening of high-risk reservations, restrictions on certain types of bookings, and providing rental home neighbors with the contact information for our local staff, or other initiatives, has caused and will continue to cause us to incur significant ongoing expenses and may result in fewer listings and bookings or reduced homeowner and guest retention, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We have invested and plan to continue to invest significantly in the trust and safety of our platform and services, but there can be no assurances that these measures will significantly reduce criminal or fraudulent activity on or off our platform, or be
sufficient to protect our reputation in the event of such activity.
If we are unable to manage the risks presented by our international operations, our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Currently, we provide vacation rental management services in the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. We also have design and technology activities in Chile, New Zealand and, since September 2023, in the Czech Republic. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 500 employees outside the United States. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, approximately, 2%, 2%, and
1% of our revenue, respectively, was generated from vacation rental management activities outside of the United States.
Managing an international organization is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, and requires significant management attention. In addition, conducting international operations subjects us to risks, which include:
•operational and compliance challenges caused by distance, language, and cultural differences;
•the cost and resources required to localize our platform and services, including translation of our platform into foreign languages and adaptation of our platform and services for local practices and regulatory requirements;
•differing, more restrictive
and conflicting laws and regulations, including those governing Internet activities, short-term and long-term rentals, tourism, taxes, licensing, payments processing, messaging, marketing activities, registration and/or verification of guests, ownership and protection of intellectual property, content, data collection and privacy, security, data localization, data transfer and government access to personal information, and the lack of familiarity and the burden of complying with them;
•uncertainty in the enforceability of legal rights, and uneven application of laws and regulations to businesses, in particular to U.S. companies;
•competition with companies that understand local markets better than we do, or that have a local presence and pre-existing relationships with potential homeowners and guests in those markets;
•differing
levels of social acceptance of our brand and offerings;
•legal uncertainty regarding our liability for the listings, services, and content provided by homeowners, guests, and other third parties and uncertain resolutions of litigation or regulatory inquiries;
•variations in, and increased operational complexity around, payment activity between us, homeowners and guests, and inability to offer local payment forms like cash or country-specific digital forms of payment;
•potentially adverse tax consequences, including resulting from the complexities of foreign corporate income tax systems, value added tax ("VAT") regimes, tax withholding rules, lodging taxes, and other indirect taxes, tax collection or remittance obligations, and restrictions on the repatriation
of earnings;
•difficulties in managing and staffing international operations, including due to differences in legal, regulatory, and collective bargaining processes;
•fluctuations in currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar;
•regulations governing the control of local currencies and their impact on our ability to collect and remit funds to homeowners in those currencies or to repatriate cash into the United States;
•oversight by foreign government agencies whose approach to privacy or human rights may be inconsistent with those taken in other countries;
•increased financial accounting and reporting burdens, and complexities
and difficulties in implementing and maintaining adequate internal controls in an international operating environment;
•political, social, and economic instability abroad, terrorist attacks, and security concerns in general; and
•operating in countries that are more prone to crime or have lower safety standards, or have higher risk of corruption.
Any further international expansion of our business could exacerbate these risks and may not be successful. Increased operating expenses, decreased revenue, negative publicity, negative reaction from our homeowners and guests and other stakeholders, or other adverse impacts from any of the above factors or other risks related to our international operations, could materially adversely affect our brand, reputation, business, results
of operations, financial condition, and growth prospects.
Our growth strategy has included and may in the future include strategic acquisitions and dispositions. We may not be able to consummate future acquisitions or successfully integrate past or future acquisitions.
A portion of our growth has been due to acquisitions of strategic businesses. We may make strategic acquisitions in the future to enhance our market position and broaden our product offerings. Our ability to successfully effectuate acquisitions in the future subject to a variety of risks, including:
•Our
ability to identify acceptable acquisition candidates;
•The impact of increased competition for acquisitions, which may increase acquisition costs, affect our ability to consummate acquisitions on favorable terms, and result in us assuming a greater portion of the seller’s liabilities;
•Successfully integrating acquired businesses, including integrating the management, technological and operational processes, procedures and controls of the acquired businesses with those of our existing operations;
•Adequate financing for acquisitions being available on terms acceptable to us;
•Unexpected losses of key employees, customers and suppliers of acquired businesses;
•Mitigating
assumed, contingent and unknown liabilities, including ongoing lawsuits or liabilities that could subject us to lawsuits;
•Acquiring goodwill and other non-amortizable intangible assets that will be subject to impairment testing and potential impairment charges;
•The impact of amortization expense related to certain intangible assets, which would increase our expenses and working capital; and
•Challenges in managing the increased scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations.
The process of integrating acquired businesses into our existing operations may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and may require additional financial resources and attention from management that would otherwise
be available for the ongoing development or expansion of our existing operations. There can be no assurance that pre-acquisition due diligence will have identified all material issues that might arise with respect to such acquired business. Furthermore, even if successfully integrated, the acquired business may not achieve the results we expected or produce expected benefits in the time frame planned. From time to time, we may also divest or wind down portions of our business, both acquired or otherwise, that are no longer strategically important, which could materially affect our cash flows and results of operations. Failure to continue with our acquisition strategy or the successful integration of acquired businesses could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our failure to raise additional capital or generate the significant capital necessary
to expand our operations and invest in new offerings could reduce our ability to compete and could adversely affect our business.
We have incurred significant operating losses and generated negative cash flows from operations as we have invested to support the growth of our business, and expect to continue to do so in the future as we execute on our strategic initiatives to grow our business. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, our growth, our ability to attract and retain new homeowners and guests that utilize our services, the extent and profitability of any strategic transactions we enter into, the continuing market acceptance of our offerings, the timing and extent of spending to enhance our technology, and the expansion of our sales and marketing activities and, as a result, we may require additional financing. We evaluate financing opportunities
from time to time, and our ability to obtain financing will depend, among other things, on our development efforts, business plans, operating performance, and the condition of the capital markets at the time we seek financing. Additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms when required, or at all. If we raise additional funds through future issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences, and privileges superior to those of holders of our Class A Common Stock. In addition, our stockholders will experience additional dilution when stock appreciation rights holders and option holders exercise their rights to purchase our Class A Common Stock under our equity incentive plans, any restricted stock units or performance stock units we may grant from time to time vest and settle, we issue equity awards to our employees
under our equity incentive plans or our employee stock purchase plan, and we otherwise issue additional equity interests.
If we are unable to raise additional funds when we need them and on terms that are acceptable to us, our ability to continue to develop or enhance our platform, products or services, support and grow our business and operations, respond to business challenges and opportunities, and execute our growth strategy would be significantly limited, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
Our business
depends on our ability to attract and retain capable management and employees, and if we lose any of our key personnel, or if we are unable to attract, retain and motivate a sufficient number of skilled personnel, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected, and we may be unable to execute our growth strategy.
Our future success depends in large part on our ability to attract and retain high-quality management and employees. Our CEO, CFO and other members of our senior management team, as well as other employees, may terminate their employment with us at any time. Losing the services of members of our senior management team could materially harm our business until a suitable replacement is found, and such replacement may not have equal experience and capabilities. In addition, we have not purchased life insurance on any members of our senior management
team. Furthermore, given the importance of our key executives to our business, we are also vulnerable to the risk that they may take actions, either within or outside the scope of their duties, that intentionally or unintentionally tarnish our brand and reputation or otherwise adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, in 2023 and 2024, we announced and implemented reductions in our employee base. Such reductions could negatively impact our ability to attract, retain, and motivate employees.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to attract and retain the personnel we need. Our business requires highly skilled technical, engineering, design, product, data analytics, marketing, business development, and customer support personnel, including executive-level employees, who are in high demand and are often subject to competing offers. Competition for qualified
employees and executive-level employees is intense in our industry. We have experienced the turnover of key employees, including among the senior management team, and may experience employee and management transitions in future. The loss of qualified employees, or an inability to attract, retain, and motivate employees would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition and impair our ability to grow.
To attract and retain key personnel, we use various measures, including an equity incentive program. As we continue to mature, the incentives to attract, retain, and motivate employees provided by our programs or by future arrangements may not be effective. We have a number of current employees who hold equity in our company. It may be difficult for us to continue to retain and motivate
these employees, and the value of their holdings could affect their decisions about whether or not they continue to work for us. Our ability to attract, retain, and motivate employees may be adversely affected by declines in our stock price. If we issue significant equity to attract employees or to retain our existing employees, we would incur substantial additional equity-based compensation expense and the ownership of our existing stockholders would be further diluted.
We may face increased personnel costs or labor shortages that could slow our growth and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Personnel costs are a primary component of our operating expenses. If we face labor shortages or increased personnel costs because of increased competition for employees, higher employee turnover rates, increases in
the federally-mandated or state-mandated minimum wage, changes in exempt and non-exempt status, or other employee benefits costs (including costs associated with health insurance coverage or workers’ compensation insurance), our operating expenses could increase and our growth could be adversely affected.
We have a substantial number of employees who are paid wage rates near, at or based on the applicable federal or state minimum wage, including workers who are paid on a piece-work basis, and increases in the applicable minimum wage will increase our personnel costs. As federal, state or other applicable minimum wage rates increase, we may be required to increase not only the wage rates of minimum wage employees, but also the wages paid to our other hourly employees. It may not be possible to increase prices in order to pass future increased personnel costs on to homeowners and/or guests, in which case our
margins would be negatively affected. Even if we are able to increase prices to cover increased personnel costs, the higher prices could result in lower revenue, which may also reduce margins. In addition, we face risks related to the costs associated with compliance, or failure to comply with, with varying minimum wage laws.
We may face shortages of skilled labor from time to time in the various markets in which we operate. Furthermore, adequate staffing can be particularly challenging during peak season in certain markets, when we are required to hire a large number of seasonal workers in order to scale our local operations networks. Shortages of skilled labor may make it increasingly difficult and expensive to attract, train and retain the services of a sufficient number of qualified employees, which could adversely affect homeowner and guest satisfaction and impair our ability to attract new homeowners
and guests and retain our relationships with our existing homeowners and guests. Furthermore, competition for qualified employees, particularly in markets where such shortages exist, could require us to pay higher wages, which could result in higher personnel costs. Certain Canadian employees of one of our Canadian subsidiaries are under collective bargaining agreements which regulate certain aspects of our employment terms, including compensation, for such individuals. Although none of our U.S. employees are currently covered under collective bargaining agreements, we cannot guarantee that our U.S. employees will not elect to be represented by labor unions in the future. If a significant number of our employees were to become unionized and collective
bargaining agreement terms were significantly different from our current compensation arrangements, it could increase our costs and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we are subject to a number of other federal, state, local, and foreign laws regulating employment and employee working conditions, including employment dispute and employee bargaining processes, collective and representative actions, and other employment compliance requirements. Compliance with these regulations is costly and requires significant resources, and we may suffer losses from, or incur significant costs to defend, claims alleging non-compliance with these regulations. In addition, immigration reform continues to attract significant attention in the public arena and the U.S. Congress. If new immigration legislation is enacted,
such laws may contain provisions that could increase our costs in recruiting, training and retaining employees.
Any decline or disruption to the travel and hospitality industries or economic downturn, natural disasters, local and global public health emergencies, geopolitical conflicts, or other catastrophic events or other events outside of our control would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our financial performance is dependent on the strength of the travel and hospitality industries and macroeconomic conditions. Events beyond our control, such as unusual or extreme weather or natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, tsunamis, floods, significant snow storms, other severe weather, droughts, volcanic eruptions, and pandemics or health epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic,
restrictions related to travel, trade or immigration policies, wars or regional hostilities (such as the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas conflicts and any escalations thereof), terrorist attacks, political uncertainty, protests, foreign policy changes, systemic financial system or banking failures, imposition of taxes or surcharges by regulatory authorities, changes in regulations, policies, or conditions related to sustainability, including climate change, work stoppages, labor unrest or travel-related accidents can disrupt travel globally or otherwise result in declines in travel demand. Because these events or concerns, and the full impact of their effects, are largely unpredictable, they can dramatically and suddenly affect travel behavior by consumers, and therefore reduce demand for our platform and services, which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Increasing awareness around the impact of air travel
on climate change and the impact of over-tourism may also adversely impact the travel and hospitality industries and demand for our platform and services.
Additionally, these factors could affect our business infrastructure and the rental homes that we manage. To the extent climate change causes changes in weather patterns, our coastal destinations could experience increases in storm intensity and rising sea levels causing damage to our homeowners’ properties and result in a reduced number of listings in these areas. Short-term, extreme weather patterns may also make it unsafe or impractical for guests, or employees or contractors providing home care services, to travel to affected locations, which may, in turn, result in homeowners choosing not to rent their properties during certain times and reduce the overall number of nights available. Climate change may also affect our business by increasing the cost
of, or making unavailable, property insurance on terms our homeowners find acceptable in areas most vulnerable to such events, increasing operating costs for our homeowners, including the cost of water or energy, and requiring our homeowners to expend funds as they seek to repair and protect their properties in connection with such events. As a result of the foregoing and other climate-related issues, our homeowners may decide to remove their listings from our platform. If we are unable to provide vacation rentals for booking in certain areas due to climate change, we may lose both homeowners and guests, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our financial performance is also subject to global economic conditions and their impact on levels of discretionary consumer spending. Some of the factors that have an impact on discretionary consumer
spending include general economic conditions, worldwide or regional recessions, unemployment, consumer debt, reductions in net worth, fluctuations in exchange rates, wage inflation, residential real estate and mortgage markets, taxation, energy prices, interest rates, consumer confidence, tariffs, and other macroeconomic factors.
Consumer preferences tend to shift to lower-cost alternatives during recessionary periods and other periods in which disposable income is adversely affected, which could lead to a decline in the bookings and prices for rentals through our platform and an increase in cancellations, and thus result in lower revenue. Leisure travel in particular, which accounts for a substantial majority of our current business, is dependent on discretionary consumer spending levels. Downturns in worldwide or regional economic conditions, such as the downturn experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic,
led to a general decrease in leisure travel and travel spending, and similar downturns in the future may materially adversely impact demand for our platform and services. Such a shift in consumer behavior would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The coverage afforded under our insurance policies may be inadequate for the needs of our business or our third-party insurers may be unable or unwilling to meet our coverage requirements, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We
use a combination of third-party insurance and self-insurance to manage the exposures related to our business operations. We support our homeowners by maintaining an accommodation protection program. Our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected if (i) cost per claim, premiums or the number of claims significantly exceeds our expectations; (ii) we experience a claim in excess of our coverage limits; (iii) our insurance providers become insolvent or otherwise fail to pay on our insurance claims; (iv) we experience a claim for which coverage is not provided; or (v) the number of claims under our deductibles or self-insured retentions differs from historical averages. Our overall spend on insurance has increased as our business and risk exposure have grown and losses from covered claims have increased. Premiums have increased as a result, and we have experienced and expect to continue to experience increased difficulty
in obtaining appropriate policy limits and levels of coverage at a reasonable cost and with reasonable terms and conditions. Our costs for obtaining these policies will continue to increase as our business grows and risk exposures continue to evolve. Furthermore, as our business continues to develop and diversify, we may experience difficulty in obtaining insurance coverage for new and evolving offerings and tiers, which could require us to incur greater costs and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Additionally, if we fail to comply with insurance regulatory requirements in the regions where we operate, or other regulations governing insurance coverage, our brand, reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Accommodation Protection Program
As
an additional benefit to our homeowners and in order to comply with certain short-term rental regulatory requirements, we enroll homeowners in our accommodation protection program, which provides protection for claims of guest-caused property damage or guest bodily injury arising from the reservation. The accommodation protection program is subject to certain terms, conditions and exclusions, and homeowners may opt out of the program, if the homeowner provides documentation of sufficient alternative coverage through their homeowners insurance. Our homeowners may also benefit from protection provided through our distribution partners when bookings of Vacasa rental homes are made through their platforms.
However, these programs may not provide protection for certain types of claims and may be insufficient to fully cover costs of investigation, costs of defense, and payments or judgments arising from covered
claims. In addition, extensive or costly claims could lead to rate increases or difficulty securing coverage, which may result in increased financial exposure and an inability to meet regulatory requirements. Increased claim frequency and severity and increased fraudulent claims could result in greater payouts, premium increases, and/or difficulty securing coverage. Further, disputes with homeowners as to whether a protection program applies to alleged losses or damages and the increased submission of fraudulent payment requests could require significant time and financial resources.
Corporate Insurance
We procure insurance policies to cover various operations-related risks, including general business liability, workers’ compensation, cyber liability and data breaches, crime, directors and officers liability, and property insurance. We do not have
sufficient coverage for certain catastrophic events, including certain business interruption losses, such as those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, certain policies may not be available to us and the policies we have and obtain in the future may not be sufficient to cover all of our business exposure.
Risks Related to Accounting, Tax and Financial Statement Matters
A future impairment of our long-lived assets or goodwill could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We evaluate our long-lived assets or asset groups for indicators of possible impairment by comparing the carrying amount to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by such asset or asset group and its eventual disposal when events or changes in circumstances
indicate the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. If the carrying value of the long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable on an undiscounted cash flow basis, impairment is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds its fair value. We review goodwill for impairment by initially considering qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative analysis. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, a quantitative analysis is performed to identify goodwill impairment.
Potential indicators of impairment include significant changes in performance relative to expected operating results, significant negative industry or economic trends, or a significant decline in the Company's stock price and/or market capitalization for a sustained period of time. If one or more of these impairment indicators occur or intensify, this could result in an impairment of long-lived assets or further impairment of goodwill. The Company performed a quantitative impairment assessment as of December 31, 2022, which resulted in a goodwill impairment charge of $244.0 million. The Company performed a quantitative
impairment assessment as of September 30, 2023, which resulted in long-lived asset and goodwill impairment charges of $46.0 million and $411.0 million, respectively. No other material impairment charges were taken as of December 31, 2023.
Future impairment of our long-lived assets or goodwill could be material and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may experience significant fluctuations in our results of operations from quarter to quarter and year to year as a result of seasonality and other factors, which make it difficult to forecast our future results.
Our results of operations may vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year
and are not an indication of our future performance. Our overall business is seasonal, reflecting typical travel behavior patterns over the course of the calendar year. In addition, each market where we operate has unique seasonality, events, and weather that can increase or decrease demand for our offerings. Certain holidays can have an impact on our revenue by increasing Nights Sold on the holiday itself or during the preceding and subsequent weekends. Typically, our second and third quarters have higher revenue due to increased Nights Sold. Our GBV typically follows the seasonality patterns of Nights Sold. Our operations and support costs also increase in the second and third quarters as we increase our hourly staffing to handle increased activity on our platform in those periods. Our business is also subject to fluctuations in available working capital. Our cash and working capital tends to be highest in the second quarter and lowest in the fourth quarter of the
year. If our working capital reserves are inadequate, we may be required to draw against our credit facility or seek additional sources of capital, which may not be available or may come with undesirable terms. In such event, our ability to support and grow our business and operations, respond to business challenges and opportunities, and execute our growth strategy would be significantly limited, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected.
As our business matures, other seasonal trends may develop, or these existing seasonal trends may become more extreme. In addition to seasonality, our results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a variety of other factors, many of which are beyond our control, may be difficult to predict, and may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business, including:
•reduced
travel and cancellations due to other events beyond our control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or other epidemics, increased or continuing restrictions on travel and immigration, trade disputes, economic downturns, significant labor shortages, political, civil or social unrest, armed hostilities and the impact of climate on travel (including fires, floods, severe weather and other natural disasters) or law enforcement demands and other regulatory actions;
•periods with increased investments in our platform for existing offerings, new offerings and initiatives, marketing, and the accompanying growth in headcount;
•our ability to maintain growth and effectively manage that growth;
•increased competition;
•our
ability to expand our operations in new and existing regions;
•changes in governmental or other regulations affecting our business;
•changes to our internal policies or strategies;
•harm to our brand or reputation; and
•other risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report.
As a result, it may be more difficult to accurately forecast our results of operations and, if our forecasts are not accurate, we may fail to meet the expectations of investors and securities analysts, which could cause the trading price of our Class A Common Stock to fall substantially and potentially subject us to costly lawsuits, including securities class action suits.
Moreover, we base our expense levels and investment plans on estimates for revenue that may turn out to be inaccurate. A significant portion of our expenses and investments are fixed, and we may not be able to adjust our spending quickly enough if our revenue is less than expected or if costs are higher than expected, resulting in losses that exceed our expectations. If our assumptions regarding the risks and uncertainties that we use to plan our business are incorrect or change, or if we do not address these risks successfully, our results of operations could differ materially from our expectations and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We track certain operational metrics, which are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in such metrics may harm our reputation and materially adversely affect our stock price, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We track certain operational metrics, including metrics such as GBV, Nights Sold, and GBV per Night Sold, which may differ from estimates or similar metrics published by third parties due to differences in sources, methodologies, or the assumptions on which we rely. Our internal systems and tools are subject to a number of limitations, and our methodologies for tracking these and other metrics may change over time, which could result in unexpected changes to our metrics, including the those we publicly disclose. If the internal systems and tools we use to track these metrics undercount
or overcount performance or contain algorithmic or other technical errors, the data we report may not be accurate. While these numbers are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates of our metrics for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring how our platform is used across populations globally. The calculation of GBV and Nights Sold requires the ongoing collection of data on new offerings that are added to our platform over time. Our business is complex, and the methodology used to calculate GBV and Nights Sold may require future adjustments to accurately represent the full value of new offerings.
Limitations or errors with respect to how we measure data or with respect to the data that we measure may affect our understanding of certain details of our business, which could affect our long-term strategies. If our operational metrics are not accurate representations
of our business, or if investors do not perceive these metrics to be accurate, or if we discover material inaccuracies with respect to these figures, our reputation may be significantly harmed, our stock price could decline, we may be subject to stockholder litigation, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Because we recognize revenue during the guest stay and not at booking, upticks or downturns in bookings are not immediately reflected in our results of operations.
We experience a difference in timing between when a booking is made and when we recognize revenue, which is at the time of the stay. The effect of significant downturns in bookings in a particular quarter may not be fully reflected in our results of operations until future periods because of this timing in revenue recognition.
We have issued, and may continue to issue, future stay credits to guests who chose to cancel within our enhanced cancellation policy. Such future stay credits are recognized as a liability on our consolidated balance sheets. Alternatively, in certain instances, we may offer a refund in lieu of a future stay credit. We account for these refunds as variable consideration, which results in a reduction to revenue.
Our failure to properly manage funds held on behalf of customers could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
When a guest books and pays for a stay on our platform, we do not recognize the amount the guest has paid until the stay occurs, at which time we recognize our commission and fees as revenue and (other than in certain locations in which the homeowner is paid upon booking) initiate
the process to remit the payment to the homeowner, which occurs monthly following the stay, barring any alterations or cancellations which may result in funds being returned to the guest. Accordingly, at any given time, we hold on behalf of our homeowners and guests a substantial amount of funds, which are generally held in bank deposit accounts and in U.S. treasury bills and recorded on our consolidated balance sheets as funds receivable and amounts held on behalf of customers. In certain jurisdictions, we are required to either safeguard customer funds in bankruptcy-remote bank accounts, or hold such funds in eligible liquid assets, as defined by the relevant regulators in such jurisdictions, equal to at least 100% of the aggregate amount held on behalf of customers. Our ability to manage and account accurately for the cash underlying our customer funds, and comply with related trust-accounting regulations requires a high level of operational and internal controls.
As our business continues to grow and we expand our offerings and tiers, we must continue to strengthen our associated internal controls. Our success requires significant public confidence in our ability to handle large and growing transaction volumes and amounts of customer funds. Any failure to maintain the necessary controls or to manage the assets underlying our customer funds accurately could result in reputational harm, lead customers to discontinue or reduce their use of our platform and services, and result in significant penalties and fines from regulators, each of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We rely on third-party payment service providers to process payments made by guests and certain payments made to homeowners on our platform. If these third-party payment service providers become unavailable or we are subject to increased
fees, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We rely on a number of third-party payment service providers, including payment card networks, banks, payment processors, and payment gateways, to link us to payment card and bank clearing networks to process payments made by our guests and to remit payments to homeowners on our platform. We have agreements with these providers, some of which are the sole providers we rely on for their particular service.
If these companies become unwilling or unable to provide these services
to us on acceptable terms or at all, our business may be disrupted, we would need to find alternate payment service providers, and we may not be able to secure similar terms or replace such payment service providers in an acceptable time frame.
If we are forced to migrate to other third-party payment service providers for any reason, the transition would require significant time and management resources, and may not be as effective, efficient, or well-received by our homeowners and guests. Any of the foregoing could cause us to incur significant losses and, in certain cases, require us to make payments to homeowners out of our funds, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In addition, the software and services provided by our third-party payment service providers may fail to meet our
expectations, contain errors or vulnerabilities, be compromised, or experience outages. Any of these risks could cause us reputational harm or cause us to lose our ability to accept online payments or other payment transactions or make timely payments to homeowners on our platform, which could make our platform less convenient and desirable to customers and adversely affect our ability to attract and retain homeowners and guests.
Moreover, our agreements with payment service providers allow, and in the future may allow, these companies, under certain conditions, to hold an amount of our cash as a reserve. They may be entitled to a reserve or suspension of processing services upon the occurrence of specified events, including material adverse changes in our business, results of operations, and financial condition. An imposition of additional reserves or a suspension of processing services by one or more of
our processing companies could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
If we fail to invest adequate resources into the payment processing infrastructure on our platform, or if our investment efforts are unsuccessful or unreliable, our payments activities may not function properly or keep pace with competitive offerings, which could adversely impact their usage. Further, our ability to expand our payments activities into additional countries is dependent upon the third-party providers we use to support these activities. As we expand the availability of our payments activities to additional geographic regions or begin to offer new payment methods to our homeowners and guests in the future, we may become subject to additional regulations and compliance requirements, and exposed to heightened fraud risk, which could lead to an increase in our operating expenses.
For
certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, and such fees result in significant costs. Payment card network costs have increased, and may continue to increase in the future, the interchange fees and assessments that they charge for each transaction that accesses their networks, and may impose special fees or assessments on any such transaction. Our payment card processors have the right to pass any increases in interchange fees and assessments on to us. Credit card transactions result in higher fees to us than transactions made through debit cards. Any material increase in interchange fees in the United States or other geographic regions, including as a result of changes in interchange fee limitations imposed by law in some geographic regions, or other network fees or assessments, or a shift from payment with debit cards to credit cards could increase our operating costs and materially adversely affect our business, results
of operations, and financial condition.
We are subject to payment network rules and any material modification of our payment card acceptance privileges could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The loss of our credit and debit card acceptance privileges or the significant modification of the terms under which we obtain card acceptance privileges would significantly limit our business model since a vast majority of our guests pay using credit or debit cards. We are required by our payment processors to comply with payment card network operating rules, including the Payment Card Industry ("PCI") Data Security Standard (the "PCI DSS"). Under the PCI DSS, we are required to adopt and implement internal controls over the use, storage, and transmission of card data to help prevent
credit card fraud. If we fail to comply with the rules and regulations adopted by the payment card networks, including the PCI DSS, we would be in breach of our contractual obligations to payment processors and merchant banks. Such failure to comply may damage our relationship with payment card networks, subject us to restrictions, fines, penalties, damages, and civil liability, and could eventually prevent us from processing or accepting payment cards, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Moreover, the payment card networks could adopt new operating rules or interpret or reinterpret existing rules that we or our payment processors might find difficult or even impossible to comply with, or costly to implement. As a result, we could lose our ability to give consumers the option of using payment cards to make their payments or the choice
of currency in which they would like their payment card to be charged. Further, there is no guarantee that, even if we comply with the rules and regulations adopted by the payment card networks, we will be able to maintain our payment card acceptance privileges. We
also cannot guarantee that our compliance with network rules or the PCI DSS will prevent illegal or improper use of our payments platform or the theft, loss, or misuse of the credit or debit card data of customers or participants, or a security breach. We are also required to submit to periodic audits, self-assessments, and other assessments of our compliance with the PCI DSS. If an audit, self-assessment,
or other assessment indicates that we need to take steps to remediate any deficiencies, such remediation efforts may distract our management team and require us to undertake costly and time-consuming remediation efforts, and we could lose our payment card acceptance privileges.
We are also subject to network operating rules and guidelines promulgated by the National Automated Clearing House Association ("NACHA") relating to payment transactions we process using the Automated Clearing House ("ACH") Network. Like the payment networks, NACHA may update its operating rules and guidelines at any time, which can require us to take more costly compliance measures or to develop more complex monitoring systems.
Any indebtedness we may incur from time to time could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital to fund operations,
limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry and prevent us from meeting our financial obligations.
As described elsewhere in this Annual Report under Part II., Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Revolving Credit Facility,” in October 2021, we entered into a Revolving Credit Facility, which, as subsequently amended in December 2021 and June 2023, provides for senior secured borrowings in an aggregate principal amount of up to $105.0 million, which amount may be borrowed and repaid from time to time. As of December 31, 2023, we had no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2023, $23.4 million of letters of credit were issued under the Revolving
Credit Facility, and $81.6 million was available for borrowings.
If we cannot generate sufficient cash flow from operations to service the amounts we borrow under the Revolving Credit Facility, we may need to refinance, dispose of assets or issue equity to obtain necessary funds. We do not know whether we will be able to do any of this on a timely basis, on terms satisfactory to us, or at all. In addition, indebtedness could have important consequences, including, but not limited to:
•our ability to obtain additional debt or equity financing for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes may be limited;
•any cash flows from operations that we use to repay principal and
interest on our debt will not be available for other purposes, such as funding our operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities;
•for borrowings at variable rates of interest, we will be exposed to the risk of increased or elevated interest rates;
•our ability to adjust to changing market conditions may be limited and may place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to less-leveraged competitors; and
•we may be more vulnerable during a downturn in general economic conditions or in our business.
In addition, the agreement governing our Revolving Credit Facility contains, and any agreements evidencing or governing other future indebtedness may also contain, certain restrictive covenants
that limit or otherwise restrict our ability to do certain things:
•create, incur, assume or permit to exist any debt or liens;
•merge into or consolidate with any other person, or liquidate or dissolve;
•make or hold certain investments;
•sell, transfer, lease, license or otherwise dispose of our assets, including equity interests;
•pay dividends or make certain other restricted payments;
•substantively alter the character of our business; and
•sell, lease or otherwise transfer
any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with affiliates.
