Vacation rentals have become a booming market in Bermuda as tourists seek houses and apartments to stay in rather than hotels.Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty sales representative Karen Brine said even with 53 listings she had more families to accommodate right now than vacation homes available.And at least two property owners who rent one-bedroom apartments independently told us they were already almost booked up through the summer.Mrs Brine said Coldwell Banker’s most popular properties, especially those in Tucker’s Town and those with pools and water views and near bus routes, were nearly booked solid for the summer months already, with families paying $400 up to $2,000 per night (depending on the season) for the two to four-and-five bedroom homes.Compared to last year this time, Mrs Brine said her vacation and short-term rentals department was 30 percent busier.She noted 2011 was a good year also for vacation rentals despite the economy, with a total of 1,577 bed nights rented out, mostly to tourists; 75 percent versus 25 percent to business people. A third of the rentals were to repeat visitors.“The 2012 vacation season is alive and booming and we have approximately 25 guests who are seeking accommodations in Bermuda for arrival dates from March until September 2012, and with an already fantastic start to January, we are frantically looking for homes,” Mrs Brine said.“Traditionally the first few weeks after the Christmas and New Year holiday are the busiest booking periods.“However the regular summer visitors book their houses before they even leave the Island in July or August, as many have been coming to stay in the same house every summer for a number of years and they want to secure their home for the following summer.”Mrs Brine urged homeowners who travel during the summer or other months to consider contacting her department to discuss renting out their homes for extra income.“It’s an ideal opportunity for Bermudians if they are away for a good length of time in the summer to earn some money for their own trip abroad, but they have to be willing to put clothes away and any breakable knick-knacks...”Coldwell Banker currently has 53 vacation home listings, from studio/one-bedrooms to a private Island.Most in demand were the larger four and five-bedroom homes, she said, followed by three-bedroom homes.She said there was also high demand for short-term rentals to house business professionals here on contracts, including those for the new hospital project.Some of the 53 listings are only available in the summer months when Bermudians rent them out during their own July/August vacations.Mrs Brine said the vacation home market was growing because it could be a more cost effective option for the period they’re staying in Bermuda.“Additionally, they have the privacy and convenience of their own kitchens and amenities,” she said.“Some of our guests also call upon the Bermudian work force and businesses, i.e. chefs, babysitters, taxi drivers, scooter rentals, boat rentals et cetera, to assist them in making their stay more pleasurable.”She said she believed the market was a growing segment on its own: “We do not feel that we infringe on the hotel market as most of our guests have rented vacation homes either in Bermuda previously or rent properties around the world as holiday homes,” she said.Mrs Brine said the largest houses were always booked first, mostly in July and August.“The main request is for Tucker’s Town,” she said. “Access to water and/or a pool is highly in demand. Many guests ask for walking distance to a beach which is not so easy to accommodate.”She said proximity to bus stops was also a plus, and homes need not be luxurious, just comfortable, well decorated and in good condition.Coldwell Banker charges a 15 percent fee on bookings and the payment is made to the owners ahead of the guests’ arrival.Owners of other properties on the vacation rental market said bookings were solid last year and picking up this year, though a few said they were not as good as expected for this time.“We have four units and usually by now I am mostly all booked for the summer,” said the manager of the Watford Ferry guest apartments. “I am offering a lower rate than that showing on our website and still some people think it is too expensive.”The owner of a one-bedroom with a pool overlooking St. George’s Harbour said he had only a few days unrented for January, adding, “I am almost fully booked until October.”Another owner said her property on the water in a central parish and near the bus and ferry “was pretty much fully booked all year round- with about 40% of this repeat business.”She added: “It is a large space, which people prefer to a small hotel room, and there is an optional second bedroom.“We put a lot of effort into the amenities of the apartment and we provide guidance to new visitors to the Island.”She charges $220 a night for in the summer months.And the operator of Bridge House said their rental accommodations in St. George’s were mostly filled already from Mid-April through early October.