How to Find the Perfect Vacation Home Rentals

Vacation home rentals can make travel and family get-togethers so enjoyable. Instead of staying in hotels, consider opting for a short-term rental (e.g., house, cabin, apartment, condo) in a location with amenities that suit you, your family, or your travel group. You may be surprised at just how much more fun you have in a vacation home! My husband and I have rented homes/apartments for years with success. It’s been a proven way for us to live like locals abroad and, at other times, for our family to spend time together closer to home. This article has tips for finding the perfect vacation home rental property for you, your family, or your travel group.

This article was last updated in October 2023.

Vacation House Rental Tips

Over the years, I’ve found fabulous vacation house rentals online using various sources, like VRBO, Airbnb, and realtors’ websites. There are several key factors to consider when you search for a vacation property, including its location, amenities, cancellation policies, the responsiveness of its owner/manager, and online reviews. Once you’re online, choose the “Filter” option to view — and then select — your options.

Begin your search for vacation home rentals as soon as you solidify your travel plans. Since the pandemic, the rental market has changed — due, in part, to the increase in the number of people who work remotely. For example, remote workers often have the flexibility to rent vacation properties throughout the year and not only in the traditional peak season (like summers in the Northern Hemisphere). Since some people can work from anywhere, they can enjoy doing so from their rented vacation homes during the day and explore those new cities/communities in the late afternoons, evenings, and weekends. Thus, finding vacation home properties to rent is often more challenging than it was years ago.

Choose Your Location and Budget

Location, location, location. It’s important! Consider the location you want, like a waterfront home with a mountain view or a property in a downtown area. Keep in mind that the closer a property is to water (ocean, lake, river) or desirable vistas (water, mountains, and so on), the higher the rental price is likely to be.

Consider the Home’s Layout

Here are some things to consider in a rental home when you search:

• If your party is 6 or more people — especially with several generations — you may want to consider a home with more than one living or gathering space. Some people might want to enjoy the evening chatting, while others might favor TV time. Also, you’ll want to make sure there’s enough room for everyone to be happy if you’re stuck inside during bad weather.
• Check for outdoor space like a deck or patio. This can extend your living space, giving you more places to relax.
• Number of bedrooms and baths — and even en-suite bedrooms available. There are quite a few newer or recently renovated properties with more than one main bedroom. This might be a bonus when traveling with several other adults and everyone would prefer an en-suite bedroom.
• Check bed sizes for adults. Many adults prefer king or queen-size beds over double beds.
• Check bed configurations for kids. Some homes have rooms specifically for kids with sets of bunk beds that can fit 2-6 kids — an excellent place for the younger set to lay their heads.
• Make sure the sizes of beds in those bedrooms suit your needs. Although perhaps implied, don’t pick a home just because it may have the same number of bedrooms you need.
• Consider a first-floor bedroom and/or a home with an elevator if someone in your group has mobility issues.
• If small children are part of your group, check for open stairs or spiral staircases that may pose safety risks.

Choose a Home’s Amenities

Choose amenities that are important to you. You may look for a fully-equipped kitchen or gas grill if you like to cook. Or you may opt to have a pool to swim laps. If you plan to work remotely, you may look for a quiet place to focus.

Try something new! This might be the time to enjoy a property that is unlike your home and offers novel features. Keep in mind that the rental cost is likely to increase as you select additional amenities.

Popular amenities include:

• a hot tub
• a private pool
• a fire pit
• a bocce court
• a game room
• fitness equipment
• a boat dock
• ski in or out options
• a fully equipped outdoor kitchen with a gorgeous view.
• linens and towels — always check to make sure they’re included. Otherwise, you’ll need to bring them along or rent them from a local vendor.

Check the Cancellation Policies

Cancellation policies can be strict (like requiring 60 days’ notice before checking in to the property) or more lenient (like requiring 14 days’ notice). If knowing that you can cancel should something unforeseen happen in your life is important to you, you may want to consider including a lenient cancellation policy in your online search filters.

Get to Know the Owner/Manager

No matter what you decide to rent, it’s good to establish a conversation (via calling, texting, or emailing) with the owner/management company so you can learn more about the property. Through these exchanges, you’ll learn how responsive the owner/management company is. Some will reply within an hour, and some might take several days. Response time and the quality of the response (how much information is shared), plus the house itself, help me determine where I want to spend my vacation dollars.

I prefer renting vacation homes managed by their owners (rather than a realtor or management company). There is nothing wrong with choosing a home managed by a company (which we’ve done), but we feel that an owner is often more responsive to issues. Once, for example, a rental property’s household propane tank went empty; we texted the owner, and she had a full tank of propane delivered within 2 hours.

Check Online Reviews

Reading online reviews from former visitors is essential. Oftentimes, the reviews help me decide which house to choose; I look for comments about cleanliness, special features in the house that others enjoyed, how well stocked the kitchen really is, and if the home shows wear and tear in its furnishings or decor.

Do You Need a Pet-Friendly Home?

