In addition to the service fee you are charged to rent through VRBO, if there is any dispute regarding the security deposit, there is no renter recourse. If you have rented through management companies, you know they act as a "middle man" in resolving disputes. With VRBO, the owner decides if there is a problem, the owner decides how much it will cost to fix (no receipt or documentation). Finally, in my last VRBO rental, the owner kept coming by the house during the week. It verged on creepy. Go through a management company - you never have to see the owner, you have a small security fee rather than a hefty one the owner can essentially keep at will, and as management companies have many owners to consider - they want to keep renters happy.