12 Crucial VRBO Mistakes Vacationers Should Avoid

VRBO is in almost every country in the world. Wherever your travel plans take you, there is likely a VRBO rental available.

Short-term vacation rentals are often the choice for large groups or extended-stay travel plans. However, to save money on travel, avoid these VRBO mistakes to save money on travel.

If you’re traveling to a new location, it’s understandable you may not be familiar with how close your VRBO rental is to the beach, grocery store, or major highway. 

If your location is highly important to your vacation, i.e. being able to walk to the beach, double-check with your host about the actual proximity of your rental to your vacation activities.

Looks can be deceiving. While photos are helpful in getting a feel for the place, it’s possible to make a bathroom or kitchen look much bigger than it is, using a wide-angle lens. 

If there are items in the images that matter to you, confirm with your host about their availability and access, to confirm your stay will be as you expect.

Reviews are a great way to vet the property from other people who have been there. 

While you may not be able to trust every one-star or five-star review, reading through the reviews should give you a general sense of how well others enjoyed their stay. If the property is a new listing with no reviews, proceed with caution.

You may indeed be able to save a few bucks by reaching out to the owner directly and booking off the platform — but that also removes all protections you get by booking with VRBO.

By booking through the platform, you’re getting fraud protection, re-booking assistance, security deposit protection, and help navigating any issues with the property not being as advertised. Save yourself the headache and use the platform.

Vacation rentals through VRBO are not the same as a hotel. Each location provides its own listed amenities, and as a guest in the home, you’re expected to be mostly self-sufficient.

Unlike hotels, vacation rentals don’t offer daily housekeeping or meal service. The host may provide basic toiletries as a courtesy, but you should plan on bringing your own — just in case.

You are responsible for reading the description before booking a property. Not doing so could put you in a pickle.

For example, if you want to rent a snowy winter cabin and the description says you must have a 4-wheel drive vehicle to access. Attempting to access a cabin on snowy winter roads could result in you being stuck and needing to be rescued — at your own expense.

Your host wants you to have a great experience. If, during your stay, you have issues with amenities or the property itself, alert your host right away. They will likely be able to fix it quickly. If not, you can contact VRBO customer service to help resolve the issue.

Guests must agree to house rules before booking a property. If you don’t follow the house rules, you could risk losing access to your vacation rental and will not be entitled to a refund. Make sure all guests in your party know, understand, and follow the house rules.

Life happens. In the event you need to cancel your VRBO reservation, make sure you do so within the window set by the property owner. 

Each host is allowed to set their own cancellation policies. If you’re within the cancellation window, all cancellations must be made by 11:59 pm in the property’s time zone to be eligible.

Travel insurance can protect you against cancellation fees and damages. VRBO offers travel insurance directly through its platform. 

While you hope everything goes according to plan, sometimes that isn’t the case. Travel insurance can help protect you against the unexpected.

One big benefit of staying in a rental home vs. a hotel is being able to cook your own meals. However, don’t buy more than you need for your stay. It’s likely the host won’t keep any of the opened or unopened food for safety reasons.

While almost 90% of the U.S. has air conditioning in their homes, in many countries, it’s not standard in homes. Even in the U.S., moderate climates rely on ceiling fans and open windows to cool their homes. 

If you’re staying near the coast or internationally, double-check if you have access to air conditioning.

The point of VRBO is for everyone to benefit, renters and homeowners alike. Its dual review system allows for property owners and renters to be held accountable. 

While you can actively avoid making these mistakes, VRBO offers 24/7 customer support to help fix any issues that may arise with your stay.

When booking a VRBO or other travel plans, use one of the top travel credit cards to earn more rewards.