The agreement governing the Revolving Credit Facility also contains, and any agreements evidencing or governing other future indebtedness may also contain, certain financial covenants and financial reporting and other requirements, as described elsewhere in this Annual Report under Part II., Item 7. under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Revolving Credit Facility.” Our ability to comply with these covenants and requirements may be affected by events and factors beyond our control. We may not be able to generate sufficient revenue or maintain sufficient liquidity to meet the financial covenants (at such time as we are required to do so) or pay any principal
and interest due under the Revolving Credit Facility when required. If we fail to make payments or otherwise experience an event of default thereunder, the lending banks would be permitted to take certain actions, including terminating all outstanding commitments and declaring all amounts to be immediately due and payable and would have the right to
proceed against the collateral granted to them, which includes substantially all of our assets. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, future working capital, borrowings, or equity financing could be unavailable
to repay or refinance amounts borrowed under the Revolving Credit Facility. In the event of a liquidation, our lenders would be repaid all outstanding principal and interest prior to distribution of assets to unsecured creditors, and the holders of our Class A Common Stock would receive a portion of any liquidation proceeds only if all of our creditors, including our lenders, were first repaid in full.
Uncertainty in the application of taxes to our homeowners, guests, or platform could increase our tax liabilities and may discourage homeowners and guests from conducting business on our platform.
We are subject to a variety of taxes and tax collection obligations in the United States (federal, state, and local) and several foreign jurisdictions. New or revised foreign, federal, state, or local tax regulations may subject us or our homeowners and
guests to additional indirect taxes, such as lodging, hotel, sales and use, privilege, excise, VAT, goods and services, harmonized sales, business, and gross receipt (together, “indirect taxes”), income, and other taxes, and, depending upon the jurisdiction, could subject us or our homeowners and guests to significant monetary penalties and fines for non-payment of taxes. Any additional tax expenses and other liabilities to which we or our homeowners and/or guests are subject would likely increase the cost of doing business for our homeowners, increase the price paid by guests, and may discourage homeowners and guests from using our platform, which could lead to a decline in revenue. As a result, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected by additional taxes of this nature or additional taxes or penalties resulting from our failure to comply with any reporting, collection, and payment obligations. We accrue
a reserve for such taxes, and upon examination or audit, such reserves may be insufficient. We are currently subject to tax audit in several states and local jurisdictions.
The application of taxes, particularly indirect taxes, to activities such as ours and to our homeowners and guests is a complex and evolving issue. Laws and regulations relating to taxes as applied to our platform, and to our homeowners and guests, vary greatly among jurisdictions, and it is difficult or impossible to predict how such laws and regulations will be applied. We devote significant resources, including management time, to the application and interpretation of tax laws and working with various jurisdictions to clarify whether taxes are applicable and the amount of taxes that apply. The application of indirect taxes to our homeowners, guests, and our platform significantly increases our operational expenses as we build the infrastructure
and tools to capture data and to report, collect, and remit taxes. The lack of uniformity in the laws and regulations relating to indirect taxes as applied further increases the operational and financial complexity of our systems and processes, and introduces potential for errors or incorrect tax calculations, all of which are costly to our business and results of operations. In addition, certain regulations may be so complex as to make it infeasible for us to be fully compliant. As our business operations expand or change, including as a result of introducing new or enhanced offerings, tiers or features, or due to acquisitions, the application of indirect taxes to our business and to our homeowners and guests will further change and evolve, and could further increase our liability for taxes, discourage homeowners and guests from using our platform, and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We
may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
The application of domestic and international income and non-income tax laws, rules and regulations to our business is subject to interpretation by the relevant taxing authorities. Given a focus on revenue generation, taxing authorities have become more aggressive in their enforcement of such laws, rules and regulations, resulting in increased audit activity and audit assessments, and legislation.
We are subject to regular review and audit by U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign tax authorities. As such, potential tax liabilities may exceed our current tax reserves or may require us to modify our business practices and incur additional cost to comply, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business.
The
determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment by management, and there are many transactions where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our provision for income taxes is also determined by the manner in which we operate our business, and any changes to such operations or laws applicable to such operations may affect our effective tax rate.
Our tax positions or tax returns are subject to change, and therefore we cannot accurately predict whether we may incur material additional tax liabilities in the future, which would materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Changes in tax laws or tax rulings could materially affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The tax regimes we are subject to or operate under, including income and non-income (including indirect) taxes, are unsettled and may be subject to significant change. Changes in tax laws or tax rulings, or changes in interpretations of existing laws, could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For example, the OECD has announced an accord commonly referred to as “Pillar Two” to set a minimum global corporate tax rate of 15%, which is being or may be implemented in many jurisdictions. The OECD is also issuing guidelines that are different, in some respects, than current international tax principles. If countries amend their tax laws to adopt all or part of the OECD guidelines, this may
increase tax uncertainty and increase taxes applicable to us. We cannot predict whether the U.S. Congress or any other governmental body, whether in the United States or in other jurisdictions, will enact new tax legislation (including increases to tax rates), whether the IRS or any other tax authority will issue new regulations or other guidance, whether the OECD or any other intergovernmental organization will publish any guidelines on global taxation or whether member states will implement such guidelines, nor can we predict what effect such legislation, regulations or international guidelines might have. However, changes to existing laws and regulations could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, we are subject to a variety of taxes and tax collection obligations in the United States (federal, state, and local) and numerous foreign jurisdictions. A
number of jurisdictions have proposed or implemented new tax laws or interpreted existing laws to explicitly apply various taxes to businesses like ours. Laws and regulations relating to taxes vary greatly among jurisdictions, and it is difficult or impossible to predict how such laws and regulations will be applied. The application of indirect taxes to activities such as ours is a complex and evolving issue.
We may recognize additional tax expenses and be subject to additional tax liabilities, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected by additional taxes of this nature or additional taxes or penalties resulting from our failure to comply with any reporting, collection, and payment obligations. We accrue a reserve for such taxes when the likelihood is probable that such taxes apply to us, and upon examination or audit, such reserves may be insufficient.
Additional taxes imposed in connection with our business could have the effect of increasing the prices paid by guests and could discourage guests from using our properties, and lead to a decline in revenue, and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
We expect to have material net operating loss carryforwards for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes. As of December 31, 2023, our federal net operating loss carryforwards were approximately $218.6 million. Realization of tax savings from these net operating loss carryforwards will depend on our future taxable income, and there is a risk that some of our existing carryforwards could expire
unused and be unavailable to offset future taxable income, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” generally defined as a greater than 50% change (by value) in its equity ownership by significant stockholders or groups of stockholders over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes, to offset its post-change taxable income or tax liabilities may be limited. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We expect that our net operating losses will be subject to limitations under these rules, and we may experience ownership changes in the future because of shifts in our stock ownership, many of which may be outside of our control. Our ability to use our pre-change
net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes to offset future U.S. federal taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could result in increased future tax liability to us. In addition, tax benefits that we derive from certain tax attributes, including net operating losses, that are allocable to us as a result of the transactions undertaken in connection with the Business Combination are subject to the terms of, and may give rise to payments that we will be required to make under, the Tax Receivable Agreement, as discussed below.
We are a holding company and our principal asset is our indirect equity interests in OpCo and, accordingly, we are dependent upon distributions from OpCo to pay taxes and other expenses.
We are a holding company and our principal asset is our 57.7% indirect ownership of OpCo. We have no independent
means of generating material revenue. As the initial sole manager of OpCo, we generally intend to cause OpCo to make distributions to its equity holders in amounts sufficient to cover the taxes on their allocable share of the taxable income of OpCo, including for this purpose, any payments we are obligated to make under the Tax Receivable Agreement and other costs or expenses, but we may be limited in our ability to cause OpCo to make distributions to its equity holders (including for purposes of paying corporate and other overhead expenses and dividends) by our contractual arrangements, including the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility and any additional debt facilities that we may enter into in the future. In addition, certain laws and regulations
may result in restrictions on OpCo’s ability to make distributions to Vacasa, Inc., or the ability of OpCo’s subsidiaries to make distributions to it.
To the extent that we need funds and OpCo or its subsidiaries are restricted from making such distributions, under applicable law or regulation or otherwise, we may not be able to obtain such funds on terms acceptable to us or at all and, as a result, could suffer an adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition. In certain situations, including where OpCo does not have sufficient cash to make tax distributions to all of its members in the full amounts that may be payable in connection with the Fourth Amended and
Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of OpCo (the "OpCo LLC Agreement") (or where tax distributions to the members of OpCo would materially exceed a set percentage of our aggregate taxable income), tax distributions to the equity holders of OpCo may be reduced (such that each member of OpCo may not receive tax distributions sufficient to cover its tax liability). Tax distributions will generally be treated as advances of other distributions made under the OpCo LLC Agreement.
Although OpCo may not always make such distributions, under the OpCo LLC Agreement, we generally expect OpCo, from time to time, to make distributions in cash to its equity holders in amounts sufficient to cover the taxes on their allocable share of the taxable income of OpCo (in addition, Vacasa, Inc. may receive certain non-pro rata distributions from OpCo to cover certain overhead and other expenses, as provided in the
OpCo LLC Agreement). As a result of (i) potential differences in the amount of net taxable income indirectly allocable to us and to OpCo’s other equity holders, (ii) the lower tax rate applicable to corporations as opposed to the assumed tax rate for making such distributions in the OpCo LLC Agreement, (iii) the favorable tax benefits that we anticipate from Vacasa, Inc.’s acquisition of common units of OpCo ("OpCo Units"), in exchange for, at our election, either cash (based on the market price of a share of our Class A Common Stock) or shares of our Class A Common Stock and payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and (iv) the fact that tax distributions made in respect of OpCo Units will generally be made pro rata in respect of such Units as described in the OpCo LLC Agreement, we expect that these tax distributions may be in amounts that exceed our tax liabilities. Our Board will determine the appropriate uses for any excess cash so accumulated, which may
include, among other uses, the payment of obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and the payment of other expenses. We will have no obligation to distribute such cash (or other available cash) to our stockholders. No adjustments to the exchange ratio for OpCo Units will be made as a result of any cash distribution by us or any retention of cash by us. To the extent we do not distribute such cash as dividends on our Class A Common Stock and instead, for example, hold such cash balances, or lend them to OpCo, this may result in shares of our Class A Common Stock increasing in value relative to the value of OpCo Units. The holders of OpCo Units (the "OpCo Unitholders") may benefit from any value attributable to such cash balances if they acquire shares of our Class A Common Stock in exchange for their OpCo Units. In addition, our payment of tax distributions to the members of OpCo could result in the distribution of cash out of OpCo that is in excess of what
is required for such members (or their direct or indirect equity holders) to pay their tax liabilities attributable to their direct or indirect ownership of OpCo, which could have an adverse effect on our liquidity.
We may incur certain tax liabilities attributable to the Blockers as a result of the Business Combination.
In connection with the Business Combination Agreement, the Blockers were merged with and into Vacasa, Inc. As the successor to these merged entities, Vacasa, Inc. has generally succeeded to and is responsible for any outstanding or historical tax liabilities of the merged entities, including any liabilities that might be incurred as a result of the mergers described in the previous sentence. The pre-Business Combination owners of the Blockers will not indemnify Vacasa, Inc. for any such liabilities, and such liabilities could have
an adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.
We may bear certain tax liabilities that are attributable to audit adjustments for taxable periods (or portions thereof) ending prior to the Business Combination, or that are disproportionate to our ownership interest in OpCo in the taxable period for which the relevant adjustment is imposed.
Pursuant to certain provisions of the Code enacted as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (such provisions, the “Partnership Tax Audit Rules”), partnerships (and not the partners of the partnerships) can be liable for U.S. federal income taxes (and any related interest and penalties) resulting from adjustments made pursuant to an IRS audit or judicial proceedings to the items of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit shown on the partnership’s tax return (or how such items are allocated
among the partners), notwithstanding the fact that liability for taxes on partnership income is generally borne by the partners rather than the partnership.
Under the Partnership Tax Audit Rules, a partnership’s liability for taxes resulting from adjustments made pursuant to an IRS audit or judicial proceedings may be reduced or avoided in certain circumstances depending on the status or actions of its partners. For example, if partners agree to amend their tax returns and pay the resulting taxes, the partnership’s liability can be reduced. Partnerships also may be able to make elections to “push out” the tax liability resulting from the adjustment to the persons who were partners in the prior taxable year that is the subject of the adjustment, and, as a result, avoid having the
relevant liability paid at the partnership-level and instead be borne by the persons who are partners at the time the relevant liability is paid.
A representative of the holders of Vacasa Holdings' equity prior to the Business Combination (including, for this purpose, the owners of the Blockers with respect to their indirect interest in Vacasa Holdings equity and the holders of vested Vacasa Holdings unit appreciation rights and the holders of vested options to purchase shares of TK Newco common stock) existing prior to the Business Combination (the "Existing VH Holders") will be entitled to direct whether or not OpCo or its subsidiaries will make the “push out” election described above for adjustments attributable to taxable periods (or portions thereof)
ending on or prior to the date of the Business Combination, and whether any such entity will pay any applicable liability at the entity level. The provisions of the OpCo LLC Agreement prohibit OpCo from seeking indemnification or other recoveries from the Existing VH Holders in respect of such liabilities. With respect to the representative’s exercise of this authority, its interests will generally differ from the interests of our other equity holders. Moreover, with respect to taxable periods beginning after the Business Combination, there is no requirement that OpCo or any of its subsidiaries make any “push out” election. We accordingly may be required to bear a share of any taxes, interest, or penalties associated with any adjustments to applicable tax returns that exceeds our proportionate share of such liabilities based on our ownership interest in OpCo in the taxable
period for which such adjustments are imposed (including periods prior to the effective date of the Business Combination during which we had no interest in OpCo), which could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
Vacasa, Inc. will be required to pay the TRA Parties for certain tax benefits it may claim (or is deemed to realize) in the future, and the amounts it may pay could be significant.
In connection with the Business Combination, Vacasa, Inc. acquired existing equity interests from certain Existing VH Holders in exchange for the issuance of shares of Class A Common Stock and rights to receive payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. As a result of these acquisitions, Vacasa, Inc. has succeeded to certain tax attributes of the Blockers and will receive the benefit of tax basis in assets of OpCo and its
subsidiaries. In addition, redemptions or exchanges of OpCo Units in exchange for shares of our Class A Common Stock or cash may produce favorable tax attributes that would not be available to Vacasa, Inc. in the absence of such redemptions or exchanges. Such transactions are also expected to result in increases in Vacasa, Inc.’s allocable share of the tax basis in OpCo’s tangible and intangible assets. These increases in tax basis may increase (for income tax purposes) depreciation and amortization deductions and therefore reduce the amount of income or franchise tax that Vacasa, Inc. would otherwise be required to pay in the future had such sales and exchanges never occurred.
We have entered into the tax receivable agreement (the "Tax Receivable Agreement") with the Existing VH Holders (other than the holders
of Vacasa Holdings unit appreciation rights and other than holders of options to purchase shares of TK Newco common stock, but including, for this purpose, current and former members of management that hold interests in Vacasa Holdings indirectly through a management holding vehicle), which we refer to in this Annual Report collectively as the “TRA Parties,” that provides for the payment by Vacasa, Inc. to such TRA Parties (or their transferees or assignees) of 85% of the net cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that Vacasa, Inc. realizes (determined by using certain assumptions) in periods after the Business Combination as a result of (i) certain increases in tax basis that occur as a result of (A) any acquisition of OpCo Units from certain Existing VH Holders in the Business Combination, (B) exercises of the redemption rights under the OpCo LLC Agreement (the "Redemption Rights") by certain OpCo Unitholders
to exchange their OpCo Units for shares of Class A Common Stock of or cash, and (C) payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement; (ii) any net operating losses or certain other tax attributes that become available to Vacasa, Inc. to offset income or gain realized after the Blocker Mergers; (iii) any existing tax basis associated with assets of OpCo or its subsidiaries, the benefit of which is allocable to Vacasa, Inc. as a result of the exchanges of OpCo Units for Class A Common Stock of Vacasa, Inc. or cash; and (iv) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed to be paid by Vacasa, Inc. as a result of any payments that Vacasa, Inc. makes under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The Tax Receivable Agreement makes certain simplifying assumptions regarding the determination of the cash savings that Vacasa, Inc. realizes or is deemed to realize from the covered tax attributes,
which may result in payments pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement in excess of those that would result if such assumptions were not made.
The actual tax benefit, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the timing of the redemptions of OpCo Units, the price of Class A Common Stock at the time of each redemption, the extent to which such redemptions are taxable transactions, the amount of tax basis associated with OpCo Units of the redeeming holder at the time of the relevant redemption, the depreciation and amortization periods that apply to the tax basis covered by the Tax Receivable Agreement, the amount, character, and timing of taxable income Vacasa, Inc. generates in the future, the timing and amount of any earlier payments that Vacasa, Inc. may have made under the Tax Receivable
Agreement, the income tax rates then applicable to Vacasa, Inc., and the portion of Vacasa, Inc.’s payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that constitute imputed interest or give rise to depreciable or amortizable tax basis. The payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are not conditioned upon any TRA Party continuing to own an equity interest in us. To the extent that we are not able to make payments under the Tax Receivable
Agreement when due, then (subject to the other provisions of the Tax Receivable Agreement, including those described below regarding the potential acceleration of obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement) such payments will generally
accrue interest until paid.
In addition, the TRA Parties (or their transferees or assignees) will not reimburse Vacasa, Inc. for any payments previously made if any covered tax benefits are subsequently disallowed, except that any excess payments made to any TRA Party (or its transferees or assignees) will be netted against future payments that would otherwise be made under the Tax Receivable Agreement, if any, after the determination of such excess. Vacasa, Inc. could make payments to the TRA Parties under the Tax Receivable Agreement that are greater than its actual cash tax savings and may not be able to recoup those payments, which could negatively impact its liquidity.
Finally, the Tax Receivable Agreement provides that, in the case of a change in control (as defined in the Tax Receivable Agreement), the Tax Receivable Agreement will automatically
terminate, and in the case of a material breach of Vacasa, Inc.’s obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and certain other events, Vacasa, Inc. may be required to make a payment to the TRA Parties in an amount equal to the present value of future payments (calculated using a discount rate equal to the lesser of 6.50% and a benchmark floating interest rate plus 150 basis points, which may differ from our, or a potential acquirer’s, then-current cost of capital) under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which payment would be based on certain assumptions, including those relating to Vacasa, Inc.’s future taxable income. In these situations, Vacasa, Inc.’s obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement could have a substantial negative impact on its, or a potential acquirer’s, liquidity and could have the effect of delaying, deferring, modifying, or preventing certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations, or other changes of control. These provisions
of the Tax Receivable Agreement may result in situations where the TRA Parties have interests that differ from or are in addition to those of our other stockholders. In addition, Vacasa, Inc. could be required to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that are due in advance of any actual realization of such further tax benefits, that are in excess of Vacasa, Inc.’s (or a potential acquirer’s) actual cash tax savings, and which could negatively impact our liquidity.
Risks Related to Information Technology, Data Security and Data Privacy
If we fail to comply with federal, state, and foreign laws relating to privacy and data protection, we may face potentially significant liability, negative publicity, an erosion of trust, and increased regulatory scrutiny, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations,
and financial condition.
Privacy and data protection laws, rules, and regulations are complex, and their interpretation is rapidly evolving, making implementation and enforcement, and thus compliance requirements, ambiguous, uncertain, and potentially inconsistent. Compliance with such laws may require changes to our data collection, use, transfer, disclosure, other processing, and certain other related business practices and may thereby increase compliance costs or have other material adverse effects on our business. We receive, store, handle, transmit, use and otherwise process business information and information related to individuals, including from and about actual and prospective customers, as well as our employees and service providers. As part of homeowner and guest registration and business processes, we may collect and use personal data, such as names, dates of birth, email addresses, phone numbers,
and, in some cases, identity verification information (for example, government-issued identification or passport information), as well as payment card or other financial information that homeowners and guests provide to us for such purposes. The laws of many states and countries require businesses which maintain such personal data to implement reasonable security measures to keep such information secure and otherwise restrict the ways in which such information can be collected, processed, disclosed, transferred and used.
Numerous states have enacted or are in the process of enacting state-level data privacy laws and regulations governing the collection, use, and processing of state residents’ personal data. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act provides rights to California residents related to their personal information, places limitations on data uses, creates new audit requirements for higher
risk data, and establishes a regulatory agency dedicated to enforcement. Similar laws have taken effect in or will take effect in the future in other states. The effects of these laws, and the enactment of any other state or federal privacy laws, are and will continue to be significant and may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and may thereby increase compliance costs (and our potential liability) or have other material adverse effects on our business.
As of March 31, 2021, or shortly thereafter, we ceased all property management operations in the EU. Further, we ceased all direct marketing and advertising campaigns directed at EU audiences, stopped offering EU currency and language customization options on our website,
and stopped offering all EU member state dedicated addresses and phone numbers that an EU resident could use to contact us. We therefore take the position that we no longer target the EU market. To the extent we have employees and offices in the EU, or are otherwise subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR"), we remain obligated to handle and safeguard all personal data collected from EU residents in accordance with the GDPR for as long as we retain such personal data. This obligation extends to compliance with laws, rules, and regulations regarding cross-border
transfers of personal data. Failure to comply with the GDPR may result in fines
of up to 20 million Euros or up to 4% of the annual global revenue of the infringer, whichever is greater. It may also lead to civil litigation, with the risks of damages or injunctive relief, or regulatory orders adversely impacting the ways in which our business can use personal data. To the extent we send direct electronic marketing communications to EU residents and/or place cookies on electronic devices used by EU or UK residents within the EU/UK, we may also be subject to evolving EU and UK privacy laws on cookies and e-marketing. Canada also maintains data privacy legislation, which may lead to additional costs and increase our overall risk exposure.
Further, we are subject to the PCI DSS, which is a standard designed to protect credit and debit card data as mandated by payment card industry entities. As a ‘level 2’ vendor, we self-attest to PCI compliance. We perform certain internal compliance activities
and also rely on vendors to manage PCI compliance. Despite our compliance efforts, we may become subject to claims that we have violated the PCI DSS based on past, present, and future business practices. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with the PCI DSS can subject us to fines, termination of banking relationships, and increased transaction fees.
If any jurisdiction in which we operate adopts news laws or changes its interpretation of its laws, rules, or regulations relating to data residency or localization such that we are unable to comply in a timely manner or at all, we could risk losing our rights to operate in such jurisdictions. The GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations around the world expose us to the possibility of material penalties, significant legal liability, changes in how we operate or offer our products, and interruptions or cessation of our ability to operate in key geographic
regions, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with privacy and data protection policies, notices, laws, rules, and regulations could result in investigations or enforcement proceedings or private actions against us by individuals (including class actions), consumer rights groups, government agencies, or others. We could incur significant costs in investigating and defending such claims and, if found liable, pay significant damages or fines or be required to make costly changes to our business. Further, these proceedings and any subsequent adverse outcomes may subject us to significant negative publicity and an erosion of trust. If any of these events were to occur, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
If
we or our third-party service providers experience cyberattacks, data security breaches, or other security incidents, there may be damage to our brand and reputation, material financial penalties, and legal liability, along with a decline in use of our platform, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We rely on the proper functioning, availability, integrity, confidentiality and security of sophisticated software applications, systems, and computing infrastructure ("IT Systems"). While we own or manage many of these IT Systems, we also increasingly rely on third-party IT Systems that are critical to our operations. The security and confidentiality of data and availability of our technology when engaging in e-commerce is essential to maintaining consumer and travel service provider confidence in our platform and services. There are risks
of security breaches to our IT Systems and those of services providers we rely on as we increase the types of technology we use to operate our platform, including mobile apps and third-party payment processing providers, and as we collaborate with third parties that may need to process our homeowner, guest, employee or contractor data or have access to our IT Systems. An increasing number of companies, including those with significant online operations, have recently disclosed cyberattacks and breaches of their security, some of which involved sophisticated tactics and techniques (for example, ransomware) allegedly attributable to criminal enterprises or nation-state actors, following a trend of cyberattacks increasing in frequency and magnitude on a global basis. These risks are likely to increase as we expand our offerings, integrate our products and services, utilize third-party products and services, and store and process more data, including personal information
as well as proprietary business information.
While we have taken measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our systems and our sensitive, proprietary, and confidential information and to guard against the type of activity that can lead to data breaches, we cannot ensure that every third party and service provider we utilize has taken similar measures, or that the measures that we or the third parties and service providers we work with have implemented are sufficient security safeguards or that any implemented measures, including policies and procedures, or that such measures will always be followed, fully implemented and/or be effective against current or future security threats. In addition, we cannot ensure that any process for vetting the security of service providers will identify all risks to the confidentiality, availability, security or integrity of their IT Systems. We
face evolving cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our IT Systems and data from diverse threat actors, such as state-sponsored organizations, opportunistic hackers and hacktivists, as well as through diverse attack vectors, such as social engineering/phishing, malware (including ransomware), malfeasance by insiders, human or technological error, and as a result of bugs, misconfigurations or exploited vulnerabilities in software or hardware.
We have in the past experienced cyberattacks and security incidents, none of which have,to date, had a material impact on our business, and we expect to continue experiencing such attacks and incidents in the future. Cyberattacks are becoming
increasingly sophisticated, with attackers utilizing tools, including artificial intelligence, designed to circumvent controls, avoid detection and obfuscate evidence, which means that we may be unable to identify, investigate or remediate cybersecurity incidents in a timely or effective manner. Further, the techniques used by threat actors to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently and often are unknown until launched against a target. As such, we and our service providers may be unable to anticipate these tactics and techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures.
Certain of our third-party providers provide smart lock hardware and related control software that we use to secure physical access to many of the properties we manage. We rely on these third-party providers to ensure adequate
security measures for these services. Any compromise or interruption in the services provided by these third parties could impair our ability to provide guests, owners, and housekeepers/maintenance staff with access to homes, which could result in breaches of contract, litigation, or loss of business. A security breach or material failure on the part of one of these providers could also result in providing a threat actor with access to one or more of our managed properties, therefore compromising the physical security of such properties. Any such delay or breach may harm our reputation or our ability to retain the confidence of existing homeowners, protect the safety of our guests, or attract new homeowners or guests.
Further, with a large geographically disparate employee base, we are not immune from the possibility
of a malicious insider compromising our information systems and infrastructure. This risk has grown in light of the greater adoption of remote work as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue for the foreseeable future. We also have a distributed customer support organization, including third-party providers that have access to personal and proprietary business information. There can be no assurance that any measures implemented can fully safeguard against a sufficiently determined and skilled insider threat.
In addition, threat actors have targeted and will continue to target us and our homeowners, guests, partners, vendors and other third parties directly with attempts to breach the security of our and their IT Systems, including email accounts or management systems, such as through phishing attacks where a third party attempts to infiltrate our IT Systems or acquire information by posing as
a legitimate inquiry or electronic communication, which are fraudulent identity theft schemes designed to appear as legitimate emails from us or from our homeowners or guests, partners, or vendors or other third parties that we do business with. We have experienced and have seen many instances of our homeowners, guests, and other parties we do business with falling prey to such schemes, which result in accounts being taken over by fraudsters intent on perpetrating fraud. Threat actors may employ other schemes aimed at defrauding us, our homeowners or guests in ways that we may not anticipate or be able to adequately guard against. Computer circumvention capabilities, new discoveries or advances or other developments, including our own acts or omissions, could result in a compromise or breach of consumer data. For example, third parties have attempted, and may continue to attempt, to fraudulently induce employees, travel partners and other service providers or consumers
to disclose usernames, passwords or other sensitive information, or to make payments to fraudulent accounts. As such, even if phishing and spamming attacks and other fraud schemes are not carried out through our systems, victims may nevertheless seek recovery from us. In addition, we may not always be able to fully recover any payments made through such fraud. Because of our prominence, we believe that we are a particularly attractive target for such attacks. Though it is difficult to determine what, if any, harm may directly result from any specific scheme or attack, any failure to maintain performance, confidentiality, integrity, reliability, security, and availability of our offerings, services, and IT Systems may harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing homeowners and guests and attract new homeowners and guests. The ability of fraudsters to directly target our homeowners and guests with fraudulent communications, or cause an account takeover, exposes
us to significant financial fraud risk, including costly litigation, which is difficult to fully mitigate. Such an incident may also require us to incur significant expense and expend material resources to investigate and correct the issue and to prevent recurrence, and expose us to legal liabilities, including regulatory enforcement and indemnity obligations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We have acquired and may continue to acquire companies that are vulnerable to security breaches, and we may be liable in the event of any security breaches of these acquired companies. Such companies may also introduce malware or other security issues if the systems of such companies become integrated with our IT Systems. While we conduct due diligence of these companies, we do not have access to the full operating history of the companies and cannot
be certain there have not been security breaches prior to our acquisition. In addition, our diligence may not discover all issues with the security safeguards, policies, and procedures of such acquired companies, and it may take time and require significant investment to improve the security safeguards, policies and procedures of such companies, so we cannot be certain that there will not be a security breach after our acquisition.
Our existing general liability and cyber liability insurance policies may not cover, or may cover only a portion of, any potential claims related to security breaches to which we are exposed or may not be adequate to indemnify us for all or any portion of liabilities that may be imposed. We also cannot be certain that our existing insurance coverage will continue to be available on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or in amounts sufficient to cover the potentially significant
losses that may result from
a security breach, or that the insurer will not deny coverage of any future claim. Security breaches also could harm our reputation and result in litigation against us. Any of these results could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We expend, and expect to continue to expend, significant resources to protect against security related incidents and address problems caused by such incidents. Even if we were to expend more resources, regulators and complainants may not deem our efforts sufficient, and regardless of the expenditure,
the risk of security related incidents cannot be fully mitigated. Any actual or alleged security breaches or alleged violations of federal, state, or foreign laws or regulations relating to privacy and data security could result in mandated user notifications, litigation, government investigations or enforcement actions, significant fines, and expenditures; divert management’s attention from operations; deter people from using our platform; damage our brand and reputation; force us to cease operations for some length of time; and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Defending against claims or litigation based on any security breach or incident, regardless of their merit, will be costly and may cause reputational harm. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, denial of coverage as to any specific claim, or any change or cessation in our insurance policies
and coverages, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible requirements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We rely primarily on Amazon Web Services to host and deliver our platform, and on a number of other third-party service providers in connection with other key aspects of our platform and operations, and any interruptions or delays in services from these third parties could impair the delivery of our platform and services, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We rely primarily on Amazon Web Services ("AWS") to host and deliver our platform. Third parties also provide services to key aspects of our operations, including Internet connections and networking, data storage and processing,
trust and safety, security infrastructure, source code management, and software testing and deployment. In addition, we rely on third parties for many aspects of our payments processing platform, and a significant portion of our customer support operations are conducted by third parties at their facilities. We also rely on third-party services for maps and location data that are core to the functionality of our platform, and we integrate applications, content, and data from third parties to deliver our platform and services.
