VRBO - worst case scenario

[thyme4change]

We are going to travel for a weekend, and my hubs and I disagree about how we should do this.  We can either stay at a Holiday Inn Express, or rent a house in the area.  He is nervous about renting a house because he says you don't know what you are going to get.  My attitude is "What is the worst that can happen?"

Have you ever done VRBO, and how was it?  Do you have any horror stories about renting houses instead of hotels?   

[Deleted]

I've used VRBO in London, Paris, Florida and Costa Rica and it has always gone well. I do check for when they signed up on VRBO and look for old and new reviews. My logic is that if they are a problem owner they would be off the site by now. Really read the reviews carefully. The rental in Costa Rica had a very steep driveway to climb to get to the unit. That is pretty common in the area we were in but I kind of sluffed over that comment in the reviews. It was a little difficult for the one uncle that had knee surgery last year but we were able to deal with it.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I've used it twice, and I don't have any horror stories.

[Blonde Granny]

We've rented in Mesa, AZ, Orange Beach, AL , once at St. Augustine Beach, Fl. and twice in Palm Coast, Fl. We've never had a problem. My only thought is that if it's going to be for a weekend, I'd stay in a hotel. It's just easier. No deposits, no cancellation fees, no security deposits, no strange keys and entry procedures.

[zibazinski]

I did it once. The place didn't have a laundry in the unit, implied by pictures it did and it was right next to a noisy 24/7 street. 

[Apple]

I've used it a few times, no bad experiences.  I was scared when I went that route in London and no one was answering the door when I knocked, but turns out the guy who was "sitting the desk" just had the volume on the tv up loud and wasn't expecting me until later.  He heard me after I tried again (spent a few minutes trying to figure out how I would reach them over the phone, when I didn't have a working phone...)  

You can also usually research their address to see how close to everything it really is, and google earth can provide you an idea of the type of area it's located in, etc.

So, for me, worst case scenario (unless you have a super creative "criminal minds" type imagination) is that you show up, find out you've been scammed, and have to find a different place to stay.  You then have to deal with your credit card company to get any charges reversed.  Since I've shown up to a hotel where they "lost" my reservation, it is possible you'd have to deal with this at a hotel as well (however, they may or may not still have rooms available, and may allow you to use their phone to find a new place to stay).

[plugginaway22]

Have very successfully used it in Delaware, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Utah.
We always check there when traveling.

[justme]

First time using it was m-f on a beach in Florida. A great experience. I only wish more did shorter rentals. It'd be nice to spend weekends at the beach and not have to take days off.

[Gardening Grandma]

I've used it several times (Italy and Hawaii). No bad experiences. Second the suggestion to read all the comments carefully. And don't make assumptions. If it doesn't specifically say it has something, then it probably doesn't.  In Italy units had washing machines, but not dryers. We hung the laundry outside, just like the natives.

[Bonny]

No problems.

You can often cross check reviews on Trip Advisor.

I second Apple's suggestion to do Google Earth with the address.

[ohmomto2boys]

I've used it once and had a great experience.  (Orlando, FL)
We are using VRBO again for a beach vaca this summer (NC).  I am expecting the same results. 

One aspect that is important to me is "recent" reviews on the property.  If there were no reviews or not within the last 6-12 mths, I passed it by.

[HoneyBBQ]

I've used VRBO a ton.

Read the fine print carefully, and I've never had a serious problem.

[thyme4change]

Mar 2, 2015 9:59:33 GMT -5 Bonny said:

No problems.

You can often cross check reviews on Trip Advisor.

I second Apple's suggestion to do Google Earth with the address.

Maybe I don't know where to look, but I don't see addresses.  There is a general map, with a house on it - but on a couple of those I wasn't able to pinpoint the house.  

[Blonde Granny]

I have never gotten the specific address of the property until ALL payments for the rental have been paid. That is when you receive the address, directions to the property and all entrance instructions to the area if gated. That's also when you will get the instructions for finding the key or any entrance codes needed.

