crazywoman

 

As housing and hotel rentals get more expensive, we need to think of creative ways to house our incoming onslaught of holiday visitors. I have collected a handful of reputable resources that are affordable and realistic for the already compounding expenses that come with the season. On the flip side, if you are traveling or have extra rooms to rent out, this may be a great way to pay for those pricey electronics for the kids. Think about it, a Christmas that pays for itself and brings families together? It’s a WIN-WIN!!!

1. AIRBNB: Airbnb is a website for people to list, find, and rent lodging. It has over 1,500,000 listings in 34,000 cities and 190 countries. Users of the site must register and create a personal online profile before using the site. Every property is associated with a host whose profile includes recommendations by other users, reviews by previous guests, as well as a response rating and private messaging system.

The listing will not go live until the user is ready to publish. Pricing can be determined by the user. Users can charge different prices for nightly, weekly, and monthly stays as well as seasonal pricing. The Titles and Descriptions sections can be used to advertise their space. They can outline house rules or other descriptions regarding the residence. Airbnb allows users to publish up to 24 photographs of the place. Airbnb, on a limited basis, is offering free professional photography in most of the listed areas.Profile is a place where the guests can research more about the users. This section is often used for users to display who they are as well as their philosophies on hosting.[70]

Guests are required to message the user directly through Airbnb to ask questions regarding the property. Users have 100% control over who books their place. When a potential guest puts in a reservation request, the host has at least 24 hours to accept or decline the request.

After the user accepts a reservation, they can coordinate meeting times and contact information with guests. After the reservation is complete, users are encouraged to leave a review. Reviews help build validity and references both for the guests and the host.

2. RENT BY OWNER

1. Search – Begin your search by entering your desired destination – you can also add in your required travel dates if you know them.
2. Review – Images of properties that match your location (and dates) will appear, choose the ones that catch your interest and click on the light bulb icon to learn more about them.
3. Bookmark – As you continue to find vacation homes you like, click on the bookmark icon , this will save your favorite rental properties so you can go back and compare them later.
4. Contact – Once you have found a property you want to know more about, use the message icon to contact the owners directly. This is your opportunity to ask the owner any questions and confirm the key information such as available dates, prices or property policies.
*Rent by Owner tip* Experience shows that people who contact at least 5 different owners tend to be more pleased with their final selection.

5. Discuss – After you have compared properties and chosen one you would like to rent, we recommend that you confirm any final requirements with the owner directly.
6. Review – Once you are happy with the vacation rental you have selected, most property owners will ask you to sign a rental agreement that outlines the terms and conditions. It is important that you read and understand this agreement carefully so you are aware of the details of your booking.
7. Book – Completing payment with the property owner/ manager is the last step in making your booking. We know how important it is to ensure your payments are safe and secure, which is why we recommend making payments by credit card or PayPal. Our partner FlipKey provides a payment tool to create an easy, efficient, and safe payment process for all parties involved.

3. VRBO:

HomeAway, Inc. is a vacation rental marketplace with more than 1,000,000 vacation rental listings in 190 countries, and has 1588 employees. It has operated through 40 websites in 22 languages as of December 31, 2014. The company offers the most comprehensive selection of rentals[4] for families and groups to find accommodations such as cabins, condos, castles, villas, barns and farm houses. Founded in February 2005 and headquartered in Austin, the company became publicly traded company in 2011.
TO RENT:
1. Search properties
Enter your destination and travel dates to start your search then use filters to narrow down your results.

2. Contact a few owners
Inquire on 3 or more properties to increase your chances of booking, or select a listing with the “Book it Now” option.

3. Book your stay
Once you’ve confirmed dates and rates, pay securely using HomeAway payments, if available.

TO LIST:
Each listing comes with 24 high resolution photos, interactive map and reservation calendar.
VRBO only lists full properties. I.e., cannot rent just a room.

4. HOMEAWAY :

1. Search the homes in your preferred destination and travel dates from our Homepage.
2. Refine your search based on your travel preferences.
3. Review the details of each property including photos, availability, location and reviews.
4. Contact multiple owners to confirm availability.
5. Review and sign a rental agreement to confirm details of your reservation
6. Make reservation payment to the owner to secure your reservation.
7. Learn more about how to pay securely for your vacation rental.
8. Get vacation rental protection.

TO LIST:
Each listing comes with 24 high resolution photos, interactive map and reservation calendar.
HomeAway only lists full properties. I.e. cannot rent just a room.

Source:

https://www.airbnb.com/
http://www.vrbo.com/
https://www.homeaway.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbnb
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomeAway
http://www.rentbyowner.com/

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