Air bnb

Absolutely. Sign on to AirBnB.com and see how many listing they have. Many!!!!! They're coming on as the big budget website all over the world. Only thing is that they charge your credit card when the reservation is placed.
I prefer to pay as I stay somewhere.

I stayed in an airbnb apartment in Honolulu last year. This is an American company and funds are held by the airbnb company until residency at the apartment is satisfactory. It pays to read the company's small-print info to understand how it works. Each housing unit is unique and the info is shown on the website. It is important to study the details of a place you are considering. Location, pets on the premises, owner on premises, availability of cooking facilities may be important to you. It can be tricky getting into the apartment since the owners are not always on-site when you arrive. Have a printout of your reservation and specific instructions so you can avoid problems gaining entry.

I have airbnb'd in...Boston, London, Paris, Florence, Villefranche sur Mer, Bath...and plan on using it for most of my upcoming Cali trip. My rules...read carefully the feedback left; look at amenities (do you want laundry, free wifi, parking?); use the street view option if it is included on the listing to get a look at the neighbourhood...is it fancy? sketchy looking?; use the maps tab to get an idea of location in the grand scheme of things (you know - to find out if that nice cheap apt is miles away from public transport...or anything.) I also have something about staying with people who have a security deposit included...I understand why they do it, but I don't want there to be any issues with not have deposit refunded. And we have had hosts who are like "here's the key, do your thing, you're on your own" to "can I cook you supper? would you like me to take you to a little village and park to show you around" and "I can pick you up at the train stn". But the most impt is too read the feedback - if you get a few people complaining, move on to the next.

My daughter just used it for an apartment near us in Istanbul. The apartment was full of black mold. They moved in with us and found a new, nice place with airbnb the next day. Airbnb has refunded the cost in full, immediately, and added a $75 voucher as well. Their customer service is top notch and quickly responds. Do ask questions. From experience:the only entrance is through a bar.The room mate is a jerk. Make sure there are a lot of reviews!