New strategies for avoiding vacation rental “gotchas”

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By Christopher Elliott

If you’re looking for a vacation rental this holiday season, you already know about the biggest gotcha: the high price.

I found that out when I looked for an apartment in Dublin recently. The rates were pushing $200 a night for a two-bedroom apartment. And on Airbnb, it seemed everyone had set the prices the same — as if they were being controlled by the same invisible hand.

It isn’t my imagination, says Eric Goldreyer, CEO of bnbfinder.com, a book-direct vacation rental site. “One reason vacation rentals are generally more expensive is that hosts often raise their rates to cover service fees they too are being hit with from sites like Airbnb or Vrbo.”

So far this year, average daily room rates are up almost 3 percent, according to AirDNA, a consulting company. While rates have come down a little during the off-season, AirDNA expects them to rise by 2 percent for the year.

So what are the biggest gotchas for vacation rental customers? And what are the workarounds? They range from new tools to time-tested strategies. Put them together, and you can still find an affordable apartment or condo for the winter holidays.

How to lower the price of your vacation rental

One of the coolest ways to cut the cost of your rentals is a site called HiChee. When I saw the outrageous rates in Dublin, I reached out to Justin Gordon, the publisher of HiChee. The company has a Chrome browser extension that lets you quickly compare the cost of a rental between Airbnb, Vrbo and an independent listing, if available.

“It helps you find the least expensive rental,” he says.

HiChee also allowed me to build a list of properties in Dublin that I liked and track their prices and availability. I could see the price changes as my move-in date approached, and I could tell that the vacation rental market in Ireland would soon shift in favor of the buyer. (Related: Vacation rental mistakes every family makes (but you shouldn’t).)

And sure enough, once I reached out to some of the owners, I found that they readily agreed to lower their rates by as much as $50 a night. How did I do that? I messaged them and asked. That allowed me to book an affordable vacation rental in a great location in Dublin. (Related: Vacation rental warning words: don’t book if you see this!)

Although I stayed on the Airbnb platform, experts say I could have gone lower. (Related: Think vacation rental management companies aren’t worth it? You’re wrong.)

“You can save up to 15 percent by seeking the direct booking websites of reputable hosts you trust,” says Amirali Mohajer, CEO of hostAI, a platform used by rental managers.

But the operative word is “trust.” Mohajer says you need to find the rental manager’s site and vet it for trustworthiness.

Listen to a discussion of vacation rental rip-offs (and how to avoid them)

What are some of the other vacation gotchas?

Of course, once you get past the high price, other gotchas await. They include:

  • Deceptive photos. Artificial intelligence has made it ridiculously easy to generate pictures that make a vacation rental look too good to be true, according to Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. “Do your research and look for inconsistencies in the photos,” he says. (For example, many AI generators will add inaccurate shading or misplaced fingernails.)
  • Extra fees. The worst are extra cleaning fees tacked on to the price of your rental. Other vacation rentals charge vague “service” fees, which can cover other extras. Some charge extra for parking or utilities. A few vacation rental platforms disclose these extras as part of the initial price, but even so, they are often surprised by them. You can negotiate some of the fees off your bill if you ask before you rent. “Always read the entire listing and any associated policies,” advises Steve Turk, a partner at Tangy Management, a property management company. “Pay close attention to the cost breakdown before booking.”
  • Rigged reviews. I’ve received too many recent complaints about the reliability of property reviews to look the other way. It’s too easy for vacation rental owners to remove unfavorable reviews of their property, claiming a “terms of service” violation, say critics. As a result, the reviews you read on popular vacation rental platforms are suspiciously positive. Matt Berk, a real estate investor in Jacksonville, Fla., has been both a vacation rental host and guest. He says he can’t trust reviews anymore. “I’ve had it,” he adds. (Here’s our guide to renting a vacation home.)

Of course, these are just the biggest gotchas out there. Vacation rentals can be a real minefield. For example, I checked into a vacation rental in Bali that charged extra for water, and another in Cyprus that had a surprise utility fee. When I asked about it, the owners pointed out that these gotchas had been disclosed in the property description. At the bottom. In fine print.

Come on.

Here’s the best advice for a holiday vacation rental

If you’re looking for a condo or apartment this winter, here’s my best advice: Don’t assume anything. 

For example, don’t assume your home has a washer or dryer, or air conditioning. Don’t assume cleaning is included. Don’t assume the property description is accurate or honest or that you’re looking at the lowest price. And don’t assume the price you see is the price you’ll pay. 

Maybe the reason the vacation rental industry continues to thrive despite its gotcha fees and extras, is that guests like us make assumptions. They think vacation rentals are not  like hotels and that a host is always going to be more honest that a corporate owner. That’s not necessarily true.

So before you book, look beyond the glossy photos and too-good-to-be-true prices. Approach your rental decision with a little skepticism and a lot of research. And remember, when it comes to vacation rentals, what you see isn’t always what you get. 

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Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.

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