Although summer is still months away, my husband and I are planning our vacation. Maybe it’s just because we are cold, but it’s fun thinking about summer adventures. A couple years ago we drove from Colorado to South Carolina, and had a blast. This year, we are planning to go the other way: California. Now that we’ve decided on a destination, we are taking the next logical step and locating a place to stay. We plan to stay in the same area for a week, so the best place for us, and maybe for you on your trip, is a vacation rental.

Vacation rentals are private properties that owners rent out to travelers. Some are houses, some condos, some… others (we found a listing for a very cool retro trailer on a landscaped lot- too small for us, but really neat!). There are advantages to having a rental property. One, they often cost about the same as a decent motel (our South Carolina rental was in a gated community on a championship golf course, but cost less per night than the local Holiday Inn). Two, you have your own space: no housekeeping service coming in while you are gone. Three, they usually come with a full kitchen. When you cook most of your own meals you eat healthier and save a lot of money! Four, variety! You can get a cute little cottage, a sleek and modern loft, or a 6 bedroom house on the beach for a family reunion. Here are some tips from VRBO Customer Support for finding a great rental:

1. Check a lot of sites on the internet. Some good ones are VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner), HomeAway, VacationRentals.com, AlwaysOnVacation.com, and Vacation Rentals 411. There are many others, so just google “vacation rentals (city I’m interested in)” and see what you get. Many sites have rentals all over the world.
2. When you contact an owner, see if he or she has a policy of completing a rental contract. If not, look elsewhere. According to the people at VRBO, “without a signed rental agreement, please DO NOT consider the rental to be yours.” I was recently interested in a property that was a great price in a great location. The owner told me to send the full amount plus cleaning fee to her, then she would email me to let me know how to check in and out. RED FLAG! When I inquired about a contract, she suggested I look elsewhere for someone who does things more formally. BIG RED FLAG! You bet I’ll look elsewhere! (Incidentally, this fiasco is the reason VRBO Customer Support sent me these tips.)
3. Ask the advertiser for referrals from both previous renters and anyone who services the property (pool service, landscape company, etc.). A legitimate owner shouldn’t have trouble producing them. (The property owner I just mentioned didn’t send me those, either.)
4. BEFORE YOU SEND MONEY: Have a written contract including the total price and dates of your stay. Get the physical address of the property and verify its existence. To do that, use Google Maps, public tax records, or have a friend in the area drive by.
5. When you do pay, use a credit card if you can. Your credit card company offers you certain protections against fraud. If you can’t do that, use your card to fund a PayPal account to send the money. If the owner won’t take either, know that (if the property isn’t legitimate) your money is at risk once they cash the check. NEVER SEND A WIRE TRANSFER!
6. On most sites, there is a date that tells you how long the property owner has been working with the website. The longer the better (but don’t rule out new properties if everything else seems legitimate.)
7. Some websites offer low-cost insurance that will cover you if the property is not as advertised. I have never gotten it, but if it helps you feel more relaxed about the rental it’s worth the cost.

Don’t let all this scare you off, though! Your vacation will be worth the effort! I’ve found vacation rentals to be more comfortable (imagine sleeping in a different room than your kids), more affordable and more fun than motels. And don’t be discouraged if you have to make several inquiries to find the one that’s just right for you and an owner who will do things the right way. A good property owner will make the process easy for you. So take a look at some of the sites listed above and start dreaming up your next big vacation!