How would you go about booking a great vacation rental during that well-earned break? You are traveling with your family and cannot afford to take chances. You have children with you and you want to ensure that they have fun and enjoy their stay while keeping safe.
Of course, hotels are not on your shopping list as they tend to cost more and provide less space for those traveling as a group. What about the freedom that comes with vacation rentals?
You have room to relax, prepare meals, and spend time together. Many vacation rentals also offer self-check-in, online payment, and private use of the entire home, apartment, condo, or cabin for anything from a weekend to a longer stay.
You are raring to go, but unsure how to go about it. Here are a couple of tips to help you along the way. This vacation rentals guide outlines some steps you can take to do it properly.
1. Check the services offered
Each host is unique and offers different services. Some allow pets, while others do not. If you wish to bring your pet along, you may want to inquire whether pets are allowed.
Do you need concierge services? Do you wish to be met at the airport or maybe get booked at the nearest spa? This can all be arranged for you if you communicate directly with your host. We highly recommend that you should book through sites that allow direct communication with your host so that you can fine-tune your needs and preferences. Many hosts are willing to bend over backward to accommodate your needs.
2. Review the price, of course
First, you need to decide if you will be staying in a log cabin, a condo, or a villa. Prices vary, but, generally, the more accommodation space and services you get, the more you should expect to pay.
Vacation rental prices vary widely according to the destination, property type, season, size, amenities, and local demand.
Rates depend on the size of the facility, the number of bedrooms it has, how many guests you are traveling with, and the number of nights you plan to stay. Prices vary by season, and so if you want to save some money, you may want to plan your trip during the low tourist season.
In general, those rentals closer to the tourist spots will cost more than those further away. Most vacation rentals will provide discounts if you stay for a week or more. If you plan to stay for a month, you may get a huge discount off the daily rate.
Before paying, confirm the deposit schedule, accepted payment methods, security deposit, cleaning fee, taxes, and any resort or service fees. Use the secure payment process provided by the booking platform or property manager.
Before booking, review the cancellation and refund policy carefully. Note the dates when a booking becomes partially or fully non-refundable, and consider travel insurance if your plans or travel conditions may change.
Flexible cancellation can provide valuable peace of mind, but always compare the total price and the exact policy rather than relying on a short promotional label.
3. Check the amenities
Amenities are an important part of any enjoyable vacation. How would we survive without WiFi? How about parking for your vehicle? Other popular amenities include non-smoking, kitchen, TV, Microwave, Pool, Washer, Fireplace, Heating, and Jacuzzi.
The ability to cook for yourself is what makes vacation rentals special. A well-equipped kitchen helps.
4. Host review
Check to see what previous guests are saying about your host. Hosts with good reviews are more likely to want to keep their reputation and would go out of their way to give you an excellent experience.
Most booking sites only list properties offered by hosts for rentals and do not have any more knowledge of the actual condition of the property. There is no way of knowing whether those sleek photos you see posted online are real or edited, and that is why you need to take your time reading the reviews.
Most reviewers tend to share positive feedback freely and negative feedback sparingly, and instead of using words like “old and dilapidated”, they say “rustic”. Instead of saying “isolated and out of the way”, they say “secluded and peaceful”. Look out for the choice of words and try to read between the lines to get more insights.
You can access this information from the booking platform itself or on their “about us” page.
5. Location
The location of your vacation rental will determine how much you can do within a day.
If you are looking to do some outdoor sports, for instance, you would want to book vacation rentals that are close to the action. If you wish to have a romantic getaway with your partner, on the other hand, you may find a gem a little further away.
Searching on Google maps will show you the location’s terrain and transport network as well as the availability of hospitals and ATMs.
If you will be using public transport or walking, this is even more important. What is the point of spending hours driving or walking from your vacation rental to get to your place of interest? You would be too tired by the time you reach, to say the least.
6. Safety
Safety should be an important consideration at all times. If you are traveling with children, for instance, you should check to see if the home would be convenient.
Always insist that your accommodation has smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as well as a fire extinguisher to help control fires and similar hazards. Confirm all things with your host through the official communication channel on the booking platform you will use.
Check for choking hazards, power outlets, and cables and keep them out of reach or secure them if you are traveling with any under-fives.
A roll of painter’s tape would be helpful to seal off places you do not want the kids to have free access to including drawers, fridge, and minibar.
If there is access to a pool, you need to check if it is safe for children or at least if it has controlled access.
In case you require a crib or other special need, inquire with the host in advance. Vacation rentals often do not have the same level of service that you may be accustomed to with hotels, so you need to make advance arrangements with the host for any special needs.
Whenever you travel with kids, it is a good practice to carry a first aid kit as you never know when it might come in useful.
Vacation rentals often have similar safety levels as you would enjoy at home, but you should never take anything for granted. Use a deadbolt to secure your room whenever you are indoors to keep your little ones inside and also ward off unwanted guests.
A good flashlight might come in handy particularly at night, or when you wish to explore the outdoors for whatever reason.
It is likely that your host would want to give you some privacy and would not be hanging around at your beck and call. If there is an emergency, you would in all likelihood be on your own. Having the mobile number of your host with you can help.
