Slow sunrises. Lapping waves. Leaping dolphins. You’re ready to spend a week savoring the summer from the deck of your beach house... but first, you need to find the right place. Here’s your guide to picking the perfect beach house rental. (Be sure to check out the beach vacation section for more beach guides/tips).

Airbnb vs. VRBO vs. Beach House Rental Companies

Not all that long ago, there was just one way to rent a beach house: You’d peruse the local listings of the property management company. Now, services like VRBO and Airbnb have broadened travelers’ options by connecting them directly with owners. Which is the best way to find your perfect beach house rental? Here are the pros and cons of each.

VRBO/Homeaway connects travelers with the owners of vacation rentals. You’ll find beach houses “as well as barns, boats, bungalows, cabins, castles, chalets, chateaus, cottages, estates, mansions, yachts, and yurts.” The average listing size is 1,850 square feet.¹ When you pay for your beach house rental through VRBO, you’re protected from fraud, misrepresentation and other issues. However, you still have to deal directly with the owner of the property — who could be a lovely host or a nightmare.

Airbnb also connects travelers with hosts — not only of beach houses, but spare rooms, apartments, etc. Airbnb transfers guests’ payments to hosts 24 hours after check-in, giving you some recourse if the property’s not what you imagined. While VRBO is known as a place for longer-term vacation rentals, Airbnb is popular with people who want to stay just a few nights.

There are other options, too. Flipkey includes TripAdvisor reviews for each property and lets you search for specific amenities, like Wi-Fi, parking or a fitness room. Tripping is a search engine for vacation rentals that pulls listings from several other sites.

Beach house rental companies have one big plus: Professionalism. The property manager ensures your beach house is clean and well supplied, and is on call in case the pool pump breaks or you get locked out. You don’t have to worry about dealing with a finicky, flaky or even hostile host, because everything is handled by the company. The downside, of course, is the added cost. I recently rented a two-bedroom Virginia Beach condo for a week for $1,295. Good deal — or so I thought. The final bill included a reservation fee, admin fee (whatever that is), damage waiver fee, linen service fee and $200 in taxes, bringing the total to $1,700.

Tips for Picking the Perfect Beach House Rental

• List your priorities before you look. An 1830s farmhouse on Penobscot Bay? A Victorian cottage in Cape May? Before you let yourself be seduced by lavish descriptions on beach house rental sites, make a firm list of the amenities you need, such as a large kitchen, ample parking or kid-friendly spaces.
• Look at small beach towns. Beach house rental rates may be lower (although the options will be fewer) if you focus on smaller towns instead of the most popular vacation destinations. Southern Living suggests a few to consider, like laid-back Folly Beach, S.C. and quirky Cedar Key, Fla.
• Rent your beach house early. Many people begin booking their summer vacations in January, so start looking then if you want a good selection. Then again, bargain seekers may be able to negotiate a lower rate if they wait until the summer has begun.²
• Consider the season. Conventional wisdom says it’s smart to rent a beach house in the off-season, because prices drop significantly. But will the pool still be available to use after Labor Day? And if you rent a beach house in October, will local restaurants and attractions still be open?
• Embrace dated décor. You might be tempted to skip over the beach house rental listings that look just a tad frumpy — you know, the ones with Golden Girls-style rattan furniture and faded floral cushions. But these rentals deserve a second look. They may be a little cheaper, and you’ll be more relaxed if you don’t have to worry about your kids staining a brand-new sofa.
• Translate the terms. “Sleeps six” may mean one king and four bunk beds. “Ocean views” may mean you can glimpse the waves through the gap between two towering hotels. And “cozy, intimate living room” may be code for “no room to move.”
• Read the fine print. Before you book your beach house, take the time to peruse the terms and conditions. The Virginia Beach condo we rented included a no-parties clause; if we had people over for a cookout, the rental company could charge us a $500 fee.
• Protect your rental with travel insurance. Travel insurance isn’t just for international trips; it can protect your beach vacation, too. Unlike hotels, beach house rentals tend to have very strict cancellation policies. Look for an inexpensive travel insurance policy with robust trip cancellation/interruption coverage, like the OneTrip Cancellation Plus Plan. If you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason, you can be reimbursed for prepaid, non-refundable expenses.

Once you’ve found your perfect beach house rental, remember to treat it with love. Owners notice when guests are conscientious (and when they’re not), and if you take care of the property you’ll be welcome to come back summer after summer. Travel happy!

Richmond-based travel writer Muriel Barrett has a terrible sense of direction, and has spent many happy hours getting lost in Barcelona, Venice and Jerusalem. Her favorite travel memories all involve wildlife: watching sea turtles nest in Costa Rica, kayaking with seals in Vancouver and meeting a pink tarantula in Martinique.

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