How to Survive Life in the Suburbs

HOW TO RENT A VACATION HOME IN FLORIDA

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What are you doing for your next vacation? Perhaps it’s time to start planning! You know I love the planning. After all, the dreaming, the planning and the countdown are just part of the fun. As Slack Week and March Break approaches one question I often get is; “How and where do you rent a house in Florida?” I love this question! If you are planning a trip to Disney World, Universal Studios or just want to escape the cold and head to Florida for a week or two, here are my tried and true steps to successfully find and rent a beautiful vacation rental in the sunshine.

*picture via Homeaway.com

Congratulations, you’ve made the decision to head to Orlando Florida. So now what? It’s time to book your vacation rental of course. So where to start. My recommendation? Start by searching some of my favourite rental sites and companies for a vacation house in Kissimmee. Yes, you read that right, you don’t actually want to stay in Orlando, you want to stay in Kissimmee, this area is closer to the attractions and is smack dab in the middle of fabulous shopping and a plethora of restaurants.

Step 1: Decide how many bedrooms you will need. Are you a family of four? Then a 2 bedroom condo or a 3 – 4 bedroom house with its own pool with do just fine. Will you be sharing the house with another family or friends? Good for you! This is an amazing way to cut costs and have the vacation of a lifetime. Then maybe you need a 6 bedroom 5 bath, or 9 bedroom monster house. The world is your oyster there are plenty of homes to choose from.

Step 2: Get your browsing fingers ready. Here’s a list of some of my favourite rental sites:

www.vrbo.com

www.homeaway.com

www.ownerdirect.com

www.windsorhillsrent.com

www.globalresorthomes.com

picture via Homeaway.com

Step 3: Once you are on one of these fab rental sites you will need to narrow your search down. (otherwise, you will be overwhelmed by the possibilities) We all know I am a travel snob, so here are my favourite communities to check first:

Windsor Hills (I’ve rented in this community many times and it remains my favourite)
Reunion (a close second)
Windsor Palms
Formosa Gardens (BIG houses)
Emerald Island- A bit older but you can find some great deals.
All of these areas with the exception of Formosa Gardens, have large community pools. Each area boasts children’s park areas, are a short distance to restaurants, grocery stores, Universal and Disney, and are safe and well maintained.

**Newer communities to take a peek at should include:

Windsor at Westside Resort

Champions Gate

Encore Resort at Reunion

Then you can narrow your search further by adding in your particular needs;

Do you want a private pool. ( Why not? You’re on vacation.)
A hot tub? (I prefer to have one that is attached to the pool)
Do you care which way the pool faces? ( I like south or west for afternoon sun – see I told you I was particular)
Is there a BBQ or will they bring one in for you? Most owners or rental companies will rent one for you at an additional charge. If you plan on doing a lot of cooking at home this is a great bonus.
If needed, is there baby equipment. (safety gates, highchair, stroller)
Does the vacation house have a management company?
What times are check-in and check-out?

Step 4: Think you found one you like? Scrutinize the pictures and the reviews. Are the pictures recent or have they been updated? What do past guests have to say? Is it mostly positive?

Step 5: Once you think you have a winner, send off an inquiry asking about the homes best price including any taxes, pool heat and BBQ if desired. Then wait. What kind of answer do you get? Is the owner polite, accommodating, friendly? I’ve walked away from a potential vacation rental because of a bad “vibe”. If the owner can’t be bothered to reply and answer a couple of questions, move on.

Bonus Step: If you are dealing with the owner this is your chance to negotiate that rate. If you are going at peak times, March Break, Christmas or the busiest weeks in Summer, there may not be wiggle room, but if you are headed down at the start of September or their calendar doesn’t seem particularly full, negotiate! Ask if they will throw the pool heat in for free, include a BBQ rental in for the week, or simply knock $200 off the price. Owners would often rather have their homes rented then sitiing empty. Good luck!

Still trying to decide if renting a vacation home is the right move for your family? Here are 5 Reasons To Rent A Vacation Home near Disney.

Now all you have to do is pack your bags. Happy Travels!

    • Comments

    3. I have rented cottages in Ontario but never thought of renting in Florida. This is a great idea that I will explore!

    4. This is something our family has talked about doing with my husband’s family (his parents and sister and her family.) We’d like to wait until the littlest kids can get on the majority of rides at the theme parks so it will likely be in the next three or four years. It seems like a great way to have a little more space and relaxing downtime than a traditional hotel room and we’d be able to cook our own meals. Thanks for the tips!

    6. Thank you for the great list of home rental sites. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, but only knew about airbnb. Great to have these options — thank you very much!

    7. I would love to rent a vacation home in Florida with my family someday! So many fun things to do as a group there.

    9. I think you can get so much more by renting a home rather than staying in a hotel, plus there’s more privacy. A huge win in my book.

    12. I used to rent out houses when I went to Europe with my family, now there’s only me so there’s no point really. Besides I like someone else cooking my meals these days 🙂

      • Ahh it is nice to have someone to cook your meals for you. Should I tell you some of these houses offer the opportunity to have a chef come to you ? 🙂 Just food for thought! LOL