Villa / Airbnb Beginner Advice Please

[Rickycpk89]

Hi, I am hoping to go to Disney next August as a treat for the little ones who have been so good this year with every going on. We went on Honeymoon for 6 days last year and stayed onsite with free dining but looking to book either a villa / airbnb next year. I had a few questions about this as never booked a villa before.
1) How far in advance would you normally book a villa?
2) Is it normal for Villas to offer free cancellation as I really dont want to go if the world isn't back to normal by then?
3) I have used Airbnb extensively through the US but never Florida, what are peoples thoughts / concerns on using Airbnb in Florida?

Thanks in Advance

[Pussycat Doll]

We are taking villa bookings up till the end of 2022 now. It’s not ‘normal’ for villa owners to offer free cancellation but lots have moved peoples holidays if they have been able. This isn’t a ‘normal’ time sadly

[Paradise Palms]

Hi

We are taking booking now for 2022 and as pussycat doll says owners don't normally offer free cancellation but most have moved dates over. I have never used Airbnb so I can't comment on that.

[claireyfairy8]

Airbnb doesn't actually verify ownership of the property (anywhere), please be aware of this and be prepared to do your homework to check that it is legit. All Airbnb do is check that the bank account matches the person that is listing the property.

You want to check their DWE license, this is a legal requirement for owners in FL to rent.
There is a thread at the top of this forum that explains what to check/look for from the mods, that will explain everything in detail.

There are verified villas on the Dibb - https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/villa-search.php just post your requirements and owners will respond or do a search and message owners directly.

I agree with both above, free cancellation is quite uncommon, especially for 2022.

Booking for 2022, I would say the majority of owners have their calendars open, some even taking bookings for 2023/24.

[2point]

Originally Posted by Rickycpk89

1) How far in advance would you normally book a villa?
2) Is it normal for Villas to offer free cancellation as I really dont want to go if the world isn't back to normal by then?
3) I have used Airbnb extensively through the US but never Florida, what are peoples thoughts / concerns on using Airbnb in Florida?

Thanks in Advance

See more...

1) We usually book after we have bought flights, so usually 11 months out. You are planning August which is not a super busy time, there will be plenty of availability if you want to leave it to much later - say 3 months out. Around specific holidays places will be booked out but August is not one of them.
2) No usually for personal bookings. Each has their own set of cancellation/deposit rules, you'd need to check with each of them what their policy is.
3) We've booked via AirBnB and Homeaway in the US. No problems so far, had a few stays that completed, had one stay in Washington where we had to move the dates around due to Hurricane Dorian. Had to cancel this Sept on Anna Maria Island - 50% deposit but they had a 100% refund cancellation policy up to 7 days before arrival.
In this climate I'd be looking at a very flexible booking policy and paying only by credit card.

[Bradz]

I’ve used AirBnB & HomeAway for trips to Florida. All good experiences but I did do my homework as well.

Worthy of note was the excellent customer service from AirBnB due to COVID-19. Received a full refund back within a week! Make sure that you choose one that is fully refundable! It will tell you under the ‘Cancellation Policy’ for each individual villa.

[barry206]

Book a DIBB villa.