Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a fee to list properites on VacationRentalCentral.com?

A: Many websites publish listings from the Vacation Rental Multiple. There are fees to be listed on some of those websites but VacationRentalCentral.com - as the official guest website for VRIA - is free and always will be.

Q: How much does it cost for suppliers to join VRIA?

A: Suppliers can join VRIA for a cost of $499 per year. We do ask that vendors act as partners by listing VRIA on their websites and in their sales materials. We offer a money back guarantee within the first 30 days of membership. Visit VRIA.org to read more...

Q: How much does Owner membership in VRIA cost?

A: Owners have two options for membership. The Limited non-voting membership is just $49 per year and includes all access but the listing of one property on www.VRMLS.org. Full voting membership dues are $99 per year. Both have a guarantee within the first 30 days of membership. That is - let's see - about about $8 per month or 28 cents a day.

Q: I see suppilers can join VRIA as affiliates. How come?

A: One of the important benefits is to help members find suppliers who can help them succeed. Suppliers are invited to join as Affiliates and urged to display their wares and even give Managers and Owner members special discounts and services. Supporters are asked to post a link to the VRIA Owner Logos.

Q: Who are you guys??

A: Just some vacation rental managers and owners like yourself. (And some gals too!) Yes we do have experience in vacation rental ownership, management and the hotel industry too. Plus we're trained in journalism and strive to publish factual, corroborated information.

Q: Why does your organization offer Property Inspections?

A: Not all Vacation Rentals are created equal. You can ask the owner or manager or get references but how can get the real skinny? ASK an unbiased trade association like ours.. We send in an Ace inspector with a long checklist and a camera. They check the property, the resort and neighborhood. Some homes pass. Some don't. Look for the Blue Ribbon Award.

Q: So why don't you put ratings on Inspected properties?

A: Ratings are too subjective. Cozy log cabins in the mountains might be clean, well furnished and a great buy. giant villas on the shore might be well serviced and in great demand. But both are highly desirable. So we rate furnishings, cleanliness and honesty in advertising. Guests can then choose a cottage or a village or anything in between with confidence - if it has passed the Blue Ribbon Inspection.

Q: Do properties have to be enrolled in the association to be inspected?

A: Yes, we require Owner's to subscribe to a reasonable code of ethics. Guests deserve that. And for properties to qualify for the Blue Ribbon we want to make sure Owners also agree to treat guests well.

Q: How will Guests know about a property is inspected?

A: As membership and the number of inspected properties grows we continue to promote the Blue Ribbon inspection as a sign of quality and to set an industry standard. Plus owners are encouraged to promote the concept with Owner Logos, Icons and Inspection Links.

Q: My city is going to regulate or eliminate rentals. What can I do?

A: We've been there before. Visit the website for information and "Warnings" in other jurisdictions. Contact the owners involved. VRIA staff may have other resrouces and, if you like, are available for strategic consulting by phone or on site for a nominal hourly rate.

Q: Supplier membership fees seem to be higher. Why is that?

A: The thinking is that membership is even more valuable to suppliers. Owners can earn good rental income but suppliers can gain many times that amount in revenue from owners they meet through VRIA. Suppliers are bigger businesses. So we ask them to support the work of VRIA.

Q: What is a Multiple Listing System (MLS)?

A: They have been around for decades in real estate sales. Agents shared listings to give them more exposure. The Internet allowed agents and publishers to gain even greater awareness. Cooperation helps real estate agents, buyers and sellers.

Q: Who do I call about questions?

A: Well we hope you can get pretty much everything you need on the website. And we are open Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm Pacific Standard Time. If you can't find it on the web you are welcome to call. If you have significant issues or questions our staff are available as consultants for a nominal hourly rate.

Q: Can Owners use the MLS just as property managers do?

A: Yes. That is very important. A MLS can not purport to be a comprehensive database unless it makes it possible for all advertisers to participate. The goal is to help guests search through all rentals to find the one right for them. Exclusion of rental based on who manages the property would decrease the value of the

Q: But real estate MLS’s almost never allow owners to participate?

A: That is not as true today. Owners can pay fees to be included in many real estate for sale MLS services. In real estate sales the majority of transactions are still handled by professional agents. And the power of decade old MLS’s is one reason why. That is why we believe a Vacation Rental MLS will become a powerful tool in promoting the industry.

Q: How is the traveling public helped?

A: Can you imagine trying to buy real estate by going from broker to broker or website to website over and over again to find everything for sale? As inefficient as that would be, that is exactly how the vacation rental industry is currently operating. Some guests actually do like to ferret out the perfect vacation spot. But a bigger slice of consumers stay away because buying takes too much time. It is time to make finding, comparing, evaluating and booking a private home as easy as booking a hotel room.

Q: Why is a Vacation Rentals MLS needed?

A: Vacation Rentals still represent just a small fraction of the recreational travel industry. Most consumers do not know what a vacation rental is, what the benefits are, how to find and evaluate them, or how to book one. The industry needs to find an easier, less expensive method to best way to increase consumer awareness. An MLS is it.

Q: Does VRMLS and VRIA offer Consumer Websites?

A: In general, No. Our purpose is to setup and manage the database. We do operate VacationRentalCentral.com as a free service to all members. In addition, Plumbob Publishing which developed and operates VRMLS for VRIA publishes specialty vacation rental directories, and is allowed to offer them for subscription just any third party publisher can do. But there is no obligation to use Plumbob sites.

Q: So who are the other Publishers?

A: Pretty much everyone with a website who subscribes to VRIA.org and VRMLS.org can be a publisher. (Some will and some will not). And new companies can enter the market by using data from VRMLS. Most will be dedicated to the purpose of advertising vacation rental homes. But we expect general lodging and travel sites to also use the service.

Q: How do non-vacation rental websites participate?

A: Travel and lodging companies are welcome to build a complete property listing directory service of course. But we are also offering an Associate arrangement which allows them to imbed a box, banner or tower of listings as part of a page on their sites. We call them "Inserts" and they look a bit like Google Adword ads.

Q: How would an Associate benefit?

A: Initially the Associate Inserts will be a traffic building for other websites. In time we hope to have a system to distribute commissions to Associates for every paid reservation procured by their website.

Q: Technically, how are VRMLS listings distributed?

A: We offer a number of ways in which data from the VRMLS database can be distributed out to Publisher websites. These include direct connection, XML and feeds such as RSS. Interfacing does require some programming knowledge and the security of the connections are essential.

Q: For Owners and Managers how complicated is adding listings to VRMLS?

A: Not very hard. Most owners and landlord with medium or higher computer skills should have no problem. The process is similar to what most advertisers experience in loading listings to commercial vacation rental directory websites. But remember – the good news is – you only have to do it once per property.

Q: Are there instructions for Publishers on how to interface?

A: Yes we will write publisher instructions available on line under the Documents Page. You will be able to view these documents once you are a member of the MLS.

Q: Do you provide technical support?

A: As part of your Publisher membership dues, up to an hour of support time is included. Should more extensive support be needed it is available on a per hour basis.