I just discovered the website for VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner), and it looks like a great idea. Lots of places listed, very impressive variety, and the option in many cases of renting vacation homes by-the-night instead of weekly. Does anyone have experience with them? How did it work out?

We rented a condo in Naples Florida for 2 months on VRBO. You are renting directly from the owner so each experience is obviously different.

We were very happy with the outcome. Usually lots of photos on the site so you can get a really good idea of what you are getting.
Also often a phone number which I would recommend you use to talk directly to the owner.

Keep in mind you are not renting from a company but an individual. With that in mind however, I haven't heard of any bad experiences.

We have used VRBO for many years in many places and have only been dissatisfied once. Actually we are in a VRBO as we speak for two months.

If I rented through VRBO, I would rent from someone who accepts a credit card ... that way, if you encounter problems, you have some support. The huge majority of people report good experiences with VRBO, but there's a clunker here and there.

Yes, we have. But you have to be very careful because pictures are deceiving. Make sure you go to different websites and check out the property like I usually go to tripadvisor to check out the property I saw or even expedia just to get more info. Have fun !

I use vrbo.com and other than one place in Maui I have been lucky. The owner of 57823 asked for $300 dd and we left the place immaculate and confirmed it with the maid prior to our leaving. I had to irritate the owner by emailing her over and over again and even then she only sent me back $200 with no explanation as to why she withheld $100. Just make sure that you discuss every little thing and keep track of emails, etc. Although there really is nothing you can do if they end up being dishonest. I just basically accept the fact that there are a few people who don't have integrity but mostly everything works well if each side of the agreements respects each other.

i have rent through vrbo several times and have had a positive experience each time.

We've used them several times with no problems.

All the time, I have probably used them over 50+ times. The one problem I had, I rec'v'd a full refund.

Fabulous site.

We used VRBO to rent places in Breckenride, Keystone, Winter Park. We always got the more expensive places, figuring you get what you pay for. We have been very pleased. The houses we have stayed in were super nice. One property, the owner lived next door.

I've used them once before, and am in the process of using them again. Last time was for a place in Santa Fe for a week, and it was wonderful. This time is for a place in Austin Texas, and while the trip is not until next week, so far, so good. I have been in touch with both the landlords of the place (of course) and also someone who stayed there before, and all have been very kind and helpful in interactions.

I've used VRBO twice. The first, an apartment in Budapest. I learned that a picture doesn't always tell the story. Ask lots of questions and request additional pictures if you're unsure. Also, if the price is too good to be true, there's a reason!

On the other hand, I just returned from La Jolla where I rented for the second time a 4BR house with a pool that I found on VRBO. It was terrific.(#127450)

We've used VRBO in Paris, Tuscany and Rome with great experiences each time; twice in Japan (one house was beyond fabulous; the other, an apartment, was fine, although not exactly as described); and found our summer beach house on Cape Cod five years ago that we have returned to for a week every summer since. In summary, I would say that all of our experiences have been very positive.

Hi go_laura -

Which place in Santa Fe? That was one of the places I was looking at on the VRBO website.

I used VRBO two years ago to rent an apartment in Paris and it turned out great. The only thing that was a pain was wiring the money to the owner ... and the slight trepidation that it wouldn't be a real apartment!

I can confirm what others have said about VRBO. We had rented houses in Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Savannah, San Antonio and each time our expectations were surpassed.

This is the property we rented in Santa Fe:

http://www.twocasitas.com/

(We rented 3-bedrooms-house Casa Luna - wonderful house, excellent location.)

We rented a 3 BR, 1 bath gite in the SW region of France and it was a terrific experience. The owners were transplants from London, easy to work with and available if we needed them. The gite was typical of the region - rural, picturesque, non-touristy. It was property # 16893.

We've used VRBO a number of times - in The US (Washington and California)in Canada, Athens, Paris, Rome, and we have a condo reserved through VRBO next month in Mexico.

We have had good experiences - no problems at all. Most of the rental owners have great information available on local attractions, transportation, restaurants, etc.

In my opinion, staying in a neighborhood while in a foreign city is the best way to get a real feel for the area. Not to mention the money saved by having a kitchen!

We've used VRBO and their affiliates several times with mixed success. Several additional things to be cautious about: Ask when the pictures were taken. We rented a condo once and the pictures were 6 years old. The place was a mess and they did give us a 50% refund. Use a credit card if possible. Also be aware that many sites will only allow negative reviews if the owner agrees, which they never do. If they have been renting for a long time and there are no positive reviews I would be very suspicious.