VRBO Tips and Tricks - as a renter

[jitterbug]

We are heading to Colorado in July for our vacation and I'm stronging considering booking via VRBO.com as we can get a nice one bedroom condo for less than a hotel room.  But I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger as I'm a skeptic.  I try to limit my favorites to just those places that have recent, multiple, positive reviews.  I think I'm also noticing that if you rent from an individual, you pay the nightly rate plus cleaning fee and deposit.  If you rent from a management company, I don't see an additional cleaning fee.

Any advice

[Deleted]

I've used VRBO in London, Paris and Florida and have another one booked for Toronto next month. The worst problem I've had at any of them was the dryer taking forever to dry clothes. The one I had in London was farther than I realised from the tourist attractions. It wasn't a big deal but it has taught me to look up the location on a map and compare it to my interests.

[Gardening Grandma]

I've used vrbo in Italy and Hawaii.  There is no consistent policy about cleaning/damage deposits.  I just check carefully to make sure I know about them.

Good idea to check out the location.

[milee]

We've rented from VRBO for several years and in several states. Almost all experiences have been great - in most cases the place was better than the pictures. The only one we had some issues with was an individual owner who wasn't very experienced as a LL and had some unrealistic ideas. This was back in 2009 or 2010 during the housing meltdown and I realized later that he was just a guy who was probably underwater on his mortgage, couldn't sell and was desperately trying to get some income while he tried to sell his house via short sale. Some of the things that were awkward:

- It appeared that he still lived in the house and just went to stay somewhere else for the week that we were there.  While it was great to have a fully stocked kitchen (sometimes there aren't enough cooking implements or spices in true rental properties) it was weird to feel like we were staying in someone's personal house instead of a rental. There were clothes hanging in the laundry room (I think they had been moved out of the master closet) and personal things throughout the house.

- The stay was during July in Phoenix, so was hot. The house had been advertised as having AC, but the AC didn't work well and the owner expected us to use the evaporative cooler, which would require leaving windows open. Also, an evap cooler doesn't work well when humidity increases like it does in July.  Since I was there alone with just myself and two small boys, I didn't feel safe leaving windows open to use the evap cooler and he was upset at having to turn the AC on. Even when the AC was on, it must not have been fully functional because parts of the house never cooled off. We ended up not being able to use the two bedrooms the boys were supposed to be in because they never got below 85 degrees.

 

- The owner expected to be able to come and go in the house at random times and was angry to find the doors locked.   He also expected us to leave the house open, clean and unlocked so it could be shown to potential buyers.  None of this was in the rental contract and I wasn't comfortable with it.  Plus, one of the main reasons I rent a house instead of hotel room is privacy and liking the ability to let the kids nap when they're tired, which can be odd times on vacation with a time zone difference.  One morning he called to say potential buyers would be there around 2 that afternoon.  When I asked if he could reschedule that for 3 days later when we'd be gone, he said no and wanted us to just leave but leave the house unlocked so the buyers could get in.  Very odd.  The buyers came by, of course waking my little guy.  It was just awkward all around.

-  At the end of all this, the owner kept my security deposit.  Although I'm sure I could have gotten it back, it wasn't worth flying back to Phoenix to go to court over, so I let it go.

All that being said, that house was fine, the pool was great and we had a fun vacation.  This was the one and only bad experience we've had at VRBO and we rent at least 2-3 times a year in various places.  Most of the owners are very nice and professional.  If you're worried about having an experience like I just detailed, I'd think your plan of sticking to properties with professional management and several reviews would avoid that.  This happened before reviews were common and at least half the properties were managed by owners.

[Abby Normal]

I've used VRBO many times.  I usually had really good luck going directly though an owner, rather than a management company. It's always better for them to have it rented than to sit empty, so some will be willing to offer a deal.  Many will cover the taxes, rather than adding it on the bill.  One gave us winter rates during the summer because we were renting for a week (saved us a ton).  

But I admit, that I usually google the address as soon as I get it, so that I can be sure the place actually exists. 

[Colleenz]

I have had great luck with VRBO - both through owners and management companies.  Worst problems were things like uncomfortable beds or a broken microwave.

[Bonny]

Another fan of VRBO and Flipkey.

All have been very good experiences. I've had two awkward experiences. One was the place up in the Sonoma wine country last September where the owner was having construction done to part of his house. He didn't disclose and my friend couldn't take a nap in the afternoon like she wanted. Then he had a little party afterwards and while we were out to dinner he went into my unit's freezer compartment and took all the ice I made (and was going to use ). I wrote about both problems in my review. He then gave us a deal to come back and waived the two-day stay requirement.

