Air BnB in Fort Lauderdale?

[PG_traveller]

Prices in Fort Lauderdale are outrageous in March! I just can't wrap my head around paying more for one night in a hotel than I did for my four night cruise.  I now know about Spring Break, but at the time I booked my cruise it didn't dawn on me. Anyway, I booked a Best Western with points for two nights before my cruise, but I still need accommodations for one night post-cruise (March 10). I started looking into Air BnB, and the prices are way better. I have a lot of experience with Air BnB, but I was wondering if anyone has used it in the FLL area? Are there any sketchy areas to avoid?

 

I am still open to a hotel if anyone knows of a decent one for under $300 (all in) for that night. I am from Canada and our dollar is worth about 30% less than the US dollar, which makes it even more expensive for us.

[capriccio]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

While we have used AirBnB and VRBO in other locations, we would never use them in South Florida especially in an apartment or condo building. Apartment management in general frowns on tenants sub-leasing their apartments for any length of time without permission.  Most condos have strict rental regulations that owners agree to before settlement.  For example, in our building just north of Fort Lauderdale, the owner is allowed to rent once a year for a minimum of 3 months.  That is a very common regulation. That means only 1 tenant in a calendar year whether they rent for 3 months or longer.  Owners are fined if they disobey the regulations; renters can be denied access upon arrival or thrown out after unpacking.

 

To minimize your risk at least somewhat, look for units that have lots of excellent detailed reviews and are offered by an experienced host (IIRC titled premier or super hosts).  Narrow down your choices and then correspond with them.  I would ask point blank about the building's rental policy.  Also, get as much information as you can about the neighborhood (come back here and ask the locals's opinions) and the building's rental policies.

 

Regarding hotels which, as you note, will be asking (and getting) top dollar for their rooms in March...

have you tried looking in the western suburb of Plantation (a very nice area)?  All the major chains have hotels there and sometimes their rates are considerably less than in Fort Lauderdale.

[PG_traveller]

13 hours ago, capriccio said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

While we have used AirBnB and VRBO in other locations, we would never use them in South Florida especially in an apartment or condo building. Apartment management in general frowns on tenants sub-leasing their apartments for any length of time without permission.  Most condos have strict rental regulations that owners agree to before settlement.  For example, in our building just north of Fort Lauderdale, the owner is allowed to rent once a year for a minimum of 3 months.  That is a very common regulation. That means only 1 tenant in a calendar year whether they rent for 3 months or longer.  Owners are fined if they disobey the regulations; renters can be denied access upon arrival or thrown out after unpacking.

 

To minimize your risk at least somewhat, look for units that have lots of excellent detailed reviews and are offered by an experienced host (IIRC titled premier or super hosts).  Narrow down your choices and then correspond with them.  I would ask point blank about the building's rental policy.  Also, get as much information as you can about the neighborhood (come back here and ask the locals's opinions) and the building's rental policies.

 

Regarding hotels which, as you note, will be asking (and getting) top dollar for their rooms in March...

have you tried looking in the western suburb of Plantation (a very nice area)?  All the major chains have hotels there and sometimes their rates are considerably less than in Fort Lauderdale.

Thanks for your reply. The Air BnB's that I was looking at were "cottages" in the back yard or a portion of the house that had been sectioned off. 

 

Thanks for the recommendation on Plantation. I looked again at that area, and prices are a bit lower. Certainly lower than the beach areas. I would imagine that Plantation might be a bit quieter and less popular with the Spring Break crowd, which would be good. The last thing I need is a noisy hotel full of partiers. I will continue my search. I might end up booking on Hotwire nearer to my dates. Don't want to book non-refundable this far out. 

[julia]

You will most probably pay more in fees (service fee, owners fee, cleaning fee, etc) using AirBnb or VRBO than booking one night at a hotel.

[PG_traveller]

On 10/19/2022 at 11:24 PM, julia said:

You will most probably pay more in fees (service fee, owners fee, cleaning fee, etc) using AirBnb or VRBO than booking one night at a hotel.

Not necessarily, but I am well aware of how those fees can drive the prices up. I think there is a setting that you can use to see the total price including fees.

 

In any case, I booked the Hampton Inn in Plantation. I will look into it closer to March and decide if I want to try Hotwire. But for now I can put it to the back of my mind.

[capriccio]

1 hour ago, PG_traveller said:

In any case, I booked the Hampton Inn in Plantation. I will look into it closer to March and decide if I want to try Hotwire. But for now I can put it to the back of my mind.

A wise move and plan.