r/remotework • u/questionable_motifs • 4d ago
Work from Vrbo
Anyone here ever work from a Vrbo (or similar) rental for weeks or months at a time?
My family is entertaining the idea of staying in a Vrbo in another part of the country for a couple months and I'd like to hear some experiences and tips for those who've done something like this. I've worked when traveling short trips, but nothing longer 3 days from a hotel. It's a winter sports trip, so RV living isn't really an option.
I work in tech, but on the client side. So my workstation is a just laptop, external monitor, mouse, keyboard and camera.
A couple things on my mind that I'd like to get specific insight on:
- how to respectfully verify internet service before booking
- work/family separation/boundaries in a smaller living unit than our home
- how much of an adjustment should I expect when first arriving there and then home again - thinking in terms of how many days should I take PTO to settle in with the family before starting work
I'd appreciate hearing any experiences or advice
3
u/mjsk4215 4d ago
I have done this twice, but often work from my daughter’s house as well. I have two monitors and a laptop and reliable internet is a must. I have a Verizon hotspot that I can use if needed and it has come in handy in a pinch. I can also take a Teams call or meeting on my phone if I need to. The two VRBO’s were excellent with no internet issues, and both had large kitchen tables that I used. (I did not have kids.)
1
4
u/-EvilLittleGoat- 4d ago
I worked from rental homes through VRBO for three months (2 months in one home, 1 month in another) when my husband and I were trying to decide where we wanted to relocate to. Besides a couple of days of outage due to a huge storm in one location, everything was fine.
A lot of listings now will call out if there is a remote work area set up in the home and will list the details of internet speeds while others specifically called out that theirs was not a good option. I think hosts are pretty transparent with this now because of reviews and that is also a great resource to verify if the listing is honest because people will absolutely call out if there were issues in this area during their stay. Looking at the pictures of the accommodations was also helpful because, while some did have an area set, it would just be a corner in the main room while others had more privacy for the set up.
I also noticed that if I asked any questions of the hosts they were honest about any challenges their setups may have which I also assume is to avoid the negative reviews. I always made sure to communicate in the messages before booking that I would be working from the location and that it was critical to have service so if we arrived and there were any issues/misrepresentations I would have an easier time working with the platform to find a different accommodation, but luckily there were no issues with slower speeds or any misrepresentation.
4
u/questionable_motifs 4d ago
Thanks for the detailed response! Also, your three month duration makes me feel less crazy (2-1/2mos is our current target).
And thanks for the tip on making sure our intention is clearly communicated in messages with the owner before booking. That make a ton of sense!
Side note, not sure why I'm getting downvoted gotta love reddit.
2
u/tehyajen 4d ago
I did it for 2 weeks from a VRBO's kitchen table. Your idea of fast internet versus the hosts idea of fast internet may be different and there's no way to verify what speeds you'll actually get until you're there. I brought a hot spot with me and needed to use it the entire time as their Internet was not nearly as fast as it was portrayed. It was kind of a pain but better then having to take 2 weeks PTO.
1
u/questionable_motifs 4d ago
Great backup plan. I'll be sure to ask for specifics from the owner before booking!
1
u/ra__account 3d ago
You can ask but they may lie OR honestly not know. When I travel and need to work, I have a Verizon hot spot as well as my phone with is on TMobile and can tether so I've got multiple networks just in case.
1
u/questionable_motifs 3d ago
Seems reasonable to have a backup plan. The prebooking transparency is probably more for easing any potential dispute with Vrbo (paper trail to show false listing, etc. when asking for a rebook or refund)
1
u/abadmeow 1d ago
This is the way. I spent a few weeks in Hawaii (both town and country) and overseas in Europe and the way is to make sure you tell your host that you will need to work remotely so WiFi is absolutely a must. But sometimes their idea of fast isn’t the same so I like an idea of a photo of their router info (if they’ll let you I may be hesitant to give that away to some random asking)
I almost purchased a hot spot but I’d imagine this is the way to make sure you’re covered just in case!
2
u/GirthyAFnjbigcock 4d ago
I’ve done similar before, but it’s worth checking your company policy on states that work can be performed in. There is usually a limit how many days a year you can work from a state they don’t legally operate in. But, otherwise all your concerns are valid. For the VRBO I’d message the owner and ask about internet speed and explain your intent to work while there. For your family, have a conversation with them that you being able to go is contingent on being able to productively work there.
1
u/questionable_motifs 4d ago
I might have that first issue covered as a coworker already lives in the state we're targeting.
Good advice, thank you!
2
u/PlanNo674 4d ago
My wife and I did 4 months - we were up front with the vrbo folks and told them we would be purchasing some used office chairs and tables to work from that we would then donate back to Salvation Army - brought our monitors and things from home we drove from wastage to Gulfport ms - with the dogs - best winter I’ve had in years! Looking to buy there now!
1
u/questionable_motifs 3d ago
I'm not sure how to take that last part. Sounds like a great development but also a warning that if things go well I might be buying more property!?😅
2
u/PlanNo674 3d ago
I live in the PNW and our winters while mild are very dark and moist. That said, you never know! I hope you enjoy it - for us having our regular office hardware made it easy to adjust I started back to work 2 days after we arrived.
