Airbrb

Just did a rental through Airbnb in Rome and it was terrific! I like the fact that the funds aren't released until 24 hours after you've arrived - that way if there are any problems you have some leverage. Like all things, I am sure it's not perfect, but if you do your research, it should work out fine.

i have used airbnb for rentals in both rome and venice, and was quite pleased with both.
be sure to read ALL the comments on each property from previous visitors.
if you look hard enough, you'll find something.
good luck & happy planning,
Jim

Thank you so much for your responses!

Let's see, since 2011...Boston, London, Florence, Villefranche, Paris, Bath, San Fran, Yosemite, Santa Barbara, LA, San Diego...yup - lots of great deals, met some cool people.

My first thing - always always read the reviews.

Check out the maps tab to see where it is in relation to everything.

Check out the street view tab if avail to get a feel for the neighbourhood.

Make sure if has the amenities you want...laundry? parking? use of kitchen? wifi?

If someone is in the habit of ripping people off, or having unclean conditions or unsafe/loud neighbourhood, you will most likely read about it in the reviews. It is pretty much my go-to now when vacationing.

I went AirBnB.com in Halifax last Summer. We had a magnificent house in a great location.

Upon my return home, they were asking my recommendations on the place we stayed.
At the same time, our hosts were rating us as guests--saying we left the place like no one had even been there.

AirBnB is already a great place to look for accommodations. But they're going to be a giant in world travel in the future. The price of hotels world wide is up dramatically, and people are simply looking for affordable alternatives.

Yes! Totally legit. It's basically a listing service for people who have various spaces to rent. Read the reviews first, email them, and judge your level of comfort. We have used them a number of times in states and had wonderful experiences. My neice and her boyfriend travel ALL over the world and use airbnb exclusively. They adore it and have never once had a bad experience...and I mean ALL over the world. Third world, Mexico, France, Chile, Asia, you name it.
I would trust anything partially owned by Ashton Kutcher. Ha ha!

We used Airbnb on Venice, Florence, and Rome and had a great experience. The nice thing is that it charges your card right away, so we we were able to spread out the costs for the trip and about half already paid for before leaving.