Homeaway won't protect you. They are just an ad site to enable renters and owners to rent prooerty. I have a rental and my local manager takes care of everthing when I am not at the property. If you have any doubts I would not rent because with these rental sites you have no recourse. Carol

With the property that we rented, we were provided with detailed instructions on how to enter the security code on a lock which was on the outside door of the apartment. There was then a key inside the apartment. This information was provided when we paid our deposit. The balance was deducted from our account the night before our departure. We were provided with a phone number to contact the manager if we had any problems.We didn't, but there is a fair bit of trust and honesty required, and I can see that some owners/managers/renters could be unscrupulous, so if in doubt, I would avoid using this sort of site. Hotels are more expensive, and not always in the right location, as in our case, but you get what you pay for, and with a hotel you pay for the certainty of a professional accommodation business.

The key was given to us by the doorman. We never saw or dealt with the owner in person.

About a week before you check in management send you a code whereby once you enter it at the front door you retreave your keys. Very easy.

Property owners have individual methods of providing entry to their guests. Most property owners not on site have an on site property manager. You may have to pick up keys from a property manager for the property or you might be provided a code for a lock box on the house that has a key in it, Or you may be provided a computer generated code on a lock on the house that is specific to your dates and times of arrival; this is what I use. This individual code is provided to the guest on their final payment.
Again, Homeaway is an advertising site; they have no control over those that advertise on their site. It would be impossible for them to do any kind of check on those that advertise.
Personally on my advertisement with Homeaway, I list my license to rent out the house on the site; my potential guests can check with the Department of Hotels and Restaurants and check out my authenticity.

You should speak with the owner or representative of the property if you are wary.

I personally would not book with HomeAway if you already have concerns about the landlord. Unfortunately they do not carry out the security checks on landlords as they should and if anything goes wrong they will not help and will claim that they are only an advertising site and that your contract is with the landlord and not HomeAway.

Check if ther renter is longer on the site. It is the most important. They are pro and you will get your keys when you pay for your vacation as normally people live from that money and you are not alone one who rent that home, apartment etc

We have rented Homeaway places for years, probably up to 40 or 50 times. We have occasionally been disappointed in a property, but almost every time it was because I didn't do due diligence (making sure there were reviews, including recent reviews, carefully looking at pictures to see the level of furnishings, writing to the owner to clarify any point I wasn't sure about, etc.). We had a place in Athens that was a bit too quirky (a view of the Acropolis, beautiful terrace, but tiny bathroom and older bed, the only "staples" provided were many bottles of ouzo) and a damp cottage in New York's Thousand Islands (which might have been fine in the sun) and a two month rental in the Dominican Republic where we weren't prepared for the level of poverty, crime and pollution in the area, though the apartment itself was nice enough. Many times you pick up keys from an agent or the homeowner, or there is a security code to use when you get to the property. This site is so negative, I think most posters have had a problem and are unhappy that Homeaway hasn't solved it. Since we've never contacted Homeaway and just use them as the conduit to property owners and managers, we haven't had any complaints. Give it a try!