[gooddecisions]

I booked a condo by the beach once. I was pretty disappointed. The place smelled like piss, the other homeowners were anti-vacationers, and the pool looked way better in the picture. In reality, the pool was small and plastic. I spent 3 hours cleaning the place when I got there and 3 hours cleaning it to the specification on the list before I left. $125 of my payment including cleaning fees and there was a warning if you didn't leave it clean, you'd pay another $250. I suspect the homeowner just collects the fees and doesn't always get the professional cleaning service. Regarding the other homeowners, they griped at vacationers for not totally cleaning sand off their feet, complained about the babies in diapers in the pool, and pretty much hounded anyone who they thought might be breaking a rule.

I didn't leave a review because the homeowner lives in my neighborhood, but if I had- it would have been critical. Based on that experience, if I want a week vacation at the beach, I will book at a vacation resort where everyone is chill and all I have to do for check-in is unpack my stuff and for check-out, pack, load the dishwasher and strip the beds. It's a real bummer when you work full-time and when you finally get a week at the beach, you can't even relax because you need to tip-toe around the busy bodies.

I might reconsider VRBO if I was exploring a new city and wasn't worried about relaxation.

[Bonny]

Mar 3, 2015 8:19:49 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Mar 2, 2015 9:59:33 GMT -5 Bonny said:

No problems.

You can often cross check reviews on Trip Advisor.

I second Apple's suggestion to do Google Earth with the address.

Maybe I don't know where to look, but I don't see addresses.  There is a general map, with a house on it - but on a couple of those I wasn't able to pinpoint the house.  

I'd e-mail the owner stating something like you very interested but don't want to be disappointed. If they won't give you the address then move on.

[Bonny]

Mar 3, 2015 9:57:49 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I booked a condo by the beach once. I was pretty disappointed. The place smelled like piss, the other homeowners were anti-vacationers, and the pool looked way better in the picture. In reality, the pool was small and plastic. I spent 3 hours cleaning the place when I got there and 3 hours cleaning it to the specification on the list before I left. $125 of my payment including cleaning fees and there was a warning if you didn't leave it clean, you'd pay another $250. I suspect the homeowner just collects the fees and doesn't always get the professional cleaning service. Regarding the other homeowners, they griped at vacationers for not totally cleaning sand off their feet, complained about the babies in diapers in the pool, and pretty much hounded anyone who they thought might be breaking a rule.

I didn't leave a review because the homeowner lives in my neighborhood, but if I had- it would have been critical. Based on that experience, if I want a week vacation at the beach, I will book at a vacation resort where everyone is chill and all I have to do for check-in is unpack my stuff and for check-out, pack, load the dishwasher and strip the beds. It's a real bummer when you work full-time and when you finally get a week at the beach, you can't even relax because you need to tip-toe around the busy bodies.

I might reconsider VRBO if I was exploring a new city and wasn't worried about relaxation.

I bet folks who rent the unit in the building where my condo at the beach get a similar reception (although I will say the unit is absolutely beautiful). Due to short term renters in another building in the complex being party animals and total pigs with their trash, the HOA now prohibits rentals for less than 6 months. This owner bought before the change and I suspect may be a lawyer or have legal representation because they continue to do the short term rentals. I think the HOA has quietly grandfathered the use.

[Abby Normal]

I've done it a couple times.  I usually google earth the address and do some research.  I've only had one issue.  The house was a mess when we arrived.  The cleaning lady hadn't taken care of the house after the last people checked out.  I called the owners and they had someone there within an hour.  We went to dinner, they comped us a night and the rest of the stay was fine.  Never had any other problems with any of the other houses.

[MJ2.0]

I've done it twice. The first time we had a little bit of an ant problem. I called the owner and she had pest removal there in a couple of hours. That was the only problem. The second time there were no problems and we had a great time.

[zibazinski]

VRBO doesn't print bad reviews.

[t-dog]

Used it in Maui and the place was great. You can usually email the owner questions in advance if you are not sure if the unit has something.

[ArchietheDragon]

We use VRBO as much as we can. My wife does all the leg work but we have been really happy everywhere we have stay.

[Deleted]

Mar 3, 2015 17:57:50 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

VRBO doesn't print bad reviews.

Not true, I've come across them and the owner responded. I didn't rent those places so I can't tell you who is right.