When looking for a vacation rental, the first question to answer is how many people are going to be traveling? It sounds simple, but if you are planning a large family reunion or “togethering” it is sometimes hard to get a final number. In that case, try and get a maximum number, especially if you think you may need one or more homes on the same community. We will discuss multiple homes a little later.

Once you know how many people are likely to be traveling, you can work out how many beds and bed sizes you need in the vacation rental home. Many vacation homes are individually owned and furnished and there is no standard bed configuration. That is one of the things that helps make staying in a vacation rental home such a great experience, but it does take time to ensure you have the right number and type of beds required.

Once you know the number of expected people, determine the number of bedrooms needed by looking at the number of couples and children that can potentially share rooms (some rooms may have multiple beds). With that information you can start looking for the right sized vacation rental home or homes.

Vacation rental homes, condos and apartments do have a maximum occupancy limit. This can vary depending on how the owner has set up their home and the local laws. For example, vacation rental homes in Florida typically have a maximum occupancy as follows:

• 2 bedroom vacation home - 6 guests
• 3 bedroom vacation home - 8 guests
• 4 bedroom vacation home - 10 guests
• 5 bedroom vacation home - 12 guests
• 6 bedroom vacation home - 14 guests
• 7 bedroom vacation home - 16 guests

In addition to this you can usually include one or two infants if they occupy the same room as others - often some form of crib can be made available.

Do consider the type of people in your group when you look for a particular sized vacation rental home. Often to get the maximum occupancy in a home, you may have to use a sleeper-sofa in a more public living area. That means reduced privacy for the those that are sleeping there and may not provide an opportunity for others to stay up late if the sleepers in that more public area need to sleep. Consider taking a larger vacation rental home so that you have more space and privacy for the whole family. You have already made a decision not to be confined to a small hotel room (1 room, 1 bathroom for 4 people) so take full advantage of that and spread out a little. You will all be happier.