Rent a house through VRBO?

[Kayzmum]

Has anyone ever rented a house through VRBO? If so, how was your experience? I'm looking for something to watch the total solar eclipse in April 2024. I'm mainly concerned the owner could cancel for some reason, like a friend or family member asked for the house or they realize they can get more for it later?

 

[Keim]

I think we've always done AIR BnB. THey are similar. Our experience has always been good.

 

[MichaelB]

We did, a few years ago. My brother and I rented a large house (6 bedrooms) when we attended the wedding of a nephew. Everything worked out well.

 

[Alan]

We have used vrbo many times in the USA and UK. (In the UK it is called Homeaway). Never had a problem.

 

[JDARNELL]

I have used VRBO and have two overnight rentals with VRBO. The only thing I notice is if the owner sells the property before you arrive your reservation may be cancelled.

JDARNELL

 

[Kork13]

We've used VRBO (and AirBnB) many times for many years -- easily at least 40-50 stays over the the last 20 years. We've only been cancelled on once, when the previous renter trashed the place. The owner & VRBO both bent over backward to arrange a different place, at a discount.

Also keep in mind that a majority of short term rentals anymore are not owner-managed -- they use property managers. Those folk aren't going to pull the rug out for a cousin or an incrementally higher rate. Even for the owner-managed properties, those kind of shenanigans kill their user reviews, which is as good as a poison pill for future customers. All they want is for the property to be occupied, they don't care by whom.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I’ve used both AirBnb and VRBO to do weeklong house or condo rentals. Never a problem so far. Read every bit of what is presented online. Read the reviews of others. Lots of people do it!

 

[COcheesehead]

Yes, no problems.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Never had and owner cancel on us.

 

[audreyh1]

I’ve used VRBO - no problem, although I’ll go directly with the property manager if it is a well established local vacation rental company that also directly advertises to the public.

Regardless I read reviews carefully.

I’ve checked AirBnB against VRBO on some properties and found they are priced the same, except that AirBnB usually doesn’t include the taxes up front in the quoted price whereas VRBO does.

I don’t know about the property owner canceling because they wanted to rent to friends instead.

 

[CincyDave]

We've used them a lot and never had a problem. They were better before Expedia bought them and added their fees. As Audreyh1 mentions, if they are managed by a property management firm, check their website. We've done this and saved money by avoiding the VRBO fees which seem to be about 10% of the rental price.

 

[Jerry1]

Going somewhere to view an eclipse is full of risks. I think it’s more likely that the weather doesn’t cooperate than the reservation being a problem. Good luck. I’m lucky enough to live within driving distance to totality. My daughter wants to go big similar to you. I’ve no interest in that. For the last eclipse I had two places in my plan and decided the day before which one to go to based on weather. Neither of them were a sure thing but I did get lucky and had a great viewing.

 

[Golden Mean]

In the past, VRBOs I've found tended to have a less insane cancellation policy (even for the same property) than AirBnb. Many AirBnb's have a "48 hours after your booking you get nothing back on cacellation" policy.

 

[marko]

While our new house was being built -- and our old house had already been sold -- we lived in a VRBO for four months (right in the middle of Covid!). We've also rented in Nantucket and Barcelona with absolutely no problems.

 

[FireDreamer]

We own a beach condo which we rent on VRBO and self-manage. I completely agree with Kork13 's comment about reviews - I strive for 5 star reviews from my renters to drive future and return guests.

Its basically a business for me and would not cancel on someone for friends or family to rent at a lower or no rent. I let them use it in the off season, not during prime summer. I would not cancel an existing reservation if I thought I could get a higher price a particular week due to an event, like an eclipse or concert.. If anything, I would price that in before someone booked, not after.

 

[jfn111]

We use VRBO every year to book a Florida rental. We've had no problems and most rentals matched the reviews.

 

[Rianne]

We've used VRBO in FL but met the property manager and she did not charge that extra $1K fee. So we rented from her, the same condo and it was perfect.

We're using VRBO to go to Sicily in October 2023. The reviews, 76 of them, were mostly 5* and we like the location. It's hard when there a just a few reviews. Makes me wonder if they're legitimate. I think VRBO for the most part is good. The fees can be a bit expensive but understandable for the owner. Maintenance, taxes, etc.

 

[DrRoy]

We have rented VRBO several times in several locations, all good. I would book early for the eclipse.

 

[pacergal]

We have used VRBO with out any problems. They have a good cancellation/refund policy, if you stay within the posted dates.
I read the reviews, and look at the pictures closely.

 

[Winemaker]

We have used it at least 40 times in the last 15 years. We have never had a bad experience, and I hope I haven't jinxed myself.

 

[Trailwalker]

We've never had a problem with cancellation and just rented a house in Arizona for the month of March 2024. We try to choose hosts with many reviews.

 

[Livefree]

We just got back from a VRBO rental in March, in Cape Coral Florida..no problems, and the property was beautiful..but pricey.

 

[Kayzmum]

Thanks everyone! I will definitely use VRBO.

Thanks everyone! I will definitely use VRBO.

 

[disneysteve]

We’ve rented through VRBO many times. It’s a great way to travel. Hotels are fine and we do that plenty too but having a house or condo of your own makes for a much more laid back vacation. It can also let you experience an area more like a local. If traveling with family it also gives everyone their own space, multiple bathrooms, maybe a private pool, full kitchen, etc.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

I've done 20+ rentals in different markets. I like to do a lot of homework. Find one. See if you can find same property listed for rent outside VRBO where it is almost always cheaper. Check out Google Earth view for better view of location, neighbors, etc. Look for reviews on multiple sites to ensure credibility paying careful attention to dates.

I've had only a couple minor issues.
1) St Croix: Property manager wasn't responding when we arrived. We ultimately entered a gate and found an unlocked door and let ourselves in. We tried more ph #'s, email contacts, etc. and somebody finally contacted us as said it was simply human error thank goodness.

2) Puerto Rico: House was not as nice or clean as pictures/reviews implied. We kept with rental and made the best of it.

3) St. Croix: Rented from property mgmt company. House sold between when we booked and when we were to stay. We booked in May for December. House sold in October. I didn't realize it was for sale. There was about 3 weeks where we didn't know if the new owner would honor our rent contract. Mgmt company was communicating, confident, but some risk. Was a bit stressful, but all was fine.

We will keep using this format as dislike hotel, resort, cruise ship vibe.