So you’ve chosen to rent a home or apartment for your next vacation or family vacation. Great! Where should you start, though? To simplify the process, we’ve compiled our most useful online resources and tips for finding and landing a good deal for your next vacation. Get started right away and you will surely be on your way to securing the cottage, beachfront villa, or home of your dreams.
Prioritize your needs
It’s more economical to rent a home than one hotel room, but bear in mind that homes usually don’t come with all the amenities associated with resorts. You may need to decide between–and spend big for pluses like prime beach access, a pool, or central location.
Do your homework
A major fear about home rentals is to arrive at the house and discover that it looks nothing like how it was advertised. To avoid this, check out the same home on multiple vacation rental websites–houses are often listed on numerous sites, and sometimes with a bit different photos and descriptions. Next, ensure that the photos aren’t misrepresenting the property by searching it on Google Street View.
Read online reviews
When you get your vacation rental from a reputable service, you will be able to see online consumer reviews on all vacation rentals. Be sure to carefully go through these reviews because you can discover lots of information on the vacation rental properties and how the house owners respond to consumer dissatisfaction. If you find that a specific vacation rental has plenty of negative reviews and the owners haven’t addressed them, skip it.
Check out new listings
Although it’s wise to search vacation rentals with lots of good reviews, you may also miss out on new choices on the market as a result. These might be the best options as well. You normally pay slightly less since the homes haven’t been grabbed by expert renters yet. In addition, if the property is new, it may also have some new furnishings and fixtures. The most important thing is to contact the homeowner. If a house looks amazing online, and the owner is really excited and responsive, take the chance.
Take care of yourself
Always ask for an official lease agreement that stipulates all the vacation rental’s terms, which protect you as well as the owner in case something happens. Carefully go through the fine print–particularly the cancellation policy as it’s often stricter than that of hotels, and have a copy of the agreement on your trip. Remember that it’s fine to make an upfront payment, but you could request the home owner to take half the deposit, and then pay the remainder shortly before your arrival.
