BamaVol

I have used this company with mixed results over the last 4 years. They are a sort of hybrid. They are a property management company that will rent you a home/condo/townhouse through AirBnB but also compete directly with their own website. I just booked a beach condo for Thanksgiving week in Panama City Beach. I noticed that they were listed as the owners of a property that I was interested in. I went to their website and booked it, while saving about $80 in fees. It doesn’t always work that way, but it’s an option if you spot their name on theAirBnB listing.

pseudoswede

Used them once in 2020 for a rental in the Colorado mountains. I also first found them on Airbnb, then rebooked directly on their website (Vacasa did not own the condo). We had some issues with the rental: lack of towels to support a family of four, lack of basic cookware, and some other annoyances. Messages through their app fell on deaf ears with no after-hours phone number. Fortunately, the condo building had their own towels for the pool/hot tub, so we simply borrowed a few for our stay.

Obviously, the onus is on the property owner; however, the lack of support from Vacasa also left a bad taste.

BamaVol

Weve used them several times. Once we showed up at 3:30 for a 4:00 check-in and the condo hadn’t been cleaned yet. Because we used to live in the area, we knew where the office was. Phone calls and texts do fall on deaf ears. But there’s nothing like a little face to face conversation to set things straight. They sent the cleaner to our property next, refunded the cleaning fee and handed me a set of complimentary beach towels to keep.

The issue was understandable. This was at the height of the pandemic. It paid more to stay home and collect unemployment and the cleaning contractors crew refused to work. She was handling it all on her own. She was apologetic and I tipped her the refunded cleaning fee.

So, yeah, you lose some of the AirBnB or VRBO support by going direct to Vacasa. My next Vacasa rental is in Panama City Beach, an area I know well. And the Vacasa operation hasn’t moved, if I need a problem fixed.