On Your Next Vacation, Stay in a Rental Property

Looking for a house or condo to stay in rather than a hotel? Everyone knows that booking a vacation through a travel agent or web site like Travelocity is much cheaper than booking with the hotel directly, but have you ever considered vacation rentals? A vacation rental is typically a home or a condo owned by someone who rents directly to you. No need for an agent or any sort of middleman; you can deal with the homeowner directly.

Not only is this always a cheaper option, you will have an even better stay than you would in traditional lodgings. You will have more space and more privacy to enjoy your stay if you take advantage of a rental property.

If you book directly with a hotel or renting agency, you’ll pay unnecessary fees. Dealing directly with the homeowner eases the process and saves you money.

Finding a rental home is not difficult, but it is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of web sites out there. It’s important to use a reputable site that checks out the homeowners who offer rentals.

Here are the five best web sites for finding great deals on vacation rentals:

Vacation Rentals by Owner

This site offers houses and condos all across the country and around the world. The greatest advantage this site has over its competitors is that employees of the site regularly visit the properties that are listed advertised. They of course haven’t stayed everywhere, as there are thousands of vacation rentals listed, but they offer helpful reviews for the places they have stayed.

Home Away

Home Away offers just as many rental listings as the rest, but they have a unique feature: they offer a free Rental Guarantee that covers you up to $5000 in the event that something goes wrong with your arrangements or with the property.

Vacation Rental Direct

VRD offers the same search service as other sites, but they present the information in an easy to read, easy to compare listings format.

Beach House

Beach House offers amazing properties at some of the most beautiful beaches around the world.

Vacation Realty

Don’t be fooled by the name – this site is a place for rentals, not purchases. This site does not have as many listings as the other sites, but they have better search capabilities that will help you find the perfect place to stay.