We have been renting places through VRBO/Homeaway for over 5 years. We’ve rented in multiple different states and different countries.
The first thing you need to understand is that there is no definitive answer to most of the questions you are asking because every rental is owned and operated by someone different with their own set of rules. VRBO and Homeaway (its the same company) is simply a listing site for rentals. VRBO started out as a place for individual home owners to list their homes and vacation properties when they weren’t staying in them. As time has gone on, rental companies have realized they are loosing out to VRBO and have begun to list their places on the site as well. This means the terms, conditions, and quality of the rental you get are going to be dependent on the company or individual you rent from. VRBO really only offers a vehicle for you to easily browse and compare rentals in one spot. It is not a rental company in and of itself.
How do you get your keys?
This will be dependent on how the rental is set up. Most of the places we have stayed, we have been given a code to use on a keypad. A few places we have stayed we were given real keys. In those instances, we either met the homeowner (when renting direct) who did a walkthrough of the house and then gave us the keys, or we went to a rental company’s office, checked in, and were given keys. I have never had someone direct us to a lock box or hide-a-key, but it sounds like others have.
Can you get more than one set (possibly split with another family)?
This will depend on the owner. If you are given a code, there will be no need for additional keys. When we have gone to rental companies, they usually ask how many keys we want as they are use to people needing more than one. If renting direct from an owner, they may not have a second key available, but you can always ask them questions like that before agreeing to rent.
If it's a gated community, how do you get in the gate?
Again, this is going to depend on who you are renting from and what type of procedure is in place in that community. I have been given passes to print ahead of time. I have had to go somewhere first and check in (either a rental company or somewhere specific within the resort/neighborhood). Sometimes all I had to do was provide my name or the name of the homeowner at the gate. Many times resorts have two gate entrances. One for those checking in the first time and a second you use everytime after. In those situations, you usually only need to stop at the gate the first time. In smaller neighborhoods with unmanned coded gates, you may be given a code ahead of time. Be aware not all rentals are in gated communities or resorts. Also, even if the rental is in a resort you may not have access to all or any of the resort amenities, so be sure to read the fine print.
Do occupancy limits only refer to how many people are staying? Can you have others over for a party/get together?
This one is tricky. As far as VRBO is concerned, occupancy refers to how many people there are “beds” for in the rental, not any kind of rule in regards to how many people can be on the premise. Be aware, though, many rentals have very specific rules regarding who and how many can be on the premise as day guests or as night guests, and this number is usually the same as the one listed on VRBO. Most places I’ve come across frown on parties and get togethers of people not on the contract. Many specifically forbid them, and I’ve also read a few contracts that completely forbid anyone not on the original contract from entering at all. Because of this, if someone is on the fence about going on a trip or will be visiting me, I always add them to the rental up front. If they aren’t there, no one cares, but I’m not risking running into problems because I let in extra people. Rentals through agengencies, especially condos and villas in resorts, can be very vigilant about enforcing these rules because of fire occupancy laws that they are subject to. Homeowners are hit or miss. Some don’t care. Some care but are not local and won’t know if you are breaking the rules. Then others care and are super vigilant about policing that kind of thing. I’ve read a number of reviews with people complaining because they rented a place, weren’t allowed to have a party or bring over extra guests, and got mad when they got caught by the homeowner who happened to own the house next door or had a neighbor watching the house for them.
Another note on parties, sometimes the actual resort or condominium has its own rules separate from anything the homeowner says, so a homeowner may tell you, “yes, you can have a party,” but the resort may say you are breaking the rules. We had some people in a condo above us about a month ago throwing a party. Security came and told them it was quiet hours, and they had to stop. If they didn’t, the real police would be the next to visit them as there was a sound ordinance they were breaking. Honestly, they weren’t even being that loud, but it was loud enough for the condos immediately around them to hear, so that was enough. Quiet hours started at 10. This was maybe 10:30.
If you are planning any kind of get together, I’d discuss that with the homeowner ahead of time rather than risk an altercation with the homeowner or having the police called on me or something. Most people don’t want people “partying” in their houses or yards. Permission to have a barbecue or baby / bridal shower, or dinner party, those kinds of things are different and can usually be arranged in advance as long as fire occupancy isn’t an issue.