We do not control the operation, physical security, or data security of any of these third-party providers. Despite our efforts to use commercially reasonable diligence in the selection and retention of such third-party providers, such efforts may be insufficient or inadequate to prevent or remediate such risks. Our third-party providers, including our cloud computing providers and our
payment processing providers, may be subject to intrusions, computer viruses, denial-of-service attacks, sabotage, ransomware attacks, acts of vandalism, acts of terrorism, and other misconduct. Our third-party providers are also vulnerable to damage or interruption from power loss, telecommunications failures, fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and similar events, and they may be subject to financial, legal, regulatory, and labor issues, each of which may impose additional costs or requirements on us or prevent these third parties from providing services to us or our customers on our behalf. In addition, these third parties may breach their agreements with us, disagree with our interpretation of contract terms or applicable laws and regulations, refuse to continue or renew these agreements on commercially reasonable terms or at all, fail to or refuse to process
transactions or provide other services adequately, take actions that degrade the functionality of our platform and services, increase prices, impose additional costs or requirements on us or our customers, or give preferential treatment to our competitors. If we are unable to procure alternatives in a timely and efficient manner and on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be subject to business disruptions, losses, or costs to remediate any of these deficiencies. Our systems currently do not provide complete redundancy of data storage or processing, including payment processing. Although we are in the process of developing comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery plans for all of our operations, there is no guarantee that such plans will be effective. The occurrence of any of the above events could result in homeowners or guests ceasing to use our platform, reputational damage, legal or regulatory proceedings, or other adverse consequences, which could
materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our platform is highly complex, and any undetected errors could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our platform is a complex system composed of many interoperating components and software. Our business is dependent upon our ability to prevent system interruption on our platform. Our software, including open source software that is incorporated into our code, may, now or in the future, contain undetected errors, bugs, or vulnerabilities. Some errors in our software code have not been and may not be discovered until after the code has been released. We have, from time to time, found defects or errors in our system and software limitations that have resulted in, and may discover additional issues in the future
that could result in, platform unavailability or system disruption. For example, defects or errors have resulted in and could result in the delay in making payments to homeowners or overpaying or underpaying homeowners, which would impact
our cash position and may cause homeowners to lose trust in our payment operations. Any errors, bugs, or vulnerabilities discovered in our code or systems released to production or found in third-party software, including open source software that is incorporated into our code, any misconfigurations of our systems, or any unintended interactions between systems could result in poor system performance, an interruption in the availability
of our platform, incorrect payments, negative publicity, damage to our reputation, loss of existing and potential homeowners and guests, loss of revenue, liability for damages, a failure to comply with certain legal, regulatory or tax reporting obligations, and regulatory inquiries or other proceedings, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
System capacity constraints, system or operational failures, or denial-of-service or other attacks could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Since our founding, we have experienced rapid growth in consumer traffic to our platform. If our systems and network infrastructure cannot be expanded or are not scaled to cope with increased demand or fail to perform, we could experience unanticipated
disruptions in service, slower response times, decreased customer satisfaction, and delays in the introduction of new offerings and tiers. It may be particularly difficult for us to manage these issues as a large portion of our employees continue to work remotely.
Our corporate headquarters, a significant portion of our research and development activities, and certain other critical business operations are located on the West Coast of the United States. Our systems and operations are vulnerable to damage or interruption from human error, computer viruses, earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, and similar events. A catastrophic event that results in the destruction or disruption of our third-party cloud facilities or our critical business or information technology systems could severely affect our ability to conduct normal business operations and result in lengthy interruptions or delays of our platform and
services.
Our systems and operations are also subject to break-ins, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism, terrorism, and similar misconduct from external sources and malicious insiders. Our existing security measures may not be successful in preventing attacks on our systems, and any such attack could cause significant interruptions in our operations. For instance, from time to time, we have experienced denial-of-service attacks on our systems that have made portions of our platform slow or unavailable for periods of time. There are numerous other potential forms of attack, such as phishing, account takeovers, malicious code injections, ransomware, and the attempted use of our platform to launch a denial-of-service attack against another party, each of which could cause significant interruptions in our operations or involve us in legal or regulatory proceedings. Accordingly, reductions in the availability
and response time of our online platform could cause loss of substantial business volumes during the occurrence of any such attack on our systems and measures that we may take to divert suspected traffic in the event of such an attack could result in the diversion of bona fide customers. These issues are likely to become more difficult to manage as we expand the number of places where we operate and the variety of services we offer, and as the tools and techniques used in such attacks become more advanced and available. Successful attacks could result in negative publicity and damage to our reputation, and could prevent consumers from booking or visiting our platform during the attack, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In the event of certain system failures, we may not be able to switch to back-up systems immediately and the time to
full recovery could be prolonged. We have experienced system failures from time to time, which have not only placed increased burdens on our engineering staff, but these outages can create, and have created, a significant amount of consumer questions and complaints that need to be addressed by our customer support team. Any unscheduled interruption in our service could result in an immediate and significant loss of revenue, an increase in customer support costs, and harm to our reputation, and could result in some consumers switching to our competitors. If we experience frequent or persistent system failures, our brand and reputation could be permanently and significantly harmed, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. While we have taken and continue to take steps to increase the reliability and redundancy of our systems, these steps are expensive and may not be completely effective in reducing the frequency
or duration of unscheduled downtime. We do not carry business interruption insurance sufficient to compensate us for all losses that may occur.
In addition, we use both internally developed systems and third-party systems to operate our platform, including transaction and payment processing, and financial and accounting systems. If the number of consumers using our platform increases substantially, or if critical third-party systems stop operating as designed, we may need to significantly upgrade, expand, or repair our transaction and payment processing systems, financial and accounting systems, and other infrastructure. We may not be able to upgrade our systems and infrastructure to accommodate such conditions in a timely manner, and depending on the systems affected, our transaction and payment processing and financial and accounting systems could be impacted for a meaningful amount of time, which could
materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our business depends on the performance and reliability of the Internet, mobile, telecommunications network operators, and other infrastructures that are not under our control. As consumers increasingly turn to mobile devices, we also become dependent on consumers’ access to the Internet through mobile carriers and their systems. Disruptions in Internet access, whether generally, in a specific region or otherwise, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The
continued proliferation of devices and platforms other than desktop computers creates challenges. If we are unable to operate effectively on these platforms, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We anticipate that consumer use of mobile devices and platforms other than desktop computers will continue to grow and that usage of desktop computers will continue to decline. The functionality and user experiences associated with these alternative devices, such as a smaller screen size or lack of a screen, may make the use of our platform through such devices more difficult than through a desktop computer, lower the use of our platform, and make it more difficult for our homeowners to upload content to our platform. In addition, consumer purchasing patterns can differ on alternative devices, and it is uncertain how the continued proliferation of mobile
devices will impact the use of our platform and services. Mobile consumers may also be unwilling to download multiple apps from multiple companies providing similar services and may opt to use one of our competitors’ services instead of ours. As a result, brand recognition and the consumer experience with our mobile app will likely become increasingly important to our business. In addition, these new modalities create opportunities for device or systems companies, such as Amazon, Apple, and Google, to control the interaction with our consumers and disintermediate existing platforms such as ours.
We need to provide solutions for consumers who are limited in the size of the app they can support on their mobile devices and address latency issues in countries with lower bandwidth for both desktop and mobile devices. Because our platform contains data-intensive media, these issues are exacerbated. As new devices,
operating systems, and platforms continue to be released, it is difficult to predict the problems we may encounter in adapting our offerings and features to them, and we may need to devote significant resources to the creation, support, and maintenance of our offerings and features.
Our success will also depend on the interoperability of our offerings with a range of third-party technologies, systems, networks, operating systems, and standards, including iOS and Android; the availability of our mobile apps in app stores and in “super-app” environments; and the creation, maintenance, and development of relationships with key participants in related industries, some of which may also be our competitors. In addition, if accessibility of various apps is limited by executive order or other government actions, the full functionality of devices may not be available to our customers. Moreover, third-party platforms,
services and offerings are constantly evolving, and we may not be able to modify our platform to assure its compatibility with those of third parties. If we lose such interoperability, we may experience difficulties or increased costs in integrating our offerings into alternative devices or systems, or manufacturers or operating systems elect not to include our offerings, make changes that degrade the functionality of our offerings, or give preferential treatment to competitive products, the growth of our community and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. This risk may be exacerbated by the frequency with which consumers change or upgrade their devices. In the event consumers choose devices that do not already include or support our platform or do not install our mobile apps when they change or upgrade their devices, our traffic and homeowner and guest engagement may be harmed.
If
we are unable to adapt to changes in technology and the evolving demands of homeowners and guests, our business, our brand, market share, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
The industries in which we compete are characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, consolidation, frequent new offering announcements, introductions, and enhancements, and changing consumer demands and preferences. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to adapt our platform and services to evolving industry standards and local preferences and to continually innovate and improve the performance, features, and reliability of our platform and services in response to competitive offerings and the evolving demands of homeowners and guests. We believe our future success will also depend on our ability to adapt to emerging technologies. As a result,
we intend to continue to spend significant resources maintaining, developing, and enhancing our technologies and platform; however, these efforts may be more costly than expected and may not be successful. For example, we may not make the appropriate investments in new technologies, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Further, technological innovation often results in unintended consequences such as bugs, vulnerabilities, and other system failures. Any such bug, vulnerability, or failure, especially in connection with a significant technical implementation or change, could result in lost business, harm to our brand or reputation, consumer complaints, and other adverse consequences, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Furthermore, in the future, the competitive pressure to innovate could encompass a wider range of services and technologies, including services and technologies that may be outside of our historical core business, and our ability to keep pace may slow. Our current and potential competitors range from large and established companies to emerging start-ups. Emerging start-ups may be able to innovate and focus on developing a new product or service faster than we can or may foresee consumer need for new services or technologies before we do. Some of our larger competitors or potential competitors have more resources or more established or varied relationships with consumers than we have, and they could use these advantages in ways that could affect our competitive position, including by making acquisitions, entering or investing in travel reservation businesses, investing in research and development and competing aggressively
for highly skilled employees.
In addition, the widespread adoption of new internet, networking or telecommunications technologies or other technological changes could require us to incur substantial expenditures to modify or adapt our services or infrastructure to these new technologies, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Any failure to implement or adapt to new technologies in a timely manner or at all could adversely affect our ability to compete, increase our consumer acquisition costs or otherwise adversely affect our business, and therefore adversely affect our brand, market share, results of operations, and financial condition.
If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property rights and our data, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially
adversely affected.
We hold a broad collection of intellectual property rights, including registered domain names, registered and unregistered trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets and other forms of intellectual property rights in the United States and in certain other countries. In the future, we may acquire or license additional patents or patent portfolios, or other intellectual property assets and rights, from third parties, which could require significant cash expenditures.
We rely on a combination of trademark, copyright, trade secret and patent laws, international treaties, our terms of service, other contractual provisions, user policies, restrictions on disclosure, technological measures, and confidentiality and inventions assignment agreements with our employees and consultants to protect our intellectual property
assets from infringement and misappropriation. We also rely on unpatented proprietary technology. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of our technology or obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. It is possible that others will independently develop the same or similar technology or otherwise obtain access to our unpatented technology. To protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information, we require employees, consultants, and independent contractors to enter into confidentiality agreements. However, such agreements may not be enforceable in full or in part in all jurisdictions and any breach could have a negative effect on our business and our remedy for such breach may be limited. If we are unable to maintain the proprietary nature of our technologies, our business would be materially adversely affected.
Furthermore,
effective intellectual property protection may not be available in every country in which we operate or intend to operate our business. As such, there can be no assurance that others will not offer technologies, products, services, features, or concepts that are substantially similar to ours and compete with our business, or copy or otherwise obtain, disclose and/or use our brand, content, design elements, creative, editorial, and entertainment assets, or other proprietary information without authorization.
We may be unable to prevent third parties from seeking to register, acquire, or otherwise obtain or maintain trademarks, service marks, domain names, or social media handles that are similar to, infringe upon, violate, or diminish the value of our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, and our other proprietary rights. Third parties have also obtained or misappropriated certain of our data through website
scraping, robots, aggregating our data for their internal use, or by featuring or providing our data through their respective websites, and/or launched businesses monetizing this data. While we routinely employ technological, operational, and legal measures in an attempt to divert, halt, or mitigate such operations, we may not always be able to detect or halt the underlying activities as technologies used to accomplish these operations continue to rapidly evolve.
We believe our intellectual property assets and rights are essential to our business. If the protection of our proprietary rights and data is inadequate to prevent unauthorized infringement, use, violation or misappropriation by third parties, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished and competitors may
be able to more effectively mimic our branding, technologies, offerings, or features or methods of operations. Even if we do detect infringements, violations or misappropriations and decide to enforce our rights, litigation may be necessary to enforce our rights, and any enforcement efforts we undertake could be time-consuming and expensive, could divert our management’s attention, and may result in a court determining that certain of our intellectual property rights are unenforceable. If we fail to protect our intellectual property and data in a cost-effective and meaningful manner, our competitive standing could be harmed; our homeowners, guests, other consumers, and corporate and community partners could devalue the content of our platform; and our brand, reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We have been, and may in the future be, subject to claims that we or others violated certain third-party intellectual property rights, which, even where meritless, can be costly to defend and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We have received in the past, and may receive in the future, communications from third parties, including practicing and non-practicing entities, claiming that we have infringed, misused, or otherwise misappropriated their intellectual property rights, including alleged patent infringement. Additionally, we have been, and may in the future be, involved in claims, suits, regulatory proceedings, and other proceedings involving alleged infringement, misuse, or misappropriation of third-party intellectual property rights, or relating to our intellectual
property holdings and rights. Like many other companies in the Internet and technology industries, we enter into agreements which include indemnification provisions related to intellectual property which can subject us to costs and damages in the event of a claim against an indemnified party.
Claims involving intellectual property could subject us to significant liability for damages and could result in our having to stop using certain technologies, content, branding, domain names or business methods or practices found to be in violation of another party’s rights. We might be required or may opt to seek a license for rights to intellectual property held by others, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if a license is available, we could be required to pay significant royalties, which would increase our operating expenses. We may also be required to develop alternative
non-infringing technology, content, branding, business methods, or practices. The development of alternative non-infringing technology or practices could require significant effort and expense and make us less competitive, or may not be technically feasible. Any of these results could materially adversely affect our ability to compete and our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Furthermore, our exposure to risks associated with various intellectual property claims may increase as a result of acquisitions of other companies. Third parties may make infringement and similar or related claims after we have acquired a company or technology that had not been asserted prior to the acquisition. As a result, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected as a result of the occurrence of any of the foregoing.
Our
use of “open source” software could adversely impact the value or enforceability of our intellectual property in proprietary software, and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition, and affect our ability to offer our platform and services and subject us to costly litigation and other disputes.
We have in the past incorporated and may in the future incorporate “open source” software into our codebase as we continue to develop our platform and services. Certain open source software licenses require a user who intends to distribute the open source software as a component of the user’s software to disclose publicly part or all of the source code to the user’s software. The use and distribution of open source software may entail greater risks than the use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties
or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the code. Open source software is generally licensed by its authors or other third parties under open source licenses. By the terms of such open source licenses, we could also be required to release the source code of our proprietary products or services, and to make our proprietary products or services available under open source licenses, if we combine and/or distribute our proprietary software with such open source software in a manner that triggers the obligation of the license. In addition to using open source software, we also license to others some of our software through open source projects. We could be subject to suits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software or claiming noncompliance with open source licensing terms, including claims for infringement of intellectual property rights or for breach of contract.
If we receive an allegation that we have violated an open source license, we may incur significant legal expenses, be subject to damages, be required to redesign our product to remove the open source software, or be required to publicly release certain portions of our proprietary source code, all of which could have a material impact on our business. Even in the absence of a claim, if we discover the use of open source software inconsistent with our practices, we could expend significant time and resources to replace the open source software or obtain a commercial license, if available. All of these risks are heightened by the fact that the ownership of or disclosure requirements regarding open source software can be uncertain, leading to litigation, and many of the licenses applicable to open source software have not been interpreted by courts, and these licenses could be construed to impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our
products. Any use of open source software inconsistent with our policies or licensing terms could harm our business and financial position.
While we employ practices designed to monitor our compliance with the licenses of third-party open source software and protect our proprietary source code, there is a risk that we may incorporate open source software with unfavorable licensing terms, including the obligation to make our source code available for others to use or modify without compensation to us, or inadvertently use open source software, which is fairly common in software development in the Internet and technology industries. Such inadvertent use of open source software could expose us to claims of non-compliance with the applicable terms of the underlying licenses, which could lead to unforeseen business disruptions, including being restricted from offering
parts of our product that incorporate the software, being required to publicly release proprietary source code, being required to re-engineer parts of our code base to comply with license terms, or being required to extract the open source software at issue. Our exposure to these risks may be increased as a result of evolving our core source code base, introducing new offerings, integrating acquired-company technologies, or making other business changes, including in areas where we do not currently compete. Any of the foregoing could adversely impact the value or enforceability of our intellectual property, and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We are subject to risks related to our use of artificial intelligence, or AI, in our business.
We
believe that the use of AI and machine learning tools in our business, and the insights and functionality they can provide us, will become increasingly important to the efficiency of our business and to the value that our solutions deliver to our homeowners and guests. These emerging technologies are in the early stages of commercial use, and they present a number of risks inherent in their use, including public perception or reputational harm, inaccuracies, unintended biases and discriminatory outcomes, as well as potential legal concerns such as intellectual property protection and infringement, regulatory compliance and data security. While we are in the initial stages of using these technologies in our business, their use may result in liability and could cause us to incur additional costs to resolve such issues, which may harm our business and results of operations. Potential government regulation related to AI use and ethics may also increase the burden and cost
of research and development in this area, and failure to properly remediate AI usage or ethics issues may cause public confidence in AI to be undermined, which could slow adoption of AI in our offerings. The rapid evolution of AI will require the application of resources to develop, test and maintain our products and services to help ensure that AI is implemented ethically in order to minimize unintended, harmful impact. In addition, we cannot predict future developments in AI and related impacts on our business and our industry. If we are unable to successfully adapt to new developments related to AI, our business, results of operations and financial position could be negatively impacted.
Risks Related to Other Legal and Regulatory Matters
Laws, regulations, and rules that affect the short-term rental business have limited, and may continue to
limit, the ability or willingness of homeowners to rent through Vacasa and expose our homeowners or us to significant penalties, which have had, and could continue to have, a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
There have been and continue to be legal and regulatory developments that affect the short-term rental business. Hotels and groups affiliated with hotels have engaged and will likely continue to engage in various lobbying and political efforts for stricter regulations governing our business model in both local and national jurisdictions. Other private groups, such as homeowners, landlords, and condominium and neighborhood associations, have adopted contracts or regulations that purport to ban or otherwise restrict short-term or seasonal vacation rentals, and
third-party lease agreements between landlords and tenants, home insurance policies, and mortgages may prevent or restrict the ability of homeowners to list their spaces. These groups and others cite concerns around affordable housing and over-tourism in major cities, and some state and local governments have implemented or have considered implementing rules, ordinances, or regulations governing the short-term rental of properties. Such regulations include ordinances that restrict or ban homeowners from short-term rentals, set annual caps on the number of days homeowners can share their homes, require homeowners to register with the municipality or city, or require homeowners to obtain permission before offering short-term rentals. In addition, some jurisdictions regard short-term rental as “hotel use” and claim that such use constitutes a conversion of a residential property to a commercial property requiring a permitting process.
Macroeconomic
pressures and public policy concerns could continue to lead to new laws and regulations, or interpretations or reinterpretations of existing laws and regulations, that limit the ability of homeowners to rent out their homes. If laws, regulations, rules, or agreements significantly restrict or discourage homeowners in certain jurisdictions from renting their properties, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
While a number of cities and counties have implemented legislation to address short-term rentals, there are many others that have not addressed or are not yet explicitly enforcing short-term rental laws, and could follow suit and enact or enforce regulations. New laws, regulations, government policies, or changes in their interpretations or changes in enforcement of laws in the markets where we operate could present significant challenges
and uncertainties. In the event of any such changes, we may be unable to operate in some jurisdictions, our short-term rental properties could be limited, current and future rental listings and bookings could decline significantly, and our relationship with our homeowners and guests could be negatively impacted, which would have a materially adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation.
Certain jurisdictions have adopted laws and regulations that seek to impose lodging taxes, often known as transient or occupancy taxes, on our guests, collection and remittance obligations on our homeowners and/or us, and withholding
obligations on us, as more fully described in our risk factor titled “Uncertainty in the application of taxes to our homeowners, guests, or platform could increase our tax liabilities and may discourage homeowners and guests from conducting business on our platform.” In addition, we are subject to regulations with respect to short-term rentals, owner registration, licensing, and other requirements for the listing of accommodations, such as real estate broker or agent real estate licenses and travel agency licenses in some jurisdictions. We have been, and may continue to be, subject to audits and inquiries relating to these activities, and we could be held liable, incur financial and potential criminal penalties or be prohibited from operating in certain jurisdictions if we are found to have not complied with any of these requirements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations,
and financial condition.
In addition, we expect there will be increasing regulation, disclosure-related and otherwise, with respect to environmental, social and governance matters, and increased regulatory scrutiny as a result, which will likely lead to increased compliance costs and many of the other the risks identified above.
We have historically taken a very limited role in advocacy but we may in the future determine that it is necessary for us to increase our efforts to defend against the application of laws and regulations that limit our ability to do business and we cannot guarantee we would be successful in those efforts. Further, if we or our homeowners and guests were required to comply with laws and regulations, government requests, or agreements with government agencies that adversely impact our relations with homeowners and guests,
our business, results of operations, and financial condition would be materially adversely affected. Moreover, if we enter an agreement with a government or governmental agency to resolve a dispute, the terms of such agreement will likely be publicly available and could create a precedent that may put us in a weaker bargaining position in future disputes with other governments.
We are subject to a wide variety of complex, evolving, and sometimes inconsistent and ambiguous laws and regulations that may adversely impact our operations and discourage homeowners and guests from using our services, and that could cause us to incur significant liabilities, including fines and criminal penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Complying with the laws and regulations of different
jurisdictions that impose varying standards and requirements is burdensome for businesses like ours, imposes added cost, increases potential liability to our business, and makes it more difficult to realize business efficiencies and economies of scale. For example, we incur significant operational costs to comply with requirements of jurisdictions and cities that have disparate requirements around tax collection, tax reporting, owner registration, limits on lengths of stays, landlord-tenant laws and other regulations, each of which require us to dedicate significant resources to provide the infrastructure and tools needed on and outside our platform for our homeowners to meet these legal requirements and for us to fulfill any obligations we may have. The complexity of our services and changes required to comply with the large number of disparate and constantly evolving requirements can lead to compliance gaps if our internal resources cannot keep up with the pace of
regulatory change and new requirements imposed on our platform or services, or if our platform does not work as intended or has errors or bugs, or if the manual processes we put in place to comply with certain requirements are not followed properly or at all.
While we endeavor to monitor the changing legal landscape relating to short-term rentals and longer seasonal rentals, it may be difficult or impossible for us to investigate or evaluate laws or regulations in all cities, countries, and regions in which we do business. The application of existing laws and regulations to our business and platform can be unclear, may be difficult for homeowners, guests, and us to understand and apply, and are subject to change, as governments or government agencies seek to apply legacy systems of laws or adopt new laws to new online business models in the travel and accommodations industries, including ours. Uncertain and
unclear application of such laws and regulations to homeowner and guest activity and our platform and services could cause and has caused some homeowners and guests to leave or choose not to use our platform, reduce supply and demand for our platform and services, increase the costs of compliance with such laws and regulations, and increase the threat of litigation or enforcement actions related to our platform and services, all of which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. See also our risk factor titled “We could face liability for information or content on, or accessible through, our platform.”
There are laws that apply to us, and there are laws that apply to our homeowners and/or guests, and we have limited means of enforcing or ensuring the compliance of our homeowners and guests with all applicable legal requirements. Certain governments
have attempted, and may attempt in the future, to hold us responsible for laws that apply to our homeowners and/or guests. Whether applicable to us, our homeowners, and/or our guests, the related consequences arising out of such laws and regulations, including costs of complying with audits, and penalties for violations of and costs to maintain compliance with such laws and regulations, have had and could continue to have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We take certain measures to comply and to help homeowners comply with laws and regulations, such as requiring registration
numbers to be displayed on a listing profile for listings in some jurisdictions where such registration is required. These measures, changes to them, and any future measures we adopt could increase friction on our platform, and reduce the number of listings available on our platform from homeowners and bookings by guests, and could reduce the activity of homeowners and guests on our platform. We may be subject to additional laws and regulations which could require significant changes to our platform that discourage homeowners and guests from using our platform.
In addition to laws and regulations directly applicable to the short-term rental and longer seasonal business as discussed in our risk factor titled “Laws, regulations, and rules that affect the short-term rental business have limited, and may continue to limit, the ability or willingness of homeowners to rent through Vacasa and expose our homeowners
or us to significant penalties, which have had, and could continue to have, a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition,” we are subject to laws and regulations governing our business practices, the Internet, e-commerce, and electronic devices, including those relating to taxation, privacy and data collection, data protection and security, pricing, content, advertising, discrimination, consumer protection, protection of minors, copyrights, distribution, messaging, mobile communications, electronic device certification, electronic waste, electronic contracts, communications, Internet access, competition, and unfair commercial practices. We are also subject to laws and regulations governing the provision of online payment services, the design and operation of our platform, and the operations, characteristics, and quality of our platform
and services.
To address the COVID-19 pandemic, many jurisdictions adopted laws, rules, regulations, and/or decrees, including implementing travel restrictions, restricting access to city centers, limiting accommodation offerings in surrounding areas, or limiting social mobility and gatherings. Governments, corporations, and other authorities may implement similar restrictions or policies in response to future events that could restrict the ability of our homeowners and guests to participate on our platform.
There is increased governmental interest in regulating technology companies in a number of areas including privacy, tax, mandatory fees and consumer pricing, data localization and data access, algorithm-based discrimination, and competition. In addition, climate change and greater emphasis on sustainability could lead to regulatory efforts to
address the carbon impact of housing and travel. In addition, we could face risks related to compliance with insurance regulations. As a result, governments may enact new laws and regulations and/or view matters or interpret laws and regulations differently than they have in the past, and in a manner that could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Any new or existing laws and regulations applicable to existing or future business areas, including amendments to or repeal of existing laws and regulations, or new interpretations, applications, or enforcement of existing laws and regulations, could expose us to substantial liability, including significant expenses necessary to comply with such laws and regulations, and materially adversely impact bookings on our platform, thereby materially adversely affecting our business, results of operations, and financial
condition. Our current and future efforts to influence legislative and regulatory proposals have an uncertain chance of success, could be limited by laws regulating lobbying or advocacy activity in certain jurisdictions, and even if successful, could be expensive and time consuming, and could divert the attention of management from our core business operations.
We rely on a mix of independent contractors and employees to provide operational services to us, and any potential reclassification of independent contractors as deemed employees could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We rely on a mix of independent contractors and employees to provide operational services to our business. The state of the law regarding independent contractor status varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is subject to change
based on court decisions and regulation. Regulatory authorities and other parties have increasingly asserted within several industries that certain independent contractors should be classified as employees. As a result, there is significant uncertainty regarding the future of the worker classification regulatory landscape. It is possible that legislative, judicial and regulatory (including tax) authorities may introduce proposals or assert interpretations of existing rules and regulations that would change the classification of a significant number of independent contractors doing business with us from independent contractor to employee. In addition, we could also be involved in lawsuits and claims that assert that certain independent contractors should be classified as our employees. Adverse determinations regarding the status of any of our independent contractors, or the enactment of rules and regulations (or changes in the interpretations of existing rules and regulations)
that lead to the reclassification of such independent contractors as employees, would result in a significant increase in employment-related costs, such as wages, benefits and taxes, and may subject us to potential penalties, any of which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to regulatory audits, inquiries, litigation, and other disputes from time to time which have in the past materially adversely affected, and may in the future materially adversely affect, our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We
have been, and expect to continue to be, a party to various legal and regulatory claims, litigation or pre-litigation disputes, and proceedings arising in the normal course of business. The number and significance of these claims, disputes, and proceedings have increased as our company has grown larger, the number of bookings has increased, awareness of our brand has grown, our presence on well-known platforms has increased, and the scope and complexity of our business has expanded, and we expect the number and significance of these claims, disputes and proceedings will continue to increase in the future.
We have been, and expect to continue to be, subject to various government audits, inquiries, investigations, and proceedings related to legal and regulatory requirements such as compliance with laws related to short-term
rentals, tax, consumer protection, pricing, advertising, discrimination, data protection, data sharing, payment processing, trust compliance, privacy, and competition. In many cases, these inquiries, investigations, and proceedings can be complex, time consuming, costly to investigate, and require significant company and management attention. For certain matters, we are implementing recommended changes to our products, operations, and compliance practices and removal of noncompliant listings and homes from our service. We are unable to predict the outcomes and implications of such audits, inquiries, investigations, and proceedings on our business, and such audits, inquiries, investigations, and proceedings could result in large fines and penalties, require changes to our products and operations, restrict our ability to operate in certain regions and materially adversely affect our brand, reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition. In some instances,
applicable laws and regulations do not yet exist or are being adapted and implemented to address certain aspects of our business, and such adoption or change in their interpretation could further alter or impact our business and subject us to future government audits, inquiries, investigations, and proceedings.
Legal claims have been asserted against us for alleged discriminatory conduct undertaken by homeowners against certain guests (such as conduct relating to acceptance of service animals), and for our own platform policies or business practices. Changes to the interpretation of the applicability of fair housing, civil rights or other statutes to our business or the conduct of our users could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We may also become more vulnerable to third-party claims as U.S. laws such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA")
and the Stored Communications Act, and non-U.S. laws such as the European E-Commerce Directive, are interpreted by the courts or otherwise modified or amended, as our platform and services to our homeowners and guests continue to expand, and as we expand geographically into jurisdictions where the underlying laws with respect to the potential liability of online intermediaries such as ourselves are either unclear or less favorable.
