private rentals: pro, con, and inbetween

After she retired in Santa Fe, my Mom took extended vacations in the summertime and rented out her house on a short term basis to the Santa Fe Opera. After three summers experience she stopped that practice because three summers in a row she returned to find the house pretty well trashed. The Opera made good on damages, but it was a royal pain.

That's the only experience I know of. I'm sure swaps go much better though as there is mutual advantage to both parties to keep the place in good condition.

I've rented out a few places from VRBO and never had any problem. I've rented for as little as one week and as long as a month. They are vacation rentals by owner so the price and quality varies significantly.

We rented a private house in Hawaii and it was so nice there. The deposit was
pretty high, so we made darn sure that everything was picture perfect when
we left, and I think that is the key: have a rather large deposit to give the renters
an incentive to leave the place as clean as possible.

I have never rented out my place despite living in a most desirable beach area,
hm, I guess I am too chicken to do so.

Mr. M. and I have vacationed using private rentals since the early '80s. The first time we stayed in a condo was on our first visit to Hawaii. We stayed in a hotel on Maui for the first week and a one-bedroom condo for the second week. We loved staying in the condo, so when we went back to Hawaii a year later, we rented a condo on Maui for a month, through the hotel chain that ran the complex. It was expensive but we didn't know any better. Two years later, we rented a condo at the same complex that was better equipped, cleaner and better furnished, this time through a property management company representing the owner. It was half the cost.

We were hooked on private rentals after that. I subscribed to a publication called "Wordwide Vacation Rentals" where owners advertised their properties. I found rentals through ads in magazines like "Southern Living", for example. With the Internet, it's so much easier to find rentals because of sites like VRBO, Homeaway.com, Cyberrentals, etc., etc.

I have discovered that a number of the properties listed on those websites are managed by property rental companies. We found a house in the Keys on VRBO, and the owner, when contacted, referred us to the property rental company. The contact information for another house, when we called, was directly to the rental company. We were very pleased with both houses.

It's been about 50/50 over the years whether our transaction has been directly with the owner or with the property manager. We've never been burned, though two properties haven't quite met our expectations. One was in New Orleans and the other was in southern California.

Overall, I prefer dealing with property management companies whenever possible. I feel that our dollars are more secure. It's not uncommon for a private owner to request 50 percent of the total rental cost to confirm the booking . We did that once, sent the 50 percent, when we were booking in May for a February vacation. We worried for months. The property management companies usually require a deposit to hold the rental, which they usually retain as the damage deposit, and then 50 percent of the rental cost closer to the time of arrival, with the balance due upon arrival.

This winter we're renting a house on Sanibel Island through a private owner. I found the house on VacationRentals.com. She is a very trusting owner because all she has asked for is a $500 damage deposit with the balance on arrival. Bill's spoken with her several times. I've Googled her. She appears to be a real estate agent on the island. It seems, from the address of the house and her address, that she lives two or three doors down. It should be okay ... I think.

I'm sorry, I managed to lose track of this thread - thank you all for your responses!

When we were in Italy last year, we did hotels / B&Bs for a week, then 3 separate weeks in apartments.

Ist apartment was in Limonta, overlooking Lake Como. We found it on the 'net, through an agency (it was listed in a couple of places) The apartment itself was just fine - it ticked all our boxes. When we got there, there was an overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke - as if someone had locked themselves in and smoked themselves to death! This was despite it being advertised as non-smoking. Most of the time we were there we lived with the windows wide open - and I think we washed the curtains - to try and cut the smell. As a result of this, the apartment was cleaner when we left than when we arrived.

2nd apartment was in Tuscany, in a village outside Col de Val d'Elsa. This was also fine - and was rented through an agency in Australia. Mark spoke to the agent who was most helpful. No laundry in this one - but pay laundry in the complex.

3rd apartment was my favourite - a small apartment in the Canareggio district in Venice. I found the apartment on Slow Travel website, advertised, and someone had reviewed it. We rented direct from the English owners. The apartment was spotless, and the information supplied, including an unbelievable array of books, maps, etc., was fantastic. There was also a directory of the best places to shop, eat, and otherwise enjoy yourself in Venice.

All the apartments we took were very well kitted out - and lived up to their advertisements.

Except for Venice, the apartments cost roughly as much as a good standard double room in a hotel. However, the extra space, cooking facilities and other amenities certainly made them worthwhile.

I'd certainly do the apartment thing again. (France is next on my agenda!) In hindsight, we would look for apartments more in villages or towns. Our first two apartments were sort of in the country, so we couldn't wander off for a meal - it was always a drive. And you needed a car to get there.

Venice was perfect, local eateries aplenty, local providores, choice of vaporetto stops, easy walking everywhere. I'd go back there in a flash!

We rented 3 different ways - and couldn't really fault any of them (except the overwhelming cigarette smoke in the first one). I don't know if we were just lucky in our experiences or if this is normal.

Sly one that I am, I finally got you to post on Italy...

Interesting about the apartments. I've stayed in Canareggio, and near Colle d'val d'elsa, but not in apartments. Strove, the village I chatter on about once in a while, was a few miles from Colle (etc.), and we would stop for lattes in the morning when we were on our way in the direction of Volterra or San Gimignano.

So, Slow Travel was a good site...

I just knew you'd say that! I do feel a tiny tad guilty about not givinh any details.

I'm just back from Tasmania - and may do something about that!

Slow travel was a good site - their trip reports are great. I also use Tripadvisor (sometimes) and fodors.com. I answer questions on Oz for Fodors - and have met a number of Murricans who have travelled here.