Of Sun & Sea

Expat Living in Belize - A Guide to Real Life in Belize

  • Home
  • HOTELS & RESORTS
  • About Me
You are here: Home / BELIZE / Red-Flag Words to Avoid When Booking Vacation Rentals

September 28, 2022

Red-Flag Words to Avoid When Booking Vacation Rentals

When it comes to your hard-earned vacation, a rental property can be the difference between a great holiday and a not-so-great one. For example, you might get lucky and end up booking a place that’s even nicer in real life than it is in the listing photos. On the other hand (and probably more likely to happen), upon arrival, you might discover that the host took quite a few liberties when describing the property in the listing.

beach-house

While reading the reviews can help, it’s important to keep in mind that one person’s rustic dream house is another person’s outdated vacation nightmare.

To help avoid situations like that, be on the lookout for certain words that could be red flags, or at least tell you more about whether a property is a good fit for you.

Like regular real estate listings, there are certain words used in Airbnb and VRBO descriptions that can say a lot about the property without actually spelling it out. These include words like “cozy,” which, in addition to its actual definition, also tends to be used to describe smaller-than-average spaces.

Here are a few other examples, and what they might really mean, courtesy of a report from Elliot Advocacy:

Table of Contents

  • Eclectic
  • Secluded
  • Secure
  • Rustic

Eclectic

eclectic

It might be referring to decor that mixes several different design styles, or maybe it means that you can only enter one bedroom by crawling through a window, or that the only sink is located over the toilet.

If you still have questions about the eclectic property after looking at the photos and reading the reviews, it’s probably best to get in touch with the host to ensure that it will meet your needs.

Secluded

secluded

Like the word “private,” this probably means that the property is far enough away from other people that you can turn the volume up on the stereo without disturbing anyone. But how far is that, exactly?

More importantly, it could be a clue that the home is pretty far from the nearest gas station, grocery store, or hospital. For this reason, always check the approximate distance from the house to civilization before booking. The listing may not provide the exact address prior to making a reservation, but it’ll at least give you an idea of where it is on a map.

Secure

ghetto

Of course you want your vacation rental to be secure, but what prompted the host to include it in the description? While it could mean that they recently installed a video doorbell, it could also be a clue that the home is not located in the safest area.

If everything else about the property is appealing, you may want to do a little research on the location, including looking at the home on Google Street View (which is a good idea prior to making any rental booking).

Rustic

thatched house

“Rustic” is in the eye of the beholder. For some people, anything other than luxury accommodations may seem rustic. In other situations, “rustic” can mean the rental doesn’t have air conditioning, or has a limited supply of hot water, or a composting toilet, or a weak wifi signal – all things that are perfectly acceptable to some people, but dealbreakers for others. So when you see the word in a property listing, it’s your clue to really go through the reviews and photos carefully to make sure that the rental at least meets your minimum standards.

For example, a 150-year-old house may be described as “rustic” because of the usual quirks that come with a property of that age, including the fact that no matter how much you clean, it’ll never be spotless as a newer home built in the 21st century. While people who love and appreciate historic homes probably know what to expect, those used to more modern properties may be disgusted.

The key is taking the time to find out what the word refers to at that particular property before booking it.

window

Of course, just because these words appear in a listing it does not mean that the owner is trying to hide something, or that there’s something wrong with the property. Instead, consider these another screening strategy to use before booking a vacation rental.

Click here for a list of vacation rentals in Placencia, Belize.

Posted In: BELIZE

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

search

CATEGORIES

  • BELIZE (43)
  • GRAN CANARIA (11)
  • PLACENCIA, MY LIFE (25)

Archives

  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
booking.com-belize

Instagram feed

janebethpovall

Expats living in Belize 🏝
Moved to Placencia with my hubby & 2 cats 🐈‍⬛
Follow our journey on REAL life in Belize👇

Jane Smith
Instagram post 18069354541390065 Instagram post 18069354541390065
Instagram post 18387859834012565 Instagram post 18387859834012565
Roxy used to be afraid of water - now we cannot ge Roxy used to be afraid of water - now we cannot get her out of it! 🩷🩷
.
.
#placencia #placenciabeach #placenciabelize #belizetravel #belize #swimmingdog #beachlife #caribbeandog #dogsofinstagram #caribbeanlifestylebelize #caribbeanlife #ofsunandsea
Beautiful sunset yesterday at Toucan Jack’s. 🌞 Good music and good friends. ❤️
It’s carnival time for Belize’s 42nd birthday It’s carnival time for Belize’s 42nd birthday yesterday! 🎉 What a great party it was! ❤️❤️
.
.
#carnivale #belizeindependenceday #belize #placenciacarnival #placenciavillage #placenciabeach #carnival #ofsunandsea
New Blog Post! 8 reasons that you should visit Bel New Blog Post! 8 reasons that you should visit Belize in October 2023. Link in bio.
.
.
#visitbelize #visitbelizenow #belizetravel #placenciabelize #visitplacencia #belizevacation #caribbeanholiday #caribbeanlife #ofsunandseas
Beautiful view from Yoli’s Bar in Placencia. Per Beautiful view from Yoli’s Bar in Placencia. Perfect spot to watch the sunset over the Caribbean
.
.
#yolis #caribbeansunset #placencia #placenciabeach #placenciabelize #belizetravel #margaritas #ofsunandsea #visitplacencia
The view from my window. After a couple of weeks o The view from my window. After a couple of weeks of hard rain, I woke up to bright sunshine! 🩷🩷
.
.
#placencia #placenciabelize #visitplacencia #belize #belizetravel #ofsunandsea #caribbeanlifestylebelize #caribbeanlife #caribbeansun #palmtrees
Load More Follow on Instagram

JOIN THE LIST

GET THE LATEST BLOG POSTS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Copyright © 2023 Of Sun & Sea · Theme by 17th Avenue