A vacation rental is the renting out of a furnished apartment, house, or professionally managed resort-condominium complex on a temporary basis to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. The term vacation rental is mainly used in the US. Other terms used are self-catering rental, holiday home, holiday let (in the United Kingdom), cottage holiday (for a rental of smaller accommodation in rural locations) and gite (in rural locations in France).
Vacation rentals have long been a popular travel option in Europe (especially in the United Kingdom) as well as in Canada and are becoming increasingly popular around the world.