Renting from VRBO?

[Mrs~Incredible]

I’ve seen this site mentioned a lot here. Does anyone have any experience/tips/tricks to share?
Good, bad or otherwise?
Thank you so much!

 

[Gizmo74]

I’ve seen this site mentioned a lot here. Does anyone have any experience/tips/tricks to share?
Good, bad or otherwise?
Thank you so much!

I just rented this week from VRBO for Wyndam Bonnet Creek in a couple weeks. The owner I rented from lives in Canada and quoted me in CAD vs USD. No problem because I used my credit card that does not charge Intl. Fees doing the conversion. So far it's a good experience.

 

[minerva78]

I've rented through them in the past and had a great experience so we're likely renting from them again (unless we ultimately decide to do Bonnet Creek). People will say to avoid it because of the fees but I like having an extra layer of protection. Pay attention to the cancellation policies for each property. Most of them are very reasonable but sometimes you come across non refundable payments. I personally change my mind too much to do non refundable trips but that may work for some. It's very easy to communicate to the owners through the Vrbo app, and very easy to ask owners questions about the property before you book.

 

[eandt]

Have used VRBO for more than 20 years for various locations mostly beach vacations. Never had a bad experience. We do a lot of last minute trips, we look for deep discounts so I prefer to deal with the "decision makers" directly as we negotiate rather than a property manager or real estate company. VRBO isn't what it once was before expedia/orbitz took it over but it's still our go to site for non hotel vacation rentals.

 

[5Tulips]

VRBO is our go-to. We did run into an issue with a home’s property manager, Vacasa, and now seek out listings that deal directly with the property owners.

Years ago an owner convinced us to rent directly through them versus paying the VRBO fee. The house had several “overlooked” issues and we couldn’t share our experience to warn others.

 

[bearzabout]

A friend booked a place that turned out to be a double listing by a scammer. She caught it quickly, signed up for their insurance and got her money back. It is a good idea to make sure there is only one listing for the property. Make sure there are many reviews. I try to verify the owner of the property. Often times this cannot be done until after the booking is made and I get the address.

I have not used them since they raised their fees. I will occasionally find a property that is listed on both VRBO and Airbnb, and the total price has always been cheaper on Airbnb. It is my favorite website for unique, memorable, affordable lodging options when Skyauction does not work for me.