The vacation rental industry is changing. And fast! We’ve gathered a huge list of alternatives to large online booking vacation rental sites to show travelers how #bookdirect booking sites get back to what made vacation rentals great in the first place.
If accommodations are a popularity contest, vacation rentals are on their way to Homecoming Queen. The sharp climb of the vacation rental industry shows no signs of slowing, with a 6% growth rate expected to continue all the way into 2023.
Result of Increased popularity of Rentals
One: more vacation rentals in the market, as entrepreneurs and other intrepid folks, rush to make the most of the boom.
Two: lots more vacation rental travelers.
And three: more diverse traveler needs and wants.
The trouble is, those needs and wants are often left unaddressed by Big Listing Sites/OTAs (you know the ones—they have ads on TV now!).
The early days of vacation rentals were all about the people. Travelers and homeowners connected on a foundation of trust and mutual benefit. But the big players that control the market restrict that host/traveler relationship.
If you like staying in vacation rentals (or have a vacation rental you want to market on your own terms), we want you to know that you have options!
Benefits of Alternative Vacation Rental Sites
Whether you’re a seasoned vacation rental traveler or a first-timer testing the waters, it’s worth learning about alternative listing sites that offer benefits like:
- Local expertise…. yes… real people!
- Personalization – find properties that suit your needs as a pet owner, family with young kids, 55+ snowbirds, golf groups, boaters, etc…
- No or Fewer traveler fees
- Truly customized search – big-name platforms prioritize properties that pay more to list, rather than delivering the truly best results for travelers’ needs
- Open communication — hosts and guests can interact on their own terms
- Verified owners and properties — be comfortable knowing the person you’re booking with is who they say they are
Curious what options are out there beyond Airbnb, HomeAway, and Booking.com? Read on for a breakdown of our favorite traveler-friendly alternative vacation rental sites.
Florida Rental By Owners – FLARBO
FLARBO – Florida Rental By Owners
Why We Like It
At FLARBO, we help vacation rental travelers heading to Florida find their ideal getaway. Short and long-term stays, families, theme park visitors, beach lovers, wedding groups, golf and boating enthusiasts can all find what they’re looking for with us! It has a huge assortment of rental by owner options.
We may be a bit biased, but travelers appreciate our local knowledge, in-depth destination guides for many areas of Florida waiting to be explored. The ability to search by vacation rental type is ideal (boat-friendly, pet-friendly event-friendly, etc. etc.) and travelers can connect with hosts directly. Without the OTA traveler service fees. A huge savings!
We offer great last-minute rental deals on the site for our hosts to advertise and travelers to find a smoking hot discount too. 🙂
Let’s move on to some other vacation rental sites around the world….
Cuddlynest
Why We Like It
Cuddlynest has a worldwide rental home presence and is great for searching city properties, with detailed maps for property locations. They app is easy to use and their safety standards give peace of mind.
Tripz
Why We Like It
Tripz focuses on North American projects in the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and let you search for cabins, beach houses, condos and lakeside rental properties with ease. Open communication and no fees!
New York Rental By Owner
Why We Like It
New York Rental By Owner knows everything there is to know about vacationing in the state of New York, USA. We love their options of snowmobile rentals, off-the-grid glamping options, and great rustic and luxury cabins. Direct communication with the verified vacation rental by owners makes choosing a New York rental with no hidden fees even easier.
Alabama Vacation Home Rentals
Why We Like It
One of the fastest growing vacation rental websites in Alabama. This website really knows the needs and wants of the Alabama traveler. With great perks like Military discounts and Game Day rentals, you can be sure to find a place to stay and keep more in your pocket. There are no bookings fees on this vacation rental website.
Vacation Rentals LBI
Why We Like It
Offering an incredibly large inventory of vacation rentals for the Long Beach Island area. Vacation Rentals Long Beach Island located in New Jersey is a fantastic option for the Jersey shore vacationer. There are also no hidden services fees on this website.
ECBYO (Emerald Coast By Owner)
Why We Like It
ECBYO are experts in Gulf Coast vacations in Florida and Alabama coast. A steady presence in the rental industry. Connect directly with local condo and homeowners and browse with peace of mind that the price you see is the price you pay, with no hidden fees.
SMYBO (Smoky Mountains by Owners)
Why We Like It
Another hot US vacation destination, the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina offer a dizzying variety of mountain cabins for rent. SMYBO once again gives you the advantage of region-specific expertise from folks who really know the Smokies.
BringFido
Why We Like It
BringFido connects dog-toting travelers with dog-friendly accommodations worldwide. They have over 200,000 properties in their database, including both vacation rentals and hotels.
HiChee
Why We Like It
Get your “aloha” on with ease and save some extra money for a luau—Hawaii Chee offers a nifty live price comparison so you can rest assured you’re getting the best (fee-free!) deal on the islands. It’s the ‘Kayak’ of vacation rental sites.
VHRNetwork
Why We Like It
A network that aggregates a slew of regional vacation rental sites in the US and beyond, bringing guests the best deals and location specialization.
Florida Snowbird
Why We Like It
Florida Snowbird by Owner has been around since 2002! A long time and is a trusted source for snowbirds fleeing northern winters, with an intuitive website and a transparent booking process.
WeGoLightly
Why We Like It
Perfect for female travel. Golightly is an invite-only home-sharing and “vacation rental club” for women. For women who want to “travel often, stay safely and go lightly.”
Why is it better to book directly with the owner or property manager on a book direct website?
Vacation Rental Owners Benefits
Are you a motivated property owner who loves vacation rentals and wants to manage your vacation rental business your way? To take back control list your property on FLARBO today. You can significantly decrease the commission fees you pay to online travel agencies like VRBO, HomeAway, Booking.com and Airbnb. Communicate with travelers before they book. Utilize your owner cancellation and booking policies.
Hosts can showcase their personal vacation rental website the best way possible by highlighting their own marketing materials directly to the traveler, enhancing the guest experience. Diversify your marketing portfolio and get more bookings by listing your properties on regional websites like FLARBO.com and other alternatives where your listing won’t be lost in a huge inventory of homes and let travelers who are looking for your rental outside of the large online travel agencies find you.
Traveler Benefits
Are you a traveler and want to learn more about the #BookDirect movement? Find out just how much you are losing by booking through large online travel agencies? You can read all about it on our #BookDirect article here.
Save Money!
You’ll be surprised at the hundreds of dollars you can save on Service Fees! Start browsing, searching and saving by booking your next Florida vacation rental on FLARBO – Florida Rental By Owners. Each owner is verified so you can book with confidence.
Some Online Rental Websites Hide Fees!
This example was pulled from VRBO on January 2024. You can see that the traveler service fee is not noticeable to the traveler when booking. Their current wording is ‘guest service fee’ which is misleading as it suggests that the host is charging the guest this fee. That is not the case. This is a VRBO guest service charge which is ironic to us since the traveler is not the guest of VRBO.
However, once expanded you can see the charge by VRBO to the traveler for a 1 week rental during low season and again during high season. The charges range on this property from $546 to 997 U.S. dollars. That is incredible! Can you imagine what you could do with those savings?
Example VRBO Traveler Service Fee 7 night Low Season
Example VRBO Traveler Service Fee 7-night High Season
Do you have other vacation rental sites that should be included in this list? Let us know by contacting us.
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Interested in visiting Florida?
You can view all Florida vacation rental properties. Take advantage of booking directly with the owner which always gets you the best price!
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Browse and Book more vacation rentals on Florida Rental By Owners.
Florida’s #1 Owner Preferred Website. No Traveler Fees, No Commissions, and Direct Communication with the Owner always gets you the best price.
