Until recently, the only places to stay on vacation were with family, at a campground, or in a hotel. Now, communities and individuals are renting out condominiums, town homes, apartments, and houses. These rentals allow the vacationers freedoms the other, more traditional choices don’t provide.

The main advantage of renting a property instead of staying in a hotel is the amount of space you have in the rental. Most rental properties have at least one bedroom, a living room and dining room usually together, a full and furnished kitchen, and a bathroom. Even if you rent a property with one bedroom, there will more than likely be a fold-out couch where another two people can sleep. This advantage alone makes renting a property the better choice.

Another advantage of renting a vacation property is the privacy you receive. A large number of rental communities have less than twenty or so units available. This alone give you more privacy. You aren’t contending with as many people for parking, for the pool, or for other amenities. Many times, each rental unit will have its own private balcony or even a private patio. A lot of times, rental communities will offer their renters access to a private section of the local beach as well. Somewhat larger rentals may have restaurants or bars for their guests.

One of the best advantages to renting a property instead of staying in a hotel is the personal attention the rental owners show their renters. Some places, for a small fee, will provide you with a “welcome basket.” They usually include staple food supplies, as well as information about local markets, attractions, and other businesses. There are also a number of rental owners who live on-site. This allows them the ability to provide their renters with the best possible service available.

A lot of rentals offer rates that hotels wouldn’t dream of giving people. Most rentals have a minimum amount of nights in which a renter is required to stay. During the low or off season, rentals usually ask a renter to commit to a three night minimum stay. When the high or busy season comes, most rentals increase the minimum required night stay to seven nights. This ensures the property owners aren’t spending more on cleaning and restocking the rental after just one or two days than what they’re making for renting it. Because they have these minimum stays, communities are able to offer lower rates to their renters. Some places start out as low as $110/night for a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment with amenities comparable to a hotel stay.

There are a number of advantages of renting a property instead of staying in a hotel. Many rentals offer security systems, such as gates, fences, and security systems. Some communities offer transportation to and from the airport, restaurants, and other attractions on the island. No matter what reason you find to rent a property, there are more reasons just waiting to be discovered.