Five Tips for Choosing a Vacation Rental

Choosing a vacation rental over a hotel room is often a great choice. They are more relaxing, less cramped, and often more economical; especially when traveling with the whole family or multiple couples.

With a hotel reservation, you may request connecting rooms, but it’s not guaranteed, which can be a problem if you’re traveling with children.

We often travel with two other couples and have found when we stay in hotels, that even though we have requested it, they may put us on the same floor but not close to each other.

A vacation rental eliminates those problems. Here are five tips to help you choose the right vacation rental for your needs.

Finding Vacation Rentals

Probably the two most popular online vacation rental platforms are Airbnb and Vrbo. Both offer properties around the world. If you want additional options and already know your destination, you can do an online search for vacation rentals with the city name or area. The results will bring up local rental agencies and property management companies.

 What’s Your Pleasure?

You’ll find a wide variety of vacation rentals available in the market today. There are properties to meet just about any desire you might have; on or near the ocean, ski-in ski-out, a cabin in the woods, lake front,  in or near major cities, near attractions, golf courses and entertainment venues. You can choose from amenities such as a private pool, hot tub, billiards table, or movie theater. Some even allow you to bring your pet!

Before you start looking, I suggest you create a list of all the items that are important to you in a vacation rental. There’s no need to spend time looking at properties that don’t meet your needs.

Choosing a Vacation Rental

1. Read the Property Description

The first thing you must do is carefully read the property description. It should tell you everything you need to know about property. Pay particular attention to the following:

• Number of bedrooms and the type of bedding in each.

Our group of three couples isn’t very picky about the bedding; we don’t mind occasionally sleeping in twin beds for a few days. We have even stayed in a two-bedroom apartment with a pull-out sofa bed in the living room. You need to know your travelers and what they will tolerate.

• The number of bathrooms.

We use vacation rentals for our family reunions and the number of bathrooms is a major point. When I see a three-bedroom house with and description that says it sleeps ten, but only has two bathrooms, that gives me a reason to pause. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll usually find that means one master bathroom, and one bathroom for the other eight people. For our family, this house it would be fine for six of us, but not ten.

• Maximum number of people allowed.

• Accessiblity.

Does the property meet the accessibility needs of those traveling? Is this a stand-alone cabin? A house? An apartment? What floor is it on? How many floors does the property encompass? Is there an elevator?

• Is there air conditioning, heat?

• Appliances.

Make sure it has everything you want. Is there a dishwasher? A washer and dryer? A coffee maker, toaster, blender, or mixer. Whatever things are important to you during your stay.

• Is it a non-smoking property?

• Is there a fireplace?

If there’s a wood burning fireplace, do you need to supply your own wood?

• Linens.

What is included, bed linens, towels, wash cloths? If you’re staying at a beach house, do they include beach towels?

• Are pets allowed?

• Is there a minimum number of nights?

Often there is a minimum stay requirement during peak seasons or special events. You’ll also find that large homes often have a minimum stay requirement as it’s not cost effective to pay for the cleaning on a frequent basis.

• What amenities are there?

Does it have a private pool or hot tub? Is there a grill you can use? If they are community assets, will you be allowed to use them and is there a fee?

• Check in and check out times.

You just need to be aware of what the times are. If you need to get in early or leave late, you can always ask. It usually depends on if there is a reservation immediately prior to or after your stay.

• Is the property self check-in?

Do you need to go to a central location and register to obtain the key or pass code? I have found that most of the places I have rented through Airbnb or Vrbo are self check-in. Houses or apartments we have rented through real estate or management companies often require a full check in process, like a hotel.

2. Understand the Fees and Deposits

I was shocked by what I saw in these two ports of call: bare naked children playing in the streets or dirt patches that passed for yards. Women washing their clothes in the gutters on the side of the road. Clothes laying on the top of bushes slowly drying in the hot humid air. Some homes were mere lean-tos, looking as if a stiff breeze would tear them apart. The other more substantial homes didn’t look as if they could ever withstand the forces of a hurricane. They were even using make-shift donkey carts.

