Are you intrigued by the idea of renting a vacation home instead of paying for a costly hotel room for your next vacation? Perhaps you’ve heard a lot about services such as VRBO and Airbnb, but aren’t quite sure how they work.
Here’s a list of the most commonly asked questions about these types of services.
How Do I Find a Property?
Short-term rental platforms (like VRBO, HomeAway, and Airbnb) make finding a property easy. The sites have search functionality that allows you to search by a variety of criteria, including location, property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities offered, price, and availability by date.
How Do I Request a Reservation?
Once you’ve located a desired available rental, you submit a reservation request. This triggers communication with the property owner or manager, who has a certain amount of time to respond (varies by service, but usually within 24 hours). If a reservation is accepted, you are prompted to begin the booking process.
How Do I Book?
Once you have agreed to reservation terms with the property owner or manager, you are required to pay a deposit in order to secure your booking. Deposit amounts vary, as do final payment terms and refund policies. These should be clearly communicated to you prior to making any payment.
How Do I Pay for It?
The beauty of these platforms is that they facilitate easy and secure payment options. They all allow for payment by credit or debit card. Residents of the United States can also opt to pay with an eCheck. Paying this way, and through these platforms, offers you, the renter, a measure of protection against internet fraud. You should never send cash, and if a property owner requests you do so, that is a red flag not to pursue a particular rental.
Can I Get a Refund if I Need to Cancel?
Payment schedules and refund policies will vary according to the wishes of the property owner. Deposits made for bookings canceled far enough out from the rental date are often fully or partially refundable.
How Can I Be Sure the Listing is Accurate?
When browsing listings, it is advisable to read reviews! Look for properties that have been rented numerous times over a long period of time; these reviews are more likely to be accurate.
How Do I Contact the Property Owner?
Once you initiate a booking request, you will be in contact with the owner via the site. Until you are at your rental, it is always your safest bet to use the contact link through your listing reservation to document any communication with the owner.
Prior to your arrival at your rental, the property manager should advise you of a more direct way to contact someone in the event that there is an issue at the property.
What If I’m Unhappy with The Property?
If there is an issue with your rental property, your first step should always be to contact the property owner through the contact information they have provided. If they aren’t aware of an issue, they can’t address it. If an issue cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you should be sure to write a review.
This is often the most effective way to address issues, as a property owner is eager to avoid negative information on a listing. Finally, if there is an egregious problem, you can involve the rental platform and work towards resolution through them.