What You Should Look Out For When Renting A House On Vacation.

Sometimes when we go away on vacation we like to rent a cabin or something like that, as it really lets you get away from the crows and the people at a resort hotel. If you are the type of person that enjoys renting a house on vacation instead of staying in a hotel room, Smart Money has some advise for you:

1. Beware of Misleading Descriptions – “Steps to the beach” might mean 15,000 steps, “ocean-view” might mean you have to lean out the bathroom window in order to actually see it.

2. Know Whom You Are Dealing With – Watch for owners listing their own houses, as they are more apt to “fudge” the truth than brokers about their property. I know this one all too well, as we rented a “rustic” cabin which was so rustic that we might as well have been camping.

3. No Such Thing As “Standard” – Do not assume anything about amenities. I know that whenever we have rented a house, we had to bring our own sheets, dishes, soap, trash bags, etc. So just because it is a house do not assume that they have what you need.

As a backup plan, you should probably check “Home Away”, a website that allows people to leave descriptions of properties they stayed at and give them a rating.