All you need to know about Vacation Rentals
A definition of Vacation Rentals
A ‘vacation rental’ in the travel industry means providing a house or furnished apartment for a specific time period to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. Vacation rentals have been very popular for a while in Canada and Europe, especially in the UK.
Often people only have top locations like London Apartments in mind, but you can find these rentals all over. Throughout the world, its popularity is increasing. You could really think of them as self-catering rentals or villa rentals. Take Barcelona vacation rentals as an example. In cities like Barcelona, local authorities determined that vacation rentals were becoming a threat to the hotel industry and passed some legislation placing regulations and limits on the industry, while in others, such as England, Ireland, and France, the government promotes and certifies holiday rentals, even offering its own program of holiday/vacation rentals.
Vacation rentals are fully furnished properties, such as a condominium, townhome or single-family-style home, often referred to as villa rentals in Europe. The client/traveler arranges to rent the vacation rental property for a specific period of time.
Some may rent by the night similar to hotel accommodations. However, the more common practice is weekly rentals. A true vacation rental can’t be purchased by the guest; rather, the owner simply permits the guest to rent the property for a preset time period.
Vacation rentals are typically apartments or houses in popular travel destinations that are usually leased to leisure tourists. Guests generally have full use of the residence, including utilities but typically not meals or servicing.
These rentals are usually cheaper than a hotel reservation or in some cases multiple reservations for the same time period, especially when vacationing with a large group of people or family. Vacation rentals tend to come with amenities that make your stay more enjoyable, often including a private hot tub (with no loud neighbors) or pool, a fully equipped kitchen (which saves you money by not having to eat out as much), and laundry facilities (so you don’t need as much luggage).
Important benefits of Vacation Rentals in popular destinations
- Tourists experience the privacy and comfort of a home so they can have a more enjoyable and relaxing trip.
- Again, a vacation rental is often not as expensive as a hotel reservation and is a nice alternative for families or large groups who would usually have make multiple hotel reservations.
- Normally, a hotel room will be around 400 square feet (37 sq. meters); but a vacation rental can be a 2,000 square foot house (186 sq. meters).