In addition, we face claims and litigation relating to fatalities, shootings, other violent acts, illness (including COVID-19), cancellations and refunds, personal injuries, property damage, carbon monoxide incidents, homeowner disputes, and privacy violations that occurred in connection with a rental through our platform. We also have faced putative class action litigation and government inquiries, and could face additional litigation and government inquiries and fines relating
to our business practices, cancellations and other consequences due to natural disasters or other unforeseen events beyond our control such as wars, regional hostilities, health concerns, including epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19, or law enforcement demands and other regulatory actions.
In addition, in the ordinary course of business, we have been party to disputes that allege we have infringed third parties’ intellectual property or in which we agree to provide indemnification to third parties with respect to certain matters, including losses arising from our breach of such agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims, or where we make other contractual commitments to third parties. We also have indemnification agreements with certain of our directors and executive officers that require us, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason
of their status or service as directors or officers. We may be subject to litigation stemming from these obligations.
Adverse results in any regulatory audit, inquiry, litigation, legal proceedings, or claims may include awards of potentially significant monetary damages, including statutory damages for certain causes of action in certain jurisdictions, penalties, fines, injunctive relief, royalty or licensing agreements, or orders preventing us from offering certain services in a region or state. Moreover, many regulatory audits, inquiries, litigation, legal proceedings, or claims are resolved by settlements that can include both monetary and non-monetary components. Adverse results or settlements may result in changes in our business practices in significant ways, increased operating and compliance costs, and a loss of revenue. In addition, any litigation or pre-litigation claims against us, whether or not
meritorious, are time consuming, require substantial expense, and result in the diversion of significant operational resources. We use various software platforms that, in some instances, have limited functionality which may impede our ability to retrieve records in the context of a governmental audit, inquiry or litigation. In addition, our insurance may not cover all potential claims to which we are exposed and may not be adequate to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed. As we continue to grow, regulatory audits, inquiries, litigation, legal proceedings, and other claims will
continue to consume significant company resources and adverse results in future
matters could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We could face liability for information or content that is on, or accessible through, our platform.
We could face claims relating to information or content that is published or made available on our platform. We generally manage the content that is posted on our site as part of our vacation rental management services. As such, we are exposed to potential claims of defamation, disparagement, negligence, warranty, personal harm, intellectual property infringement, and other alleged damages that could be asserted against us, in addition to our homeowners and guests.
While we rely on a variety of statutory and common-law frameworks and defenses, including those provided by the DMCA and
the fair-use doctrine in the United States, differences among statutes, limitations on immunity, requirements to maintain immunity, and moderation efforts in the many jurisdictions in which we operate may affect our ability to rely on these frameworks and defenses, or may create uncertainty regarding liability for information or content on our platform. Moreover, regulators in the United States and in other countries may introduce new regulatory regimes that increase potential liability for information or content available on our platform.
Because liability often flows from information or content on our platform and/or services accessed through our platform, as we continue to expand our offerings, tiers, and scope of business, both in terms of the range of offerings and services and geographical operations, we may face or become subject to additional or different laws and regulations. Our potential liability
for information or content created by third parties and posted to our platform could require us to implement additional measures to reduce our exposure to such liability, may require us to expend significant resources, may limit the desirability of our platform to homeowners and guests, may cause damage to our brand and reputation, and may cause us to incur time and costs defending such claims in litigation, thereby materially adversely affecting our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In the European Union, the Consumer Rights Directive and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive harmonized consumer rights across the EU member states. If consumer protection regulators find that we are in breach of consumer protection laws, we may be fined or required to change our terms and processes, which may result in increased operational costs. Consumers and certain consumer protection associations
may also bring individual claims against us if they believe that our terms and/or business practices are not in compliance with local consumer protection laws. Currently, class actions may also be brought in certain countries in the European Union, and the Collective Redress Directive will extend the right to collective redress across the European Union.
We are subject to governmental economic and trade sanctions laws and regulations that limit the scope of our offering. Additionally, failure to comply with applicable economic and trade sanctions laws and regulations could subject us to liability and negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We are required to comply with economic and trade sanctions administered by governments where we operate, including the U.S. government (including, without limitation, regulations
administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") and the U.S. Department of State). These economic and trade sanctions prohibit or restrict transactions to or from or dealings with certain specified countries, regions, their governments and, in certain circumstances, their nationals, and with individuals and entities that are specially designated, such as individuals and entities included on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals or other sanctions measures. Any future economic and trade sanctions imposed in jurisdictions where we have significant business could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Our ability to track and verify transactions and otherwise comply with these regulations require a high level of internal controls, and we cannot guarantee that we have not engaged in dealings with persons sanctioned under applicable sanctions laws. Any non-compliance with economic
and trade sanctions laws and regulations or related investigations could result in claims or actions against us and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. As our business continues to grow and regulations change, we may be required to make additional investments in our internal controls or modify our business.
We have operations in countries known to experience high levels of corruption and any violation of anti-corruption laws could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") and other laws in the United States and elsewhere that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials, political parties, state-owned or controlled enterprises, and/or private entities and individuals
for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We have operations in and deal with countries known to experience corruption. Our activities in these countries create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of our employees, contractors, agents, or users that could be in violation
of various laws, including the FCPA and anti-bribery laws in these countries. We have implemented policies, procedures, systems, and controls designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and to discourage corrupt practices by our employees, consultants, and agents, and to identify and address potentially impermissible transactions under such laws and regulations;
however, our existing and future safeguards, including training programs to discourage corrupt practices by such parties, may not prove effective, and we cannot ensure that all such parties, including those that may be based in or from countries where practices that violate U.S. or other laws may be customary, will not take actions in violation of our policies, for which we may be ultimately responsible. Additional compliance requirements may require us to revise or expand our compliance programs, including the procedures we use to monitor international and domestic transactions. Failure to comply with any of these laws and regulations may result in extensive internal or external investigations as well as significant financial penalties and reputational harm, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our Certificate
of Incorporation provides that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” will not apply with respect to any director or stockholder who is not employed by us or our subsidiaries.
The doctrine of corporate opportunity generally provides that a corporate fiduciary may not develop an opportunity using corporate resources, acquire an interest adverse to that of the corporation or acquire property that is reasonably incident to the present or prospective business of the corporation or in which the corporation has a present or expectancy interest, unless that opportunity is first presented to the corporation and the corporation chooses not to pursue that opportunity. The doctrine of corporate opportunity is intended to preclude officers, directors and other fiduciaries from personally benefiting from opportunities
that belong to the corporation. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” does not apply with respect to any stockholder or director (other than any director who is also an officer) of Vacasa, Inc. (each, an “Exempted Person”).
The Exempted Persons will therefore have no duty to communicate or present corporate opportunities to us, and will have the right to either hold any corporate opportunity for their own account and benefit or to recommend, assign or otherwise transfer such corporate opportunity to persons other than us, including to any other director or stockholder who is not employed by us or our subsidiaries.
As
a result, the Exempted Persons will generally not be prohibited from operating or investing in competing businesses. We therefore may find ourselves in competition with any one or more of these parties, and we may not have knowledge of, or be able to pursue, transactions that could potentially be beneficial to us. To the extent we find ourselves in competition with Exempted Persons, we may lose a corporate opportunity or suffer competitive harm, which could negatively impact our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.
Risks Related to Ownership of our Class A Common Stock
Our focus on the long-term best interests of our company and our consideration of all of our stakeholders, including our stockholders, homeowners, guests, employees,
the communities in which we operate, and other stakeholders that we may identify from time to time, may conflict with short- or medium-term financial interests and business performance, which may negatively impact the value of our Class A Common Stock.
We believe that focusing on the long-term best interests of our company and our consideration of all of our stakeholders, including our stockholders, homeowners, guests, employees, the communities in which we operate, and other stakeholders we may identify from time to time, is essential to the long-term success of our company and to long-term stockholder value. Therefore, we have made decisions, and may in the future make decisions, that we believe are in the long-term best interests of
our company and our stockholders, even if such decisions may negatively impact the short- or medium-term performance of our business, results of operations, and financial condition or the short- or medium-term performance of our Class A Common Stock. Our commitment to pursuing long-term value for the company and its stockholders, potentially at the expense of short- or medium-term performance, may materially adversely affect the trading price of our Class A Common Stock, including by making owning our Class A Common Stock less appealing to investors who are focused on returns over a shorter time horizon. Our decisions and actions in pursuit of long-term success and long-term stockholder value, which may include changes to our platform to enhance the experience of our homeowners, guests, and the communities
in which we operate, including by improving the trust and safety of our platform, changes in the manner in which we deliver customer support, investing in our relationships with our homeowners, guests, and employees, investing in and introducing new products and services, or changes in our approach to working with local or national jurisdictions on laws and regulations governing our business, may not result in the long-term benefits that we expect, in which case our business, results of operations, and financial condition, as well as the trading price of our Class A Common Stock, could be materially adversely affected.
Our principal stockholders
have significant influence over us, including over decisions that require the approval of stockholders, and their interests may conflict with the interests of other stockholders.
On June 7, 2023, we entered into four individual director designation agreements (collectively, the "Director Designation Agreements" and each a "Director Designation Agreement") with (i) SLP Venice Holdings, L.P. and SLP V Venice Feeder I, L.P. (together with their affiliates, the "Silver Lake Stockholders"); ; (ii) RW Vacasa AIV LP, RW Industrious Blocker LP, Riverwood Capital Partners II (Parallel-B) L.P., RCP III Vacasa AIV, L.P., RCP III Blocker Feeder LP, Riverwood Capital Partners III (Parallel-B) L.P., RCP III (A) Blocker Feeder LP and RCP III (A) Vacasa AIV L.P. (together with their affiliates, the “Riverwood Stockholders”); (iii) LEGP I VCS, LLC,
LEGP II VCS, LLC, Level Equity Opportunities Fund 2015, L.P., Level Equity Opportunities Fund 2018, L.P., Level Equity - VCS Investors, LLC and LEGP II AIV(B), L.P. (together with their affiliates, the “Level Equity Stockholders”); and (iv) Mossytree Inc. (together with its affiliates, the “EB Stockholders”).
In the aggregate, as of December 31, 2023, the Silver Lake Stockholders, the Riverwood Stockholders, the Level Equity Stockholders and the EB Stockholders controlled approximately 59.0% of the combined voting power of our Common Stock as a result of their ownership of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. The Director Designation Agreements contain director nominations rights so long as each holder continues to hold prescribed amounts of our Common Stock. As a result, these stockholders and their affiliates have significant influence
over the management and affairs of our company and, if they were to decide to act together, would have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and the approval of significant corporate transactions, including any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets and the issuance or redemption of equity interests in certain circumstances. The interests of one or more of these stockholders may not always coincide with, and in some cases may conflict with, our interests and the interests of our other stockholders. For instance, these stockholders could attempt to delay or prevent a change in control of our company, even if such change in control would benefit our other stockholders, which could
deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock. This concentration of ownership may also affect the prevailing market price of our common stock due to investors’ perceptions that conflicts of interest may exist or arise. As a result, this concentration of ownership may not be in the best interests of other stockholders.
In addition, because these stockholders hold part of their economic interest in our business through Vacasa Holdings LLC ("OpCo"), rather than through Vacasa, Inc., and may hold rights to receive payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, their interests may further conflict with the interests of holders of Class A Common Stock. For example, such holders may have different tax positions from us, which could influence their decisions regarding whether and when we should dispose of assets or incur new or refinance existing indebtedness, and whether
and when we should undergo certain changes of control within the meaning of the Tax Receivable Agreement or terminate the Tax Receivable Agreement. In addition, the structuring of future transactions may take into consideration these tax or other considerations even where no similar benefit would accrue to us. These holders’ significant ownership in and influence over us may discourage someone from making a significant equity investment in us, or could discourage transactions involving a change in control, including transactions in which holders of shares of our Class A Common Stock might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over the then-current market price.
The trading price of the shares of our Class A Common Stock may be volatile, and holders of the Class A Common Stock could incur substantial losses.
Our stock price has been, and
may continue to be, volatile. The stock market has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, investors may not be able to sell our Class A Common Stock at or above the price paid for the shares. The market price for our Class A Common Stock may be influenced by many factors, including:
•actual or anticipated variations in our operating results;
•changes in financial estimates by us or by any securities analysts who might cover our stock;
•conditions or trends in our industry;
•stock market price and volume fluctuations of comparable companies;
•announcements
by us or our competitors of new product or service offerings, significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships or divestitures;
•announcements of investigations or regulatory scrutiny of our operations or lawsuits filed against us;
•[capital commitments;][TBD]
•investors’ general perception of our company and our business;
•changes in financial markets or general economic conditions, including the effects of a recession or slow economic growth in the U.S. or abroad, interest rates, fuel prices, currency fluctuations, corruption, political instability, acts of war, including impacts from the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas
conflicts and escalations thereof, or similar macroeconomic conditions and concerns;
•sales of our Class A Common Stock, including sales by our directors and officers or specific stockholders.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial
costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.
Future sales of our Class A Common Stock in the public market could cause the market price of our Class A Common Stock to decline significantly, even if our business is doing well.
The ownership of a substantial amount of our Class A Common Stock is concentrated with limited number of holders. Furthermore, the holders ("OpCo Unitholders") of common units of OpCo ("OpCo Units"), other than Vacasa, Inc., have the right, pursuant to the Fourth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of OpCo, to cause OpCo to acquire all or a portion of their vested OpCo Units, which may be settled for, at our election, shares of Class A Common Stock at a redemption ratio of one share of Class A Common Stock for each OpCo Unit redeemed (subject to conversion rate adjustments
for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassification) or an equivalent amount of cash and, in each case, the cancellation of an equal number of shares of such OpCo Unitholder's Class B Common Stock. Any shares of Class A Common Stock we may issue in connection with such redemptions will also be eligible for sale in the public market, subject to compliance with applicable securities laws. The market price of our Class A Common Stock could decline significantly if the holders of these shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, might also make it more difficult for us to raise capital through the issuance and sale of equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.
We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and as a result of the reduced disclosure
and governance requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, our Class A Common Stock may be less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 ("JOBS Act"), and we may take advantage of certain exemptions and relief from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies.” In particular, while we are an “emerging growth company,” we will not be required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; we are exempt from any rules that could be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requiring mandatory audit firm rotations or a supplement to the auditor’s report on financial statements; we are subject to reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation
in our periodic reports and proxy statements; and we are not required to hold non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation.
We may be an “emerging growth company” until December 31, 2026, though we may cease to be an “emerging growth company” earlier under certain circumstances, including: (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which (a) we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (b) the market value of our common equity that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter; and (ii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
The exact implications of the JOBS Act are subject to interpretation
and guidance by the SEC and other regulatory agencies, and we cannot ensure that we will be able to take advantage of all of the benefits of the JOBS Act. In addition, investors may find our Class A Common Stock less attractive to the extent we rely on the exemptions and relief granted by the JOBS Act. If some investors find our Class A Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Class A Common Stock and our stock price may decline or become more volatile.
We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our Class A Common Stock in the foreseeable future.
We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. In addition, the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility restrict our ability to pay dividends, and the terms of any future debt agreements
we may enter into are likely to contain similar restrictions. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our Class A Common Stock will be the sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
Vacasa has developed and implemented a cybersecurity risk management program intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information.
Vacasa has designed its cybersecurity risk management program based upon the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework ("NIST CSF"). This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, other than those required by regulation and/or contractual obligation, only that we use the NIST CSF as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.
Vacasa’s cybersecurity risk management program is integrated into our overall enterprise risk management program,
and shares common methodologies, reporting channels and governance processes that apply across the enterprise risk management program to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas.
Key elements of our cybersecurity risk management program include, but are not limited to, the following:
a.risk assessments designed to help identify material cybersecurity risks to our critical systems, information, products, services, and our broader enterprise IT environment;
b.a dedicated security team principally responsible for managing (1) cybersecurity risk assessment processes, (2) security controls, and (3) response to cybersecurity incidents;
c.the
use of external service providers, where appropriate, to assess, test or otherwise assist with aspects of our security controls;
d.systems, including technical, administrative, and physical controls, for protecting IT systems and monitoring for cybersecurity risks and incidents;
e.cybersecurity education and awareness training of our employees, incident response personnel, and senior management;
f.a cybersecurity incident response plan that includes procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents; and
g.a third-party risk management process for service providers, suppliers, and vendors.
Vacasa
has not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. We face certain ongoing risks from cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.
Cybersecurity Governance
Vacasa’s Board of Directors (the "Board") considers cybersecurity risk as part of its risk oversight function and has delegated to its Audit Committee oversight of cybersecurity and other information technology risks. The Audit Committee oversees management’s implementation of our cybersecurity risk management program.
The
Audit Committee receives regular reports from management on our cybersecurity risks. In addition, management updates the Audit Committee, as necessary, regarding significant cybersecurity incidents.
The Audit Committee reports to the full Board regarding its activities, including those related to cybersecurity. The full Board also receives briefings from management on our cybersecurity risk management program. Board members receive presentations on cybersecurity topics from Vacasa’s Vice President of Information Technology and Information Security, internal security staff, or external experts as part of the Board’s continuing education on topics that impact public companies.
Vacasa’s management team, including the Vice President of Information Technology and Information Security, has overall responsibility for assessing and managing our material
risks from cybersecurity threats. The Information Security Team, led by our Chief Technology Officer and our Vice President of Information Technology and Information Security, is primarily responsible for Vacasa’s overall cybersecurity risk management program in collaboration with other key members of Vacasa’s organization. Our Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Information Technology and Information Security collectively possess experience in leading information security organizations and technical environments at public companies and in highly
regulated industries such as Financial, Healthcare, and the Federal Government.. This includes, but is not limited
to, responsibility for the following areas: Information Security Audit, Security Operations, Application Security, security awareness training and education.
Item 2. Properties
We lease corporate offices in Portland, Oregon, which is the location of our corporate headquarters. In addition, we own and lease regional offices in various locations in the United States and internationally as necessary or desirable for us to support our central operations and to facilitate our operations at the local levels. We believe our facilities are adequate and suitable for our current needs.
Item
3. Legal Proceedings
The information set forth under Note 16, Commitments and Contingencies to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report, is incorporated herein by reference. For an additional discussion of certain risks associated with legal proceedings, see “Risk Factors” included in Part I, Item 1A.
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information for Class A Common Stock
Our Class A Common Stock has been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “VCSA.”
Reverse Stock Split
On October 2, 2023, we completed a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of the Company's
outstanding Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, and Class G Common Stock (the "Reverse Stock Split"). The Reverse Stock Split had no effect on the number of authorized shares of any class of common stock. Par value remained $0.00001 per share. Stockholders who would otherwise have been entitled to receive fractional shares as a result of the Reverse Stock Split received a cash payment in lieu of receiving fractional shares. Share and share-related information presented in these consolidated financial statements has been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to reflect the decreased number of shares outstanding resulting from the Reverse Stock Split.
Holders of Record
As of February 28, 2024, there were approximately 140 holders of record of our Class A Common Stock, 20 holders
of record of our Class B Common Stock, and 1 holder of record of our Class G Common Stock. These numbers do not include "street name" or beneficial holders, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers, financial institutions, and other nominees.
Dividend Policy
We have never declared or paid dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business, and therefore do not expect to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination as to the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to compliance with contractual restrictions and covenants in the agreements governing our current and future indebtedness. Any such determination will also depend upon our business prospects, results
of operations, financial condition, cash requirements and availability and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
The following performance graph and related information shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be
“filed” with the SEC for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act or incorporated by reference into any filing of Vacasa, Inc. under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
The graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on our Class A Common Stock with the cumulative total return on the S&P 500 Information Technology Index ("S&P 500 IT") and the Nasdaq Composite Index ("NASDAQ"). The graph assumes $100 was invested at the market close on December 7, 2021, which was the first day our Class A Common Stock began trading. Data for the S&P 500 IT and the NASDAQ assume reinvestment of dividends. The graph uses the closing market price on December 7, 2021 of $196.80 per share, which has been retroactively adjusted
for the Reverse Stock Split, as the initial value of our Class A Common Stock. The comparisons in the graph below are based upon historical data and are not indicative of, nor intended to forecast, future performance of our Class A Common Stock.
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, such as those set forth under the “ Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” sections and elsewhere in this Annual Report, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any period in the future.
We intend for this discussion to provide the reader with information that will assist in understanding our financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements,
and the primary factors that accounted for those changes. Discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022, including comparisons with the year ended December 31, 2021, is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2023.
Overview
We are the leading vacation rental management platform in North America with over six million Nights Sold in the fiscal year ended December 31,
2023. Our integrated technology and operations platform is designed to optimize vacation rental income
and home care for homeowners, offer guests a seamless, reliable and high-quality experience, and provide distribution partners with a variety of home listings.
As a vertically integrated vacation rental manager, we act as an agent on behalf of our homeowners, which allows us to avoid the capital requirements and limitations of owning the underlying real estate. We are equipped to manage all aspects of the vacation rental experience for homeowners, from listing creation and multi-channel distribution
to pricing, marketing optimization and end-to-end property care. We collect nightly rent on behalf of homeowners and earn the majority of our revenue from homeowner commissions and service fees paid by guests and from additional reservation-related fees paid by guests when a vacation rental is booked directly through our website or app or through our distribution partners. We also earn revenue from home care solutions offered directly to our homeowners, such as home improvement and repair services for a separately agreed upon fee and from providing real estate brokerage services and residential management services to community and homeowner associations. We are typically the exclusive vacation rental manager for the homes on our platform, and we are able to capture nearly all of the booking for those properties through our direct channel or through our
channel partners.
Since our inception, we have focused primarily on the supply side of the market and on growing our homeowner base. Booking channels such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo have historically had more focus on the demand side of the market and collectively drive hundreds of millions of site visits each month. Through our integrated technology and operations platform, we unlock new supply and increase the availability of vacation rental home listings for guests to discover and book. Our comprehensive set of capabilities, enabled by technology, is designed to remove barriers to renting vacation and second homes by solving critical challenges for homeowners, such as listing creation and merchandising, pricing optimization, multi-channel distribution and demand generation, home care, insights and analytics, smart home technology, and customer support.
Prior
to 2023, we utilized a multi-pronged supply acquisition strategy, which included expanding the number of vacation rental properties listed on our platform through individual additions, portfolio transactions and strategic acquisitions. For 2023 and in the near future, we have focused on our individual approach, which onboards individual vacation rental properties through our direct sales force. We utilize proprietary and industry data, along with marketing and advertising strategies, to maintain a homeowner lead database and strategically deploy our sales representatives to target these new homeowner leads. We engage in portfolio transactions and strategic acquisitions to onboard multiple homes in a single transaction. Our portfolio approach identifies, targets and onboards portfolios of homes already being professionally managed by local vacation rental managers. We have also completed strategic acquisitions consisting of our acquisitions of Wyndham Vacation Rentals
and TurnKey, both of which contributed to our supply growth. Portfolio transactions and strategic acquisitions are accounted for as business combinations. We will continue to selectively review portfolio and strategic acquisitions, but we have meaningfully reduced the amount of capital we allocate to such programs.
Homeowners on our platform typically enter into standardized, evergreen contractual arrangements with Vacasa and pay us a commission rate on rent to support the services we provide for them. The homes on our platform are generally exclusive to Vacasa, meaning that every booking for these homes must be coordinated through Vacasa.
We generate bookings by distributing our vacation rental home listings to guests through our direct channel, which includes vacasa.com and our mobile app, and across online distribution channels, including Airbnb,
Booking.com, and Vrbo. In fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021, we generated approximately 40%, 30%, and 30%, respectively, of our GBV through our vacasa.com website and our mobile app and 60%, 70%, and 70%, respectively, of our GBV through our distribution partners. Our guest acquisition strategy for our direct channel is focused on attracting high intent visitors to our platform through search engine optimization, direct traffic, email, and performance marketing channels. When bookings occur through our distribution partners, we pay listing fees for demand generated through these channels.
We deploy local operations teams across hundreds of destinations where we operate. These operations teams are critical to our vertically integrated business model and our ability to attract and onboard new
homeowners, as well as deliver a differentiated experience to homeowners and guests, including managing home care, maintenance, and support through a single team.
On February 27, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a workforce reduction plan (the “Plan”) designed to align the
Company’s expected cost base with its 2024 strategic and operating priorities and continued achievement of adjusted EBITDA profitability in 2024. The Plan includes the elimination of approximately 320 positions across the Company, in both its local operations teams and central teams, representing approximately 5% of the workforce, or approximately 2% of the local operations teams and approximately 6% of the central team.
The Company expects to incur between $4.0 million and $5.0 million of costs, consisting primarily of employee severance and benefit costs and professional services fees in connection with the Plan, most of which are expected to be incurred in the first and second quarters of 2024. All of these costs will result in
future cash expenditures. The foregoing estimated amounts do not include any non-cash charges associated with equity-based compensation. These estimates are subject to a number of assumptions and actual results may differ materially. The Company may also incur charges and expenditures not currently contemplated due to unanticipated events that may occur in connection with the Plan.
On January 23, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a 2023 workforce reduction designed to align the Company’s expected cost base with its 2023 strategic and operating priorities. The 2023 workforce reduction
includes the elimination of approximately 1,300 positions across the Company, in both its local operations teams and central teams, representing approximately 17% of the workforce. The Company incurred severance and employee benefits costs of approximately $5.1 million during 2023, which are included in operating costs and expenses in the consolidated statement of operations.
Reverse Stock Split
On October 2, 2023, we completed a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of the Company's outstanding Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, and Class
G Common Stock (the "Reverse Stock Split"). The Reverse Stock Split had no effect on the number of authorized shares of any class of common stock. Par value remained $0.00001 per share. Stockholders who would otherwise have been entitled to receive fractional shares as a result of the Reverse Stock Split received a cash payment in lieu of receiving fractional shares. All share and share-related information presented in these consolidated financial statements has been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to reflect the decreased number of shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split.
Corporate Transactions
Reverse Recapitalization
On July 28, 2021, we entered into an agreement to become a publicly traded company through
a business combination with TPG Pace Solutions Corp., a special purpose acquisition company. On December 6, 2021, we consummated the business combination contemplated by the business combination agreement. The transactions set forth in the business combination agreement are further described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization to our consolidated financial statements.
TurnKey Acquisition
On April 1, 2021, we acquired the operations of TurnKey Vacation Rentals, Inc. ("TurnKey"), a provider of vacation rental management and marketing services for residential real estate owners in the United States. The acquisition of TurnKey advanced our strategy to create a premium standard for vacation rentals.
The acquisition also increased our market density in certain regions and expanded our footprint into several other top vacation rental destinations. See Note 4, Acquisitions to our consolidated financial statements.
Seasonality
Our overall business is seasonal, reflecting typical travel behavior patterns over the course of the calendar year. In addition, each market where we operate may have its own seasonality, events, and weather that can increase or decrease demand for our offerings. Certain holidays, and the timing of those holidays, can have an impact on our revenue by increasing or decreasing Nights Sold on the holiday itself or during the preceding and subsequent weekends. Typically, our second and third quarters have higher revenue due to increased Nights Sold, compared to our first and fourth
quarters. Our Gross Booking Value ("GBV") typically follows the seasonality patterns of Nights Sold. Our operations and support costs also increase in the second and third quarters as we increase our staffing to handle increased activity on our platform and service the homes we manage in those
periods. See additional information about GBV and Nights Sold under the "Key Business Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures" heading below.
Results of Operations
The
following tables set forth our results of operations for the periods presented and as a percentage of our revenue for these periods. The period to period comparisons of our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our results that may be expected in the future.
Our revenue is primarily generated from our vacation rental platform in which we generally act as the exclusive agent on the homeowners’ behalf to facilitate the
reservation transactions between guests and homeowners. We collect nightly rent from guests on behalf of homeowners and earn the majority of our revenue from commissions on rent and from additional reservation-related fees paid by guests when a vacation rental is booked directly through our website, app, or through our distribution partners. We also earn revenue from home care solutions provided directly to our homeowners, such as home maintenance and improvement services, linen and towel supply programs, supplemental housekeeping services, and other related services, for a separately agreed-upon fee.
In the event a booked reservation is cancelled, we may offer a refund or a future stay credit up to the value of the booked reservation. In certain instances, we may also offer a refund related
to a completed stay. We account for refunds as a reduction of revenue. Future stay credits are recognized as a liability on our consolidated balance sheets. Revenue from future stay credits is recognized when redeemed by guests, net of the portion of the booking attributable to funds payable to owners and hospitality and sales taxes payable. We estimate the portion of future stay credits that will not be redeemed by guests and recognize these amounts as breakage revenue in proportion to the expected pattern of redemption or upon expiration. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized breakage revenue of $1.5 million. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized breakage
revenue of $16.0 million, of which $11.1 million related to expirations that occurred during the first quarter of 2022 and $4.9 million related to actual and expected breakage associated with future stay credits expiring in later periods.
In addition to our vacation rental platform, we provide other offerings such as residential management services to community and homeowner associations. The purpose of these services is to attract and retain homeowners as customers of our vacation
rental platform. We completed the wind down of our separate real estate buy/sell brokerage services during 2023, which represented
less than 1% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023. We will continue to retain real estate brokerage licenses, where required, in order to facilitate our vacation rental management services.
Booking Patterns
We continue to experience evolving guest booking and travel demand patterns. We have seen, and continue to see, increased homeowner concerns around their levels of rental income, relative to prior years. These factors increase the difficulty of accurately forecasting our results of operations and, we believe, are continuing to have a negative effect on homeowner retention, relative to our historical experience.
Revenue decreased by $70.0 million, or 6%, for the year ended December 31,
2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by a $52.9 million decrease in revenue from our vacation rental platform and a $16.8 million decrease in revenue from our real estate buy/sell brokerage services, as a result of our wind down of these services. The decrease in vacation rental platform revenue was mostly driven by decreased GBV per Night Sold, as discussed in more detail below under Key Business Metrics, and lower future stay credit breakage revenue, which primarily relates to the first quarter of 2022 when the future stay credits issued during the COVID-19 pandemic first began to expire.
Cost
of revenue, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, consists primarily of employee compensation costs, which include wages, benefits, and payroll taxes and outside service costs for housekeeping, home maintenance, payment processing fees for merchant fees and chargebacks, laundry expenses, and housekeeping supplies, as well as fixed rent payments on certain owner contracts. Cost of revenue also includes costs associated with our residential management services to community and homeowner associations and also included real estate brokerage services. We completed the wind down of our real estate buy/sell brokerage services during 2023, which represented less than 1% of total cost of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Cost of revenue decreased by $44.7 million,
or 8%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to a $14.8 million decrease in costs related to real estate brokerage services, as a result of the wind down of these services, a $10.1 million decrease in costs related to our home care solutions and home supplies, a $7.2 million decrease in payment processing costs, a $6.2 million decrease in the cost of residential management services to community and homeowner associations we serve, and a $4.3 million decrease in personnel-related expenses related to housekeeping.
