Booking a vacation rental

You can access hundreds of thousands of vacation rentals via Expedia TAAP. A vacation rental can be a fantastic option for travelers - as you know, they're typically larger, have superior amenities, and differ from the traditional hotel experience. This article calls out the key details and differences you should look for when booking a vacation rental.

Before we dive in, it's important to note that vacation rental properties on Expedia TAAP come from two sources: Expedia and Vrbo/HomeAway.

Expedia: This is also where traditional accommodations (such as hotels) are sourced from Expedia TAAP. The support model remains the same, and these vacation rental bookings can be managed directly with Expedia TAAP.
Vrbo: This is another Expedia Group brand that offers over 2 million vacation rental properties. Some of these Vrbo properties are made available via Expedia TAAP, but due to technical limitations, these bookings need to be managed on the Vrbo website. Step 7 of this article shows you how to spot a vacation rental property sourced from Vrbo.

1. Enter the search parameters

Select Properties and enter your search details. Then click Search. hotel

2. Navigate to the Property Type filter

From the list of property types offered, select those most commonly associated with vacation rentals. Some of the most commonly used property types are:

Apartment
Aparthotel
Chalet
Condo
Cottage
Private vacation home
House
Villa

3. Apply additional filters

You can further refine your search by selecting additional filters. The most common filters agents use for vacation rentals include:

Free cancellation
Number of vacation rental bedrooms
Breakfast included
Amenities (such as a hot tub, kitchen, free WiFi)

4. Select the vacation rental

Once your search results refresh, select the desired property. If the property is sourced from Vrbo, it will display "by Vrbo". Remember, Vrbo properties need to be managed from the Vrbo site if you need to make future changes or cancel the reservation.

5. Review property details

Since vacation rentals differ from a traditional hotel, it's really important to review all the property details to correctly inform the traveler.

Information that agents find most useful includes:

Guest reviews
Popular amenities
Space details for the bedrooms and bathrooms
Special check-in instructions
Cleaning and safety practices
Where the vacation rental is located via 'View in a map'
In particular, if the property does not have a 24-hour front desk (which is more common with vacation rentals), please carefully review the special check-in instructions and ensure the traveler is fully aware of these and able to comply with them.

6. Choose the preferred vacation rental

Before choosing the preferred vacation rental, you can review the cancellation policy and Expedia TAAP specific information such as the commission level by clicking on them. You can also get a more detailed price as you may know with vacation rentals, it's more common that a service fee, cleaning fee, and or a damage deposit may apply.

7. Do a final review of the details and then 'Complete booking'

You’re at the last step! Make sure you're still logged in so that the booking is tracked (you should be signed in with your Expedia TAAP email address and see the black Expedia TAAP banner at the top). Then enter your traveler’s contact information and the credit card details for payment. Before completing the booking, carefully read the "Important information about your booking" to ensure you know the answers to:

What's the refund policy?
What are the terms & conditions, and rules & restrictions?
Is the vacation rental sourced from Vrbo? Then the booking will need to be managed directly with Vrbo.

When you complete the booking, you’ll receive an instant booking confirmation to your Expedia TAAP email address. There is no need to reconfirm with the property or with Agent Support. If the property is being sourced from our Vrbo/HomeAway supply, then the "Reservation ID" will be your Vrbo booking number.