Booking direct with a rental company can save money and get you better answers. Here's what to ask first, and how to tell a real company from a scam.
When you book a vacation rental direct, you deal with the people who actually manage the home. You can ask real questions, often get better terms, and usually avoid a booking site's service fee. You also take on a little more of the checking yourself, because there's no marketplace in the middle.
These are the questions worth asking before you pay, starting with the most important one.
First: is the company real?
Rental scams usually work the same way: a copied listing, a price well below everything nearby, and pressure to pay quickly in a way that can't be reversed. Before you send money:
- Find the company yourself. Search for its name and go to its website directly, rather than following a link or phone number someone sent you.
- Check that the details match. The company name, website, phone number and email address should agree everywhere you find them.
- Look for a history. Reviews on more than one site, a physical office or a local address, and listings that have been around for a while are good signs.
- Pay with protection. Use a credit card or a secure payment page. Be wary of anyone who asks for a wire transfer, a payment app, gift cards or cryptocurrency, or who will only talk by text message.
On Wayvilo, the Wayvilo Verified badge means we've confirmed the rental company is who it says it is. Home details and prices still come from the company, so the questions below still apply. Our Trust & Safety page explains how listings are checked.
About the price
1. What's the total for my dates, including every fee and tax? Ask for an itemized quote: rent, cleaning, other required fees and lodging taxes. Our guide to vacation rental fees explains what each one is.
2. When do I pay, and how much is due now? Many companies take a deposit at booking and the balance 30 to 60 days before arrival.
3. Is there a security deposit or a damage waiver? If it's a deposit, ask when it's charged and how long the refund takes after you leave.
4. What's the cancellation policy? Find out what you get back, and by when. Ask what happens if a hurricane, a road closure or a power outage affects the stay, and whether the company recommends travel insurance.
About the home
5. Exactly what are the beds? "Sleeps 16" can include sofa beds, bunks and air mattresses. Ask for the bed size in every room.
6. How many full bathrooms are there, and where? A home with five bedrooms and two bathrooms is a very different weekend from one with five of each.
7. How do you get in, and how many stairs are there? Ask about steps to the front door, stairs inside, an elevator and parking. This matters for older guests, small children and anyone carrying beach gear.
8. How far is it really to the beach, the lake or the slopes? "Beach access" can mean a private walkway or a public path across the road. See how to read a beach rental listing.
9. Is the pool or hot tub open and heated for my dates? Many pools are seasonal, and heating is often an extra fee.
10. What does the kitchen have? For a big group, ask about the size of the refrigerator, the number of ovens, and how many people the dining table seats.
11. How fast is the Wi-Fi? If anyone needs to work, ask for a speed, not just "Wi-Fi included."
About the stay
12. What are check-in and checkout times, and how does check-in work? Ask whether there's a keypad, a lockbox or an office pickup, and what happens if you arrive late.
13. Who do I call if something breaks? Ask for a phone number that's answered evenings and weekends, and how quickly someone can come out if the air conditioning fails.
14. What are the house rules? Quiet hours, an occupancy limit, parking limits, a minimum age to book, and pets. Breaking them can cost you the deposit or the stay.
15. What do you expect at checkout? Some homes only ask you to lock the door. Others expect dishes done, trash out and towels in a pile.
Keep the answers
Get the important answers in writing, by email or in the booking confirmation, and keep them where your group can find them. Our Plans has a place for the booking details, the address and check-in time so nobody has to search through messages on arrival day.
Lakefront homes like Blue Bayou and Whispering Winds on Lake Norman, and Salty Sailfish on the beach in Galveston, list their rental company, sleeping layout and house rules on Wayvilo, so many of these answers are there before you ask.