We expect that cost of revenue as a percentage of revenue may fluctuate from period to period depending on the number of Nights Sold (as defined below under Key Business Metrics), GBV per Night
Sold, and our ability to realize operational efficiencies.
Operations
and support costs consist primarily of compensation costs, which include wages, benefits, payroll taxes, and equity-based compensation for employees that support our local operations. The costs also include the cost of call center customer support, rent expense for local operations, and the allocation of facilities and certain corporate overhead costs.
Operations and support costs decreased by $18.4 million, or 7%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a $21.8 million decrease in personnel-related expenses in our field operations, central operations, and customer experience teams, primarily driven by decreased headcount, partially offset by a $1.6 million increase in outside and professional services costs. The decrease in personnel-related
expenses also included a decrease in equity-based compensation of $4.5 million, partially offset by an increase in severance and related benefits costs of $1.4 million, both as a result of the workforce reduction we effected in January 2023.
We expect that operations and support costs as a percent of revenue may fluctuate from period to period depending on the number of homes we manage and the number of destinations we operate in, the number of Nights Sold, and our ability to realize operational efficiencies.
Technology
and development expenses consist primarily of cloud computing, software licensing and maintenance expense, and costs to support infrastructure, applications and overall monitoring and security of networks. Technology and development expenses also include wages, benefits, payroll taxes, and equity-based compensation for salaried employees as well as payments to contractors, net of capitalized expenses, engaged in the design, development, maintenance and testing of our platform, including our websites, mobile applications, and other products. Capitalized costs are recorded as a reduction of our technology and development expenses and are capitalized as internal-use software within property and equipment on the consolidated balance sheets. These assets are depreciated over their estimated useful lives and are reported in depreciation on our consolidated
statements of operations.
Technology and development expenses decreased by $7.5 million, or 11%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to a $4.3 million decrease in software license and maintenance costs and a $3.5 million decrease in equity-based compensation.
We expect that, on an absolute dollar basis, changes in technology and development expenses will be primarily driven by headcount and software spend, which may fluctuate from period to period based on our business priorities.
Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of compensation costs, which include wages, sales commissions, benefits, payroll taxes, and equity-based compensation for our sales force and marketing personnel, payments to distribution partners for guest reservations, digital and mail-based advertising costs for homeowners, advertising costs for search engine marketing and other digital guest advertising, and brand marketing.
We capitalize certain costs incurred to obtain new homeowner contracts, such as sales commissions, when those costs are expected to be recovered through revenue generated from that contract. Capitalized amounts are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated life of the customer through sales and marketing expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Sales and marketing expenses decreased by $34.9 million, or 14%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a $31.3 million decrease in personnel-related expenses, primarily driven by decreased
sales force headcount and a $6.8 million decrease in homeowner and brand advertising, partially offset by a $2.3 million increase in listing fees paid to our distribution partners, primarily due to channel mix. The decrease in personnel-related expenses also included a decrease in equity-based compensation of $3.1 million, partially offset by an increase in severance and related benefits costs of $1.2 million, both as a result of the workforce reduction we effected in January 2023.
We expect that, on an absolute dollar basis, changes in sales and marketing expenses will be primarily driven by headcount and advertising expense, which may fluctuate from period to period based on our business priorities, and payments to distribution partners for guest reservations, which will vary from period to period based on GBV generated through our distribution partners.
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of compensation costs, which includes wages, benefits, payroll taxes, and equity-based compensation for administrative employees, including finance and accounting, human resources, communications, and legal employees. General and administrative costs also include professional services fees, including accounting, legal and consulting expenses, rent expense for corporate facilities
and storage, insurance premiums, and travel and entertainment expenses.
General and administrative expenses decreased by $26.0 million, or 24%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a $16.5 million decrease in personnel-related expenses, driven by lower headcount, a $5.4 million decrease in professional services expenses, and a $3.0 million decrease in facility-related expenses. The decrease in personnel-related expenses also included a decrease in equity-based compensation of $6.6 million, partially offset by an increase in severance and related benefits costs of $5.2 million, both as a result of the workforce reduction we effected in January 2023.
We expect that, on
an absolute dollar basis, changes in general and administrative expenses will be primarily driven by headcount and professional fees, which may fluctuate from period to period depending on our business needs and priorities.
Depreciation
expense consists of depreciation on capitalized internal-use software, furniture and fixtures, buildings and improvements, leasehold improvements, computer equipment, and vehicles.
Amortization of intangible assets expense consists of non-cash amortization expense of acquired intangible assets, primarily homeowner contracts, which are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives.
Depreciation expense decreased by $0.3 million, or 2%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to decreased capital spending.
Amortization
of intangible assets decreased by $4.7 million, or 8%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to the long-lived asset impairment charge of $46.0 million recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023. Refer to Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill to the consolidated financial statements for more information.
Depreciation and amortization expenses will vary both on an absolute dollar basis and as a percentage of revenue depending on our level of investment in property and equipment and the rate at which we complete portfolio transactions and strategic acquisitions to support the growth of our business. We currently expect our depreciation and amortization
expenses to start to decline.
Impairment of long-lived assets represents a non-cash impairment charge of $46.0 million recorded during the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, as it was determined that the fair value of our homeowner contracts asset was below the carrying amount of the
asset. Refer to Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill to the consolidated financial statements for more information.
Impairment of goodwill represents a non-cash impairment charge of $411.0 million and $244.0 million recorded during the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, respectively. The impairment charges were recorded because it was determined that the fair value of our single reporting unit was below the carrying amount of its net assets. Refer to Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill to the consolidated financial statements for more information.
Interest income consists primarily of interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents. Interest income increased by $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in interest income is primarily due to higher prevailing interest rates during 2023, compared to 2022, and
investing a greater proportion of our cash and cash equivalents into money market funds.
Interest expense consists primarily of interest payable and the amortization of deferred financing costs related to our outstanding debt arrangements. In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization on December 6, 2021, the D-1 Convertible Notes converted into equity interests and are no longer outstanding. Interest expense decreased nominally for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
Other income, net, consists primarily of the change in fair value of the contingent earnout share consideration represented by our Class G Common Stock, the change in fair value of Vacasa
Holdings warrant derivative liabilities, and foreign currency exchange gains and losses. In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization on December 6, 2021, the Vacasa Holdings warrant derivative liabilities were net exercised in accordance with their terms and are no longer outstanding.
Other income, net decreased by $54.3 million, or 90%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in other income, net, was primarily due to a $4.6 million decline in the fair value of contingent earnout share consideration represented by our Class G Common Stock for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a $56.4 million decline in the fair value of contingent earnout
share consideration represented by our Class G Common Stock for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Key Business Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We analyze the key business metrics of GBV, Nights Sold, and GBV per Night Sold, as well as non-GAAP financial measures to assess our performance. In addition to revenue, net loss, loss from operations, and other results under GAAP, we use non-GAAP financial measures, including Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP cost of revenue, Non-GAAP operations and support expense, Non-GAAP technology and development expense, Non-GAAP sales and marketing expense, and Non-GAAP general and administrative expense (collectively, the "Non-GAAP Financial
Measures") to evaluate our performance, identify trends, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions. We provide a reconciliation below of the Non-GAAP Financial Measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
We believe these Non-GAAP Financial Measures, when taken together with their corresponding comparable GAAP financial measures, are useful for analysts and investors. These Non-GAAP Financial Measures allow for more meaningful comparisons of our performance by excluding items that are non-cash in nature or when the amount and timing of these items is unpredictable or one-time in nature, not driven by the performance of our core business operations or renders comparisons with prior periods less meaningful.
The key business metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures have significant limitations as analytical
tools, should be considered as supplemental in nature, and are not meant as a substitute for any financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. We believe the Non-GAAP Financial Measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our results of operations, are frequently used by these parties in evaluating companies in our industry, and provide useful measures for period-to-period comparisons of our business performance. Moreover, we present the key business metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures because they are key measurements used by our management internally to make operating decisions, including those related to analyzing operating expenses, evaluating performance, and strategic planning and annual budgeting.
The Non-GAAP Financial Measures have significant limitations as analytical tools, including that:
•these measures do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
•these measures do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
•Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the interest expense, or the cash required to service interest or principal payments, on our debt;
•these measures exclude equity-based compensation expense, which has been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant
recurring expense in our business and an important part of our compensation strategy;
•Adjusted EBITDA and Non-GAAP general and administrative expense do not include non-recurring costs related to strategic business combinations;
•Adjusted EBITDA does not include non-recurring impairment charges related to the Company's goodwill and intangible assets;
•these measures do not reflect restructuring costs, including certain right-of-use asset impairment costs;
•these measures do not reflect our tax expense or the cash required to pay our taxes; and
•with
respect to Adjusted EBITDA, although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and such measures do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements.
In the future, we may incur expenses or charges such as those being adjusted in the calculation of these Non-GAAP Financial Measures. Our presentation of these Non-GAAP Financial Measures should not be construed as an inference that future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items, and our Non-GAAP Financial Measures may be calculated differently from similarly titled metrics or measures presented by other companies.
GBV represents the dollar value of bookings from our distribution partners as well as those booked directly on our platform related to Nights Sold during the period
and cancellation fees for bookings cancelled during the period (which may relate to bookings made during prior periods). GBV is inclusive of amounts charged to guests for rent, fees, and the estimated taxes paid by guests when we are responsible for collecting tax.
In the year ended December 31, 2023, GBV decreased by 10% to $2,310.7 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, due to a combination of lower guest demand and an increase in unit inventory in the markets in which we operate.
Changes in GBV reflect our ability to add homes by attracting homeowners through our individual sales approach, and through portfolio transactions or strategic acquisitions, retain homeowners and guests, and optimize the availability and utilization of
the homes on our platform. Changes in GBV also reflect changes in the pricing of rents, fees, and estimated taxes paid by guests. Changes in utilization of the homes on our platform and pricing of those homes are generally reflective of changes in guest demand.
Nights Sold
We define Nights Sold as the total number of nights stayed by guests in homes hosted on our platform in a given period. Nights Sold is a key measure of the scale and quality of homes on our platform and our ability to generate demand and manage yield on behalf of our homeowners. We experience seasonality in the number of Nights Sold. Typically, the second and third quarters of the year each have higher Nights Sold than the first and fourth quarters, as guests tend to travel more during the peak summer travel season.
In the year ended December 31, 2023, Nights Sold increased by 1% to 6.3 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in Nights Sold was primarily due to an increase in the average number of homes on our platform during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to December 31, 2022, as a result of acquisition activity, partially offset by lower demand from guests.
Nights Sold in any period will be affected by changes to the number of homes on our platform, guest demand, and how we optimize the combination of pricing and utilization of the homes on our platform.
Gross Booking
Value per Night Sold
GBV per Night Sold represents the dollar value of each night stayed by guests on our platform in a given period. GBV per Night Sold reflects the pricing of rents, fees, and estimated taxes paid by guests.
In the year ended December 31, 2023, GBV per Night Sold decreased by 10% to $369, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, due to a combination of lower guest demand and an increase in unit inventory in the markets in which we operate.
There is a strong correlation between GBV and Nights Sold, and these two variables are managed in concert with one another. Our pricing algorithms and methodologies are continually evaluating the trade-offs between price and utilization
to seek to optimize the mix of Nights Sold and GBV per Night Sold. Future changes in GBV per Night Sold will be determined by how we optimize the combination of pricing and utilization of the homes on our platform.
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net loss excluding: (1) depreciation and acquisition-related items consisting of amortization of intangible assets and impairments of goodwill and intangible assets, if applicable; (2) interest income and expense; (3) any other income or expense not earned or incurred during our normal course of business; (4) any income tax benefit or expense; (5) equity-based compensation costs; (6) one-time costs related to strategic business combinations; and (7) restructuring costs, including workforce reduction costs and certain right-of-use asset impairment costs. We believe this measure is useful for
analysts and investors as this measure allows for more meaningful period-to-period comparison of our business performance. The above items are excluded from our Adjusted EBITDA measure because these items are non-cash in nature or the amount and timing of these items is unpredictable or non-recurring in nature, not driven by the performance of our core business operations and renders comparisons with prior periods less meaningful. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of Revenue is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA for a period by Revenue for the same period.
Seasonal trends in our Nights Sold impact Adjusted EBITDA for any given quarter. Typically, the second and third quarters of the year have higher Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue, as fixed costs are allocated across a larger number of guest reservations. We expect Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue
to fluctuate in the near term due to this seasonality and improve over the medium to long term as we achieve greater operating leverage from scale.
Adjusted EBITDA was $23.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a loss of $(27.5) million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The favorable change in Adjusted EBITDA is a reflection of the changes in our operating costs and expenses, as discussed above. Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of Revenue was 2% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to (2)% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets
78,247
83,335
61,273
Impairment
of long-lived assets
46,000
—
—
Impairment of goodwill
411,000
243,991
—
Interest income
(7,021)
(1,991)
(36)
Interest
expense
2,447
2,576
31,723
Other income, net
(6,115)
(60,410)
(3,280)
Income tax expense
1,586
1,022
784
Equity-based
compensation
15,542
34,170
26,978
Business combination costs(1)
239
601
8,382
Restructuring(2)
9,818
1,379
250
Adjusted
EBITDA
$
23,511
$
(27,476)
$
(28,517)
Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of Revenue
2
%
(2)
%
(3)
%
(1) Represents certain insurance costs from the
strategic acquisition of TurnKey that are expected to be amortized through the first quarter of 2027. In 2022, these costs also included third-party costs associated with our Reverse Recapitalization.
(2) For 2023, these costs represent costs associated with a workforce reduction and certain right-of-use asset impairment costs related to the Company's leased corporate office space in Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho. For 2022, these costs are associated with a workforce reduction, primarily in our corporate functions that occurred in the fourth quarter. For 2021, these costs represent a reorganization and workforce reductions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and costs associated with the wind-down of a significant portion of our international operations.
We calculate Non-GAAP cost of revenue, Non-GAAP operations and support expense, Non-GAAP technology and development expense, and Non-GAAP sales and marketing expense by excluding the non-cash expenses arising from the grant of equity-based awards and restructuring costs. We calculate Non-GAAP general and administrative expense by excluding the non-cash expenses arising from the grant of equity-based awards, one-time costs related to strategic business combinations, and restructuring costs.
(1) For 2023, these costs represent costs associated with a workforce reduction and certain right-of-use asset impairment costs related to the Company's leased corporate office space in Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho. For 2022, these costs are associated with a workforce reduction primarily in our corporate functions that occurred in the fourth quarter. For 2021, these costs represent a reorganization
and workforce reductions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and costs associated with the wind-down of a significant portion of our international operations.
(2) Represents certain insurance costs from the strategic acquisition of TurnKey that are expected to be amortized through the first quarter of 2027. In 2022, these costs also included third-party costs associated with our Reverse Recapitalization.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since our founding, our principal sources of liquidity have been from proceeds we have received through the issuance of equity and debt financing. We have incurred significant operating losses and generated negative cash flows from operations
as we have invested to support the growth of our business. To execute on our strategic initiatives, we may incur operating losses and
generate negative cash flows from operations in the future, and as a result, we may require additional capital resources. These capital resources may be obtained through drawing on our existing Revolving Credit Facility, which is discussed in more detail below, additional equity offerings, which would dilute the ownership of our existing stockholders, or additional debt financings, which may contain covenants that restrict the operations of our business. In the event that additional financing is required from outside sources, we may
not be able to raise the financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $88.0 million. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, $81.6 million was available for borrowing under our Revolving Credit Facility (as defined below). Our primary requirements for liquidity and capital are to finance working capital requirements, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes. In addition, following the Reverse Recapitalization, we expect to need cash to make payments under our tax receivable agreement with the holders of Vacasa Holding's equity prior to the
business combination (the "Tax Receivable Agreement"). We expect our operations will continue to be financed primarily by equity offerings, debt financing, and cash and cash equivalents. We believe our existing sources of liquidity will be sufficient to fund operations, working capital requirements, capital expenditures, and debt service obligations for at least the next 12 months.
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, our growth, our ability to attract and retain new homeowners and guests that utilize our services, the continuing market acceptance of our offerings, the timing and extent of spending to enhance our technology, and the expansion of sales and marketing activities. Further, we may enter into arrangements to acquire or invest in businesses, products, services, and technologies in the future.
Reverse
Recapitalization
In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization, we received net proceeds of $302.6 million. We used these proceeds to pay additional transaction costs of $8.4 million, and the remaining $294.2 million of cash proceeds were contributed to our balance sheet. See Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Revolving Credit Facility
In October 2021, we entered into a credit agreement, which, as subsequently amended in December 2021 and June 2023 (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"), provides for a senior secured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $105.0 million ("Revolving Credit Facility").
The Revolving Credit Facility includes a sub-facility for letters of credit in an aggregate face amount of $40.0 million, which reduces borrowing availability under the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2023, there were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2023, $23.4 million of letters of credit were issued under the Revolving Credit Facility, and $81.6 million was available for borrowings.
The June 2023 amendment modified the Credit Agreement to replace the LIBOR-based reference rate options with Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") based reference rate options. Subsequent to the amendment, borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility are subject to interest, determined as follows:
•Alternate
Base Rate ("ABR") borrowings accrue interest at a rate per annum equal to the ABR plus a margin of 1.50%. The ABR is equal to the greatest of (i) the Prime Rate, (ii) the New York Federal Reserve Bank Rate plus 0.50%, and (iii) the Adjusted Term SOFR for a one-month interest period plus 1.00%.
•Term SOFR borrowings accrue interest at a rate per annum equal to the Adjusted Term SOFR plus a margin of 2.50%. Adjusted Term SOFR means, for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal to the Term SOFR for such Interest Period.
In addition to paying interest on the principal amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility, we are required to pay a commitment fee on unused amounts at a rate of 0.25% per annum. We are also required to pay customary letter of credit and agency fees.
The
Credit Agreement contains customary covenants. In addition, we are required to maintain a minimum amount of consolidated revenue, measured on a trailing four-quarter basis, as of the last date of each fiscal quarter, provided that such covenant will only apply if, on such date, the aggregate principal amount of outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and letters of credit (excluding undrawn amounts under any letters of credit in an aggregate face amount of up to $20.0 million and letters of credit that have been cash collateralized) exceeds 35% of the then-outstanding revolving commitments. We are also required to maintain liquidity of at least $15.0 million as of the last date of each fiscal quarter.
See Note 10, Debt to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
$
(51,707)
$
(51,907)
$
63,265
Net cash used in investing activities
(13,367)
(108,175)
(114,633)
Net cash provided
by (used in) financing activities
(28,052)
(39,067)
279,611
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
(697)
(327)
(119)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
$
(93,823)
$
(199,476)
$
228,124
Operating
Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $51.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to a net loss of $528.2 million, offset by $564.5 million of non-cash items, including depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, impairment of long-lived assets, reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets, and equity-based compensation expense. Additional uses of cash flows resulted from changes in working capital, including a $13.3 million decrease in prepaid expense and other assets, a $50.5 million decrease in funds payable to owners, a $21.0 million decrease in deferred revenue and future stay credits, a $10.7 million decrease in operating lease obligations, and a $7.1 million decrease in hospitality and sales taxes payable.
Net
cash used in operating activities was $51.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to a net loss of $332.1 million, partially offset by $307.4 million of non-cash items related to depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets, fair value adjustment on derivative liabilities, and equity-based compensation expense. Additional uses of cash flows resulted from changes in working capital, including a $42.7 million increase in prepaid expense and other assets, a $34.6 million decrease in funds payable to owners, a $17.2 million decrease in deferred revenue and future stay credits, and a $3.4 million decrease in hospitality and sales taxes payable, partially offset by an $83.2 million decrease in accounts receivable driven by the settlement of amounts owed by the prior owners of acquired businesses managed
under transition services agreements.
Investing Activities
Our primary investing activities include cash paid for business combinations, capitalized internally developed software, and purchases of property and equipment.
Net cash used in investing activities was $13.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to $7.4 million of cash paid for capitalized internally developed software and $5.3 million of cash paid for purchases of property and equipment.
Net cash used in investing activities was $108.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to $89.5 million of cash paid for business combinations,
net of cash and restricted cash acquired, $9.8 million of cash paid for capitalized internally developed software costs, and $8.8 million of cash paid for purchases of property and equipment.
Financing Activities
Our primary financing activities include cash payments for contingent consideration and deferred payments to sellers in connection with business combinations to grow the number of homes under management in new and adjacent markets served as well as financed insurance premiums.
Net cash used in financing activities was $28.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily attributable to $23.4 million of financing-related cash payments for business combinations and $5.5 million of repayments of financed insurance premiums.
Net cash used in financing activities was $39.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily attributable to $38.0 million of financing-related cash payments for business combinations.
Material Cash Requirements from Contractual and Other Obligations
As of December 31, 2023, our material cash requirements for our known contractual and other obligations were as follows:
•Operating Leases– We enter into various non-cancelable lease agreements primarily related to certain field and corporate office facilities. Future minimum
lease payments to be made under non-cancelable operating leases with an initial or remaining term greater than one year were $29.2 million, with $10.1 million payable within 12 months. See Note 8, Leases to our consolidated financial statements for further detail of our obligations and the timing of expected future payments.
•Acquisition Liabilities– In connection with our portfolio transactions, accounted for as business combinations, we record acquisition-related liabilities, if applicable, for any contingent consideration or deferred payments to the seller. Our total acquisition liabilities were $16.3 million, with $11.6 million payable within 12 months.
•Information
Technology Service Agreements – Information technology service agreements represent outsourced services and licensing costs pursuant to our information technology agreements. We had contractual payments for these agreements of $34.7 million, with $15.6 million payable within 12 months.
•Revolving Credit Facility – In October 2021, we entered into the credit agreement, which, as subsequently amended in December 2021 and June 2023 (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"), provides for borrowings in an aggregate principal amount of up to $105.0 million, which amount may be borrowed and repaid from time to time. As of December 31, 2023, there were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31,
2023, there were letters of credit of $23.4 million issued under the Revolving Credit Facility, and $81.6 million was available for borrowings. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources — Revolving Credit Facility" for additional information.
•Tax Receivable Agreement– The payments that we may be required to make under the Tax Receivable Agreement that we entered into may be significant, but we are currently unable to estimate the amounts and timing of the payments that may be due thereunder. See Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements for further details about the Tax Receivable agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs, and expenses, and related disclosures. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
We believe that the following critical accounting policies reflect the more significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
Description
As discussed
in Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill to our consolidated financial statements, we performed a long-lived impairment assessment as of September 30, 2023, which resulted in homeowner contracts asset impairment charges of $46.0 million. The fair value estimate of our homeowner contracts was based on the present value of estimated future cash flows. We prepared cash flow projections based on management's estimates of revenue growth rates and operating margins, taking into consideration the historical performance and the current macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions. We based the discount rate on the weighted-average cost of capital considering company-specific characteristics
and the uncertainty related to the reporting unit's ability to execute on the projected cash flows.
Revenue growth rates, homeowner retention rates, operating profit margins, and the discount rate applied were the significant assumptions used in the income approach used to determine the fair value of our homeowner contracts. The fair value conclusion is highly sensitive to changes in these assumptions.
Effect
if Actual Results Differ from Assumptions
If the actual results are not consistent with the assumptions and judgments we have made in determining the fair value of the Company's long-lived assets, our actual impairment losses could vary from our estimated impairment losses. In the event that our estimates vary from actual results, we may record additional impairment losses, which could be material to our results of operations.
Impairment of Goodwill
Description
As discussed in Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill to our consolidated financial statements, we performed a quantitative goodwill
impairment assessment as of September 30, 2023, which resulted in goodwill impairment charges of $411.0 million. The fair value estimate of our single reporting unit was derived from a combination of an income approach and a market approach. Under the income approach, we estimated the fair value of the reporting unit based on the present value of estimated future cash flows. We prepared cash flow projections based on management's estimates of revenue growth rates and operating margins, taking into consideration the historical performance and the current macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions. We based the discount rate on the weighted-average cost of capital considering company-specific characteristics and the uncertainty related to the reporting unit's ability to execute on the projected cash flows. Under the market approach, we estimated the fair value of the reporting unit based on revenue market multiples
derived from comparable publicly traded companies with similar characteristics as the reporting unit, as well as an estimated control premium.
Judgments and Uncertainties
Revenue growth rates, operating profit margins, and the discount rate applied were the significant assumptions used in the income approach used to determine the fair value of our single reporting unit. The forecasted revenue growth rate, comparable publicly traded companies selected, and estimated control premium were the significant assumptions used in the market approach. The concluded fair value of our single reporting unit, based on a combination of the income and market approach, was reconciled to our market capitalization. The excess of the concluded fair value over our market capitalization represents an implied control premium, which we reviewed for reasonableness by comparison
to observed transaction premiums, premium studies, and consideration of specific attributes of the Company. The fair value conclusion is highly sensitive to changes in these assumptions. Changes in the significant assumptions used to determine the fair value of our homeowner contracts assets would also impact the carrying value of our single reporting unit and the resulting goodwill impairment charge.
Effect if Actual Results Differ from Assumptions
If the actual results are not consistent with the assumptions and judgments we have made in determining the fair value of our single reporting unit, our actual impairment losses could vary from our estimated impairment losses.
In the event that our estimates vary from actual results, we may record additional impairment losses, which could be material to our results of operations.
When we engage in a strategic acquisition or portfolio transaction accounted for as a business combination, we estimate the fair value of acquired assets, assumed liabilities, and purchase consideration transferred as of the acquisition date of each business combination. In every acquisition, homeowner contracts are the most significant intangible asset that we acquire. In valuing these homeowner contracts,
we may engage a third-party valuation expert to estimate the fair value of these assets using a version of the income approach known as the "multi-period excess earnings method." This method uses a discounted cash flow approach that is derived from assumptions that include revenue growth rates, homeowner retention rates, operating profit margins, and the selection of an appropriate discount rate. We consider this approach the most appropriate valuation technique because the inherent value of our homeowner contracts is their ability to generate current and future income.
Revenue growth rates, homeowner retention rates, operating profit margins, and the discount rate applied are the significant assumptions used in the multi-period excess earnings method to determine the fair value of homeowner contracts. These estimates are influenced by many factors, including historical financial information and management's expectations for future growth.
Effect if Actual Results Differ from Assumptions
We have not made any changes in the accounting methodology used to determine the fair value of homeowner contracts during the last three years.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we acquired homeowner contracts valued at $56.4 million. A 10% increase in the calculated fair value of these homeowner contracts would have increased amortization expense by $0.7 million during fiscal year 2022 and by $1.1 million annually during each full year remaining in their useful
life.
Valuation of Equity Units
Description
Prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, given the absence of a public trading market for our equity units, and in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Accounting and Valuation Guide: Valuation of Privately-Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, our management and board of directors determined the best estimate of fair value of our common units and redeemable convertible preferred units.
To determine the fair value of our equity units, we engaged a third-party valuation expert. We first determined our business enterprise value ("BEV") and then allocated that equity fair value to our redeemable convertible preferred units, common
units and common unit equivalents. We estimated our BEV primarily using a market approach, which is a generally accepted valuation approach. The market approach measures the value of a business through an analysis of recent sales or offerings of comparable investments or assets, and in our case, focused on comparing our business to a group of its peer companies. In applying this method, valuation multiples are derived from historical and forecasted operating data of the peer company group. We then apply the multiples to our operating data (i.e., revenue and EBITDA) to arrive at a range of indicated values of our Company.
At each valuation date, once the BEV for the business was determined, the equity value was allocated to each of our redeemable convertible preferred units, common units and common unit equivalents, using
one of the following methods: (1) the option pricing method ("OPM"); (2) a probability weighted expected return method ("PWERM"); or (3) the hybrid method, which is a hybrid between the OPM and PWERM methods.
The OPM treats common units and redeemable convertible preferred units as call options on a business, with exercise prices based on the liquidation preference of the redeemable convertible preferred units. Therefore, the common unit only has value if the funds available for distribution to the holders of common units exceed the value of the liquidation preference of the redeemable convertible preferred units at the time of a liquidity event, such as a merger, sale, or initial public offering, assuming the business has funds available to make a liquidation preference meaningful and collectible by unit holders. The common unit is modeled as a call option with a claim on the business at an
exercise price equal to the remaining value immediately after the redeemable convertible preferred units are liquidated.
The PWERM utilizes discrete future exit scenarios to determine the value of our equity units. For each of the various scenarios, an equity value is estimated and the rights and preferences for each unit holder class are considered to allocate the equity value to common units. The equity unit values are then multiplied by a discount factor reflecting the calculated discount rate and the timing of the event. Lastly, the equity unit value is multiplied by an estimated probability for each scenario. Our board of directors and management team evaluated the probability and timing of the discrete future exit scenarios at each valuation date.
Prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, factors used to determine the value of our equity units included:
•the prices at which others have purchased our redeemable convertible preferred units in arm's-length transactions;
•the rights, preferences and privileges of our redeemable convertible preferred units relative to those of our common units;
•our operating and financial performance;
•our estimates of future financial performance;
•lack of marketability of our equity units;
•the
valuation of comparable companies;
•the industry outlook;
•the likelihood and timing of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering or sale of our Company given prevailing market conditions;
•the U.S. and global economic and capital market conditions and outlook; and
•additional objective and subjective factors relating to our business.
On July 28, 2021, the Company entered into the Business Combination
Agreement to become a publicly traded company through a business combination with TPG Pace Solutions Corp., a special purpose acquisition company. The Business Combination Agreement provided management with a Company-specific indication of fair value of our equity units. This substantially reduced our need to rely on many of the subjective factors described above.
On December 6, 2021, the Company consummated the Reverse Recapitalization (see Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization to our consolidated financial statements), and the Company's Class A Common Stock began to trade publicly on December 7, 2021.
Effect
if Actual Results Differ from Assumptions
During fiscal year 2021, the valuation of our equity units impacted the following:
•The loss attributable to remeasurement of our redeemable convertible preferred units was $426.1 million during fiscal year 2021. These units were no longer remeasured at fair value subsequent to April 1, 2021. A 10% increase in the fair value of the redeemable convertible preferred units as of April 1, 2021 would have increased their remeasurement loss by $119.8 million.
•Remeasurement of our common unit warrant derivative liabilities was $11.5 million during fiscal year 2021. These warrants were
remeasured at fair value until the consummation of the Reverse Recapitalization on December 6, 2021. As of this date, the warrants were remeasured using the valuation indicated by the BCA. As such, there was not significant judgment or uncertainty in their remeasurement.
