The Definitive Guide to Vacasa for Travelers and Homeowners

When it comes to finding a vacation rental home, there are several options that come to mind. You have the industry leaders of Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO that many travelers and homeowners use. But have you ever heard of Vacasa?

Vacasa is a vacation rental platform that gives travelers a reliable way to find clean and high-quality accommodation. It’s also a management service that will take care of all the headaches that home rental brings along.

In this guide, we’re going to tell you all about how you can use Vacasa. For travelers, we’ll go over how you can use the platform to find your dream vacation home. For homeowners, we’ll discuss the benefits Vacasa property management brings you and why it will make your life so much easier. And for those in the real estate market, we’ll show you how you can buy or sell vacation rental homes.

What Is Vacasa?

Vacasa is a full-service vacation rental company that has a range of services for travelers, homeowners, and real estate companies. Homeowners can guarantee their properties receive careful management and high-quality care, giving travelers a top-notch option for finding a vacation rental home.

The company was launched in Portland, Oregon, in 2009 by CEO Eric Breon as a way to make property management easier for homeowners who want to rent out their vacation homes. The company started providing property management services to people who didn’t have time to manage their own rental properties.

The company has grown its vacation rental inventory to over 23,000 homes in 17 countries and now has more than 5,000 employees on the ground making sure every vacation home is up to par. Most recently the company purchased Wyndham Vacation Rentals for $162 million, which expanded its property footprint by 9,000 additional homes.

Vacasa offers three different sets of services — vacation rentals for travelers, property management for homeowners, and real estate services for those looking to buy or sell a home. Let’s look at renting a vacation home first.

Vacation Home Rental

Vacasa offers travelers a way to book vacation homes in destinations all around the world. With this service, travelers can guarantee they’re renting properties that have been carefully cleaned and prepared by professional property managers and housekeepers.

The vacation rental aspect of Vacasa is similar to its competitors like Airbnb and VRBO. You create an account, search for available rental homes using a range of filters, and then reserve the property of your choice. The site has an easy-to-use search engine that lets you search for vacation rental properties for you and your family to choose from.

The difference with Vacasa is that you’re given a virtual tour of every property you come across. Plus you have professional photos that give you an excellent view of properties you’re interested in.

You’ll also be given access to properties that are carefully vetted and managed. Every listing is maintained by a team of property managers and housekeepers that ensure you have a safe, clean, and comfortable stay.

This makes it not only a great option for travelers but also a convenient choice for homeowners looking to rent their properties.

Property Management

Vacasa is a full-service property management company that makes it incredibly easy to make money off your rental property with little effort on your part. They have a team of property managers and housekeepers that handle everything, including creating your listing, cleaning your home, and managing all guest interactions.

From the start, Vacasa will build your entire listing from the ground up. This includes writing your property description, taking professional high-definition pictures, and creating a virtual tour of your home.

Once your listing is up and running, they’ll manage the entire booking process. Your property will be listed on www.vacasa.com as well as all the other popular rental services like Airbnb, HomeAway, and Booking.com. You can log in to your account and manually block off days when you don’t want to take any guests.

The pricing of your listing is dynamically adjusted so you can maximize profits which the company says can be up to 30% more after switching to its service. The dynamic pricing will adjust automatically depending on variables like the weather, current trends, events, and how busy the particular season is.

When you have someone book your home, Vacasa will handle all of the guest interactions. This includes managing booking details, answering questions the guest may have, and showing up on-site if anything is ever needed during their stay.

This service lets the property owner be fairly hands-off. They’ll do nearly everything for you in exchange for a service and maintenance fee that’s unique to each home.

Vacasa also provides several other services to help you maximize your earnings.

Interior Design Program

If you think your home needs a design facelift, you can take advantage of Vacasa’s interior design program. The company has a team of professional interior designers that will give you recommendations on how to make your home perfect for guests.

There are three different tiers of the interior design service — priced from $199 to around $1,200. The most basic interior design consultation will give design boards, two weeks of consultation, and additional tips and tricks to set up your home. The premium design service goes as far as to order new furniture and other items and install them in your home.

Linen Program

The Vacasa linen program stocks your home with hotel-quality bed sheets and towels. You pay a yearly fee and receive brand new linens for your rental home.

Every year, you can replace your linens to keep your guests happy and make them more likely to leave positive reviews. If a sheet or towel gets too worn before your next yearly payment, Vacasa will replace it for you at no charge.

Hot Tub Installation

Vacasa figured out that hot tubs are a huge selling point for guests. In fact, they’ll increase your yearly earnings by 15% to 25%. That’s why they’ll help you install and maintain a hot tub at your rental home.

They’ll figure out which hot tub is the best option for your property, purchase it, have it installed, and then provide ongoing maintenance to keep it in tip-top condition. They will then let you pay them back over the course of a year without paying any interest whatsoever.

Smart Locks

Smart locks get rid of all of the headaches physical keys and the check-in process can bring along. They enable guests, property managers, and housekeepers to enter your home with custom pins that can change whenever you’d like.

Vacasa will pick out a smart lock for you and have it installed. You just need to purchase the lock itself which costs between $300 to $500.

Vacasa Guarantee

The platform believes so strongly in its service that they give their property owners the Vacasa Guarantee.

The company promises that new members will make over $5,000 more than they did with their previous property management solution. If you don’t make $5,000 more than the previous year on your old platform, they’ll pay you the difference at the end of the year.

They also say that if you’re currently managing your property, you’ll work much less and still make the same amount of money. If not, they’ll pay you up to the full amount of the management fee to make up for it.

Vacation Rental Insurance

You can also be paired up with property rental insurance through Assurant. This covers additional cases that aren’t covered by your regular homeowner’s insurance.

It includes accidental damages to your home, your personal property, and your guest’s property if you’re at fault. Insurance coverage costs around $9 per night that your property is booked.

Vacasa Real Estate Services

The third aspect of Vacasa is a real estate service for those who want to buy or sell a vacation home. Their real estate services give people helpful tools to navigate purchasing and selling vacation rental homes.

Buy a Vacation Home

Buying a second home to use for vacationing as well as a dual income generator can be a great idea. If you want to buy a vacation home, you can get income projections that will help you decide if you’re making a good purchase.

Vacasa will assist you in your search for the perfect vacation rental property. They’ll help you find the right home in the right location and ensure that your purchase will end up paying for itself through rental income.

Sell a Vacation Home

When the time comes, Vacasa will help you sell your vacation rental home. This company provides specific services to those trying to sell a vacation rental property.

This includes preparing your home, marketing it to potential buyers, and coordinating showings. You’ll also receive high-definition photographs and a virtual tour of your property to give potential buyers a look into your home.

Plus, you’ll have access to a selling platform that has a built-in customer-base that’s specifically looking for rental properties. You’re sure to sell your rental property in no time.

Sign Up for Vacasa Now

Whether you’re looking for a home to rent for your next trip or a vacation rental management company to take care of your property, you’ll want to consider Vacasa. They provide a range of services to travelers and homeowners that rival any alternatives out there.

Head to Vacasa.com to sign up and start browsing for your next vacation home or enlist their premium property management services.\