Only 8% of all travelers in the United States have stayed in a Vacation Rental despite the fact that Vacation Rentals offer a much better price/value benefit and lots of amenities.
The reason for this is that many people are just plain worried about booking vacation rentals.
In this brief article, we tell you how to avoid the most common missteps.
These are the top reasons why renters could have a bad experience.

1. The property does not exist as advertised on the web.
   
2. The property is not depicted accurately.
   
3. The property location is not depicted accurately.
   
4. Glowing descriptions raise expectations tremendously.
   
5. Properties that are not clean upon arrival.
   
6. Key under the green rock syndrome.
   
7. Inability to reach owner or manager in the event of an emergency.
   
8. Outdated photos give the wrong impression

Let's consider each of these reasons.
The first is obviously the worst and is generally not a problem if you inquire through reputed vacation rental sites.
On certain sites like Craigslist, you need to be twice as cautious to protect against scams.
Many companies do advertise on Craigslist, though.
Just make sure that you can track a legitimate website down.
You should, however, insist on getting the property address before booking and Google it to make sure it exists.
One of the most common reasons for dissatisfaction is that the property is not depicted accurately.
Owners tend to get carried away about how great their place is and begin to stretch the truth.
For example, the central AC system that you think you had is a noisy window air conditioner.
Or the "spacious kids bedroom" is really only 80 sq.
ft.
So, when you arrive at this place dreaming of a mansion, you get something that looks like the servant's quarters.
Another common issue is that the property location is not depicted accurately.
For example, there is a difference between Oceanfront, Oceanview and first row.
You might be dead set on Oceanfront and yet receive an Ocean View Property.
To see the ocean, you may need to go to your bathroom and peer out of a small window.
One way to research this is to use Google Street Maps to see exactly how this property looks.
Some sites have glowing descriptions of properties.
Don't fall for them.
Often, these glowing descriptions are misleading.
Instead look for third party verified reviews.
Just your normal reviews can be fabricated quite easily.
Occasionally, you land up in a rental and it is not clean.
Often your idea of "clean" is not the same as the owner's idea of "clean.
" You might get an owner that says, "Well it's just a few stains on the carpet.
We don't think it's a big deal.
" Well, you might think it is a big deal because it looks like the previous owner had a pet who decided to go for it on the carpet.
Sometimes, it's much worse with rat droppings and roaches.
The best way to avoid this is to work only with reputed managers and reputed companies.
Otherwise, you might save a couple of bucks and ruin your vacation.
The "Key under the green rock" syndrome is common with many owners who do not use lock boxes or Internet locks.
Instead, their solution is to mail the keys to you or tell you that the keys are under the mat or green rock.
Ask about access ahead of time.
Otherwise, you will be pretty unhappy if you land up at 2am and there's no one to call.
Inability to reach the owner or manager in the event of an emergency is a real issue.
You never encounter this problem in a hotel.
Verify that the owner or manager is available 24x7 to deal with any issues including broken ac's, inability to get into the home and a variety of things that just happen.
Many owners take photos of their properties when the furniture is new and everything looks clean and beautiful.
Well, time has a way of taking its toll on everything and pristine black sofa starts looking ragged in a few years.
So, ask your owner how old the photos are.
If they are over 5 years old, beware! Lastly, we know that most people want a hotel like experience with Vacation Rental like amenities.
So, work only with companies that can guarantee a Hotel like experience.
These companies have often done due diligence by visiting managers and checking them out to make sure that the place is what it is portrayed to be.
Be very careful when you work with individual owners because while there are good ones, there are enough bad and unethical owners to cause you grief.
If you always go with the lowest cost, chances are that you will almost certainly be disappointed upon arrival! Chances are that your significant other will have a few words with you about this and that's not a great way to start a vacation.