
I’ve covered the ins and outs of reading hotel reviews—but what about private rentals?
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Compared to a hotel stay, there’s a lot that can go wrong with a private rental—and, more importantly, it’s harder to fix any issues.
When something goes wrong at a hotel, all you need to do is head down to the concierge and lay out your doubts. But at a private rental, whether booked on Airbnb, VRBO, or another platform, we aren’t nearly as empowered to handle mishaps.
That means it’s even more important to get a good sense of the rental before booking.
For the most part, pictures and lists of amenities paint a strong picture. Even the tone of the host’s description might tell you a few things about the property, like whether or not it’s professionally managed, how casual the hosts are, and more.
But the real treasure trove is in the reviews.
Want to nail your private rental selections like a professional travel agent? Start with the tips below.
How to read private rental reviews
- Just like with hotels, skip those sensationalist reviews. Whether overly cheerful or actively sassy, sensationalist reviews usually mean that a guest was in a highly emotional state when they wrote it. That being said, if you see a ton of ultra-positive or negative reviews, then they’re probably accurate.
- Make sure the reviews match up to the listing. Here’s what I mean: if you see a negative review about a broken window, you might notice that the rental’s description reads ‘windows newly renovated’, which means the issue has been resolved. If you have any outstanding questions, ask the host directly—and feel free to bring up what was discussed in the review.
- If the reviewer isn’t similar to you, their feedback might not apply. Depending on the booking website, you might not have too much information on the person leaving the review. But if you do, then focus on reviews that were written by travelers like you, whether they’re similar age or the same type of traveler. In other words, value what your contemporaries say.
- The most recent reviews are (usually) the most accurate. Recent reviews let you gauge what’s going on with that rental in real-time. Just make sure to consider the season. If you’re traveling in the summer, reviews from winter might not be entirely applicable.
- Search specifically for topics that matter to you. You can use a keyword search in your browser to focus on topics that are important to you. Maybe that’s solid air-conditioning or a great view. Whatever your focus is, make sure to dig in with a few keyword searches. I recommend reading at least five reviews on the topic to get a good sense of things with a focus on more recent reviews.
My bonus tips for reading private rental reviews
If you stick to the five tips listed above, you’ll find a great fit in no time. But they’re far from the only tricks of the trade. As a long-time private rental fan, let me dig a little deeper into how I trawl those reviews.
- If the pictures suck but the reviews don’t, it’s probably a solid pick. I’ve seen more than a handful of near-perfect, five-star-rated vacation rentals that looked subpar from the photos… only to be swayed by glowing reviews. If you’re struggling to decide on whether or not a rental is right for you because the pictures don’t grab you, but the reviews do, I vote you book it. Remember—most hosts aren’t professional photographers.
- There’s usually a theme that you’ll pick up on. I read reviews partly because I like gossip. (Flips hair over her shoulder.) In my nosy digging, I’m usually able to pick up on an overall theme from the reviews. Maybe the walking distance to hotspots is a little longer than expected. Maybe an appliance is ridiculously noisy. So don’t be afraid to gloss over the reviews—you’ll probably pick up on an overall consensus.
- If there are fewer ratings, give some grace. Last year, I booked an aparthotel that had a pretty low aggregate rating because it had only a handful of ratings—and one was a very sensationalist negative review that didn’t match the others. I took a chance and booked it anyway only to be very, very happy with my stay. Don’t let a lower rating turn you off from at least checking out a profile if there are only a handful of reviews.