Don’t be put off if a refundable deposit is required. Many of the vacation rentals I have stayed in require a deposit. I have never yet had a problem with getting my full deposit back. The owners are not worried about normal wear and tear, it’s just a little insurance that you will take extra care with their property. It is usually stated how long it will be before the refund is made.

Most vacation rentals have cleaning fees of some sort. Many places pay to have a cleaning service come and clean the property after each guest. Of course, now with COVID-19 protocols, the cleaning process is getting more involved.

A big difference between staying at a hotel and a vacation rental is that you will not have daily cleaning service. You won’t have fresh towels every day, and no one will make your bed or wash your dishes. Some properties offer midweek cleaning for an extra fee.

Is there a separate reservation fee? Many services like Airbnb and Vrbo add on a reservation fee in addition to the cost of the rental. It may be a percentage of the cost, or a flat fee. Make note of any of these fees that are charged.

Are there any extra fees for using the amenities? Some places will charge an extra fee for using the hot tub or the pool. Others assume you will use it and build it into the cost of the rental.

Is there a pet deposit? Is the pet deposit refundable?

Cancellation policy. What is the policy, and what are the penalties?

Taxes vary from location to location. If appropriate, they will be included in the total price you see.

3. Read the Reviews

Read as many reviews from the last two years as you can, at least ten. Do you see a recurring problem or complaint? Does anyone respond to the complaint, or offer a resolution? Remember, things do happen that are beyond anyone’s control. Water heaters, furnaces and air conditioning do occasionally go out and must be repaired or replaced. Sometimes you must take these reviews with a grain of salt. If you see one really bad review and the rest are raving about how great the place was, that one negative is probably not the norm.

There was one vacation rental I used that I was hesitant about. The reviews weren’t great, but they weren’t the worst either. My gut told me not to book it, but when I was ready to make the reservation, it was the only one left that met the greatest number of our needs. So, I went with it. Big mistake. It was horrible. (You can read about it in my post on Airbnb France: My Experience.) If you don’t get a good feeling, don’t rent it. Good properties in popular areas go quickly, so don’t hesitate if you find a vacation rental property that sounds perfect.

If you have questions about the property, you can typically make an inquiry prior to making your reservation. Even if it is through a management company, it never hurts to ask a question if you’re not sure of something.

4. Know Who are You Renting From

Even if you are making a vacation rental though a platform like Airbnb or Vrbo, you are often dealing with the owner. Although using these platforms does add a little to the cost, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. To be a part of a third-party platform, the property owner must meet certain requirements. Let’s face it, if Vrbo or Airbnb continually receive complaints or bad reviews on a property, they are going to remove it from their site. As I found with my bad experience, the third-party platform may also help provide a resolution when you have a problem.

Management companies do the same thing. They expect the properties they represent to maintain a standard and if the owner doesn’t, they will no longer represent it.

There may be times you can rent directly through a home owner, and that’s not a problem as long as you have references (maybe someone who stayed their before) or they have a website with numerous reviews.

If you are dealing directly with the property owner, you may have limited recourse if something goes wrong. Most likely you will have to go through the legal system.

5. Pay with a Credit Card

Always pay with a credit card. Do not pay by check, cash, or debit card. Even if you are using PayPal, always use a credit card for payment on your end. A credit card is your last line of defense if something goes wrong. You can always dispute the charges if you didn’t receive what was promised. If the owner will only accept cash or check, I would be wary.

Choose the Right Vacation Rental

Choosing a vacation rental requires a little more thought than choosing a hotel room. Remember: Know what you are getting, read the description. Be aware of all the fees and deposits. Read the reviews see what others think of the place. Know who you are dealing with, a third party or directly with the owner. Always use a credit card for payment.

If you haven’t tried staying in vacation rental before, I hope you’ll give it a try. Follow these simple tips, and you’ll always make the right choice!

If you have you stayed at a vacation rental before, I’d love to hear about your experience. Any other tips you’d like to add? Leave your comments at the bottom of this page. If you know someone who’s thinking about using a vacation rental, please share this post with them.