Does anyone "police" HomeAway.com?

[AJKMOM]

Looking for a longterm rental in Windsor Hills, and it seems like the rates are better thru HomeAway.com than All Star Homes. Is there any person who makes sure for you that the HomeAway units/houses are what they say they are?

If not, for peace of mind, should I go thru All Stars or FloridaSun?
Hate to be paranoid, but I just read a post about an Emerald Isle house that was a real mess.

 

[chris1gill]

As someone who has a home on Homeaway (not in Florida), no, nobody polices the homeowners on Homeaway. You can purchase the insurance offered by Homeaway. We own in a resort setting and I have had guests call management (of the resort) to insure that my home is what I say it is. Perhaps this is an option for you. Also, see if there are other reviews, and what they say, if you are very uncomfortable, talk to the owner, several times. Most owners will have a contract which outlines what they have and what they do not. The more pictures and reviews submitted by guests the better in my book. I would be leery of homeowners that write in their own reviews from those left in their guest book.

 

[LiveRez]

All Star Vacation Homes is a great property manager who has been in business for many years and has a great reputation. If you are going on vacation and planning on staying in a vacation rental you should always use a professional manager. You can see thousands of trusted vacation rentals offered by trusted vacation rental managers here.

All Star is a great choice.

 

[Brian Noble]

Hmm. Poster signed up this month. One post. Named "LiveRez" (Live Reservations?) and posted only to advocate for one company. Hopefully I'm mistaken, but forgive me for thinking that you are likely a shill.

For a long-term rental, I would consider trying to find an individual owner from whom to rent. Homeaway is effectively a "bulletin board" for such owners. It will require you to do some due diligence, but you will be repaid in a lower rental fee. If you'd rather let someone else do that work for you---as All Star does---then you can expect to pay more for the privilege.

 

[snow88]

Since you're looking a long-term rental, wouldn't it be better to look for ads in the newspaper? I thought that Homeaway was mostly short-term.

 

[AJKMOM]

Since you're looking a long-term rental, wouldn't it be better to look for ads in the newspaper? I thought that Homeaway was mostly short-term.

By "long-term", I meant 2 months, which is longer than the average stay in Orlando. I'm guessing most vacation there by the week. I need a vacation rental. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[pinktinkmommy]

I've never used Homeaway for an Orlando rental, but I have used them in several other locations. Never been anything but very pleased. Check for reviews and lots of recent photos. If there's no photo of the kitchen or something that would obviously be a big deal, there's probably a reason for it. If an owner doesn't reply promptly, probably not a good sign. You want someone you can contact at virtually any time once you've arrived in case something comes up (and yes, something can come up even with a great owner).
Brian is correct. Management companies can provide peace of mind, but definitely at a premium. Just depends on what kind of person you are. If you're going to be completely stressed, use a management company.