•Equity-based compensation expense was $27.0 million during fiscal year 2021. A greater degree of subjectivity was required to determine the grant-date fair value of equity-based compensation awards granted prior to the execution of the BCA. Awards granted during fiscal year 2021 prior to the execution of the BCA had a total grant-date fair value of $18.8 million. A 10% increase in the grant-date fair value of these awards would increase equity-based compensation expense by $0.4 million in 2021 and by $0.5 million annually during each full year remaining in
their vesting period.
JOBS Act Accounting Election
We meet the definition of an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 ("JOBS Act"), which permits us to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. As of January 1, 2022, we elected to irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements included under Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for a description of recently adopted accounting
pronouncements and recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risks
We are exposed to market risks in connection with our business, which primarily relate to inflation and fluctuations in interest rates.
Inflation Risk
In recent periods, inflation has increased
in the United States and other markets in which we operate. To date, we do not believe these increases have had a material impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition. The prospective impact of inflation on our business, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition is uncertain and will depend on future developments that we may not be able to accurately predict.
Interest Rate Fluctuation Risk
We are exposed to interest rate risk related primarily to our investment portfolio. Changes in interest rates affect the interest earned on our total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities and the fair value of those securities. Future borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility, if any, may also be susceptible to interest rate risk.
Our
cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of cash deposits and marketable securities. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes. Because our cash equivalents generally have short maturities, the fair value of our portfolio is relatively insensitive to interest rate fluctuations. Due to the short-term nature of our investments, we have not been exposed to, nor do we anticipate being exposed to, material risks due to changes in interest rates. A hypothetical 100 basis points increase or decrease in interest rates would not have had a material impact on our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023.
As we do not have any borrowing under our Revolving Credit Facility as of December 31, 2023, we are not currently exposed to the risk related to fluctuations in interest
rates to the extent the ABR exceeds the floor.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors
Vacasa, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Vacasa, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022,
the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss, cash flows, and equity (deficit) for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Change in Accounting
Principle
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for leases as of January 1, 2022 due to the adoption of Accounting Standard Update No. 2016-02 Leases (Topic 842), and related amendments.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United
States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting
but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Class
A Common Stock, par value $ii0.00001/, ii1,000,000,000/
shares authorized; ii12,730,577/ and ii11,819,511/
shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.(1)
i3
i2
Class
B Common Stock, par value $ii0.00001/, ii472,436,863/
shares authorized; ii9,340,553/ and ii9,872,261/
shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 respectively.(1)
i2
i2
Additional
paid-in capital
i1,372,618
i1,355,141
Accumulated
deficit
(i1,240,850)
(i942,147)
Accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss)
(i720)
i2
Total
equity
i131,053
i413,000
Total liabilities, temporary equity, and equity
$
i663,548
$
i1,305,584
(1)Common stock shares issued and outstanding have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split that occurred on October 2, 2023. Refer to Note 13 - Equity for additional information.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
Cost of revenue, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below
i519,651
i564,373
i440,753
Operations
and support
i245,706
i264,068
i186,984
Technology
and development
i60,800
i68,344
i48,709
Sales
and marketing
i212,269
i247,167
i187,904
General
and administrative
i81,612
i107,624
i88,835
Depreciation
i21,357
i21,706
i17,110
Amortization
of intangible assets
i56,890
i61,629
i44,163
Impairment
of long-lived assets
i46,000
i—
i—
Impairment
of goodwill
i411,000
i243,991
i—
Total
operating costs and expenses
i1,655,285
i1,578,902
i1,014,458
Loss
from operations
(i537,335)
(i390,952)
(i125,400)
Interest
income
i7,021
i1,991
i36
Interest
expense
(i2,447)
(i2,576)
(i31,723)
Other
income, net
i6,115
i60,410
i3,280
Loss
before income taxes
(i526,646)
(i331,127)
(i153,807)
Income
tax expense
(i1,586)
(i1,022)
(i784)
Net
loss
$
(i528,232)
$
(i332,149)
$
(i154,591)
Less:
Loss attributable to remeasurement of redeemable convertible preferred units
i—
i—
(i426,101)
Net
loss including remeasurement of redeemable convertible preferred units
(i528,232)
(i332,149)
(i580,692)
Less:
Net loss including remeasurement of redeemable convertible preferred units prior to Reverse Recapitalization
i—
i—
(i555,437)
Less:
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests
(i229,529)
(i154,251)
(i12,558)
Net
loss attributable to Class A Common Stockholders
$
(ii298,703/)
$
(ii177,898/)
$
(ii12,697/)
Net
loss per share of Class A Common Stock(1)(2):
Basic and diluted
$
(ii24.48/)
$
(ii15.92/)
(ii1.18/)
Weighted-average
shares of Class A Common Stock used to compute net loss per share(1)(2):
Basic and diluted
ii12,202/
ii11,171/
ii10,739/
(1)
Basic and diluted net loss per share of Class A Common Stock is applicable only for periods subsequent to December 6, 2021, which is the date of the Reverse Recapitalization (as defined in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization). Basic and diluted loss per share of Class A Common Stock for the year ended December 31, 2021 represents only the period of December 6, 2021 to December 31, 2022. See also Note 15, Net Loss Per Share.
(2) Weighted-average shares outstanding used in the computation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split that occurred
on October 2, 2023. Refer to Note 13 - Equity for additional information.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
(1)Common stock shares outstanding have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split that occurred on October 2, 2023. Refer to Note 13 - Equity for additional information.
(1)Common stock shares outstanding have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split that occurred on October 2, 2023. Refer to Note 13 — Equity for additional information.
(1)Common stock shares outstanding have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split that occurred on October 2, 2023. Refer to Note 13 — Equity for additional information.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
Vacasa, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") operate a vertically integrated vacation rental platform. Homeowners
utilize the Company’s technology and services to realize income from their rental assets. Guests from around the world utilize the Company’s technology and services to search for and book Company-listed properties in the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The Company collects nightly rent on behalf of homeowners and earns the majority of its revenue from commissions on rent and from additional reservation-related fees paid by guests when a vacation rental is booked directly through the Company’s website
or app or through its distribution partners. The Company conducts its business through Vacasa Holdings LLC ("Vacasa Holdings" or "OpCo") and its subsidiaries. The Company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
Vacasa, Inc. was incorporated on July 1, 2021, under the laws of the state of Delaware for the purpose of consummating the business combination (the "Business Combination") contemplated by that certain business combination agreement, dated as of July 28, 2021 (as amended, the "Business Combination Agreement"), by and
among TPG Pace Solutions Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company ("TPG Pace"), Vacasa Holdings, Turnkey Vacations, Inc. ("TK Newco"), certain Vacasa Holdings equity holders (together with TK Newco, the “Blockers”), the Company, and certain other parties. On December 6, 2021, the Company consummated the Business Combination, pursuant to which, among other things, TPG Pace merged with and into the Company, the separate corporate existence of TPG Pace ceased, and the Company became the surviving corporation. The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse
recapitalization (the "Reverse Recapitalization") in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). Under this method of accounting, Vacasa, Inc. has been treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes, with Vacasa Holdings considered to be the accounting acquirer. See Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization for more details.
Reverse Stock Split
On October 2, 2023, the Company completed a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of the Company's Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, and Class G Common
Stock (the "Reverse Stock Split"). All share and share-related information presented in these consolidated financial statements has been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to reflect the decreased number of shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split. See Note 13, Equity, for additional information.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned or majority-owned subsidiaries and entities in which the
Company is deemed to have a direct or indirect controlling financial interest based on either a variable interest model or voting interest model. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Pursuant to the Reverse Recapitalization, as described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization, the Company holds i12,730,577 units of Vacasa Holdings ("OpCo Units"), which represents
a i57.7% ownership interest as of December 31, 2023. The portion of the consolidated subsidiaries not owned by the Company and any related activity is eliminated through redeemable noncontrolling interests in the consolidated balance sheets and net income (loss) attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interests in the consolidated statements of operations. The consolidated financial
statements of Vacasa Holdings and its subsidiaries have been determined to be the predecessor for accounting and reporting purposes of the period prior to the Reverse Recapitalization.
The Company is an emerging growth company ("EGC"), as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the "JOBS Act"), which permits the Company to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. As of January 1, 2022, the
Company elected to irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period.
/
i
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses
during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in the consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, the useful lives of property and equipment and intangible assets, allowance for credit losses, valuation of assets acquired and
liabilities assumed in business acquisitions and related contingent consideration, valuation of warrants, valuation of Class G Common Stock, valuation of redeemable convertible preferred units, valuation of equity-based compensation, valuation
of goodwill, and valuation of long-lived assets. Actual results may differ materially from such estimates. Management believes that the estimates, and judgments upon which they rely, are reasonable based upon information available to them at the time that these estimates and judgments are made. To the extent that there are material differences between these estimates and actual results, the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be affected.
COVID-19 Impacts
COVID-19 and its variants have impacted the Company in a number of ways. Beginning at the end of the Company’s first quarter
of 2020, the Company experienced a significant decline in revenue resulting from a decrease in bookings and an increase in cancellations, which in turn impacted Nights Sold. In certain markets, vacation homes on the Company's platform and attractions within the local market were subject to shifting government mandates or guidance regarding COVID-19 restrictions. Due to the impact that the reduction in bookings initially had on its financial condition, $i108.1 million
of Senior Secured Convertible Notes ("D-1 Convertible Notes") were issued to provide for liquidity and fund other general corporate initiatives. In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization (see Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization), the D-1 Convertible Notes subsequently converted into equity interests in the Company and were no longer outstanding as of December 31, 2021.
i
Segments
Operating
segments are defined as components of an entity for which discrete financial information is available and is regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM") in deciding how to allocate resources to an individual segment and in assessing performance. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer is the Company's CODM. The CODM reviews financial information on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, allocating resources, and evaluating financial performance. As such, the Company has determined that it operates ione
reportable segment.
The majority of the Company's revenue is earned in the United States. The Company's revenue earned outside of the United States did not exceed 10% of total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, or 2021. Long-lived assets by geographical location is based on the location of the legal entity that owns the asset. As of December 31, 2023, the majority of the
Company's long-lived assets were located in the United States.
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Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
Cash includes demand deposits with banks and financial institutions, as well as cash in transit from payment processors. Cash equivalents includes short-term, highly liquid securities, including money market funds and term deposit investments with maturities of
90 days or less when purchased and their carrying amounts approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. The Company generally places its cash and cash equivalents and investments with major financial institutions deemed to be of high-credit-quality in order to limit its credit exposure. The Company maintains its cash accounts with financial institutions where, at times, deposits exceed federal insurance limits. Restricted cash primarily represents payments made by guests in advance of reservations that are required to be held in escrow accounts until the rescission period expires in accordance with U.S. state regulations.
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Accounts
Receivable, net
Accounts receivable, net primarily represents amounts owed by homeowners for reimbursable expenses incurred by the Company in accordance with the homeowner contract, amounts owed by third-party distribution partners acting as a merchant of record for guest stays that have commenced, amounts owed by community and homeowner associations for services provided, and amounts owed by the prior owners of acquired businesses managed under transition services agreements. The allowance for credit losses is estimated based on historical experience, aging of the receivable, the counterparty’s ability to pay, condition of general economy and industry, and other factors. The allowance for credit losses reflects the
Company’s best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. Accounts receivable deemed uncollectible are charged against the allowance for credit losses when identified.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s allowance for credit losses related to accounts receivable was $i11.7 million
and $i11.2 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the Company recognized credit loss expense of $i5.0
million, $i5.4 million, and $i4.7 million, respectively, which were recorded as a component of general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
Property and equipment are stated at cost or at fair value for assets acquired as part of a business combination. Costs of maintenance and repairs that do not improve or extend the useful lives of assets are expensed as incurred.
Property and equipment includes capitalized costs related to the development of the
Company’s technology platform, mobile apps, and marketplace. Software development costs related to software developed or modified solely to meet the Company’s internal requirements, with no substantive plans to market such software at the time of development, are capitalized during the application development stage of the project. Costs incurred during the preliminary planning and evaluation stage of the project and during the post implementation operational stage are expensed as incurred. Additionally, the Company capitalizes qualifying costs incurred for upgrades and enhancements that result in additional functionality to existing software. Depreciation of such costs begins when the project milestones are substantially complete and software is ready for its intended use.
Depreciation
of property and equipment is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Upon retirement or sale, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the consolidated balance sheet and the resulting gain or loss is recorded as a component of general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Gains and losses on disposal of assets were not material for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
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Intangible
Assets, net
The Company’s intangible assets consist primarily of acquired homeowner contracts, databases, photos and property listings, trade names, noncompete agreements, and other. Intangible assets are recorded at fair value as of the date of acquisition and are amortized on a straight-line basis over an estimated economic life ranging from one to iten years. The
Company reviews definite-lived intangible assets for impairment in accordance with its policy for long-lived assets.
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Impairment of Long-lived Assets
The Company evaluates its long-lived assets or asset groups for indicators of possible impairment by comparison of the carrying amount
to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by such asset or asset group and its eventual disposal when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. If the carrying amount of the long-lived asset is not recoverable on an undiscounted cash flow basis, impairment is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds its fair value. Fair value is determined primarily using the estimated cash flows discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk involved and based on assumptions representative of market participants. During the third quarter of 2023, the Company recorded long-lived asset impairment charges of $i46.0 million.
There were ino long-lived asset impairment charges recorded during 2022 and 2021. Refer to Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill, for additional information.
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Business
Combinations
In accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Company estimates the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date of each business combination. Any excess purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired is allocated to goodwill. Management makes certain estimates and assumptions when determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including intangible assets. Critical estimates in valuing certain intangible assets include but are not limited to future expected cash flows from homeowner contracts, databases, photos and property listings, and trade names, as well as discount rates. At the acquisition date, the
Company will also record acquisition related liabilities, if applicable, for any contingent consideration or deferred payments to the seller. Contingent consideration is recorded at fair value on the acquisition date based on the Company’s expectation of achieving the contractually defined homeowner contract conversion and retention targets. The fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities is remeasured each reporting period after the acquisition date and any changes in the estimated fair value are reflected as gains or losses in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statement of operations. The contingent consideration liabilities were $i8.0
million and $i22.3 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The deferred payments to sellers are recognized on the acquisition date at fair value by calculating the risk adjusted present value of the deferred cash payments to be made to the seller. The deferred payments to seller balances were $i8.3 million
and $i19.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Contingent consideration liabilities and deferred payments to sellers are recorded as a component of accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets based on the expected timing of settlement.
Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. Any changes to provisional amounts identified during the measurement period are recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Transaction costs associated with business combinations are expensed as incurred.
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Goodwill
Goodwill
represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired in a business combination. The Company has ione reporting unit which the Company tests for impairment on the first day of the fourth quarter, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment by
initially considering qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative analysis. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, a quantitative analysis is performed to identify goodwill impairment. The Company may elect to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to performing a quantitative analysis.
If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill is not impaired. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, a goodwill impairment loss is measured as the excess of the carrying amount
of the reporting unit over its fair value (not to exceed the reporting unit's total goodwill balance).
The Company recorded goodwill impairment charges of $i411.0 million and $i244.0
million during 2023 and 2022, respectively. There were ino goodwill impairment charges recorded during 2021. Refer to Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill, for additional information.
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Loss
Contingencies
The Company is subject to legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues for losses associated with legal claims when such losses are both probable and reasonably estimable. These accruals are adjusted as additional information becomes available or circumstances change.
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Leases
The
Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and all related amendments on January 1, 2022, on a modified retrospective basis. Under Topic 842, the Company determines if an arrangement is or contains a lease at inception. A contract is or contains a lease if it conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The lease term includes options to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option and when doing so is at the Company's
sole discretion. The Company has elected the short-term lease exception for all classes of assets, and therefore has not applied the recognition requirements of Topic 842 to leases of 12 months or less. The Company has also elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all classes of assets.
The Company’s classes of assets that are leased include real estate leases and equipment leases. Real estate leases typically pertain to the Company’s corporate office locations, field operation locations, or vacation properties whereby the
Company takes control of a third party’s property during the lease period for the purpose of renting the property on a short-term basis. Most of the Company’s leases are operating leases, and activities related to finance leases were not material for any of the periods presented.
The Company recognizes lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company’s lease agreements may contain variable costs such as common area maintenance, operating expenses or other costs. Variable lease costs are expensed as incurred on the consolidated statements of operations.
Operating
lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Operating lease liabilities represent the present value of lease payments not yet paid. Operating lease ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset and are based upon the operating lease liabilities adjusted for prepayments or accrued lease payments, initial direct costs, lease incentives, and impairment of operating lease assets. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of
lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate represents the rate of interest the Company would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment.
Subrental income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is included as a contra-expense within operations and support and general and administrative
in the consolidated statements of operations. Where the Company has entered into a sublease arrangement, the Company will evaluate the lease arrangement for impairment. To the extent an impairment of the right-of-use lease asset is recognized, the Company will recognize lease impairment and subsequently amortize the remaining lease asset on a straight-line basis over the remaining lease term within operations and support and general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company recorded right-of-use asset impairment charges of $i4.2
million during 2023. There were no right-of-use asset impairment charges recorded during 2022 or 2021. Refer to Note 5, Fair Value Measurements, for additional information.
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Fair Value
The Company measures certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis based on an expected exit price, which represents the amount that would be received on the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction
between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The accounting guidance for fair value measurements defines a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosures as follows:
Level 1 — Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
Level 2 — Inputs reflect quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the assets or liabilities; or inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data
by correlation or other means.
Level 3 — Unobservable inputs reflecting the Company’s own assumptions incorporated in valuation techniques used to determine fair value. These assumptions are required to be consistent with market participant assumptions that are reasonably available.
The carrying amounts of certain of the Company’s financial instruments, which include cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, net, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their fair values due to their short maturities.
Related
Party Transactions
On May 21, 2020, the Company issued Senior Secured Convertible Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $i108.1 million. The purchasers were existing holders of the Company’s issued and outstanding redeemable convertible preferred units.In connection with
the Reverse Recapitalization (see Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization), the D-1 Convertible Notes converted into equity interests in the Company and were no longer outstanding subsequent to December 6, 2021.
The Company had no other material related party transactions.
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company operates a vertically integrated vacation rental platform. The Company collects nightly rent on behalf of homeowners and earns the majority of its revenue from commissions on rent and from additional reservation-related fees paid by guests when a vacation rental is booked directly through the
Company’s website or app or through its distribution partners. The majority of the Company’s vacation homes under management are located in the United States. The Company considers both the homeowners and guests to be its customers.
The Company fulfills its obligations to its customers in various ways, depending on the nature of the contract. For all performance obligations, sales taxes are excluded from the transaction price.
Vacation
Rental Platform
Under the Company’s homeowner contracts, the Company generally acts as the exclusive agent on the homeowners’ behalf to perform an integrated agency service that consists of (a) acting as the vacation home letting agent and direct intermediary between the homeowner and the guest, (b) performing routine care of the vacation property during the stay and upon guest departure, (c) 24/7 contact center support for guests and homeowners as well as local operations support, and (d) performing
inspections, routine maintenance, minor repairs, and inventory management of required supplies of the property. The integrated agency service provided to homeowners represents a single distinct performance obligation.
The Company markets homes on its platform directly on vacasa.com and its guest app and via its third-party distribution partners. Upon confirmation of a vacation home booking by a guest, the Company, on behalf of a homeowner, agrees to provide use of the vacation home for a specified period of time. At the time of booking, the guest
agrees to pay the total booking value which is comprised of the nightly reservation rate, other reservation-related fees, and applicable sales taxes. The transaction price under the homeowner contracts represents variable consideration as the amount to which the Company is entitled depends on the total amount collected for each reservation. The uncertainty associated with the transaction price is generally resolved upon the booking, subject to estimates for cancellations and refunds. In accordance with the Company’s homeowner contracts, the
Company earns commission revenue for a portion of the nightly rate and the other reservation-related fees for the integrated agency and guest services rendered.
The total booking value is generally due prior to the commencement of the reservation. The total booking value collected in advance of the reservation is recorded on the balance sheets as funds payable to owners, hospitality and sales taxes payable and deferred revenue in the amount obligated to the homeowner, the taxing authority, and the Company, respectively.
While the guest primarily interacts with the Company as part of the booking process, the homeowner is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to
the guest, and as a result, the Company recognizes commission revenue net of the amount due to the homeowner under the contract. The performance obligation to provide the integrated agency services and guest services meets the criteria for recognition over time as the homeowner and guest simultaneously receive and consume the benefits from the services. The Company recognizes revenue for these services over the duration of each guest stay. The Company primarily remits payments to the homeowners for the portion of the total booking value obligated to the homeowner for completed guest stays on a monthly basis, except in certain
regulated markets in which a portion of the amount obligated to the homeowner is paid in advance.
In certain instances, the Company may offer a refund related to a completed stay. The Company accounts for these refunds as variable consideration, which results in a reduction to revenue.
In addition to providing the integrated agency services under the homeowner contract, the Company may also provide home care solutions directly to the homeowner, such as home maintenance and improvement services, linen
and towel supply programs, supplemental housekeeping services, and other related services, for a separately agreed upon fee. These services may be provided by Company personnel or by third-party contractors acting on the Company’s behalf. The Company recognizes this revenue on a gross basis as the Company is primarily responsible for providing these goods and services to the customer. These services represent distinct performance obligations provided to the homeowner as the Company's customer. Fees for home care solutions are generally charged on a monthly basis in accordance with the homeowner contract
and may be recognized at that point in time or over the duration of the service provided.
Other Services
In addition to providing vacation rental platform services, the Company provides management services to community associations and previously provided real estate buy/sell brokerage services. The purpose of these services is to attract and retain homeowners as customers of the Company’s vacation rental platform.
Under the community association management services, the Company provides common area vacation rental management,
community governance, and association accounting services to community and homeowner associations in exchange for a management fee and other incrementally billed services. The services represent an individual performance obligation in which the Company has determined it is primarily responsible. Revenue is recognized over time as services are rendered for the management fee and incrementally billed services are recognized at a point in time.
The Company completed the wind down of its separate real estate buy/sell brokerage services during 2023. Real estate commissions earned by the Company’s real estate brokerage business were recorded as revenue at
a point in time which is upon the closing of a real estate transaction (i.e., purchase or sale of a home). The commissions the Company paid to real estate agents was recognized concurrently with associated revenues and presented as cost of revenue in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company will continue to retain real estate brokerage licenses, where required, in order to facilitate its vacation rental management services.
Contract liability balances on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets consist of deferred revenue for amounts collected in advance of a guest stay, limited to the amount of the booking to which the Company expects to be entitled as revenue. The Company’s deferred revenue balances exclude funds payable to owners and hospitality and sales taxes payable, as those amounts will not result in revenue recognition. Deferred revenue is recognized into revenue over the period in which a guest completes a stay. Substantially all of the deferred revenue
balances at the end of each period are expected to be recognized as revenue within the subsequent 12 months.
Future Stay Credits
In the event a booked reservation made through our website or app is cancelled, the Company may offer a refund or a future stay credit up to the value of the booked reservation. Future stay credits are recognized upon issuance as a liability on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. Revenue from future stay credits is recognized when redeemed by guests, net of the portion of the booking attributable to funds payable to owners
and hospitality and sales taxes payable. The Company uses historical breakage rates to estimate the portion of future stay credits that will not be redeemed by guests and recognizes these amounts as breakage revenue in proportion to the expected pattern of redemption or upon expiration.
Future stay credits typically expire fifteen months from the date of issue. As part of the Company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, certain future stay credits issued during the first three quarters of 2020 were extended from their original expiration, and the first of these future stay credits began to expire during the first quarter of 2022. Prior to the first quarter of 2022, the
Company did not recognize breakage revenue associated with future stay credits. The Company determined that any estimate of breakage was fully constrained, primarily due to a lack of historical information to make the estimate since no future stay credits had yet reached their expiration date. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized breakage revenue of $i1.5 million.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized breakage revenue of $i16.0 million, of which $i11.1 million
related to expirations that occurred during the first quarter of 2022, and $i4.9 million related to actual and expected breakage associated with future stay credits expiring in later periods.
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The
table below presents the activity of the Company's future stay credit liability balance (in thousands):
The Company capitalizes certain costs it incurs to obtain new homeowner contracts when those costs are expected to be recovered through revenue generated from that contract. Capitalized amounts are amortized on a straight-line basis over the
estimated life of the customer through sales and marketing expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Costs to obtain a contract capitalized as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $i34.8 million and $i26.4
million, respectively, and were recorded as a component of prepaid expenses and other current assets and other long-term assets in the consolidated balance sheets. The amount of amortization recorded for the year ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 was $i8.7 million, $i5.5
million, and $i4.0 million, respectively.
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Cost of Revenue, Exclusive of Depreciation and Amortization
Cost of revenue, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, consists primarily of employee compensation
costs, which includes wages, benefits, and payroll taxes, and outside service costs for housekeeping, home maintenance, payment processing fees for merchant fees and chargebacks, laundry expenses, housekeeping supplies, as well as fixed rent payments on certain owner contracts.
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Operations and Support
Operations and support costs consist primarily of compensation costs, which includes wages, benefits, payroll taxes, and equity-based compensation, for employees that support
the Company's local operations teams in the field. Also included is the cost of call center customer support and the allocation of facilities and certain corporate costs.
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Technology and Development
Technology and development expenses consist primarily of compensation costs, which includes wages, benefits, payroll taxes, and equity-based compensation, for salaried employees and payments to contractors, net of capitalized expenses, engaged in the design, development, maintenance,
and testing of the Company's platform, including the Company's websites, mobile applications, and other products. Costs qualifying for capitalization are recorded as a reduction of the Company's technology and development expenses and are capitalized as internal-use software within property and equipment on the consolidated balance sheets. These assets are depreciated over their estimated useful lives and are reported in depreciation on the Company's consolidated statements of operations. Also included within
technology and development are information technology costs to support infrastructure, applications, and overall monitoring and security of networks, and other costs including for cloud, licensing, and maintenance.
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Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of compensation costs, which includes wages, sales commissions, benefits, payroll taxes, and equity-based compensation, the Company's sales force and marketing personnel, payments to distribution partners
for guest reservations, digital and mail-based advertising costs for homeowners, advertising costs for search engine marketing and other digital guest advertising, and brand marketing. The Company expenses advertising and other promotional expenditures as incurred. Advertising expenses were $i31.9 million, $i34.5
million, and $i38.7 million, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
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General
and Administrative
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of personnel-related compensation costs, including equity-based compensation, for administrative employees, including finance and accounting, human resources, communications, and legal, as well as general corporate and director and officer insurance. General and administrative costs also include professional services fees, including accounting, legal and consulting expenses, rent expense for corporate facilities and storage, office supplies, and travel and entertainment expenses.
Equity-Based Compensation
The Company measures all equity-based compensation awards based on their estimated fair values on the date of grant.
For awards with graded vesting features that contain only service conditions, the Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. For awards with graded vesting features that contain either market or performance conditions, the Company recognizes compensation expense over the requisite service period for each separately vesting tranche as though each tranche of the award is, in substance, a separate award. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur.
Equity-based compensation awards granted subsequent to the Reverse Recapitalization consist of restricted stock units ("RSUs"),
performance stock units ("PSUs"), and rights granted under the employee stock purchase plan ("ESPP"). The fair value of RSUs is measured based on the closing market price of the underlying stock on the date of grant. The fair value of PSUs is
based on certain market performance criteria and is measured using a Monte Carlo simulation pricing model. The fair value of employee stock purchase rights granted under the ESPP is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.
Equity-based
compensation awards granted prior to the Reverse Recapitalization consisted of stock appreciation rights ("SARs"), stock options, and employee equity units. The determination of the grant-date fair value of these awards utilized an option-pricing model that used the value of the Company's equity units on the date of grant, the expected term of the awards, volatility, risk-free interest rate, and discount for lack of marketability. The Company's computation of expected volatility was based on the historical volatility of selected comparable publicly traded companies over a period equal to the expected term of the award. The risk-free interest rate reflected the U.S. Treasury yield curve for a similar instrument with the same expected term in effect at the time of the grant. The value of the
Company's equity units was determined by first determining the business enterprise value ("BEV") of Vacasa Holdings and then allocating that equity fair value to Vacasa Holdings' redeemable convertible preferred units, common units, and common unit equivalents. The BEV was estimated primarily using a market approach, which measures the value of a business through an analysis of recent sales or offerings of comparable investments or assets and comparing a business to a group of its peer companies.
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Income Taxes
Vacasa, Inc. is a corporation and is subject to U.S. federal as
well as state income tax, including with respect to the income or loss allocated from its investment in Vacasa Holdings LLC. Vacasa Holdings LLC is taxed as a partnership (including the operations of many of its subsidiaries which are limited liability companies) for which the taxable income or loss is allocated to members.
Certain of the Vacasa Holdings LLC operating subsidiaries are considered taxable Corporations for U.S. or foreign income tax purposes. The Company and its taxable subsidiaries account for income taxes using the asset and liability
method which requires the recognition of deferred tax amounts for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements and tax carryforwards. Deferred income taxes are recognized by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The deferred tax effect of a change in tax rates is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company accounts for deferred taxes on investments in partnerships using an outside basis difference approach. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by a valuation allowance for any tax benefit for which the future realization is not more-likely-than-not based on an evaluation of all available positive and negative evidence.
The
tax benefit of an uncertain tax position is recognized only if it is more likely than not to be sustained based solely on its technical merits as of the reporting date. For those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authorities. The Company recognizes future accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense and in tax related liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.
Tax Receivable Agreement
In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization, as described
in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization, the Company entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement with certain legacy Vacasa Holdings OpCo unitholders ("Existing VH Holders" or "TRA Parties") that provides for the payment by the Company to such TRA Parties (or their transferees or assignees) of i85% of the net cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise
tax that the Company realizes (determined by using certain assumptions) in periods after the Reverse Recapitalization as a result of (i) certain increases in tax basis that occur as a result of (A) any acquisition of OpCo Units from certain Existing VH Holders in the Reverse Recapitalization, (B) future exercises of the redemption rights under the OpCo LLC Agreement (the "Redemption Rights") by certain holders of OpCo Units to exchange their OpCo Units for shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company or cash at the Company’s election, and (C) payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement; (ii) any net operating losses or certain other tax attributes that become available to the
Company to offset income or gain realized after the Blocker Mergers; (iii) any existing tax basis associated with Reference Assets (e.g., tangible and intangible assets other than cash, cash equivalents, receivables, inventory, deferred revenue, and prepaid amounts) of OpCo or its subsidiaries, the benefit of which is allocable to the Company as a result of the exchanges of OpCo Units for Class A Common Stock of the Company or cash; and (iv) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed to be paid by the Company as a result of any payments that the
Company makes under the Tax Receivable Agreement.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company has concluded, based on applicable accounting standards, that it was not probable that a TRA liability would be incurred. Accordingly, the Company has not recorded a liability related to the tax savings it may realize from utilization of the tax attributes subject to the TRA. If utilization of such tax attributes becomes probable in the future, the
Company will record a liability related to the TRA, which will be recognized as expense within the consolidated statements of operations.
