Top 3 Reasons to Book Direct:
Save Money! The number one reason to book directly with an owner is to save money. Did you know that Airbnb collects up to 15% of each rental from the guests - in addition to what is collected from the owner! What do you get for this 15% - which can be a quite sizable sum for longer stays or expensive properties - well... not much. Both Airbnb and VRBO are dependent on the host and host policies. While you might on occasion have success with Airbnb assisting you if you have a dispute with a property owner, you are much better off using a good credit card which may have travel protections or by purchasing travel insurance. Airbnb customer support is slow, outsourced, and often ineffective.
Learn more about the local area & receive perks: Booking direct is going to put you in touch with the actual property owner. It's a more personalized experience and often there are perks for booking directly. You often find this with hotel chains as well - book with them and you will receive upgrades or free wifi, for example. Many property owners will offer additional repeat guest discounts or special offers.
Reduce the risk of fraud! This may seem counterintuitive but booking directly with the owner allows you to properly vet them - is it really their house? Do you have their name or business name that you can look up online? Check the property records to confirm the house belongs to the person you are leasing from. This will put you at much less risk of fraud. Owners who do direct booking are often those who are more experienced and have a professional business approach to how to rent their homes. Airbnb has promoted that anyone and everyone rent a space to guests - but as we all know from horror stories - not everyone should be a host. Owners who have payment processing systems and websites in place are those who have experience and knowledge in the industry.