Second situation was the beach house in Kauai. Unit was great but the owner would come by every evening to feed the feral cats. We're cat people and friendly and would offer her a beer. It almost felt like it was expected after the second time. She also had some personality issues and was extremely OCD. I didn't write a review; I was kind of puzzled how to word it. Despite those issues I would still go back and would recommend to my friends. Very, very clean, great location and price. And another story to tell my friends!

[Abby Normal]

Jun 10, 2014 13:33:51 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Second situation was the beach house in Kauai. Unit was great but the owner would come by every evening to feed the feral cats. We're cat people and friendly and would offer her a beer. It almost felt like it was expected after the second time. She also had some personality issues and was extremely OCD. I didn't write a review; I was kind of puzzled how to word it.

Crazy Cat lady mooches beer nightly!

[HoneyBBQ]

I've always had good luck with VRBO. Usually there is a cleaning fee unless you stay a week or more, so I'm not surprised with that. We do one every year on our ski vacation, as well as various ones for other holidays through out the year. I rented a whole house in steamboat one summer. Last year we stayed right off the water in the San Juans in a duplex. It's beautiful, quiet, and you have a real kitchen so you can save money compared to eating out every night. It's also usually much more private compared to kids screaming and running up and down the halls at 2 am in a hotel. Don't be afraid!

[justme]

I'm guessing VRBO and Flipkey are in the same category as airbnb?

[milee]

Jun 10, 2014 13:49:56 GMT -5 justme said:

I'm guessing VRBO and Flipkey are in the same category as airbnb?

Very similar.  From what I've seen VRBO is mostly self-contained units - like condos, apartments and houses. Airbnb tends to be a mix of those plus rooms in a person's house.

[Bonny]

Jun 10, 2014 13:52:27 GMT -5 milee said:

Jun 10, 2014 13:49:56 GMT -5 justme said:

I'm guessing VRBO and Flipkey are in the same category as airbnb?

Very similar.  From what I've seen VRBO is mostly self-contained units - like condos, apartments and houses. Airbnb tends to be a mix of those plus rooms a couch in a person's house.

Fixed!

Air B&B is short for Airbed (yup!) and breakfast. It's a wonderful story.  And fascinating to follow how they are navigating the zoning issues in San Francisco (and other places).

[milee]

Yes, I'm very interested to see how AirBnB, Uber, etc. work when they run up against the Establishment. Taxi owners, hoteliers and state revenue & licensing department will be formidable foes.

As a consumer, I hope AirBnB and the rest of these services prevail, but I'm not sure I'd bet on it. Could be a tough battle in some of these places where regulation and taxation serve to protect established fiefdoms from challengers.

[Regis]

I'm another satisfied VRBO customer.

And even though the rates are normally listed, I always email the owner and ask.  More often than not I get a reply with a lower rate.

[Bonny]

Jun 10, 2014 14:42:18 GMT -5 milee said:

Yes, I'm very interested to see how AirBnB, Uber, etc. work when they run up against the Establishment. Taxi owners, hoteliers and state revenue & licensing department will be formidable foes.

As a consumer, I hope AirBnB and the rest of these services prevail, but I'm not sure I'd bet on it. Could be a tough battle in some of these places where regulation and taxation serve to protect established fiefdoms from challengers.

I'm not against the existing zoning situations. A big problem in SF has been vacation rentals in areas which are zoned residential. I wouldn't be a happy camper coming home to my nice little apartment and having a party next door every weekend. Another issue has been folks renting out apartments which are rent controlled and the tenant essentially illegally subletting. As an owner I don't think I'd be happy about that! And finally the other big issue is TOT (bed tax) for rentals shorter than 1 mo. If hotels have to collect it so should vacation rentals (we have to with our vacation cabin).

I'm sure it will get worked out. There's too much $ for it not to.

[Blonde Granny]

We've rented in Phoenix, Gulf Shores, twice in St. Augustine. The last one in St. Augustine was a little disappointing. It could have been much cleaner. The owner had it priced a little high, but it was convenient, on the ocean front etc.. I received an email from him a couple weeks ago telling me that it was still available for January, I simply told him we were not traveling this winter, but thanks for thinking of us. We're not traveling, but it still was a good excuse. 

