VRBO.com for apartment rentals in France

I used VRBO to find my apartment in Paris a few years ago and had no problems. The owner I dealt with was very responsive to my questions and was very very nice, but just to be on the safe side I did take the insurance offered by VRBO in case there was any problem. Happily I didn't need it.

We used VRBO and rented a wonderful apartment in Paris. You can use PayPal for the deposit and final payment. Under no circumstances should you send all the money upfront by any method. You can usually tell by the reviews on VRBO (if there are some) whether the rental is legit or suitable.

hmmm. thank you for the replies and information.

the VRBO listing that I am interested in has us paying everything up front to reserve the apartment (this includes a $500 security deposit which we will get back if no damage). The space also has 14 five star reviews. the rental terms say that it is 100% refundable if cancelled 30 days prior to arrival.

should I be leery because they are requesting full payment up front?

Here's 2 links to a previous thread on the topic.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/problems-with-vrbo-homeaway-etc

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/is-vrbo-a-good-place-to-find-rentals

I use VRBO all over the place. However, I won't do business with someone who wants the entire amount up front PLUS a $500 deposit. I've never ever paid a damage deposit that high. It's nice that there's 14 reviews. Are they all recent? You have so many options in Paris that you might want to choose someone who is easier to do business with. Vacations in Paris and Cobblestone Paris and reputable on this website. Vacations in Paris charges a $300 deposit and you pay the rest by credit card 60 days before you travel. Their deposit is $150 - refundable.

Rhonda, Be very careful and call and talk to someone at VRBO. I got caught in a scam a year ago and almost lost $3500 . VRBO told me that they NEVER ask for payment in full up front
They also admitted that they do not vet all their properties and admitted it was a scam i was caught in.
I was very lucky to get my money back (thanks to Fidelity).
After working with the legal dept at VRBO/Homeaway - I would be very very careful and call them before sending any money.
Best of luck and let us know how this turns out for you.

appreciate everyone's insight. i will call VRBO tomorrow and just get a bit more information but based on your advice this apartment sounds a bit sketchy. they just started renting in 2014 so all of the reviews on it are within the past two years. it's likely impossible to tell if the reviews are 'real' or not right?

VRBO is a listing services; they do not provide services if there is a problem. If you rent through them, be sure there is a local agent responsible for dealing with problems. e.g. We rented a place in Paris for a month through them and had no hot water for a week. The owners lived in San Diego. Luckily there was a local manager who worked tirelessly to get the problem fixed -- it was over a holiday weekend and complex -- but eventually she got it done. We have rented several times through them and that is the worst experience -- just bad luck. You need to realize that each listing is something you have to be responsible for vetting. VRBO has not seen or approved or prepared the apartment; your experience will depend on the owner or agency that lists it. Always have a phone conversation and never provide money via bank transfer. We have never had a serious problem and always gotten our deposit back.

Be also aware that almost all of these rentals are illegal and so the apartment can be removed from rental at any time including just before you arrive. This applies to most rentals at most agencies not just VRBO and AIRBNB.

I prefer to rent through an agency that does hands on management like Perfectly Paris or Paris Best Lodge. I have used AirBnB in the US several times and my impression is that you are more likely to get a place in poor repair or that is dirty than with agencies and even our experience of VRBO.

Here is a link to the page that describes the VRBO (Home-Away) insurance.

https://www.vrbo.com/info/ha-guarantee/travel-with-confidence?icid=IL_verifiedpayments_t_propertypage

VRBO was the worst experience I ever had renting in Paris and I've rented dozens of apartments over the years.

Try vacationinparis.com. It is run from a company in New Jersey. We have used them twice.

Sandy how does VIP handle problems if they arise in Paris? Everything is great if it goes well -- the important thing is what are the procedures for dealing with serious problems if they occur.

As to VIP: I have booked my apartment for April with them but I haven't stayed there yet. However, a problem did already arise in that, apparently, the unit I booked was removed from the rental pool by the Parisian owner due to apartment building noise complaints from her neighbors. So VIP contacted me, sent me a list of all other apartment available during my travel dates and offered me a 10% discount. They also offered me a complete refund if I decided I just wanted to book an apartment with someone else altogether. I felt that was a reasonable solution to the problem. I spoke with one of their employees numerous times during this process and she was helpful.

goodness - all of these bad experiences are making me quite nervous. I have looked for hotels but they are very expensive and very hard to find for 4 people (2 adults/2 kids) in June no less. we thought using an apartment service like (VRBO/Airbnb) would be a wonderful solution but now I'm second guessing. I have contacted Cobblestone (they 'might' have one rental but it is incredibly small and farther away from the attractions) and also ParisBestLodge (they only book by the week). I will have to look into some of your other suggestions.
thank you for the honest and helpful advice.

Tom-MN, I rented my apartment in Paris through VRBO in 2012 and the cost of the insurance was $69. That was for a month long rental that was $2000 so I considered that a small cost considering.

Rhonda, I'm not sure what you mean by "all these bad experiences". For the few bad experiences, there are thousands of good experiences. Remember you're asking advice from a very small selection of apartment renters and a smaller selection of those who have rented through VRBO. I know many people who have used VRBO and had wonderful experiences and no problems. You do have to be thorough in your research and read reviews carefully, talk to the owner/manager, etc. before selecting an apartment. And there are many many apts on VRBO that do NOT require full payment up front, many just require a deposit to hold the apartment and the full payment when you have arrived and occupied the apartment. And if you use the secure online payment option through Home-Away (if it's available for your apartment), the insurance coverage is free.

I travel solo and I still prefer apartments for stays of 4 nights or more. For less than that I usually use small hotels or B&Bs. I've rented apartments through different agencies and listing services and have not had a problem with any of them yet. Which service you use may depend on your budget. Some of the rental services that get rave reviews and mostly positive comments are quite a bit more expensive.