Important Information on Vacation Rentals in the US

Vacation rentals is a term commonly used in travel industry. It means to use a home or a furnished apartment temporarily as a hotel room. These have been popularized in Europe as well as in Canada. However, they are now becoming increasingly popular all over the world. Some also address these as self catering or villa rentals. There are certain countries like England, France, Spain and Ireland where the government itself promotes and certifies holiday rentals. Some of them also offer their own vacation rental programs.

Vacation rentals are commonly referred to as villas in Europe. The client, in this case rents out the vacation property for a fixed period of time. Many people rent out on a nightly basis in a similar manner to hotel rooms. The practice that is more prevalent in this industry is weekly rentals. An actual vacation rental is not a property to be sold to the guest. What actually happens is that the guests use the property for a predetermined duration.

Pros And Cons Of Vacation Rentals:


 Villa rentals appeal to people for many reasons. One of the most prominent reasons is to save on costs. There is more space, one does not have to pay any tips, taxes and service charges that one would normally find associated with hotel rooms.
 They provide you more of a local flavor. Since, it is an apartment to start off with, you have food cooked in kitchens, there are gatherings in the living rooms and you can experience the feeling of living in a real neighborhood.

 One of the disadvantages, maybe the main one, is that there aren't many systems in place. Hence, this may tend to make it more unorganized. You may not get personalized room service, as in hotels. This may mean compromising on your comfort level. So, this may also lead to concerns about quality and cleanliness.

The advantages like more living space, more facilities, convenience in location and more privacy generally outweigh the disadvantages. These rentals vary in size from budget studios to lavish private villas. Vacation rentals are available almost all over the United States, but they have a bigger market in Europe. This has been a travel option for European travelers since a long time.

There are many agencies specializing in vacation rentals. They can be booked through the internet. Many such property owners employ Vacation Rental Management companies. They take care of marketing these properties. They furnish the information and the photos to the guests and they handle the billing and reservations with the homeowners. Guests who make their bookings through these companies enjoy all the benefits they would enjoy in a hotel. There are many companies specializing only in vacation rentals.

Go in for a reputable vacation rentals management companies as they will be more familiar with the area. However, the cancellations if any, need to be made directly with the owner. Guests who book directly with owners or listing services can enjoy the benefit of lower rental rates.