The one thing that does irritate me with VRBO is that so many listings tell you to contact the owner to see if it's available.  For goodness sakes, they have a calendar on the website, use it!!  I skip right over those that don't give me the info.  Why waste my time.

[jitterbug]

Okay, has anybody stayed in Breckenridge, Colorado and if so, any recommendations?  It's just hubby and me, so one bedroom is all we need.  Don't really want a studio because I tend to go to bed before he does.

[Gardening Grandma]

I'm thinking of renting in Key West next winter. I've marked a few places as "favorite", but would appreciate any recommendations. Want 1 bedroom (2 is ok but won't get used) with a balcony and ocean view.

[milee]

Jun 10, 2014 15:03:54 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Jun 10, 2014 14:42:18 GMT -5 milee said:

Yes, I'm very interested to see how AirBnB, Uber, etc. work when they run up against the Establishment. Taxi owners, hoteliers and state revenue & licensing department will be formidable foes.

As a consumer, I hope AirBnB and the rest of these services prevail, but I'm not sure I'd bet on it. Could be a tough battle in some of these places where regulation and taxation serve to protect established fiefdoms from challengers.

I'm not against the existing zoning situations. A big problem in SF has been vacation rentals in areas which are zoned residential. I wouldn't be a happy camper coming home to my nice little apartment and having a party next door every weekend. Another issue has been folks renting out apartments which are rent controlled and the tenant essentially illegally subletting. As an owner I don't think I'd be happy about that! And finally the other big issue is TOT (bed tax) for rentals shorter than 1 mo. If hotels have to collect it so should vacation rentals (we have to with our vacation cabin).

I'm sure it will get worked out. There's too much $ for it not to.

I agree on the idea that some of this is a problem, but disagree on the mechanisms for controlling the problem. 

"A big problem in SF has been vacation rentals in areas which are zoned residential. I wouldn't be a happy camper coming home to my nice little apartment and having a party next door every weekend."  

- Couple different issues here.  First is the idea that all vacation rentals are used for parties.  Yeah, I'm old and traveling with my kids, but I can safely say that not once have I ever had a party in a vacation rental.  I'm guessing that's true for many of us posting on this thread.  Permanent residents can have as many or more parties or have noisy barking dogs, etc.  The issue of parties isn't a vacation/resident issue - it's a noise issue.  And noise/disturbance laws should cover that.  We should be using existing noise/disturbance laws to keep party noise at bay, not assume rentals = party and regulate something that's not necessarily the issue.

"Another issue has been folks renting out apartments which are rent controlled and the tenant essentially illegally subletting. "

- I realize lightning may strike me, but I think rent control causes more problems than it solves.  Instead of constantly chasing issues with rent controlled apartments and trying to make that system work, rent control should be eliminated.  In any case, that's between LL and tenant, not something we should try to police by enacting rental laws that penalize legitimate would-be rentals.

"And finally the other big issue is TOT (bed tax) for rentals shorter than 1 mo. If hotels have to collect it so should vacation rentals (we have to with our vacation cabin)."

- Of course.  If there is a bed tax, it should apply to all rentals. 

[jitterbug]

ABC Nightly News just had a segment on this last night!  The vacation websites say there is just a 1% chance of coming up against a scammer and I like those odds...but they didn't give much good advice about how to prevent it from happening.

[Gardening Grandma]

Jun 12, 2014 11:17:45 GMT -5 jitterbug said:

ABC Nightly News just had a segment on this last night!  The vacation websites say there is just a 1% chance of coming up against a scammer and I like those odds...but they didn't give much good advice about how to prevent it from happening.

We pay the deposit by credit card.  If they want it paid in full before we show up, that is done by cc as well.  If you wire money, you have no protection if the place doesn't turn out as expected.  Paying by cc protects you because you can do a chargeback if necessary.

The places in Italy charged 5% more if we paid by cc, so we paid those in cash upon arrival.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jun 10, 2014 11:51:34 GMT -5 jitterbug said:

We are heading to Colorado in July for our vacation and I'm stronging considering booking via VRBO.com as we can get a nice one bedroom condo for less than a hotel room.  But I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger as I'm a skeptic.  I try to limit my favorites to just those places that have recent, multiple, positive reviews.  I think I'm also noticing that if you rent from an individual, you pay the nightly rate plus cleaning fee and deposit.  If you rent from a management company, I don't see an additional cleaning fee.

Any advice

If you're interested in Keystone- PM me.