Consumers' Checkbook has been looking into this. They tried to set up 600 reservations, and what they found are hidden fees -- a LOT of hidden fees. Often so many that they jacked up the price so much that the advertised price now became a bait and switch. Consumer's Checkbook says you need to really pay attention to all the fees, and there'll be several of them: setup fees, owner fees, cleaning fees, pet fees. And if you don't add all of those up, you can't compare this rental... with that rental.
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Now, Airbnb is one of the best; they're very transparent with all of their fees. But... not all of the others. So you need to check before you rent.
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Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.