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
Redeemable noncontrolling interest includes the economic interest of Vacasa Holdings OpCo Units not owned by the Company. Redeemable noncontrolling interests are initially recorded at the transaction price which is equal to their fair value, and the amount is subsequently adjusted for the proportionate share of earnings and other comprehensive income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interests
and any dividends or distributions paid to the redeemable noncontrolling interests.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company directly owned approximately i57.7% of the interest in Vacasa Holdings, and the redeemable noncontrolling interest was i42.3%.
As a result of the Reverse Recapitalization, as described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization, the redeemable noncontrolling interest relates to the economic interests in Vacasa Holdings held by certain Existing VH Holders. These economic interests are held in the form of Vacasa Holdings OpCo Units and an equivalent number of shares of the Company's Class B Common Stock that can be redeemed at the Company's election for shares of Class A Common Stock or cash in an amount equal to the fair market value of Class A Common Stock. Due to the cash redemption and the Existing VH Holders controlling the Board of Directors of the Company, the
Company has accounted for the redeemable noncontrolling interest as temporary equity.
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Foreign Currencies
The Company’s reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. Operations in the Company’s subsidiaries outside the United States ("U.S.") are recorded
in the functional currency of each subsidiary which is determined by a review of the environment where each subsidiary primarily generates and expends cash. The results of operations for the Company’s foreign subsidiaries outside the U.S. are translated from functional currencies into U.S. dollars using the weighted average currency rate for the period. Assets and liabilities are translated using the period end exchange rates. The U.S. dollar effects that arise from translating the net assets of these subsidiaries are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss).
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Accounting
Pronouncements Adopted in Fiscal 2023
In September 2022, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2022-04, requiring enhanced disclosures related to supplier financing programs. The ASU requires disclosure of the key terms of the program and a rollforward of the related obligation during the annual period, including the amount of obligations confirmed and obligations subsequently paid. The new disclosure requirements became effective for the Company on January 1, 2023, except for the rollforward requirement, which will be effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2024.
The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements and related disclosures.
Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, that modifies the disclosure and presentation requirements of reportable segments. The new guidance requires the disclosure of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the CODM and included within each reported measure of segment profit and loss. In addition, the new guidance enhances interim disclosure requirements, clarifies circumstances in which an entity can disclose multiple segment measures of profit or loss, provides
new segment disclosure requirements for entities with a single reportable segment, and contains other disclosure requirements. The update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on our consolidated financial statement disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, to improve its income tax disclosure requirements. Under the new guidance, public business entities must annually (1) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (2) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet
a quantitative threshold (if the effect of those reconciling items is equal to or greater than 5% of the amount computed by multiplying pretax income (loss) by the applicable statutory income tax rate). The new guidance is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on our consolidated financial statement disclosures.
On
December 6, 2021 (the "Closing Date"), the Company consummated the Business Combination contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, by and among TPG Pace, Vacasa Holdings, the Blockers, the Company, and certain other parties pursuant to which, among other things, TPG Pace merged with and into the Company, following which the separate corporate existence of TPG Pace ceased, and the Company became the surviving corporation.
At the Closing Date, TPG Pace, the
Company and Vacasa Holdings, completed the following transactions ("Reverse Recapitalization"):
•a series of secured convertible notes of Vacasa Holdings converted into a series of preferred units of Vacasa Holdings and all outstanding warrants to purchase equity interests in Vacasa Holdings were exercised in accordance with their terms;
•a restructuring was completed such that, after giving effect to that restructuring, the Blockers directly held equity interests in Vacasa Holdings;
•Vacasa Holdings recapitalized its outstanding equity interests into OpCo Units (subject to substantially the same terms and conditions, including applicable vesting requirements) and certain
other rights to acquire equity interests (the "Vacasa Holdings Recapitalization");
•at the effective time of the Domestication Merger: (a) each then issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share, par value $i0.0001
per share, of TPG Pace converted automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of Class A common stock, par value $i0.00001 per share (Class A Common Stock), of the Company; (b) each then issued and outstanding Class F ordinary share, par value $i0.0001
per share (Class F Ordinary Shares), of TPG Pace converted automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of Class F common stock, par value $i0.00001 per share (Class F Common Stock), of the Company, which shares of Class F Common Stock were thereafter converted into shares of Class A Common Stock in accordance with the Company's amended and restated articles
of incorporation; (c) each then issued and outstanding Class G ordinary share, par value $i0.0001 per share (Class G Ordinary Shares), of TPG Pace converted automatically, on a ione-for-one basis, into a share of Class G Common Stock, par
value $i0.00001 per share (Class G Common Stock), of the Company; and (d) the shares of common stock of the Company held by Vacasa Holdings were cancelled;
•certain investors (the "PIPE Investors") purchased, and the Company issued and sold to such PIPE Investors,
an aggregate of i8,157,896 shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to and as set forth in the subscription agreements against payment by such PIPE Investors of the respective amounts set forth therein;
•certain investors (the "FPA Investors") purchased, and the Company issued and sold to such FPA Investors, an aggregate of i12,763,688
shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to and as set forth in the Forward Purchase Agreements against payment by such FPA Investors of the respective amounts set forth therein;
•through a series of separate merger transactions, the Blockers merged with and into the Company, with the Company ultimately surviving such merger transactions and owning the interests in Vacasa Holdings previously owned by the Blockers (the "Blocker Mergers");
•in connection with the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the
Company contributed its net assets (other than the OpCo Units it then held) to Vacasa Holdings in exchange for additional OpCo Units, such that the Company will hold a number of OpCo Units equal to the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock; and
•in connection with the Vacasa Holdings Recapitalization and the Blocker Mergers, as applicable: (a) the Company sold a number of shares of its Class B Common Stock, par value $i0.00001
per share, to each Existing VH Holder on a i1:1 basis for an amount per share equal to the par value thereof, (b) each Vacasa Holdings unit appreciation right award that was then outstanding, whether vested or unvested, was converted into a stock appreciation right award ("SAR Award") covering a number of shares of Class A Common Stock determined by application of the exchange ratio
agreed pursuant to an allocation schedule to the Business Combination Agreement (which exchange ratio was also applied to adjust the per share exercise price of the SAR Award), (c) each option to purchase TK Newco stock that was then outstanding, whether vested or unvested, converted into an option to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock ("Option"), determined by application of the exchange ratio agreed pursuant to an allocation schedule to the Business Combination Agreement (which exchange ratio was also applied to adjust the per share exercise price of the Option), (d) by virtue of each Blocker Merger, the outstanding equity interests in the applicable Blocker converted into the right to receive shares of Class A Common Stock or other equity interests,
and certain rights as set forth in the Tax Receivable Agreement, (e) the Company issued an aggregate of i173,898,818 shares of Class A Common Stock to the former holders of equity interests in the Blockers (the "Blocker Holders") as consideration in the Blocker Mergers and (f) the Company issued an aggregate of i1,699,921
shares of Class A Common Stock to certain Existing VH Holders upon the redemption by the Existing VH Holders of an equivalent number of OpCo Units and the cancellation by the Company of a corresponding number of Class B Common Stock.
The Reverse Recapitalization was accomplished through an umbrella partnership corporation ("Up-C") structure, which is often used by partnerships and limited liability companies (operating as partnerships) undertaking an initial public offering. The Up-C structure allowed Existing VH Holders to retain their equity interests in Vacasa Holdings, an entity that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes, and provides potential tax benefits for the Company when Existing
VH Holders ultimately redeem their pass-through interests for shares of Class A Common Stock or cash in the Company as a result of the Tax Receivable Agreement (the "Tax Receivable Agreement"). Under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement, i85% of these potential future tax benefits realized by the Company as a result of such redemptions will be paid to certain Existing VH Holders or TRA Parties. For additional information,
see Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies.
As a result of the Reverse Recapitalization, as of December 6, 2021:
•the Company is a holding company that has no other material assets other than its ownership in Vacasa Holdings and its indirect interests in the subsidiaries of Vacasa Holdings and has no independent means of generating revenue or cash flows;
•Vacasa Holdings, as a result of the contribution by the
Company, received proceeds of $i302.6 million, which included (i) cash of $i144.0 million that was held in TPG Pace's trust account from its initial public offering
and TPG Pace's operating cash account, after giving effect to redemptions of TPG Pace's Class A ordinary shares held by TPG Pace's public shareholders prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, (ii) proceeds of $i77.5 million from the PIPE Financing, (iii) proceeds of $i122.5
million from the FPA financing, and (iv) the payment of underwriting commissions, advisory fees, and other transaction costs paid directly from proceeds of $i41.4 million. Vacasa Holdings used the cash proceeds to (i) pay additional transaction fees and expenses of $i7.9 million,
and (ii) the remainder of the funds were contributed to Vacasa Holdings balance sheet;
•the Company had the following securities outstanding: (i) i214,793,795 shares of Class A Common Stock, (ii) i212,393,793
shares of Class B Common Stock held by certain Existing VH Holders and (iii) i8,226,848 shares of Class G Common Stock which are convertible into shares of Class A Common Stock upon the occurrence of certain triggering events set for in the A&R certificate (see Note 13, Equity for more information);
•the holders of Vacasa Holdings equity prior to the Business Combination (including for this purpose the Blocker Holders with respect to their indirect interest in Vacasa Holdings equity and the
holders of vested SAR Awards and vested Options) own i175,598,739 shares of Class A Common Stock and i212,393,793 shares of Class B Common Stock, representing approximately i90.8%
of the combined voting power of the Company’s Voting Shares. The Existing VH Holders that own the Class B Common Stock hold an equal number of OpCo Units of Vacasa Holdings which are redeemable on a ione-for-one basis for shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company or the cash equivalent thereof at the option of the Company. Upon redemption
of the OpCo Units and Class B Common Stock, all redeemed shares of Class B Common Stock will be cancelled. The Class B Common Stock has voting rights and has no economic rights in the Company. The shares of Class B Common Stock are held by the Existing VH Holders and cannot be transferred except to the Company;
•Public stockholders of the Company including certain Existing VH Holders (i) own i214,793,795
shares of Class A Common Stock, which represents i50.3% of the combined voting power of the Company and i100% of the economic interest in the
Company and (ii) through the Company's ownership of i214,793,795 OpCo Units, indirectly holds i50.3% of the economic interest in Vacasa Holdings. The
Company is the sole manager of Vacasa Holdings; and
•Financial results of Vacasa Holdings and its wholly owned subsidiaries are consolidated with and into the Company following the Reverse Recapitalization transaction on December 6, 2021, and i49.7%
of the consolidated net earnings
(loss) of Vacasa Holdings are allocated to redeemable noncontrolling interests to reflect the entitlement or absorption of the Existing VH Holders, who retained their interest in Vacasa Holdings, to a portion of the consolidated net income (loss).
The Business Combination was accounted for as a Reverse Recapitalization in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Under this method of accounting, the
Company has been treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes, with Vacasa Holdings considered to be the accounting acquirer. This determination was primarily based on the Existing VH Holders comprising a relative majority of the voting power of the combined company, Vacasa Holdings’ operations prior to the acquisition comprising the only ongoing operations of Vacasa, Inc., and Vacasa Holdings’ senior management comprising a majority of the senior management of Vacasa, Inc. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of the combined entity represent a continuation of the financial statements of Vacasa Holdings, with the Business Combination being treated as the equivalent of Vacasa Holdings issuing stock for the net assets of Vacasa, Inc. accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of the Company were stated at historical costs,
with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.
Transaction Costs
In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization, in addition to the transaction costs paid directly from proceeds of $i41.4 million, Vacasa Holdings incurred transaction costs of $i0.7
million that were reported as general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations during the year ended December 31, 2021, and $i8.4 million that were reported as a reduction of Additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2021. Reverse Recapitalization costs incurred but unpaid as of December 31, 2021 were not material.
The Company has acquired vacation rental properties on its platform through individual additions, as well as through portfolio and strategic acquisitions, where the
Company acquires and onboards multiple homes in a single transaction. Portfolio and strategic acquisitions are generally accounted for as business combinations. The goodwill resulting from portfolio and strategic acquisitions arises largely from synergies expected from combining the operations of the businesses acquired with the Company's existing operations and from benefits derived from gaining the related assembled workforce.
Fiscal 2023
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company completed ione
portfolio acquisition with total consideration of $i0.3 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded measurement period adjustments related to certain portfolio acquisitions that occurred in prior periods. The impact of the measurement period adjustments resulted in a decrease in goodwill of $i2.5
million and an increase in intangible assets of $i2.4 million. The remaining changes in acquired assets and assumed liabilities were not material.
Fiscal 2022
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company completed
i32 separate portfolio transactions, accounted for as business combinations. Total consideration for these portfolio transactions was $i104.5 million, comprised
of $i87.4 million cash paid, net of cash and restricted cash acquired, $i12.5 million of contingent consideration, and $i4.6
million of deferred payments to sellers. The fair value of the contingent consideration was estimated utilizing an income approach and was based on the Company's expectation of achieving the contractually defined homeowner contract conversion and retention targets. The fair value of the deferred payments to sellers recognized on the transaction date was estimated by calculating the risk adjusted present value of the deferred cash payments. The fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were based on the Company's estimates and assumptions using various market, income, and cost valuation approaches. Of the total consideration for these portfolio transactions, $i69.4
million was attributable to goodwill, $i59.0 million was attributable to intangible assets, $i55.3
million was attributable to receivables, $i74.0 million was attributable to liabilities for advanced deposits received from guests (consisting of funds payable to owners, hospitality and sales taxes payable, deferred revenues, and future stay credits), $i6.9
million was attributable to accounts payable, and the remaining amount was attributable to other acquired assets and assumed liabilities which were not material. The intangible assets primarily consist of homeowner contracts intangible assets amortized over ifive years. Pro forma and historical post-closing results of operations for these transactions were not material to the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Transaction
costs associated with business combinations completed during the year ended December 31, 2022 were not material and were expensed as incurred.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded measurement period adjustments related to the TurnKey Vacation Rentals, Inc. ("TurnKey") acquisition and
certain portfolio transactions that occurred in prior periods. The impact of the measurement period adjustments was an increase in goodwill of $i5.7 million, an increase in intangible assets of $i1.3
million, and an increase in liabilities for advanced deposits received from guests (consisting of funds payable to owners, hospitality and sales taxes payable, deferred revenues, and future stay credits) of $i8.7 million. The remaining changes in purchase consideration, acquired assets, and assumed liabilities were not material.
Fiscal 2021
On
April 1, 2021, the Company completed its strategic acquisition of the operations of TurnKey, a provider of vacation rental management and marketing services for residential real estate owners in the U.S. The acquisition of the operations of TurnKey expands the Company's footprint of vacation properties under management in current and adjacent markets. In accordance with the contribution agreement, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding equity interests of Turnkey Vacation Rentals LLC, which comprised of all the historical operations of Turnkey. iThe
equity interests were acquired for total purchase consideration of $i618.8 million which was comprised of the following (in thousands):/
Fair Value
Cash
consideration paid
$
i45,000
Issuance of common units
i573,800
Total
purchase consideration
$
i618,800
The acquisition was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. The fair values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were based on the Company's estimates and assumptions using various market, income, and cost valuation approaches. iThe
following table summarizes the allocation of fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the transaction (in thousands):
Goodwill
is primarily attributable to the assembled workforce and anticipated synergies and economies of scale expected from the integration of the acquired business. The goodwill balance is not deductible for U.S. income tax purposes. Third-party acquisition costs were $i7.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. These costs were expensed as incurred as a component of general and administrative expense in the consolidated statement of operations. The
Company’s consolidated financial statements include the accounts of TurnKey starting as of the acquisition date.
The purchase price allocation for the TurnKey acquisition was finalized as of March 31, 2022.
Unaudited Supplemental Pro Forma Information
The pro forma financial information as presented below is for informational purposes only and is not indicative of operations that would have been achieved from the TurnKey acquisition had it occurred at the beginning of fiscal 2020. iSupplemental
information on an unaudited pro forma basis is as follows (in thousands):
The unaudited pro forma supplemental amounts have been calculated to reflect additional depreciation and amortization expense that would have been charged assuming the fair value adjustments to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities had been applied from the beginning of fiscal 2020, with the related tax effects.
Other Transactions
In
addition to the TurnKey acquisition in fiscal 2021, the Company completed i29 separate portfolio transactions, accounted for as business combinations, for total consideration of $i175.7
million, comprised of $i107.8 million cash paid, net of cash and restricted cash acquired, $i42.2 million of contingent consideration, and $i25.7
million of deferred payments to sellers. The fair value of the contingent consideration was estimated utilizing an income approach and was based on the Company's expectation of achieving the contractually defined homeowner contract conversion and retention targets. The fair value of the deferred payments to seller recognized on the transaction date was estimated by calculating the risk adjusted present value of the deferred cash payments. The fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were based on the Company's estimates and assumptions using various market, income, and cost valuation approaches. Of the total consideration for these transactions, $i123.5
million was attributable to goodwill, $i75.7 million was attributable to intangible assets, net, $i75.0
million was attributable to accounts receivable, net, $i103.2 million was attributable to liabilities for advanced deposits received from guests (consisting of funds payable to owners, hospitality and sales taxes payable, deferred revenues, and future stay credits) and the remaining amount was attributable to other acquired assets and assumed liabilities which were not material. The intangible assets primarily consist of homeowner contracts
intangible assets amortized over four to ifive years. Pro forma and historical post-closing results of operations for these transactions were not material to the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Transaction costs associated with these other business combinations completed as of December 31, 2021 were not material and were expensed as incurred.
The
carrying amounts of certain financial instruments, including cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, and accounts payable, approximate fair value due to their short-term maturities and are excluded from the fair value tables above.
Level 3 instruments consist of contingent consideration obligations related to acquired businesses and the liabilities for contingent earnout share consideration represented by the Company's Class G Common Stock.
Contingent Consideration
The contingent consideration obligations are recorded in accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other long-term liabilities on theconsolidated balance sheets. The
fair value of the contingent consideration is estimated utilizing an income approach and based on the Company's expectation of achieving the contractually defined homeowner contract conversion and retention targets at the acquisition date. The Company assesses the fair value of these obligations at each reporting date thereafter with any changes reflected as gains and losses in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. The charges for changes in fair value of the contingent consideration were not material for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021,
respectively.
Class G Common Stock
The contingent earnout share consideration represented by the Company's Class G Common Stock is recorded in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of the Class G Common Stock is estimated on a recurring basis using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The fair value is based on the simulated stock price of the Company over the remaining term of the shares. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Class G Common Stock is automatically converted to Class A shares at certain conversion ratios
upon the occurrence of their respective triggering events. Inputs used to determine the estimated fair value of the Class G Common Stock include the remaining contractual term of the shares, the risk-free rate, the volatility of comparable companies over the remaining term, and the price of the Company's Class A Common Stock. The Company assesses the fair value of the Class G Common Stock at each reporting date with any changes reflected within other income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 13, Equity for further information.
The following table summarizes the changes in the Company's Class G Common Stock measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (in thousands):
iChange
in fair value of Class G Common Stock included in earnings
(i4,571)
(i56,437)
(i14,346)
Balance,
end of period
$
i506
$
i5,077
$
i61,514
(1)
The Class G Common Stock was initially recorded on December 6, 2021 in connection with the Reverse Recapitalization described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization.
/
Warrant Derivative Liabilities
Prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, the Company had certain common unit and Series A preferred unit warrants that were measured at fair value upon issuance and each reporting period thereafter. For the year ended December 31, 2021,
other expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations associated with the change in fair value of these warrants was $i11.5 million. Immediately prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, all remaining warrants were exercised and were no longer outstanding subsequent to December 6, 2021.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
During
the third quarter of 2023, the Company recorded long-lived asset impairment charges of $i46.0 million. The fair value estimate of the Company's homeowner contract assets was classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy due to the significance of unobservable inputs developed using company-specific information. For more
information on the impairment of long-lived assets, refer to Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill.
Impairment of Goodwill
During the third quarter of 2023, the Company recorded goodwill impairment charges of $i411.0 million. During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company recorded
goodwill impairment charges of $i244.0 million. The fair value estimate of the Company's single reporting unit was classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy due to the significance of unobservable inputs developed using company-specific information. For more information on the impairment of goodwill, refer to Note 7, Intangible Assets, Net and Goodwill.
Impairment of Right-of-Use Assets
The
Company tests long-lived assets for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances suggest that the carrying value of an asset or group of assets may not be recoverable. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company took substantive action to negotiate certain sublease agreements for portions of the Company's leased corporate office space in Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho. Based on these sublease negotiations, the Company determined that the respective right-of-use assets had net carrying values that exceeded their estimated undiscounted future cash flows. The
Company then estimated the fair value of the asset groups based on their discounted cash flows. The carrying values of the asset groups exceeded their estimated fair values and, as a result, the Company recorded right-of-use asset impairments of $i4.2 million. The impairment charges are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended June 30, 2023, the
Company executed the sublease agreements for portions of the Company's leased corporate office space in Portland, Oregon. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company executed the sublease agreement for a portion of the Company's leased corporate office space in Boise, Idaho. There were no material changes to the final sublease agreements and, therefore, no incremental impairment charges were recorded.
(1)
The goodwill balance as of December 31, 2022 is net of accumulated impairment losses of $i244.0 million that were recorded to the Company's single reporting unit during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. The goodwill balance as of December 31, 2023 is net of accumulated impairment losses of $i655.1
million that were recorded to the Company's single reporting unit during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 and the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
/
Impairment
During 2023, the Company experienced a sustained decline in share price that pushed its market capitalization below the carrying value of its stockholders’ equity. Further, the Company saw a significant decline in Gross Booking Value ("GBV") during the third quarter of 2023. Based on these factors, the
Company concluded the events and changes in circumstances indicated an impairment may exist (the "triggering event") and conducted quantitative impairment assessments of long-lived assets and goodwill as of September 30, 2023.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
The Company evaluates its long-lived assets or asset groups for indicators of possible impairment by comparison of the carrying amount to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by such asset or asset group and its eventual disposal (the "recoverability test") when there is a triggering event. The Company determined its long-lived assets
represent one asset group for purposes of long-lived asset impairment. Based on the results of the recoverability test, the Company concluded the carrying value of the single asset group was not recoverable. To allocate and recognize the impairment charge, the Company determined the individual fair value of the long-lived assets.
The carrying value of the Company's homeowner contracts exceeded the fair value, resulting in a long-lived asset impairment charge of $i46.0 million.
No impairment was recognized on the remaining long-lived assets as their carrying values did not exceed their fair values. The Company estimated the fair value of the homeowner contracts based on the present value of estimated future cash flows, which the Company considers to be a Level 3 unobservable input in the fair value hierarchy. The Company prepared cash flow projections based on management's estimates of revenue growth rates and operating margins, taking into consideration the historical performance and the current macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions. The
Company based the discount rate on the weighted-average cost of capital considering Company-specific characteristics and changes in the reporting unit's projected cash flows.
The Company reviews goodwill for impairment annually, as of the first day of the fourth quarter, and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances
indicate an impairment may exist. Based on the triggering event identified above, the Company conducted a quantitative goodwill impairment assessment as of September 30, 2023. The goodwill impairment assessment resulted in goodwill impairment charges of $i411.0 million. The fair value estimate of the Company's single reporting unit was derived from a combination of an income approach and a market approach.
Under the income approach, the Company estimated the fair value of the reporting unit based on the present value of estimated future cash flows, which the Company considers to be a Level 3 unobservable input in the fair value hierarchy. The Company prepared cash flow projections based on management's estimates of revenue growth rates and operating margins, taking into consideration the historical performance and the current macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions. The Company based the discount rate on the weighted-average cost of capital considering Company-specific characteristics and changes in the reporting unit's
projected cash flows. Under the market approach, the Company estimated the fair value of the reporting unit based on revenue market multiples derived from comparable publicly traded companies with similar characteristics as the reporting unit, as well as an estimated control premium.
Potential indicators of impairment include significant changes in performance relative to expected operating results, significant negative industry or economic trends, or a significant decline in the Company's stock price and/or market capitalization for a sustained period of time. It is reasonably possible that one or more impairment indicators could occur or intensify in the near term, which may result in further impairment of long-lived assets or goodwill.
The Company's material operating leases consist of certain corporate and field office facilities with remaining lease terms ranging from one to isix
years. Some of the Company's operating leases contain renewal options with varying terms and conditions. The lease term includes renewal options only when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. As of December 31, 2023, finance lease contracts were not material.
Since the rates implicit in the Company's operating leases are not readily determinable, the Company uses its incremental borrowing
rates based on the remaining lease term to determine the present value of future lease payments. The Company's incremental borrowing rate for a lease is the rate of interest it would have to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments under similar terms.
i
The components of lease cost for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in thousands):
Of
the total lease cost recorded for the year ended December 31, 2023, $i3.4 million was recorded in cost of revenue, $i14.3 million was recorded in operations and support, and $i4.9
million was recorded in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
Of the total lease cost recorded for the year ended December 31, 2022, $i4.6 million was recorded in cost of revenue, $i13.7
million was recorded in operations and support, and $i6.1 million was recorded in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
(1)
Current maturities of debt are recorded within accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Insurance Premium Financing
The Company has entered into short-term agreements to finance certain insurance premiums. The outstanding balance of $i3.3 million as of December 31, 2023 is repayable in
monthly installments of principal and interest through September 2024, at a weighted-average annual percentage rate ofi8.99%.
Revolving Credit Facility
In October 2021, the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary (the "Borrower") and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Guarantors")
entered into a credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and the other lenders party thereto from time to time.
The credit agreement, as subsequently amended in December 2021 and June 2023 (as amended, the "Credit Agreement"; capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are used as defined in the Credit Agreement), provides for a senior secured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $i105.0 million ("Revolving Credit Facility"). The Revolving Credit Facility
includes a sub-facility for letters of credit in aggregate face amount of $i40.0 million, which reduces borrowing availability under the Revolving Credit Facility. Proceeds may be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The June 2023 amendment modified the Credit Agreement to replace the LIBOR-based reference rate options with Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") based reference rate options. Subsequent to the amendment, any borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility are subject to interest, determined as follows:
•Alternate Base Rate ("ABR") borrowings accrue interest at a rate per annum equal to the ABR plus a margin of i1.50%.
The ABR is equal to the greatest of (i) the Prime Rate, (ii) the New York Federal Reserve Bank Rate plus i0.50%, and (iii) the Adjusted Term SOFR for a one-month interest period plus i1.00%.
•Term
SOFR borrowings accrue interest at a rate per annum equal to the Adjusted Term SOFR plus a margin of i2.50%. Adjusted Term SOFR means, for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum equal to the Term SOFR for such Interest Period.
Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility do not amortize and are due and payable on October 7, 2026. Amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility may be voluntarily prepaid at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part, without premium or penalty.
In addition to paying interest on the principal amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility, the Company is required to pay a commitment fee on unused amounts at a rate of i0.25% per annum. The Company is also required to pay customary letter of credit and agency fees.
The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things and subject to certain exceptions, restrict the ability
of the Borrower and its restricted subsidiaries to:
•create, incur, assume or permit to exist any debt or liens;
•merge into or consolidate or amalgamate with any other person, or permit any other person to merge into or consolidate with it, or liquidate or dissolve;
•make or hold certain investments;
•sell, transfer, lease, license or otherwise dispose of its assets, including equity interests (and, in the case of restricted subsidiaries, the issuance of additional equity interests);
•pay
dividends or make certain other restricted payments;
•substantively alter the character of the business of the Borrower and its restricted subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and
•sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its affiliates.
In addition, beginning on June 30, 2022, the Borrower and its restricted subsidiaries are required to maintain a minimum amount of consolidated revenue, measured on a trailing
four-quarter basis, as of the last date of each fiscal quarter, provided that such covenant will only apply if, on such date, the aggregate principal amount of outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and letters of credit (excluding undrawn amounts under any letters of credit in an aggregate face amount of up to $i20.0 million and letters of credit that have been cash collateralized) exceeds i35%
of the then-outstanding revolving commitments. The Borrower is also required to maintain liquidity of at least $i15.0 million as of the last date of each fiscal quarter beginning on June 30, 2022.
The obligations of the Borrower and the certain guarantor subsidiaries ("Guarantors") are secured by first-priority liens on substantially all of the assets
of the Borrower and the Guarantors. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2023, there were letters of credit of $i23.4 million issued under the Revolving Credit Facility, and $i81.6
million was available for borrowings. As of December 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with all covenants under the Credit Agreement.
Senior Secured Convertible Notes
On May 21, 2020, the Company issued $i108.1
million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured convertible notes ("D-1 Convertible Notes") pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement ("Purchase Agreement"), dated May 21, 2020. The total net proceeds from the D-1 Convertible Notes offering, after deducting debt issuance costs paid by the Company, was $i105.9 million. The proceeds of the D-1 Convertible Notes were used to enhance the
Company's liquidity position and for general corporate purposes. The notes were to mature on June 20, 2023, but were converted into approximately i140,392,925 Series D-1 preferred units of Vacasa Holdings immediately prior to the consummation of the Reverse Recapitalization on December 6, 2021 (see Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization). In connection with the conversion, the
Company recorded incremental interest expense of $i19.6 million in the consolidated statement of operations during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, the D-1 Convertible Notes accrued cash interest daily at i3%
per annum, payable annually in arrears on the anniversary date of the initial closing date. Additionally, the D-1 Convertible Notes accrued payment in kind interest fees ("PIK interest") equal to i7% per annum, which was capitalized by adding the full amount of PIK interest to the principal balance on each anniversary date of the initial closing.
Income tax expense (benefit) at federal statutory rate
i21
%
i21
%
i21
%
Increase
(decrease) in tax rate resulting from:
Effect of flow-through entity
i—
%
i—
%
(i17)
%
Noncontrolling
Interest
(i9)
%
(i9)
%
(i2)
%
Fair
Value Adjustment for Class G Common Stock
i—
%
i—
%
i2
%
Valuation
Allowance
(i12)
%
(i12)
%
(i2)
%
Other
i—
%
i—
%
(i2)
%
Income
tax expense (benefit)
i—
%
i—
%
i—
%
/
Our
effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022 differ from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21%, primarily due to the effect of the taxable income or loss that is allocated to the non-controlling interest and the Company's valuation allowance.
