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Save on Airbnb Bookings with Image Search!
Jamie here! If you're like me – vacations are few and far between. And when we take our whole family of 8, it can be super pricey. The biggest cost when we go to the beach is the rental house. Not only do those big homes by the ocean cost a lot – but those AirBnB & VRBO fees really rack up! I recently learned a cool hack to get around the AirBnB fees and book straight through the actual host for a SUBSTANTIAL savings. Here's the scoop – I'd love to hear from you if you try it too!
Here's how this works:
AirBnB promotes property listings for hosts but they take a cut and charge renters a lot in platform fees. If you can instead simply find the actual host/property management company and book directly through them – you can save BIG $$$. But they're hard to find sometimes! So if you Google image search the photo of the listing – or do a keyword search on the exact wording of the listing – you have a good shot of finding the host and booking right through them instead.
Step by Step:
1 . Do an internet search for a property where you want to go, input your dates and number of guests. I found one called Cabana Babe (See above)
2 . Note the final cost and all the fees – now it's time to go find it cheaper!
3 . Right click on the main property image and choose Search Image with Google.
4 . Google Lens should open up on the side of your screen. If Google Lens tries to narrow down on just a porch, or a couch – make sure you've expanded the lens to include the whole picture.
5 . Look through the results to see if any of them is NOT a site run by Airbnb, VRBO or another travel site.
6 . If you find one – click on it and enter the same dates & guests and see the total drop!
I tried this hack out on an imaginary vacation I would like to take with my hubby in Seaside Florida – right near the beach. I looked for a place for two adults and found a cute place called Cabana Babe that came out to $2249.68 for 4 nights. Next I searched the image with Google Lens and clicked on a site called “Homeowners Collection” that had the same place for rent. My total for the SAME STAY (after cleaning fees and taxes and everything) came to $1570.08 That's almost $700 in savings!
OR – Find the Property Manager or Host Name:
Another way to do this is anytime you can see the Property Manager or host name listed on the listing – you can open another tab and Google them. Then just scroll through their listings to find the property you'd like to rent.
Here's another way to look!
If the house you like has a cute name – search up the name of the listing. For instance I looked at one cute beach house called “Azalea Abbey” that was easy to find on another smaller booking site. The total came out to about $335 less for a 4-Day stay. Not as huge but I'll keep $335 any day!
If the owner didn't name the house something cute and easy to search – you can also try copying a big chunk of the description and plugging that into google – to try and find the same listing description somewhere else on the internet. I didn't have much luck this way but I've read that some folks do!
What If There Are No Google Lens Matches?
This isn't going to work on every place. I tried this tip with several (maybe 7) properties that didn't work. I'm not sure why, either the owners don't have their property listed somewhere that's easy to find or they chose different pictures for their other listings. But either way I tried about 6 other properties where this DIDN'T work.
Final Thoughts & Warning:
Owners LIKE IT when you can find them and rent directly through them – because it means Airbnb doesn't take their piece of the pie. many hosts encourage renters to book with them directly when they can for this very reason.
However – do keep in mind that Airbnb might offer some level of security via insurance etc… that the direct booking may not offer – so do your homework before circumnavigating that service!
Have you been able to save money on a vacation rental? Share your tips with us in the comments!
Are there any posts when staying at a rental house and saving money on food without having to cook all day for a big family??!
Hi Laana, here is a post we made last month for this! I hope that helps. https://passionatepennypincher.com/freezer-meals-for-vacation/
We own a beach house in North Carolina. The fees airbnb are substantially less that those of VRBO. You will ALMOST ALWAYS get a better rate on Airbnb. We used to rent our house on both sites, but it was hard to see how much more money the renters were paying when going through VRBO.
The other suggestion I would make is you can book and then cancel and then rebook directly. Once you book with Airbnb it will give you access to their direct contact information, but do check cancelation fees. This works better if you are booking far in advance.
When you contact the owner, give details about your situation. For example: we are excited to rent your house, it will be our first time in the area, we are vacationing with our 3 children, or it a get way for our girlfriends to celebrate a 40th birthday.
Most likely the owner with be willing to work with you, give your more information to help you have a wonderful vacation, or even leave a little gift for your party. I love to hear who is renting the house and help make it a great vacation for them.
Do note that if you book directly, sometimes owners will want a damage deposit. If so, make sure you know how to get this back.
Hey there – the Cabana Babe comparison has 5 nights on the first image, so that may be increasing the price savings due to the difference in night stay.
Great observation, thank you for letting us know!
Thank you so much for this for several reasons. My large family is currently considering a vacation and it looks very bleak after looking at prices. So I can’t wait to try this tip. I also appreciate this because I feel so inept when it comes to technology so this is andefinite help concerning that area!! Thanks again. This has to be one of the best posts I have read due to usefulness and money saving.
You are so welcome! SO glad that it was so helpful to you! Hope y’all have an amazing vacation!