Pet-friendly vacation home rentals are relatively easy to find. Just choose that option in the online filter area, and you’ll see all your options. There may be additional costs for bringing a pet to cover extra cleaning costs sometimes associated with pets.

Often, if we travel by car on our vacation, we search for pet-friendly vacation house rentals to bring our beloved yellow labs. I was a bit tentative about staying in a pet-friendly home because I thought it would have remnants of a wet dog smell from a previous guest. My impression couldn’t have been more wrong, and online reviews have helped me find good pet-friendly options. Our experience has been fantastic, and we’ve never had an issue in a pet-friendly property. Plus, it’s been so much more enjoyable having our four-legged family members with us — while we enjoy human comforts, they explore the new environs closer to the ground.

Consider a Family Portrait on Vacation

Vacations are a great way to spend time with family and friends. Want to capture that time together with a photograph? If so, consider arranging for a family portrait. Here are some ideas to ensure a great finished product — either by using a professional or a DIY approach.

• Coordinate colors for outfits to make the final product harmonious. There are loads of ideas for group portraits online.
• Consider featuring different groupings of people. In addition to a photograph with the whole group, there could be pictures of just the women, men, siblings, each married couple, grandparents with grandchildren, and so on.
• Find a photographer who will go on-site. For example, we had a photographer meet us in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to take pictures there for a gorgeous backdrop. This way, the photographs help tell a story of where we were. If you’re going to a new city/area you haven’t visited before, you could ask the owner of the rental property for photographer suggestions. I’ve also had success searching online for photographers.
• Decide what finished product you want. I prefer that the photographer take the pictures and provide online access to the touched-up images. That way, each family member can choose which photographs they like best to have printed.
• For a do-it-yourself option, bring a portable tripod and take photographs using the self-timer feature on your camera or smartphone. This option is excellent if you have young kids in your group who may be fussy or tired when you have a professional photographer scheduled. (I speak from experience.)

Our Vacation Home Rental Experience

Short-term vacation home rentals are available just about everywhere in the world. They vary widely by location, amenities, and cancellation policies. With some research, you’re bound to find a place perfect for your stay.

Traveling Abroad

My husband and I like to explore international destinations, and we find that, sometimes, renting an apartment is an excellent alternative to staying in hotels. It has enabled us to have more space to relax, provides a kitchen to prepare breakfast before heading out for the day, and laundry facilities (a great benefit when traveling) so we can travel lightly, washing clothes while away.

Recently, we rented an apartment in a small, medieval French town that made us feel like we were locals. We visited the weekly market and selected locally grown products (and wine) that we transformed into a delicious array of charcuterie that we enjoyed more than once.

Traveling Domestically

Our family likes to travel to new places in the U.S. each year, so we get to explore more of the country. Finding great vacation house rentals has been a key component of successful vacations.

One year, we vacationed in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and spent some mornings touring magnificent old mansions in nearby Newport and Block Island. That vacation home had a swimming pool and a diving board in one area of the backyard and an outdoor kitchen in another spot — both were gathering spots for our family.

Enjoying Vistas and History

Another year, we gathered in Gatlinburg to be near the Great Smoky National Park. There, we hiked along well-trodden paths, gaped at the extraordinary beauty of waterfalls, and took in gorgeous vistas that spanned for miles. That home boasted unique mountain vistas and had rocking chairs on a covered porch where we spent evenings watching the changing sky and a few summer storms. Also, the house had a hot tub and a game room (with a pool table) that were heavily used after sunset each evening.

In addition, we spent a week in Woodstock, NY, enjoying the property as well as nearby Hudson Valley treasures like the FDR properties, the Vanderbilt mansion, wineries, and hiking trails. That home had a swimming pool, a bocce court, a fire pit, an extensive collection of LPs for renters’ use, and offered sweeping mountain views.

Bonus: Guest Cottage and Boat Dock

Vacationing on Maryland’s Eastern Shore provides lots of options. We’ve enjoyed visiting St. Michael’s, Oxford, and Annapolis. Several of the waterfront homes had expansive lawns (often due to a setback requirement), pools, docks (great for a boat rental), and sometimes a guest cottage (which is great for family members with young children or even grandparents). Some of our favorite memories from those trips were taking the rental boat out to an area waterfront restaurant with a dock for a meal and, on other days, packing picnic lunches to enjoy while cruising around the inlets along the Chesapeake Bay. Evening cruises were a bonus, too, because things quieted down as everyone — critters and humans — were getting ready to settle in for the night.

Great homes are out there — you just need to spend some time searching for what works for your family/group! And remember, start your searches early!

Final Thoughts

Vacationing in someone else’s house/condo/cabin can be refreshing and so relaxing compared to staying in a hotel. Finding the perfect vacation house property takes time, but it’s well spent to ensure you and your family/travel group enjoy your time away from home. Good luck in your searches and your next vacation enjoying the comforts of home — someone else’s home!

Comments?

If you have tips on vacation house rentals, please comment so others can learn from your experiences. 🙂