How to pick a family vacation rental home: 12 tried and tested tips by a mama
How to pick a family vacation rental: our practical tips for choosing a vacation home that is right for your needs.
Vacation rentals can be a fantastic accommodation option for families with children.
Compared with a hotel, a vacation home tends to provide more space, independence, and the option to cook, often a great way to keep vacation costs down (and keep fussy eaters happy!)
Getting a good vacation rental however requires a bit of work.
Since each house is unique, you need to pay extra attention to the description of the place, its location and you cannot rely on the reputation of the hotel brand or family.
I spend weeks dissecting family vacation rental descriptions any time we go on vacation.
I spend ages reading descriptions, looking at maps, checking the distance between the accommodation and shops/ landmarks/ attractions and I am over-the-top attentive to the photos available.
I am also an avid reader of reviews and spend an inordinate amount of time reading the good ones, the bed ones, the in-between ones and even going through them by type of traveler, to make sure their comments are relevant to us!
You may say that this is a little excessive and in part it may be.
However, the first time I went to an Airbnb I found myself in one that had a restroom opening onto a living room and without a door… so, you see, trust is a wonderful thing but when I look for a vacation rental for a relaxing family holiday, I don’t want to take any risks!
Since then, I have become very attentive to anything and everything to do with vacation accommodation and, today, I share my tips!
On top of standard questions such as heating/ air conditioning / cost, this is what I look for when choosing the perfect family vacation rental for our travels.
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Check the number of rooms (not just beds)
Vacation rental listings all differ from each other and often it is not clear is that they list is a room or a bed.
A wording such as ‘sleeps 4’ may seem promising for a family with 2 kids but it doesn’t give any indication on what the room layout is like: are these 2 double beds, are they separate bedrooms or do they include a sofa bed they need to share?
Check carefully the small print and the photos, especially if you are traveling with older kids or grandparents.
If you are getting a rental for the extra space, a sofa bed in the kitchen will not do!
Need to know: In some countries (for instance in Europe), occupation rules are super strict and you need to declare all people who are going to stay in the room the time of booking + provide ID for each before being allowed to check in. If this is the case at your destination, make sure you declare everyone, including babies!
Check the exact location
In the case of vacation rental properties, you do not get a precise address until your booking is confirmed, which can be a problem.
A vacation rental may or may not be close to amenities and attractions and may or may not be in a family friendly area.
Look at the map provided carefully, read reviews with attention and search the web for info about the area – forums can be invaluable for this!
After you have an idea, double-check with the owner and ask all you need to know: how close is the grocery shop? What is the parking situation? What is public transport like in the area? Is it a pedestrian-friendly area or will you need the car every time you leave the house?
They are all excellent questions that you are entitled to make and should enter your decision-making process.
I love the map function on booking.com for this, because it helps me visualise straight away where the accommodation is, if the area has several other tourist lodgings etc.
Ask about kitchen equipment
You may not have plans to cook a large feast for 30 guests while on vacation but a well equipped kitchen is a plus!
Ask in detail what the kitchen includes, especially if cooking family meals is the reason for the rental choice.
Ask for oven, crockery, coffee maker and anything you know you will want to use so you can be sure you will find it or you can pack it and bring it with you.
Top tip! Consider packing a baby proofing kit with socket covers, and cabinet locks to make your stay even more secure.
Ask about linens and towels
Check with the owners what is included in the rental and what the deal is with laundry.
Rentals usually come with linen, pillows and the first set of towels but also ask: is there a washer dryer for bed linen changes? Do they have spare? Are there extra blankets? Beach towels?
There is no rule so make sure you ask so you don’t have to pack bulky items you may already have at your destination.
Ask what A/C means
If going to a hot destination you’ll want to have A/C but approaches to A/C vary widely around the world and especially if you are used to the strong US air conditioning, how things are handled in Europe for instance may come as a surprise.
Air conditioning may be a unit on the wall, rather than a full house affair, and may only be in some rooms. If A/C is not on the listing, it may not be there at all.
Always ask to avoid bad surprises, especially if using spare beds in living rooms and spaces that may not have a unit.
On booking.com you can use a filter for ‘Air Conditioning’
Look at outodoor spaces
Especially in summer, it is lovely to have some outdoor space: check if there is a balcony, a terrace or a garden and ask if it is private or shared and what facilities, if any, are there.
Is there a BBQ, a pizza oven, a pool? Who has access?
Be particularly careful with the wording ‘private pool’ – ask if private means it is for you only or estate residents in general, should there be more than one house opening onto the same yard.
This is particularly important if you are looking at a property in a non English speaking country. If the listing is translated automatically, the word ‘private’ may be misleading.
Need to know! Not all countries have rules about pool fencing. In many place, there is not rule at all or it may be sufficient to have the pool sufficiently detached from the house to not need a fence around it. If this is important to your circumstances, make sure you check photos carefully.
Ask about entertainment
Family friendly vacation rentals often come with entertainment but they don’t have to.
Read the listing carefully to see what is available: is there a TV with kids’ channels, in what language?
Is there a game console, board games? If in doubt, ask so you know what you may need to carry with you instead.
Ask about cleaning and laundry fees
Ask at the time of booking what cleaning is expected / included and what fees may apply for end of stay cleaning.
An end of stay cleaning fee is common on platforms such as Airbnb, but should be disclosed at the time of booking.
The same applies if there is an option for cleaning during your stay – if the optional service is provided, ask how often the cleaning will happen and get the cost in writing.
Another potential costly service is laundry. Are laundry facilities free to use? Are they in the house, in a separate area, are they shared or private?
Free access to a washer-dryer can make a huge difference especially with kids since you know there will be laundry to be done!
Ask about maintenance
A house always requires some maintenance, either because things break or to make sure they are fit for consistent use.
Ask if there is a facility manager you can contact in case of issues and also what is expected of you, especially is there is a swimming pool.
For extended stays, will someone take care of it or are you expected to put some work in? Do you need to water plants or is someone coming? Will they have a key? Thinks of all the practicalities to avoid surprises.
Check cancellation options
The best plans are subject to change so make sure you are comfortable with the property’s cancellation policy.
Check if a deposit is required, by when and how it can be returned, then put a reminder on your phone a couple of days before the cancellation grace period expires so you can be sure you are still ok with that plan.
Use a reliable provider
Using a reliable provider is not enough to guarantee an excellent properly but it is a great first step! I use especially booking.com apartments and villa options as I find their system transpartent and intuitive. Airbnb is a popular option as well (careful with extra fees) and my North American friends find Vrbo also good however, I have less experience of them as they are not as popular in Europe.
Read all the reviews
I always read reviews of everything and make a point of reading some raving ones, some terrible ones and some mid-way ones.
Usually, this is a good way to find common threads, pick up characteristics of the property that may not be clear form the listing and get an accurate idea of what it is really like.
Reviews such as ‘wonderful’ or ‘awful’ are only useful to a point, while the more detailed ones that talk about the noise level, the area, how management dealt with an issue can be invaluable. I always search reviews for words like ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ (to find those by families with kids), ‘noise’, ‘dirty’ and so on.
In conclusion
Getting a home as opposed to a family hotel is a great solution if you want to be independent and embrace slow travel.
While picking a home can be a little bit more work that a hotel by a hospitality brand you know, we find that they often make our vacations better as they give us the opportunity to experience a place at a slower pace and keep costs down, especially when traveling with more than 1 child or older kids.
A solution we love even more than renting is traveling with home swaps – this solution is not appealing to everyone but if you are curious, you can read out tips about planning a family home exchange here.
How to pick a family vacation rental home you love: pin this!
