Vacation rentals have always been a popular option of travel accommodation in Europe especially in the United Kindom. They are becoming an increasingly fashionable type of holiday accommodation across the world and are often referred to as holiday rentals, serviced apartments self-catering accommodation holiday lettings or villa rentals.
In some Eurooean cities, the local authorities decided that vacation rentals were becoming a "threat" to the hotel industry and passed legislation placing regulations and limits on the vacation rental industry, while in the cities of England, Ireland, France and Spain, the government actually promotes and certifies vacation rentals, even offering their own directories of vacation rentals.
A vacation rental is a fully equipped and furnished property, they can be located in a condominium or apartment block, townhouse or single-family-style home, they are often referred to as "villa rentals" in Europe. The traveler arranges to rent the vacation rental property for a designated period of time, many property owners will rent out on nightly basis similar to hotel rooms, although the more commonly the vacation rental industry practice is a weekly rental. A vacation rental is not for sale to a guest; rather, the owner of the vacation rental merely allows the guest to rent the property for a predetermined length of time.
Vacation rentals is a term the travel industry uses meaning the renting out a furnished apartment or house on a temporary basis to tourists as an alternative to a hotel.