Are you considering booking your next stay in an Airbnb or VRBO versus a hotel? There are many things that could go wrong, but after staying in over 20 Airbnbs and being a host myself, I’ve learned a thing or two. I have put together 5 simple tips for booking a vacation rental that I use personally and work 99% of the time.
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Our Vacation Rental Experiences And Mistakes
In 2022, we took off on a 8-month trip through South America and Europe. During this trip we mainly stayed at Airbnbs. Even prior to that trip, we had dabbled with staying in vacation rentals. Most of our experiences were positive; however, a few were quite awful.
There is one instance that takes the cake. Our Airbnb in Medellin, Colombia was not at all what it seemed from the listing. Were there red flags? Yes, yes there were.
When we booked, I knew that the ratings weren’t as high as I normally would have liked. After reading a few of the comments, I figured it would be fine. Honestly, I talked myself into it. The location couldn’t be beat and the view was to die for.
There were some really wonderful aspects to the Airbnb, like the location and the view I mentioned earlier. There were also the friendly doormen. Unfortunately, there were some other parts that couldn’t be overlooked.
It was dirty. Like, so dirty I felt gross just standing in the room. Also, it was in terrible shape and not stocked at all. There was literally no soap at any sink; towels had holes; even the ceiling in the bathroom looked like it was going to collapse on you.
You would have never known it from the pictures. This is when I started following these 5 easy tips for booking a vacation rental. Ever since, we have had only positive experiences.
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Tip 1 – Choosing The Right Vacation Rental – Use The Filters
The view and the pool at our Airbnb in Cartagena, Colombia
There are millions, literally over 6 million, Airbnb listings in the world. There are more on VRBO. With so many options to choose from, the first of my tips for booking a vacation rental you actually want to stay in, is to lower the amount of places to sift through. Do this by using the filters.
Ask yourself what is most important to you. Is it the cost? This is always one of the first filters I put on. You can add a price range that fits your budget and only see those places.
Another filter I always do is to select the amount of beds I need. When traveling with my family, I know for personal experience that my boys will be happier and there will be less arguing if they have separate beds. 3+ beds, check.
Then, I select the features I want like air conditioning, a pool or washer. This should narrow down the quantity of listings you see to a reasonable amount. If this narrows it down too far, then you may have to compromise in one area.
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Step 2 – Look At The Ratings (One Of The Most Important Tips For Booking A Vacation Rental)
Our Airbnb in Granna, Sweden
The way that Airbnb and VRBO controls the quality of vacation rentals is by traveler’s ratings. When giving a rating it is important to be honest, so that others don’t have an experience that they aren’t expecting.
This can be tricky, of course, because you don’t want to hurt a vacation rental’s business, but on the other hand, you also don’t want other tourists to have a bad experience either.
Some ways I navigate this is if it is something small that I don’t think would really affect someone’s stay, I leave a personal note that will only show up in the host’s messages. That way they know about the issue and have the chance to fix it before getting hit by a bad rating.
When booking, my rule of thumb is to only book vacation rentals that have a 4.8 or higher for an overall rating. Why? This seems to be the sweet spot.
That terrible Airbnb in Medellin we mentioned above? That was a 4.7. Most travelers are pretty darn nice when leaving reviews.
By choosing high-rated properties, you will narrow down your choices even more.
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Step 3 – Look At The Pictures And The Location Of The Vacation Rental
My next tip for booking vacation rentals is to make sure you are selecting a property that looks comfortable and is in the location you want. I am somewhat of a snob when I choose a vacation rental. I like a well-designed and pretty place. This isn’t always possible, but it is definitely something that attracts me to a home.
Overall though, the location and comfort beats out on looks. I make sure the bed situation will work for our family. Like I said before, if my kids have separate beds, there will be less arguments in the evening. Some places that fit 4 may only have one bedroom and a pull-out sofa. That wouldn’t work for our family for more than a night or two.
You can also look at the location rating. If you are traveling without a car and want to be close to the attractions or near public transportation, this is an important rating to check.
You can see the general location of vacation rentals on the map. Check the description too. They should also say if they are in a good location for walking to attractions or close to public transportation.
Save the homes that could be a good fit, and then move on to the next and most important tip for choosing the right vacation rental.
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Step 4 – Most Important Step In Choosing The Right Vacation Rental – Read The Reviews
As I mentioned in tip two, sometimes ratings can be hard to give because of getting to know hosts or it feels bad to hurt someone’s business. I totally get that, and I realize that there will be folks that only give 5 stars for everything.
But not everyone. This is why reading the comments is really important. This step is one of the most important tips for booking a vacation rental. Don’t skip it!
So, after eliminating vacation rentals with overall ratings lower than 4.8, it is really important to look at what people wrote in the comments. The majority of reviews will be very kind.
Instead of reading a bunch of good reviews, seek out the bad ones. Are the negative things that are being said something you care about or that will ruin your trip if it happened to you? If so, pick a different vacation rental.
When we travel there are a couple of red flags I look for. First, I need to make sure the Wi-Fi is fast and stable. My husband has to do some parts of his job when we are on vacation, and if he doesn’t have good internet, it can be an annoyance. While most people don’t care about Wi-Fi, this is one part I always look for.
Another risk I’m not willing to take is to stay somewhere whose host has a history of bad communication. Problems are bound to happen every once in a while. What makes it a terrible experience versus a positive one is when the host doesn’t respond.
I specifically remember our vacation rental in Bilbao had this terrible, stinky smell coming from one of the bathrooms. It was so bad, we closed the door and didn’t use the room. We told the hosts about it, and they instantly had someone come and take care of the problem. They even offered to give us a discount for the trouble.
Their customer service was so good we left with only positive things to say about our stay. If they hadn’t addressed the smell and left it there for us to deal with, it would have been a completely different outcome.
You can get an idea if communication was a problem, the location isn’t ideal or if a place is commonly found dirty by reading the reviews. If there are comments that are repeated, pay special attention to those!
However, if there is only one or two really bad comments, take note of what they are saying too. If it has happened to a few people, there’s a chance it could happen to you and, in my opinion, the risk is not worth spoiling your vacation.
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Step 5 – Take A Second Look And Thoroughly Read The Description
Before booking, a good habit is to thoroughly read the description. It can be easy to assume that certain things are expected at a property when you are staying there, BUT that is not always the case.
I am guilty of skimming too. When we went to Gothenburg, Sweden, I found a place that I thought would be ideal. It had private parking, it was near the amusement park we wanted to visit, and so on. What I didn’t check and wish I had, was if there was a private bathroom.
There wasn’t. It was gross. I’m too old to share a bathroom. This was an oversight I won’t ever make again. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way.
Make sure to take that last look to be sure that the place you are booking has everything you need, like a private bathroom vs a shared one, Wi-Fi, or maybe a stove. We booked an Airbnb over Thanksgiving that didn’t have a stove! Oops!
Summing Up Our Tips For Booking A Vacation Rental
Booking a vacation rental can make a trip a special experience offering unique stays that hotels can’t offer. There are many positives to staying in one and we have thoroughly enjoyed most of our stays.
Want to learn more about those reasons, check out this post: Vacation Rentals Vs Hotels: Which Is Better For Your Trip?
I’m positive that if you use these 5 easy tips for booking a vacation rental that you will find one that meets your expectations and is a comfortable place to rest your head after a day of exploring.