Our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21%, primarily due to the effect of a flow-through entity for which the taxable income or loss is allocated to the members.
(1)
Net deferred tax assets are recorded within other long-term assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Net deferred tax liabilities are recorded primarily within other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
/
For the year ended December 31, 2023, the change in valuation allowance was $i71.2
million. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the change in valuation allowance was $i48.1 million.
In determining the need for a valuation allowance, the Company weighs both positive and negative evidence in the various jurisdictions in which it operates to determine whether it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets are recoverable.
In assessing the ultimate realizability of its deferred tax assets, the Company considers all available evidence, including cumulative historical and forecasted losses. The Company has had significant cumulative book and tax losses and is currently generating losses, and as such, does not believe it is more likely than not that its U.S. and foreign deferred tax assets will be realized. Accordingly, a full valuation allowance has been established in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, and no deferred tax assets and related tax benefit have been recognized in the financial statements.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the
Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits. The Company did not recognize interest or penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits during any of the periods presented.
Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carryforwards
The Company has federal tax net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards related to its domestic operations of approximately $i218.6
million as of December 31, 2023, of which $i9.8 million will begin to expire in 2035, and the remaining of which have an indefinite carryforward.
The Company is subject to taxation in the U.S. and various states and foreign jurisdictions. With few exceptions, as of December 31, 2023, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, local, or foreign examinations by tax authorities for years before 2020.
Subsequent to the Reverse Recapitalization, as described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization, the Company had one class of preferred stock authorized and three classes of common stock: Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock and Class G Common Stock. Holders of the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock will vote together as a single
class on all matters submitted to stockholders for their vote or approval, except as required by applicable law. Each share of Class A and Class B Common Stock will be entitled to one vote on such matters. Holders of the Class G Common Stock will not be entitled to vote (except as required by applicable law).
Reverse Stock Split
On October 2, 2023, we completed a 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split of the Company's outstanding Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, and Class G Common Stock. The Reverse Stock Split had no effect on the number of authorized shares of any class of common stock. Par value remained $i0.00001
per share. Stockholders who would otherwise have been entitled to receive fractional shares as a result of the Reverse Stock Split received a cash payment in lieu of receiving fractional shares. All share and share-related information presented in these consolidated financial statements has been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to reflect the decreased number of shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split.
Preferred Stock
The Company has been authorized to issue i30,000,000
shares of preferred stock with a par value of $i0.00001 per share. Voting and other rights and preferences may be determined from time to time by the Company's Board of Directors. As of December 31, 2023, there were iino/
shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
Class A Common Stock
The Company is authorized to issue i1,000,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $i0.00001
per share. As of December 31, 2023, there were i12,730,577 shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding. The holders of the Company's Class A Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as and if declared by the Company's Board out of legally available funds.
Class B Common Stock
The
Company is authorized to issue i472,436,863 shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $i0.00001 per share, which shares were issued to Existing VH Holders that continued to hold their investment in OpCo Units of Vacasa Holdings in connection with the Reverse
Recapitalization, as described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization. The holders of the Class B Common Stock hold an equal number of OpCo Units in Vacasa Holdings. From time to time, the Class B Common Stock and OpCo Units held by the Existing VH Holders may be exchanged for one share of Class A Common Stock of the Company or cash (based on the market price for a share of Class A Common Stock) at the election of the Company's Board. As of December 31, 2023, there were i9,340,553
shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding.
Class G Common Stock
The Company is authorized to issue i30,000,000 shares of Class G Common Stock, par value $i0.00001
per share. The holders of the Company's Class G Common Stock will not be entitled to vote (except as required by applicable law). As of December 31, 2023, there were i316,666 shares of Class G Common Stock outstanding.
Pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation, the shares of the
Company's Class G Common Stock issued will be automatically converted into shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock to the extent certain triggering events occur prior to the 10th anniversary of the Reverse Recapitalization, including specified strategic transactions and other triggering events based on the shares of the Class A Common Stock closing trading price equaling or exceeding certain price thresholds for any i20 days within a i30
trading-day period. The first price threshold is $i250.00 per share, the second price threshold is $i300.00 per share, and the third price threshold is $i350.00
per share (in each case, as adjusted for share subdivisions, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like). Upon the occurrence of the first price threshold, second price threshold, and third price threshold, the number of shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock that will be issued upon the conversion of the applicable shares of the Company's Class G Common Stock will equal i120,983, i136,105,
and i154,253, respectively. Any shares of Class G Common Stock that remain outstanding on the tenth anniversary of the closing date of the Reverse
Recapitalization
will be automatically transferred to the Company for no consideration and will be retired and cancelled in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation.
The Company's Class G Common Stock is not indexed to the common stock of the Company and, therefore, is accounted for as liability classified instruments in accordance with ASC 815-40, as the events that determine the number of shares of Class G Common Stock required to be released or issued, as the case may be, include events that are not solely indexed to the fair value of the
Company's Class A Common Stock. The Class G Common Stock was measured at the Reverse Recapitalization date, and subsequently will be measured at each reporting date until settled, or it meets the criteria for equity classification. Changes in the fair value are recorded as a component of other income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 5, Fair Value Measurements for further information.
Dividends and Conversion
The holders of the Company's Class B Common Stock and Class G Common Stock will not have any right to receive dividends other than stock dividends consisting of shares of the Company's Class B
Common Stock and Class G Common Stock, respectively, paid proportionally with respect to each outstanding share of the applicable class of the Company's common stock, in connection with a stock dividend declared and paid on the Company's Class A Common Stock. Stock dividends with respect to each class of the Company's common stock may only be paid with shares of the Company's common stock of the same class.
Shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock are not subject to any conversion right.
Redeemable
Noncontrolling Interest
The redeemable noncontrolling interest relates to the economic interest of Vacasa Holdings OpCo Units not owned by the Company. As of December 31, 2023, the Company directly owned approximately i57.7% of the interest in Vacasa Holdings and the redeemable noncontrolling interest was i42.3%.
The Existing VH Holders that hold the OpCo Units of Vacasa Holdings own an equal number of shares of Class B Common Stock. Due to the cash redemption and the Existing VH Holders controlling the Board of Directors of the Company, the Company has accounted for the redeemable noncontrolling interest as temporary equity.
Vacasa Holdings LLC Equity
For periods prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, Vacasa Holdings LLC had preferred units, Class A common units, Class B common units, Class C common units, preferred unit warrants, and common unit warrants. As discussed in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization, all of the existing holders of
Vacasa Holdings preferred units, common units, and warrants exchanged their interests in Vacasa Holdings for Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock and OpCo Units in Vacasa Holdings, pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, as amended. For additional information on the Reverse Recapitalization, see Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization. The conversion of the historical preferred units and warrants were consistent with the terms of the instruments at such date.
For the year ended December 31, 2020 and through the year-to-date period ended April 1, 2021, Vacasa Holdings redeemable convertible preferred units were probable of becoming redeemable in the future and were recorded at their maximum redemption amount, which was the greater of the original
preferred unit issue price plus an amount equal to the preferred unpaid return or the then current fair value, at each balance sheet date. The Company recorded losses of $i426.1 million to remeasure its Redeemable Convertible Preferred Units to their maximum redemption values during the year ended December 31, 2021.
In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization, the Company adopted the Vacasa Inc. 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the "2021 Plan") and the Vacasa, Inc. 2021 Non-Qualified
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "ESPP").
2021 Plan
Under the 2021 Plan, the Board of Directors may grant incentive stock options ("ISOs") to employees of the Company and certain subsidiaries and nonqualified stock options ("NSOs"), restricted stock ("RSAs"), restricted stock units ("RSUs"), stock appreciation rights ("SARs"), performance units and performance bonus awards, and performance stock units ("PSUs") to employees, members of the Board of Directors and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries.
Under the 2021 Plan, ISOs, NSOs and SARs may be granted at a price not less than i100% of the fair market value of the underlying Class A Common Stock on the date of grant (i110%
of fair value for ISOs issued to holders of i10% or more of voting stock). Options and SARs are exercisable over a period not to exceed i10
years (ifive years for incentive stock options granted to holders of i10% or more of the voting stock) from the date of grant. The
term of each stock award under the plan will not exceed i10 years and each award generally vests between one and ifour years.
As
of December 31, 2023, there were i418,256 shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock reserved for future grants under the 2021 Plan. The number of shares reserved for issuance is subject to an annual increase on the first day of each fiscal year beginning in 2022 and ending in 2031, equal to the lesser of (a) i3%
of the shares of our Class A Common Stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year, (b) an amount of additional shares such that the total number of shares available for issuance under the 2021 Plan on such first day of the year, after giving effect to the additional shares, equals i5% of the shares of our Class A Common Stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year and (c) such smaller number of shares of our Class A Common Stock as determined
by our Board; provided, however, that no more than i25,000,000 shares of our Class A Common Stock may be issued upon the exercise of ISOs. Pursuant to the annual increase provision, an additional i662,134
shares of our Class A Common Stock became reserved for issuance effective January 1, 2024.
ESPP
In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization, the Company adopted the ESPP. The ESPP authorizes the issuance of shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to purchase rights granted to employees.
As of December 31, 2023, there were i258,858
shares of our Class A Common Stock reserved for future sale to employees under the ESPP. The number of shares reserved for issuance is subject to an annual increase on the first day of each fiscal year beginning in 2022 and ending in 2031, equal to the lesser of (a) i1% of the shares of our Class A Common Stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year, (b) an amount of additional shares such that the total number of shares available for issuance under the ESPP on such first
day of the year, after giving effect to the additional shares, equals i2% of the shares of our Class A Common Stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year, and (c) such number of shares of our Class A Common Stock as determined by our Board. The shares reserved for issuance under the ESPP may be authorized but unissued shares or reacquired shares. Pursuant to the annual increase provision, an additional i220,711
shares of our Class A Common Stock became reserved for issuance effective January 1, 2024.
SARs and Options
Prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, Vacasa Holdings granted unit appreciation rights ("UARs") to employees, consultants, and board members under the UAR plan. Following the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan at the date of the Reverse Recapitalization, the Company ceased granting UAR awards. In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization, UARs were converted into Company SAR Awards, which entitle the holder to receive a number of shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock, cash or other assets equal to the appreciation
in value between the grant date and the exercise date.
The historical UARs were generally subject to both service-based and liquidity-based vesting conditions. The service-based vesting condition is satisfied based on continued service over a period of time that is set forth in the applicable award agreement. The liquidity-based vesting condition is satisfied upon (i) a change in control (as defined in the UAR Plan) or (ii) the occurrence of the date that is six months and one day following an initial public offering of the Company's securities. The Business Combination Agreement, as described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization, provides that the liquidity-based vesting condition will be deemed satisfied if the holder of a Vacasa SAR Award (into which UARs were converted) remains
a service provider of the company through the 180th day following the closing of the Reverse Recapitalization. In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization, each UAR that was outstanding immediately prior to the Reverse Recapitalization was converted into a SAR of the Company on terms substantially identical to those in effect prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, except for adjustments to the underlying number of shares and the exercise price based on the determined exchange ratio. The exchange was treated as a modification of the awards which did not result in any incremental compensation expense at the closing of the Reverse Recapitalization. Through December 6, 2021, no equity-based compensation expense had been recognized for the historical
UAR awards with the liquidity-event performance-based vesting condition based on the occurrence of a qualifying event, as such qualifying event was not probable. Upon the Reverse Recapitalization, the liquidity-event performance-based condition was met and $i18.4 million of equity-based compensation expense was recognized related to these awards.
Prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, Vacasa Holdings recognized equity-based compensation for option awards granted and outstanding
under the TurnKey Vacations, Inc., 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as a result of the TurnKey Acquisition. As a result of the Reverse Recapitalization, stock options outstanding under such plan were converted into i277,663 of Class A stock options of the Company based on the Exchange Ratio determined in accordance with the terms of the Reverse Recapitalization.
The exchange of such stock options for stock options of the Company's Class A Common Stock was treated as a modification of the
awards. The modification of the stock options did not result in any incremental compensation expense to be recognized at the closing of the Reverse Recapitalization.
Equity-based Award Activities
Restricted
Stock Units
i
A summary of the RSU activity during the periods indicated was as follows :
As
of December 31, 2023, there was unrecognized compensation expense of $i20.1 million related to unvested RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of i2.4
years.
Performance Stock Units
The Company has granted PSUs to certain members of its leadership team, which vest based upon the achievement of performance criteria and requisite service. The performance criteria are based on the achievement of certain share price appreciation targets. Attainment of each share price appreciation target is measured based on either the trailing 45-day or 60-day average closing trading price of our Class A Common Stock or, in the event of a change in control, the amount per share of Class A Common Stock to be paid to a stockholder in connection with such change in control. For certain of the awards, depending on the performance achieved, the actual number of shares of Class A Common Stock issued to the holder may range from i0%
to i200% of the target number of PSUs granted. The number of PSUs granted included in the table below is based on the maximum potential achievement for all awards. In the event that performance criteria and requisite service are not achieved, the corresponding portion of the PSUs that do not vest will be forfeited.
A summary of the PSU activity during the periods indicated was as follows :
As
of December 31, 2023, there was unrecognized compensation expense of $i4.1 million related to unvested PSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of i1.9
years.
As
of December 31, 2023, there was $i0.1 million of unrecognized compensation expense for the Company's SARs that will be recognized over a weighted-average remaining recognition period of i0.6
years. As of December 31, 2023, the Company's outstanding SARs had a weighted-average remaining contractual life of i5.5 years and ino
intrinsic value.
Stock Options
A summary of the stock options activity during the periods indicated was as follows:
The
aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2023 was $i0.4 million. As of December 31, 2023, there was $i0.1
million of unrecognized compensation expense for the Company's stock options that will be recognized over a weighted-average remaining recognition period of i0.9 years. As of December 31, 2023, the Company's outstanding stock options had a weighted-average remaining contractual
life of i4.7 years and an intrinsic value of $i0.1
million.
As
of December 31, 2023, there was $i0.1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested employee equity units, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of i0.7
years.
Prior to the Reverse Recapitalization, Vacasa Holdings had granted its executives “employee equity units” of Vacasa Employee Holdings LLC, which are intended to constitute “profits interests” within the meaning of IRS Revenue Procedure 93-27, as clarified by IRS Revenue Procedure 2001-43. The employee equity units have no intrinsic value on the date of grant, and have actual value to the executive only to the extent the equity value of Vacasa Holdings appreciates following the grant date.
Employee equity units are subject to a time-based vesting condition. The time-based vesting condition is generally satisfied over ifour
years with i25% of the units vesting on the one year anniversary of the vesting commencement date of the award, followed by 1/48th of the units vesting each month over the subsequent ithree
years.
Prior to the consummation of the Reverse Recapitalization (as described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization), Vacasa Holdings effectuated the Vacasa Holdings Recapitalization, pursuant to which all outstanding employee equity units were recapitalized in accordance with the OpCo LLC Agreement, which continue to be subject to the same vesting conditions as applied to such employee equity units before the recapitalization. Upon vesting of each employee equity unit, a corresponding OpCo unit vests and a Class B common share of the Company is issued. The modification did not result in any incremental compensation expense to be recognized. No grants of employee equity units are to be made following the Reverse Recapitalization.
Prior
to the consummation of the Reverse Recapitalization, the determination of the fair value of awards on the date of grant utilized an option-pricing model which used the value of the Company's equity units on the date of grant, the expected term of the awards, volatility, risk-free interest rate, and discount for lack of marketability. The Company's computation of expected volatility was based on the historical volatility of selected comparable publicly traded companies over a period equal to the expected term of the award. The risk-free interest rate reflected the U.S. Treasury yield curve for a similar instrument with the same expected term in effect at the time of the grant. The value of the Company's equity units
was determined by first determining the BEV of Vacasa Holdings and then allocating that equity fair value to Vacasa Holdings' redeemable convertible preferred units, common units and common unit equivalents. The BEV was estimated primarily using a market approach, which measures the value of a business through an analysis of recent sales or offerings of comparable investments or assets and comparing a business to a group of its peer companies.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In connection with the Business Combination, the Company adopted the 2021 Nonqualified ESPP. Under the ESPP, eligible participants may purchase shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock using payroll deductions,
which may not exceed i15% of their total cash compensation. Offering and purchase periods begin on June 1 and December 1 of each year. Participants will be granted the right to purchase shares at a price per share that is i85%
of the lesser of the fair market value of the shares at (i) the participant’s entry date into the applicable ione-year offering period or (ii) the end of each isix-month purchase period within the offering
period.
The ESPP does not meet the criteria of Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code and is considered a non-qualified plan for federal tax purposes. The Company has treated the ESPP as a compensatory plan under GAAP.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, there were i145,148
shares of Class A Common Stock purchased under the ESPP at a weighted-average price of $i9.47 per share.
Equity-Based Compensation Expense
i
The
Company recorded equity-based compensation expense for the periods presented in the consolidated statements of operations as follows (in thousands):
For the year-to-date period ended April 1, 2021, Vacasa Holdings redeemable convertible preferred units were probable of becoming redeemable in the future and were recorded at their maximum redemption amount, which was the greater of the original preferred unit issue price plus an amount equal to the preferred unpaid return or the then current fair value, at each balance sheet date. The Company recorded a loss of $i426.1
million remeasurement of its redeemable convertible preferred units during the year ended December 31, 2021. Subsequent to April 1, 2021, the Company did not adjust the carrying amount of the Vacasa Holdings redeemable convertible preferred units to the deemed liquidation value of such units, as a qualifying liquidation event was not probable. In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization on December 6, 2021, all of the existing holders of Vacasa Holdings preferred units exchanged their interests in Vacasa Holdings for Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock and OpCo Units in Vacasa Holdings, and the Vacasa Holdings redeemable convertible preferred units are no longer outstanding.
For
the year ended December 31, 2021, Vacasa Holdings common unit warrants were measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. The Company recorded a loss of $i11.5 million to remeasure the common unit warrants to their fair values during the year ended December 31,
2021. In connection with the Reverse Recapitalization on December 6, 2021, these warrants were net exercised in accordance with their terms and were no longer outstanding as of December 31, 2021.
The Company calculates net income (loss) per share of Class A Common Stock in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, which requires the presentation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share. Basic net income (loss) per share is calculated by dividing net income (loss) attributable to Vacasa, Inc. by the weighted-average shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding without the consideration for potentially dilutive shares of common stock. Diluted net income (loss) per share represents basic net income (loss) per share adjusted to include the potentially dilutive effect of RSUs, PSUs, SARs, stock options, employee equity units, shares expected to be purchased under the ESPP, and Class G Common Stock. Diluted net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) by the
weighted-average number of Class A Common Stock equivalents outstanding for the period determined using the treasury stock method and if-converted method, as applicable. During periods of net loss, diluted loss per share is equal to basic net loss per share because the antidilutive effect of potential shares of common stock is disregarded.
The Company analyzed the calculation of net income (loss) per share for periods prior to the Reverse Recapitalization as described in Note 3, Reverse Recapitalization, and determined that it resulted in values that would not be meaningful to the users of the consolidated financial statements. Therefore, loss per share information has not been presented for periods prior to the Reverse Recapitalization on December 6,
2021. The basic and diluted loss per share of Class A Common Stock for the year ended December 31, 2021 represents only the period of December 6, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
Net loss attributable to Class A Common Stockholders for basic and diluted net loss per share
$
(ii298,703/)
$
(ii177,898/)
$
(ii12,697/)
Weighted-average
shares for basic and diluted loss per share(1)(2)
ii12,202/
ii11,171/
ii10,739/
Basic
and Diluted loss per share of Class A Common Stock(1)(2)
$
(ii24.48/)
$
(ii15.92/)
$
(ii1.18/)
(1)
Basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding include restricted stock units that have vested but have not yet settled into shares of Class A Common Stock.
(2) Weighted-average shares outstanding and equity awards used in the computation of basic and diluted loss per share for prior years have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split that occurred on October 2, 2023. Refer to Note 13 - Equity for additional information.
/
Shares of the Company's Class B Common Stock
and Class G Common Stock do not participate in earnings or losses of the Company and are therefore not participating securities. As such, separate presentation of basic and diluted loss per share of Class B Common Stock and Class G Common Stock under the two-class method has not been presented.
i
The following outstanding potentially dilutive securities were excluded from the calculation of diluted
net loss per share of Class A Common Stock either because their impact would have been antidilutive for the periods presented or because they were contingently issuable upon the satisfaction of certain market conditions (in thousands)(1):
Year Ended December 31,
December 6- December 31
2023
2022
2021
OpCo
units(2)
i9,341
i9,872
i10,638
Restricted
stock units
i833
i269
i—
Performance
stock units(3)
i250
i105
i—
Stock
appreciation rights
i45
i87
i250
Stock
options
i156
i234
i273
Employee
equity units
i5
i101
i247
Employee
stock purchase plan
i200
i174
i—
Class
G Common Stock
i411
i411
i411
Common
shares excluded from calculation of diluted net loss per share
i11,241
i11,253
i11,819
/
(1)
The share amounts for prior years have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split that occurred on October 2, 2023. Refer to Note 13 - Equity for additional information.
(2) These securities are neither dilutive nor anti-dilutive for the period presented as their assumed redemption for shares of Class A Common Stock would cause a proportionate increase to net income (loss) attributable to Class A Common Stockholders, diluted.
(3) PSUs are contingently issuable upon the satisfaction of certain market conditions. As of December 31, 2023, none of the requisite market conditions have been met, and therefore all such contingently issuable shares have been excluded from the calculation
of diluted net income (loss) per share of Class A Common Stock.
The Company’s operations are subject to laws, rules, and regulations that vary by jurisdiction. In addition, the Company has been and is currently a party to various legal proceedings, including employment and general litigation matters, which arise in the ordinary course of business. Such proceedings and claims can require the Company
to expend significant financial and operational resources.
Regulatory Matters
The Company’s core business operations consist of the management of short-term vacation rental stays, which are subject to local, city, or county ordinances, together with various state, U.S. and foreign laws, rules and regulations. Such laws, rules, and regulations are complex and subject to change, and in several instances, jurisdictions have yet to codify or implement applicable laws, rules or regulations. Other ancillary components of the Company’s business activities include the management of long-term rental stays and homeowner association management. In addition to laws governing these activities,
the Company must comply with laws in relation to travel, tax, privacy and data protection, intellectual property, competition, health and safety, consumer protection, employment and many others. These business operations expose the Company to inquiries and potential claims related to its compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Given the shifting landscape with respect to the short-term rental laws, changes in existing laws or the implementation of new laws could have a material impact on the Company’s business.
Tax Matters
Some states and localities impose transient occupancy,
lodging accommodations, and sales taxes ("Hospitality and Sales Taxes") on the use or occupancy of lodging accommodations and other traveler services. The Company collects and remits Hospitality and Sales Taxes collected from guests on behalf of its homeowners. Such Hospitality and Sales Taxes are generally remitted to tax jurisdictions within a 30-day period following the end of each month, quarter, or year end.
As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had an obligation to remit Hospitality and Sales Taxes collected from guests in these jurisdictions totaling $i14.7 million
and $i17.9 million, respectively. These payables are recorded in hospitality and sales taxes payable on the consolidated balance sheets.
The Company’s potential obligations with respect to Hospitality and Sales Taxes could be affected by various factors, which include, but are not limited to, whether the Company determines, or any tax authority asserts, that the
Company has a responsibility to collect lodging and related taxes on either historical or future transactions or by the introduction of new ordinances and taxes that subject the Company’s operations to such taxes. The Company is under audit and inquiry by various domestic tax authorities with regard to hospitality and sales tax matters.
The Company has estimated liabilities in certain jurisdictions with respect to state, city, and local taxes related to lodging where management believes it is probable that the Company has additional liabilities, and the related
amounts can be reasonably estimated. These contingent liabilities primarily arise from the Company's transactions with its homeowners, guests, and service contracts and relate to the applicability of transactional taxes (such as sales, value-added, and similar taxes) to services provided. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, accrued obligations related to these estimated taxes, including estimated penalties and interest, totaled $i10.7 million
and $i11.8 million, respectively. Due to the inherent complexity and uncertainty of these matters and judicial processes in certain jurisdictions, the final outcomes of such matters may result in obligations that exceed the estimated liabilities recorded.
The Company has estimated other contingent non-income tax related liabilities related to domestic and foreign taxing authorities. The subject
matter of these contingent liabilities arises from transactions with homeowners and the related information reporting requirements and potential back-up withholding on certain homeowner payments. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, accrued obligations related to the information reporting requirements, including estimated penalties and interest, totaled $i1.9 million and $i1.2 million,
respectively. With respect to potential back-up withholding on certain homeowner payments, any estimated liability is inherently subjective due to the complexity and uncertainty of this matter; therefore, any reasonably possible loss or range of loss cannot be estimated.
Refer to Note 12, Income Taxes, for further discussion on other income tax matters.
Litigation
The
Company has been and is currently involved in litigation and legal proceedings and subject to legal claims in the ordinary course of business. These include legal claims asserting, among other things, commercial, competition, tax, employment, discrimination, wage-and-hour, consumer, personal injury, negligence, and property rights.
In January 2023, the Company was served with a complaint filed against multiple subsidiaries of the Company alleging, among other things, wrongful death relating to a fire in 2020 at rental units managed by a subsidiary of the Company.
The complaint was filed in Dare County Superior Court in the State of North Carolina and seeks damages related to the deaths of three individuals. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the allegations in the complaint and will vigorously contest the allegations.
The Company does not believe, based on currently available facts and circumstances, that the final outcome of any pending legal proceedings or ongoing regulatory investigations, taken individually or as a whole, will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. However, lawsuits may involve complex questions of fact and law and may require the expenditure of significant funds and other resources to defend. The results of litigation or regulatory
investigations are inherently uncertain, and material adverse outcomes are possible. From time to time, the Company may enter into confidential discussions regarding the potential settlement of such lawsuits. Any settlement of pending litigation could require us to incur substantial costs and other ongoing expenses.
During the periods presented, no material amounts have been accrued or disclosed in the accompanying consolidated financial statements with respect to loss contingencies associated with any regulatory matter or legal proceeding. These matters are subject to many uncertainties, and the ultimate outcomes are not predictable. There can be no assurances that the actual amounts required to satisfy any liabilities arising from the regulatory matters and legal proceedings described above will not have a material adverse
effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.
Indemnification
As a matter of ordinary course, the Company agrees to indemnification clauses in commercial agreements where desirable or appropriate. As a result, the Company may be obligated to indemnify third parties for losses or damages incurred in connection with the Company’s operations or its non-compliance with contractual obligations. Additionally, the
Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its officers and directors, and its bylaws contain certain indemnification obligations for officers and directors. It is not possible to determine the aggregate maximum potential loss pursuant to the aforementioned indemnification provisions and obligations due to the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular situation. As of December 31, 2023, the Company did not have any material indemnification claims that were probable or reasonably possible.
The Company maintains the Vacasa 401(k) Plan ("401(k) Plan"), a defined contribution benefit plan, for its employees who satisfy certain eligibility requirements. The 401(k) Plan allows eligible employees to make voluntary contributions
at the discretion of the employee, up to the maximum annual contribution subject to Internal Revenue Code limitations. The Company matches contributions made by 401(k) Plan participants equal to i100% of the elective deferrals up to i6%
of a participant's annual eligible compensation. Both employee contributions and the Company’s matching contributions are fully vested upon contribution. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the Company recognized matching contribution expense of $i9.2 million,
$i10.5 million, and $i7.9 million, respectively.
In January 2023, the Company implemented a workforce reduction plan designed to align the Company’s expected cost base
with its 2023 strategic and operating priorities. The2023 workforce reduction included the elimination of approximately i1,300 positions across the Company, in both the Company's local operations teams and central teams, representing approximately i17%
of the workforce.
In connection with the 2023 workforce reduction, the Company incurred severance and employee benefits costs of approximately $i5.1 million, during the year ended December 31, 2023, which are included in operating costs and expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
On February 27, 2024, the Board of Directors of the
Company approved a workforce reduction plan (the “Plan”) designed to align the Company’s expected cost base with its 2024 strategic and operating priorities and continued achievement of adjusted EBITDA profitability in 2024. The Plan includes the elimination of approximately i320 positions across the Company, in both its local operations teams and central teams, representing approximately
i5% of the workforce, or approximately i2% of the local operations teams and approximately i6%
of the central team.
The Company expects to incur between $i4.0 million and $i5.0 million of costs, consisting primarily of employee severance and benefit costs
and professional services fees in connection with the Plan, most of which are expected to be incurred in the first and second quarters of 2024. All of these costs will result in future cash expenditures. The foregoing estimated amounts do not include any non-cash charges associated with equity-based compensation. These estimates are subject to a number of assumptions and actual results may differ materially. The Company may also incur charges and expenditures not currently contemplated due to unanticipated events that may occur in connection with the Plan.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures
Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures
In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and that management is required to apply judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial
officer, evaluated, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based on that evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act, during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control
over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
As required by SEC rules and regulations implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
1.pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions
of the assets of our company,
2.provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and
3.provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our financial statements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting at December 31, 2023. In making these assessments, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessments and those criteria, management determined that our internal control over financial reporting was effective at December 31,
2023.
This Annual Report does not include an attestation of internal controls from our independent registered public accounting firm due to our status as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act.
Item 9B. Other Information
During the three months ended December 31, 2023, no director or officer of the Companyiiadopted/
or iiterminated/ a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as each term is defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.
Item
9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
None.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this item will be included in our Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "2024 Proxy Statement") to be filed with the SEC, within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and is incorporated
herein by reference.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our executive officers, directors and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions. A copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website, investors.vacasa.com. We intend to make any legally required disclosures regarding amendments to, or waivers of, provisions of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on our website rather than by filing
a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Our consolidated financial statements are listed in the “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements” under Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
(2) Financial Statement Schedules
All financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not
applicable, not material or the required information is shown in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
(3) Exhibits
The documents listed in the Exhibit Index of this Annual Report are herein incorporated by reference or are filed with this Annual Report, in each case as indicated herein (numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K).
Inline
XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
^
Certain portions of this exhibit (indicated by “[***]”) have been omitted as we have determined the omitted information is (i) not material and (ii) the type of information that we both customarily and actually treat as private and confidential.
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below on March 1, 2024, by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
