I’ve rented through VRBO for travel/events that were advantageous for 6 to 12 people to be in the same home. As mentioned upthread, owner responsiveness is paramount. Our latest was last month. We needed to fill in some basic disposables (trash can liners, paper towels, tissues, etc.) This VRBO security deposit was larger than the rental fee. For us it was not a problem and quickly reimbursed but that’s something to keep in mind.
I live in the same neck of thewoods as @coralbrook. Our HOA prohibits short term rentals, but nearby friends are annoyed by noise, parking and trash from short term rentals.
To add a cautionary tale for Airbnb house shares, DD lived in a house where one roommate had an extended work assignment out of the country and rented out her room without giving the other housemates the head’s up. Could have gone wrong in both directions. (Didn’t, but was the last straw for DD who moved out the next month.)
I have met a person at an inexpensive boutique hotel show bragged that she was staying at the hotel and has her place rented out as an Airbnb, because she makes more that way and is able to pocket the difference. As a landlord, I would be VERY unhappy if I learned any tenant was doing this and would do what I could to be sure the lease wasn’t renewed (if I wasn’t able to terminate the lease immediately for violation of its terms). The landlord doesn’t get to vet any of the folks who want to use the place, just the original tenant!
We have rented through AirBnB several times with good experiences. Our last one was great location, met our needs and we left assuming we would rent this same place in the future.
Two weeks pass, and we get a comment from the owner. “You stole my (sports memorabilia) beer mug and you better pay me for it.” It was written after midnight and seemed to us to be written under the influence of alcohol. It was the only way we could rationalize his comment.
The couple rents out their personal home, with all their clothes, jewelry and personal items left there. They leave town and travel when their home is rented.
We were shocked to be accused of theft, and then agonized about the potential of this person to get us banned (or at the least make us look bad).
We reached out to the company, and they registered our comments as a complaint. The owner replied to us a few days later. “Oops, my bad. My brother took the cup. I owe you a beer next time you are in town.”
We will never rent with them again, and are relieved the owner realized we had not stolen from them. But it also made us a little skeptical of renting someone’s personal home.
I’ve had two superb experiences in Maine, via HomeAway. The first was right on a cove, we rented 4 separate times in the past 5 years. A local mgt co. This summer, view of the bay. We go inexpensively and both were a delight. Both are the owners’ 2nd homes, they live within an hour. This last one was even more adorable. Kids and partners loved it, we’ll go back.
Rentals over the prior 10-15 years (all around the same city area) were via a local agent. 3 different homes, repeat stays. No issues. We alway bring extra paper goods, towels for the beach, etc. We never expected things to be fully stocked as in a hotel but always found the basics- coffee filters, spices, cooking things.
Always a pleasant surprise. It can work very well.
Part of the problem with sites like Airbnb, Homeaway/VRBO, etc. is that, just like grade inflation at schools, the reviews definitely have inflation. People tend to overrate and that makes it hard for a potential renter to really know how good a place is. Too many 5 star ratings. All these places can’t be that good. I know for a fact because I stayed in one this summer that surely did not live up to the ratings it had.
Yes, ABB/VRBO ratings are supposed to be for the accuracy of the listing, not like a 5 star or 4 star hotel rating. I prefer when people write details beyond nice place or close to XYZ. If they can talk about spacious or cozy, comfortable beds, fully stocked or not kitchen, etc.
But over all, over time and in so many locations, we’ve found even complaints are cometimes off. If you haunt any travel site, you see lots of things that are minor- the bath mat wasn’t big enough or they’re disappointed in something not related to the lodging.
I didn’t know the rating was how it met the listing. I guess we’re very flexible. We’ve had issues with wifi or phone reception and always rolled with it.
I rank on how well they met my expectations. I don’t go into a vacation rental that is under a certain price with the expectations of a 4 or 5 star hotel. While I may give a 5 star rating it is based on the accuracy of the listing and photos, helpfulness of the host and perceived value based on cost.
I’ve become more cautious of Airbnb rentals as I know a lot of rentals are possibly illegal. One needs to be careful of apartments in some areas as often subleasing is illegal in most apartment dwellers leases.
I have a friend with a lake house. She had in the listing that there was a non-working something or other, and the first person to stay there down-rated her because it wasn’t working!
I haven’t done AirbnB partly because I wouldn’t expect it to be up to what I’d expect from a regular B&B. I also think they tend to harm neighborhoods and rarely pay their taxes. Not a fan of the gig economy. I do expect it to match the photos.
I always review in context to how much I’m paying. You can’t expect all the bells and whistles when on the budget end but we are usually staying on the higher end and I do expect decent degree of quality.
I disagree that ratings should only be based on accuracy and how the host set and met expectations. To me, that is just part of the rating.
Any rental, regardless of price, should be clean for example and items should be in working order. I’d also argue that any kitchen should have a basic set of equipment. Even a low end rental should have a wine opened, cheese grater, vegetable peeler, that kind of basic stuff.
Here’s what AirBnB says about ratings:
"How do star ratings work?
In addition to written reviews, guests can submit an overall star rating and a set of category star ratings. Hosts can view their star ratings on their Stats page, under Ratings from Guests. To see a breakdown of guest ratings by category, click Show Details.
Guests can give ratings on:
Overall Experience. What was your guest’s overall experience?
Cleanliness. Did your guests feel that your space was clean and tidy?
Accuracy. How accurately did your listing page represent your space?
Value. Did your guest feel your listing provided good value for the price?
Communication. How well did you communicate with your guest before and during their stay?
Arrival. How smoothly did their check-in go?
Location. How did guests feel about your neighborhood?
In each category, you’ll be able to see how often you get 5 stars, how guests rated nearby hosts, and, in some cases, tips to help you improve your listing.
The number of stars displayed at the top of a listing page is an aggregate of the primary scores guests have given for that listing. At the bottom of a listing page there’s an aggregate for each category rating. A host needs to receive star ratings from at least 3 guests before their aggregate score appears."
All the young people I know use AirBnB exclusively. As a result of their various reviews, I’m considering an AirBnB rental for the first time, on my own. Should I have concerns about being in a metropolitan area alone in an AirBnB rental? Any tips for a novice?