Something else to note, the SLEEPS # VRBO provides can be misleading. King beds are almost always counted as sleeping 3. Sofa beds and loft beds will also be counted as 2 each. Sometimes homeowners include rollaway or even inflatable beds in their counts. I’ve seen studio apartments listed as sleeping 6 or 8 because they had a king bed, king sleeper, rollaway bed, and maybe a cot or crib. That place sleeps 2. 4 is pushing it, and I’d never put fit 8 in there. But my absolute favorite transgression, the people who turn closets into “bedrooms”. I kid you not. They will build custom bunk beds in a closet or hallway. I see it all the time. You can’t search for a beach condo in the panhandle without coming across these by the dozens. Thankfully, they aren’t as common in the Orlando area. And to add insult, many times, these closet beds are toddler size, so even if you found a teen or an adult willing to sleep in the closet, they wouldn’t fit. The lesson, if you need 3 rooms, make sure there are actually 3 real bedrooms if it is a listing for 3. Don’t assume. The third bedroom could be a loft, a balcony, a hallway, or a closet instead. I’ve also seen living rooms and offices turned into bedrooms. They are essentially a bedroom in every way and size except they have no door! Read the fine print. Look at the pictures. If I can’t see pictures of every “room” and bed listed, I’m not renting it. Another note, lofts and balconies are hit or miss. We’ve rented some before that worked out great the way the house was configured as an extra room. I’ve also seen ones you had to access by a latter that would have been no goes for us, so pay attention to how you access them if you decide to book a place with one.
Do you leave left over (unopened) food? Just throw everything out?
Again, this is dependent on who and where you are renting from. When renting through an agency. It’s about like renting through a hotel. Think Disney villa. It’s a “hotel” room. You aren’t going to leave food there. Renting direct through a home owner. Yes, we routinely leave unopened non-perishable food, especially things like spices behind for the next guests rather than throw them away. We never leave perishable foods or leftovers or opened boxes. When you rent, you will be given very specific instructions on what the check out procedures are. They will tell you what to do with leftover food, trash, dishes, etc. We tend to evaluate each place. If the place comes prestocked with certain spices and starter foods, we will simply add to that. If the place is completely empty, and they ask we not leave anything, we throw it all out or take it with us. Sometimes there are new guests coming in that day or the next who will appreciate what you may have to leave. Sometimes the next guests aren’t booked for a month or more, and the homeowner doesn’t want any food in the house during that time. These are things you will work out with the homeowner/ rental agency when it comes time.
Do most allow for cancellations (months in advance)?
Yes, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place that did not allow for cancellations. The catch is the cancellations usually have to be made a long time out, think 1 to 2 months before check in. After that, it is hit or miss if you get anything back. Most places I’ve booked, cancellation with money back stopped at 30 days out, with either a 50% refund after that or nothing at all. This seems to be a pretty standard policy for most of the places I’ve seen. If you think you may cancel, I recommend buying
trip insurance. Some homeowners will work with you in the event of a family emergency or some other catastrophe. Sometimes if they have someone else interested they will let you out completely. Sometimes, they will agree to let you reschedule for a different time if that works for both of you. It really depends on how nice the homeowners are and the reason for the cancellation. Just changing your mind won’t cut it. This is a good reason to check reviews and find great homeowners who are known to work with not against their renters.
Is all payment due upfront, or do you pay installments as you get closer?
Usually, a specific percentage is due up front, and then you are free to pay the rest however you like. (All at once, in installments.) It doesn’t really matter. The whole amount just has to be paid by a specified date which you will be given and which the owner sets. In my experience, this date is usually 30 days, the same as the cancellation date. If you book a place, and you are already inside the pay by window (less than 30 days out usually), you almost always owe the whole amount up front when you book, unless you and the homeowner come to some kind of special agreement.
I'm probably missing a website describing all this, but couldn't find it.
No you are not. It’s a learning experience, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever got by staying in a hotel all those years, when you can have so much more for the same amount or less.
