Renting a Vacation Home Online: 6 Ways Not to Get Burned

A picture may be worth 1,000 words -- but with PhotoShop, some of those words can be ugly lies. Especially when the picture you're looking at is of a vacation home for rent online.

Renting a private home for your vacation is an increasingly popular way to travel. Private houses or condos generally provide more room for the extended family to stay together under one roof. And having a kitchen is great for accommodating different palates, as well generally saving some time and money.

The demand has spurred a cottage industry of websites that serve as matchmakers between vacationers looking for a rental and homeowners with places available for rent.

But the flaw in the system is that what you read in the property descriptions or see in the online photos isn't always what you get.