How to Find Wheelchair-Accessible Vacation Rentals

It can be difficult to find the perfect vacation rental, especially if you are looking for properties that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Many companies have search filters that make it easier to find accessible properties.

Let’s take a look at how to find wheelchair-accessible vacation rentals.

Finding wheelchair-accessible vacation rentals by platform

A wheelchair-user traveling with them can make it more difficult to find accommodations. How do you find out if the rental you are looking at is what you require?

Let’s look at the steps involved in performing these searches using Vacasa, Airbnb and Vrbo.

Airbnb is a huge home-sharing platform and has powerful search tools to help you find the right property for you. Airbnb launched an entirely new category called “Adapted” at the end of 2022. This group displays homes that are verified accessible.

Property must be accessible from at least one bedroom, bathroom and one additional bathroom to be eligible. You can choose from a toilet grab bar or a shower grabbar, as well as a step-free bathtub or shower chair.

Airbnb.com has these listings. You can search for specific dates or locations by entering your destination and travel dates in the search bar. Airbnb will show you your search results with photos and a dynamic map.

Next, click the Filters button to search for ADA-compliant vacation rental properties.

Scroll down to Accessibility Features in the pop-up window. This will give you many options. Although there is no way to specify wheelchair-accessible vacation rentals with a roll-in shower, you can search for options such as a shower chair or step-free access.

You might want to consider Airbnb’s category functionality if you are flexible about where you live. It displays a wide range of listings that have one thing in common, in this case accessibility. This tool is great if you’re looking for a wide range of locations to search from, instead of starting with a destination.

Adapted properties are wheelchair-friendly properties that have been verified. Airbnb uses 3D imaging for verification that accessible homes meet the mobility criteria. A scan also produces a floor plan, so guests can view the exact layout of the listing. It also includes detailed photos and exact measurements for the door frames.

Vacasa is another platform for vacation rentals, offering properties in North America and Belize. To find a wheelchair-accessible vacation rental, head to Vacasa’s homepage.

Enter your travel information including destination and travel dates. Similar to Airbnb, search results will include a map as well as eligible listings. The Filters tab is located in the middle of the page.

Vacasa does not categorize its amenities like Airbnb. Instead, you will see a wide range of options, some related to accessibility.

There is a filter that allows wheelchair users to access the bathroom. However, there are additional options such as a wide clearance and a accessible shower/bath.

Vrbo is another popular vacation rental company. Similar to Vacasa and Airbnb, the website allows you to search for accessible properties.

Type in your departure date, destination and number of guests. Then hit the Search button.

Search results will then be displayed, including the ever-popular dynamic maps.

Vrbo’s filter tool is located on Vrbo’s left side, right under your search destination. Scrolling down through the list of filters will take you to the accessibility section. It is quite small.

Despite the lack of options, you’re still able to search for wheelchair-accessible accommodations, making Vrbo a decent choice for finding properties that’ll suit your needs.

Finding other wheelchair-accessible vacation rentals

If you strike out on the above sites, there are still some options available for finding wheelchair-accessible vacation rentals. While Booking.com and Hotels.com tend to be more focused on hotels, you can also book vacation rentals through these sites. They also have accessibility filters.

Search for an accessible vacation rental at Hotels.com . Go to the website’s homepage and enter your travel information.

After your search results have loaded, there are many options to filter them. Scroll down to find the option of filtering by property type.

You can restrict your search to apartments, aparthotels, or — if you feel fancy — castles.

You’ll find accessibility filters a little further down.

Booking.com is similar to Hotels.com but focuses more on vacation rentals than hotels. It does offer robust search options for entire properties and rooms. Go to Booking.com and enter your search criteria.

You can choose to search only for vacation rentals on the homepage. However, this option is available once the search results have loaded. These filters are located on the left-hand corner of the page under Property Type.

Scrolling further down will provide you with two additional filters: Property Accessibility, and Room Accessibility.

Booking.com features detailed information for its properties, which makes it a good choice for wheelchair-accessible accommodations.

If you’re searching for a wheelchair-accessible vacation rental

It can be difficult to find the vacation rental you want with so many choices. If you need a wheelchair-accessible property, that search can be even more difficult.

Many companies offer the ability to filter your searches according to different accessibility requirements. These search options are available on Airbnb, Vacasa, and Vrbo. If you can’t find what you want, Hotels.com or Booking.com may be a better option. These sites offer robust filters that allow you to search for vacation rentals and hotel rooms.