Good news: several travelers want to share a VRBO or Airbnb rental, which means cost savings for everyone! But how exactly does this play out when it comes to issuing reimbursements, paying per diem, and more?
Best practice is for one person to pay for the entire lodging expense. After the trip, the expense owner then adds the charge to their expense report and is reimbursed. This reduces the likelihood of multiple travelers being reimbursed for the same expense from multiple people claiming their portion of the cost using the same receipt.
On the lodging expense, log a comment explaining the business justification for the roomier rental, and include the names of the other IU travelers who shared the space.
Travelers who shared the space can still claim the per diem they are owed. These individuals won’t have a lodging expense on their report, a requirement for per diem. Instead, log a comment that includes the details about where they stayed, the fact that it was a shared rental, and be sure to include the renter’s name. These details satisfy the lodging requirement. Check out the Reimburse Per Diem page for more details.
Including these details helps approvers and Travel Management Services staff ensure expenses are not reimbursed multiple times.