The overall security of your neighborhood is also key. If you are traveling in the USA, you can check regional safety records through neighborhoodscout.com. For other countries, a quick Google search for safe neighborhoods will unearth a lot of information.
7. Beds
Figure out how many beds and bedrooms you will need before your trip. If you are traveling as a group with two couples and three children, you will need a vacation rental with at least two bedrooms with extra beds for the children.
Many rentals provide extra beds but may also designate couches as beds, and so you need to ensure that you understand what kind of beds are available before booking.
8. Book early
If you can book your vacation rental early, by all means do so. It would help you to locate the best deals as rates tend to be seasonal.
High season rates can be double or triple the regular rates. Some providers offer discounts, and that is why it is good to get in contact with the homeowner early.
When you book early, you escape the stress that comes from trying to do last minute booking. You would have to make a number of decisions- all at the same time and these under pressure. The likelihood of saving some money on your booking is reduced.
9. Compare
Review several vacation rentals for your price range and travel dates and select the one offering the best deal.
As for all online purchases, look out for extra charges and taxes. What you see listed is often not what you pay at the checkout screen as providers have an extra charge and hosts are allowed to add charges as well for various reasons.
Avoid using Craigslist for your vacation rentals as it is a well-known source of scams. Scammers are all over the internet these days and you can not be too careful. There have been reported cases of vacationers arriving at their online-booked home only to be told that the owners do not do vacation rentals.
Try checking providers like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com before settling on your vacation rental. These sites do have their fair share of issues, but they are the most popular sites and often receive positive reviews from satisfied users.
Airbnb
Airbnb offers vacation rentals in destinations around the world, including rooms, condos, cabins, and entire homes. Use filters for your dates, guest count, price range, property type, and must-have amenities.
With Airbnb, you will get to rent different types of homes and rooms depending on your preferences of location, size of the accommodation, cost, and several other filters you may apply. Airbnb lets you book one room or the entire home based on your preferences.
The site has an active review section that lets previous guests leave comments about their stay. They rank homes based on feedback received around cleanliness, timeliness, services, and a plethora of other areas.
Hosts with consistent performance are given a “Super host” badge and are easy to locate. You can use this to filter out hosts who have had negative reviews.
Review the full checkout total before you reserve because service fees, taxes, cleaning charges, and other costs vary. Keep all booking communication and payments within the official platform so there is a clear record if a problem arises.
If you do not wish to pay this extra fee and want to settle disputes personally, you may take the details of the property and the host and do a Google search for it on the internet.
Some hosts post their properties in multiple places including Facebook and other social media. If you are in luck, you might find it listed somewhere else with all the contact details of the host.
VRBO
The striking thing about VRBO is that they promote renting of the entire home rather than just a room, although there are hosts that rent single rooms on the platform.
The platform provides a wide choice of whole-home rentals in many leisure destinations.
They let you rate your stay at a particular home, and so you can use this feature to filter out those hosts with negative reviews. Hosts can also post a response to the reviewer, which means that you will have more information about the host and the property to help you make a decision.
Just like Airbnb, they have various search filters to help you locate your perfect home including rental property types such as condos, cabins, lake rentals, beach houses, and theme-based searches like weekend getaways and traveling with pets. They also permit you to filter your way down to your choice based on the amenities you prefer.
Fees vary by property and reservation, so compare the complete checkout price rather than the nightly rate alone.
Booking.com
Booking.com lists hotels alongside apartments, cabins, condos, and entire vacation homes. Enter your dates and guest count first, then filter the results by property type and amenities.
You can quickly filter for vacation rentals alone by clicking on the “Entire homes and apartments” option.
They have a wide array of filters for all kinds of vacation rentals including by service, amenities, budget, pet friendliness, rating, breakfast and meals, fun things to do, and distance from the city.
Prices, payment terms, and cancellation options vary by listing. Compare the final price and book through a secure, verified channel.
Many vacationers eventually have to cancel their booking for various reasons, and if you book directly with the host, you would be on your own if this happens to you.
10. Check cleanliness and property care
Cleanliness is one of the clearest signs of a well-managed vacation rental. Read recent reviews for consistent comments about bathrooms, kitchens, linens, odors, and the general condition of the property.
Confirm who manages cleaning and maintenance, especially if you are planning a longer stay or arriving outside normal business hours.
A professionally prepared home should have fresh linens, clean high-touch surfaces, working appliances, basic supplies, and a clear way to report any issue after arrival.
These days, self-check-in is becoming standard. Ask your host for this if it is available. This will let you check-in without interacting with anyone.
Your host may leave extra instructions relating to cleaning and disinfection. Take some time to read- it might have useful information.
Some hosts use licensed property managers to help them manage their homes. Property managers can help ensure that nothing is left to chance and that homes are safe for use.
Bottom line
Finding a great vacation rental is not as easy as it seems, but needs not to be overwhelming. You can get good ones if you plan carefully and do your research.
Would you rather switch places and become a host yourself? Learn how our vacation rental management service can help you care for your property and maximize its earning potential.
