Travel Tips

5 Tips For Amazing Treehouse Rentals

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So you’ve decided to try something different for your next stay and you’re looking at treehouse rentals. Good for you! Guests who stay in treehouses rave about the unique and special experience.

However, renting a treehouse is also unique when it comes to what may or may not be included in your stay. Be sure to heed the advice to know before you go. Here are our top 5 tips for treehouse rentals to ensure your stay is just what you hoped for.

Read the fine print.

Unlike a traditional home rental, you can’t assume anything is included with a treehouse rental. For example, many popular treehouses don’t have electricity, a bathroom or running water. As many treehouses are built deep on wooded lots and sometimes up a steep hill, a four-wheel drive may be recommended.

Some treehouses are reached by swinging bridges or long staircases. They have bedrooms that are accessed by ladders or a spiral staircase. That may be a critical detail to know if accessibility is an issue for anyone you are traveling with.

Some treehouses don’t allow children or pets. There may be a fire pit but you are not allowed to bring your own firewood due to concerns about pest infestation.

Determine your priorities for your treehouse rental.

Think about your location first to help narrow down your search. Are you looking for a remote location or one within walking distance of shops and restaurants? Do you want to be close to hiking trails, parks or the water?

Do you want to be completely private or is it okay to have several other properties around you? Whichever you choose, you may have to research a bit to figure out how the treehouse is situated in comparison to others.

Do you want to eat all of your meals in the treehouse? Check out whether the kitchen has everything you need. Do you need running water or is a compost toilet okay? Is electricity, heat or AC important to you?

We rented a small studio one time at the beach and I took a frozen lasagna for dinner one night. One problem – there was no way to heat it up. While we could make coffee and keep drinks cold, that’s about all we could do in this rental.

Now think about the amenities that are important to you. Do you want a hot tub, wifi, fire pit, TV, grill or hammocks? You can find all of these things when you rent a treehouse but need to review the amenities list closely.

Ask about extra fees and cancellation policies.

I know I’ve gotten excited about a place that seemed reasonable but after going through the booking process, realized that all those additional fees pushed the property beyond what I had budgeted.

Make sure you know all the costs before you book, including any reservation, cleaning or pet fees. If you think you may need to cancel, read the cancellation policy carefully. Policies vary widely on Airbnb.

Read the reviews

My husband was on Amazon one day and said, “I need to buy some new black socks. There are more than 1,200 reviews for the ones I like. This is going to take all day.”

While I don’t recommend going to those lengths, especially for something as ordinary as black socks, guest reviews are really important when it comes to renting Airbnbs.

I know it can be tedious to slog through dozens of guest reviews. But in addition to determining if this is the right treehouse for you, you can learn so much from guest reviews, like what to pack, what’s close by, what they wish they had known before they came. It’s worth the extra time it takes to go through the reviews.

Book early

Treehouse rentals have never been so popular and they can book up fast, especially during the warmer months. Start your search early if possible to make sure you get the treehouse on the dates you want.

If your dream treehouse isn’t available, you can either choose other dates, or search around for an equally enchanting getaway.

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