That's because most home exchangers can't go back to slumming it in a tiny hotel room once they have had a taste of the space and amenities that even a modest swap home offers.
When I do mention informal rental resources, I always caution exchangers about their drawbacks. It's funny, but in the case of vacation accommodations, something free (home exchange) is a safer bet with better quality control than something you pay for (vacation rentals). That's because home exchange is a community and also because you are only finding exchanges through a paid home exchange club that has its members' credit card numbers, addresses and, hopefully, feedback.
This week's New York Times travel section had a great article pointing out some of the same possible pitfalls in vacation rentals, as well as resources for avoiding problems.
"The Internet has made it ever easier for travelers to search for vacation rentals across the globe, but at the same time it has also made it possible for just about anyone with a spare room to post a listing. Faced with the soft real estate market, many homeowners do just that. Houses that otherwise might be sold, or kept for private use, are going up for rent instead, and second-home owners with little or no experience with tenants are suddenly absentee landlords.
So how do you avoid the pitfalls? First, figure out whom you want to rent from. The vacation rental market is divided into two basic segments: homes that are rented out directly by the owner and those run by a property management company.
Professionally managed rentals, like most of the properties featured on Zonder.com, forGetaway.com and PickPackGo.com, promise a certain level of quality control since the homeowner pays the management company to inspect the home, clean it and handle any issues that arise �if a pipe bursts, for example, or the air-conditioner suddenly gives out. And most accept credit card payments, which affords an added layer of protection in case the transaction goes sour. But the extra security tends to come at a higher cost.
Property managers charge homeowners anywhere from 10 to 45 percent of the rental revenue for services and commission, according to Discover Vacation Homes, an association of property management companies. Some of that cost gets passed on to consumers. �There�s a middle man there, with property managers,� said Steve Hassett, who heads up forGetaway.com. �They have to make money off it. Some of that comes from the owner of the property and some from the renter, but both sides feel like it offers a lot of value.�
No such quality control exists with owner-rented properties, found on sites like Homeaway.com and Vrbo.com, but what you gain is cost savings. Both parties must work out the details of the rental agreement themselves, from the cost to where to pick up the keys.
And most homeowners take only checks or cash, though that is beginning to change. Homeaway.com will start to offer credit card payments on Oct. 15.
Regardless of whom you rent from, it�s a good idea to seek out recommendations from fellow renters. Vacation rental sites are increasingly offering customer reviews, making it easier to evaluate whether a property lives up to its description.
But how those reviews are handled varies widely. For example, Cyberrentals.com, which is owned by Homeaway, notifies owners of user reviews before they go up. This gives homeowners the opportunity to respond to unfair criticisms or to dispute false reviews posted by someone who did not stay there, the company said."
Note that the Times identifies the same problem with rental feedback that I have found in home exchange club feedback. Only Digsville.com has truly objective comments from past exchangers. All the other feedback systems used by swap clubs allow exchangers to reject any comments they don't like. This is worse than useless.
If you can't get a swap, by all means find a vacation rental. And as always, caveat vertor.
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