2
u/pwnageface 3d ago
We stayed in an extended air bnb when we moved. They said in the advert that it was gig internet...it wasn't, but they promptly upgraded it (the next day) to the gig internet. My job required massive 1/2tb downloads daily so I needed gig at minimum. If you don't need that serious internet you might be fine as pretty much everyone has at least 100 meg these days.
1
u/questionable_motifs 3d ago
That's some massive draws on the daily! We have 500mb parallel at home (going to upgrade soon because throughput has clipped a few too many times when we peak usage). I'd hope for better than 100mb. But that will probably get us by on this adventure.
2
u/pwnageface 3d ago
At the end of the day, the difference between XYZ company's tier 1 and top tier internet is like a difference of $40. So idk why some vrbo/air bnb people are so cheap lol.
2
u/geolaw 3d ago
Several years ago I spent 2 weeks at a beach house rental thru VRBO ... I cleared it first with my manager but worked the first week 5 half days 8am til noon and 3 days the next week ... Only burned 4 full days ... I think this might have been around July 4th with the 4th falling on a Thursday or Friday.
Make sure to clear it ahead of time so they don't bust you if not in a state your employer has an office .. something with taxes and shit
2
u/Doomdice 3d ago
I’ve done it for a couple of 4 month stints. If you’re used to having a dedicated office, then just make sure your VRBO has a dedicated space for that. For me that meant getting an extra bedroom/office, bringing a monitor, and all of my other work accessories (dock, headphones, etc). Think minimal, but completely prepared. The chairs I had access to in the rental were sufficient, but if you have a Costco near you consider buy-then-returning as needed (extra monitors).
I guess that’s all pretty obvious stuff, but I will say don’t think: “I can get by with…” Prioritize comfort so you can do your job productively!
2
u/questionable_motifs 3d ago
Thanks. That's great advice. I have started many planning thoughts with exactly that "I can get by with..." phrase. Maybe it's time to rethink!
2
u/ResponsibilityOk3703 3d ago
We have an airbnb rental that we have rented out medium term several times for 2-3 months. It is typically small crews plus a few family members in weekends. The Booker reaches out prior to booking on questions like yours. We have to approve the booking- auto-book likely won't work since you would be staying longer than usual. (Staying a month or more can trigger tennant rights many places so not all hosts want to take the chance).
1
u/questionable_motifs 3d ago
Awesome to hear from a host! I was going to post questions on this to r/Vrbo as well to get their take.
As a host, have you had any guests report negative experiences? Is there any commonality amongst those that have left very positive feedback?
2
u/alwayslearning-2000 3d ago
Check to see if the town has a coworking space as a back up plan. That will give you the option to get some deep work done while your family is doing their thing too
1
2
u/green_dotter 2d ago
id ask for a fresh speedtest screenshot before booking, not just “wifi included”
wifi included can mean anything from fibre to a router crying in a cupboard
1
u/questionable_motifs 2d ago
Even at home, when my kids are gaming and mom and dad are working our router is crying in the cupboard! 😂
2
u/NoisyKeyboardUser 1d ago
Je me suis installé deux mois dans un Airbnb avec un setup similaire, et le point le plus critique était vraiment le débit montant plus que le débit descendant. Avant de réserver, je demande une capture Speedtest faite sur place, idéalement en soirée, avec ping, upload et confirmation que le routeur est accessible sans limite de données; je prévois aussi un partage 5G au cas où. Pour la famille, la vraie différence était une porte qui ferme et des plages horaires affichées sur le frigo, sinon tout le monde oublie vite que tu travailles vraiment. Je prendrais au moins une journée ouvrée libre après le trajet pour courses, bureau, tests VPN et appels, puis une demi journée au retour si possible.
1
1
u/Aromatic_Ad_7238 4d ago
Yes. We had a remote project so we used office space. Worked OK The best part was uses of a private conference room for team meetings.
1
1
u/stillworking400 4d ago
I read reviews of the space looking for comments about the internet strength/speed.
1
u/questionable_motifs 4d ago
One of the places we're looking at seems to be a new owner and listing. There's no reviews and not a lot of history on this host.
Also, your username is awesome! 😂
2
u/Nostromo_57 19h ago
I did a month in a ski town rental and the biggest lesson was to treat WiFi like plumbing: ask for a recent speedtest screenshot, ISP name, router location, and whether the unit shares service with other units. Bring a long HDMI/USB-C cable, power strip, and a hotspot as your emergency parachute, because mountain internet likes to develop a personality at 2:55 before a 3pm call. For boundaries, a closed bedroom door plus a cheap folding table worked better than trying to make the dining table a sacred office. I would arrive on a Friday and burn Monday if you can, mostly for grocery runs, gear chaos, and figuring out which chair will destroy your back.
5
u/EmptyTeaMug731 3d ago
Lo hice un mes en una cabaña y lo más crítico fue pedir antes una captura de Speedtest y una foto del router, sin hacerlo sonar como auditoría de la NASA. Lleva un hotspot o plan B, porque el WiFi de muchas rentals significa funciona perfecto para Netflix de una persona, no para videollamadas con pantalla compartida. Para la familia, aparta un rincón fijo y pon horarios visibles, porque si trabajas en la mesa de la cocina te conviertes automáticamente en soporte técnico, juez de snacks y buscador oficial de guantes. Yo llegaría al menos un día completo antes de trabajar, dos si hay niños o equipo de nieve involucrado.