Renting a house through VRBO? Opinions?

[MKCP5]

So we are about to send a check to an owner for a beach house in North Carolina via VRBO. This is the first time we have not used a typical real estate agent and I am suddenly feeling panicked that we will get ripped off. We will save several hundred dollars by going through VRBO instead of a real estate agent though as they do not have to charge hotel taxes etc

PLEASE someone tell me if they have used this company and what their experience was TIA!

 

[DisneyNutzy]

So we are about to send a check to an owner for a beach house in North Carolina via VRBO. This is the first time we have not used a typical real estate agent and I am suddenly feeling panicked that we will get ripped off. We will save several hundred dollars by going through VRBO instead of a real estate agent though as they do not have to charge hotel taxes etc

PLEASE someone tell me if they have used this company and what their experience was TIA!

VRBO stands for Vacation Rental by Owner and you deal direct with the owner so there is no "company". VRBO does offer cheap insurance that will protect you and offer some peace of mind.

 

[MKCP5]

VRBO stands for Vacation Rental by Owner and you deal direct with the owner so there is no "company". VRBO does offer cheap insurance that will protect you and offer some peace of mind.

I do understand that I am dealing with the owner. : ) Just wondering about others experiences, although I suppose unless they have rented this particular property it may not matter. The insurance is cheap, but I kinda don't like the idea of having to buy it. Maybe I am being silly though

 

[mrsklamc]

Can you find reviews of the property anywhere else? I always look and see if I can find reviews on somewhere like tripadvisor (like if you look at the general resort you might find some for the specific unit)

 

[MKCP5]

Can you find reviews of the property anywhere else? I always look and see if I can find reviews on somewhere like tripadvisor (like if you look at the general resort you might find some for the specific unit)

It's a private home on the beach, so unfortunately there are no resort type reviews to be had : (

 

[Miss Peach]

We are on the other end of the deal--we rent out weeks in our summer house using VRBO.

We used to use an agent, but we found we did better at picking tenants than the agent, so for the past two summers we have used VRBO.

It is a risk for the owner, as well, we have had a few oopsies, but mostly it works as it is supposed to!

Good luck!

Cathy

 

[crysta1033]

We have used VRBO a couple times. We have had no problems at all. Actually, we have found that it is easier and the owners that we have delt with have been nothing but professional and friendly. Weather it be questions we had regarding the property or a question about a special request. I would recommend it!

Good Luck!!!

 

[Justsyd2]

We had no problems with our house rental through VRBO last September. I did a search on the property - our rental house had a name - and found online reviews also.

 

[Pigeon]

I rented a vacation home this way last summer and it was a great experience.

But, as a pp mentioned, your experience really has little to do with the company. It's the particular owners that matter.

 

[v.t.]

We used VRBO and were very pleased. If you are concerned, as for references from the person you are renting from, or check BBB to see if they have been reported. Have a great vacation.

 

[jparc]

We have rented homes twice this way. Both times the people we rented from were great! The house we rented in Myrtle beach we only corresponded through e-mail but they were very nice and we had no issues. The house we rented in Maine we actually met the owner as he had an apartment on site. Again, it was a great experience!

 

[pyrxtc]

both of the houses that we have rented have been through VRBO. The first was a little smaller than we thought it would be but we still rented for 3 yrs there and then we found a bigger place and it will be our 3rd year this summer renting from them. I like being able to deal directly with the owner in case anything goes wrong.

 

[ljcraw555]

We just rented a cabin for June in Pigeon Forge, TN from an owner through the VRBO website. So far, so good. In making our decision I sorted by the number of reviews each cabin/owner had and only seriously considered those with a lot of good current feedback.
We too are saving several hundreds of dollars by dealing directly with the owner.
We are also taking advantage of the insurance that VRBO offers. It is a mere $39.00. Well worth it for peace of mind.
Also, we are using an actual credit card for payment and not sending cash or using a debit card.
Good luck!

 

[ecamc]

We have used VRBO at least 6 times or more..in Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach and Orlando. We have never had any problems and all the owners were fantastic to work with. They were great about answering questions we had about the property and offered suggestions for things in the area. VRBO is the way I like to rent if at all possible. I hope you have a good experience too !

 

[01spirit750]

We rented two different condos in Hawaii (Maui and Oahu). We had a great experience and saved money by renting a condo that could sleep 5 people vs two hotel rooms.

Here are my VRBO recommendations

1. At least 10 reviews (with some recent reviews). Any condo with only 2-3 reviews could be from family or friends of the owner.
2. Try to find one that takes credit cards.
3. Try asking the owner questions and see how quickly they respond.
4. Is the owner local to the rental (if there are problems it is easier if they are local)
5. I have read some negative feedback on the VRBO insurance but I do not have any first hand experience.
6. Find out how soon will your security deposit will be returned after your trip.
7. Get specific information about what is required when you leave (wash the sheets, towels etc, vacuum?)

The Maui condo we rented took Visa and were local.
The Oahu condo only took checks but he had 60+ great reviews and was sold out months in advance. The Oahu condo owner met us and walked thru the condo and answerered all of our quesitons. He also stocked the condo with soda and fruit. He evan paid for 4 hours of use for a beach side cabbana.

 

[amylynne01]

I have used VRBO for 2 different houses, and we are returning to one of the houses this summer. For a little piece of mind, you can always get a contract with the owner. Most should have something standard if they are listed on VRBO. We've had a great experience with one and an okay experience with the other but not bad enough where I would say stay clear. Have a great time!

 

[ShiPooOwner]

We've rented several VRBO houses near DW, Marco Island, Maggie Valley, NC and Cape Cod. The only time we were disappointed was the cottage in Cape Cod. We didn't know it was a cottage in a resort setting and that wasn't made clear by the owner in the online blurb. In the pictures, you couldn't see that there were any other cottages. Our cottage was actually connected to another cottage sort of like a condo plus there were about 15 other cottages in the resort. You couldn't tell any of that from the pictures online. I don't think we would've rented it if we had known that ahead of time. Other than that, we've had all positive experiences renting through VRBO and would do it again.

 

[SoonerSarah]

I rented a house last August for my Mom's surprise 50th birthday. The portion of the house that we stayed in was 4000 SF. The pictures and descriptions did not do justice, the house was gorgeous. we had 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and 14 people in our party and we could have easily had 6 more.

In less than a month we will be staying at Storytime Rentals, which I found through vrbo. I haven't stayed there Before, but they are on FB with a lot of positive comments.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Nothing but great experiences with VRBO. The most recent was a large home in the Marina District in San Francisco. A block from the bay with a beautiful view of Alcatraz. 3 story florentine style villa home. AMAZING. My cousins and I rented it when we participated in the Nike Woman's marathon and it worked out perfectly.

Check reviews but after 5 rentals we've never had an issue. Good luck!

 

[tlmdisney]

We have used VBRO to find vacation homes a couple of times. I contact a number of rentals and then speak to the owners to get a feel for them. I agree with paying with a credit card so that you have some added protection. We rented a condo in Suger Mt NC this winter. An agent put the condo on VBRO and she was so unorganized I prepared myself for the condo to be a scam but it turned out well.