
Booking a vacation rental instead of a traditional hotel room means more space, personal touches and often a better price. Unfortunately, for some, it can also mean the uneasiness of sending money to a stranger - a stranger who may or may not accurately represent their home, or own it at all!
Renting owner-direct doesn't have to equate to sleepless nights of wonder and worry. Booking a vacation rental home from the Owner can actually be a pleasant and seamless experience when the right checks and balances are performed.
Wherever and however you book your vacation rental, do it safely by following the steps below:
1. Start by finding an Owner-direct vacation rental you are interested in booking. There are many vacation rental directory websites to choose from. To find a vacation rental in a specific destination, just run a search for "(destination) vacation rentals" (eg. Whistler vacation rentals). Search results on the first page are a good starting point and will usually represent directory websites with numerous vacation rental options.
2. For each vacation rental directory website, look for information on guarantees, policies or standards. You may also want to look for an Owner agreement so you know what vacation rental Owners have agreed to in order to be listed on the website. Reputable directories will offer some sort of consumer-protection. Riskier directories will post disclaimers about their responsibilities in regards to their vacation rental inventory. The least risky owner-direct vacation rental websites will field complaints from renters or offer to help mediate any disputes that may occur between an Owner and a Guest.
3. Once you have found a specific vacation rental property you are interested in booking, be sure that all of your questions about the property are answered within their listing (or on a website they may link to from the listing). It should be clear:
- exactly where the property is located
- what amenities it features (both private and shared)
- how many people the property sleeps and what the bedding configuration is
- how large the property is, how it is layed out and number of separate bedrooms
- if the property is newly-renovated or more dated (there should be a good selection of photos to make this judgement)
Print out or save all pages of the listing or website that answer these questions. This will be vital evidence in the case that the property is not as advertised and you want to register a complaint or seek compensation. Going back to a listing or website after the fact is unreliable as the content may have changed.
4. Get the FINAL cost from the Owner in writing (email or an online reservation system that provides these details to you via email is also fine). This will limit the surprise of additional cleaning fees or surcharges for additional occupants.
5. Make sure important rental policies are clearly posted on the vacation rental Owner's website or listing (again, print it out or save it) or have them send them to you in writing if they are not available online. The most important policies to be clear on are:
- cancellation - What are the penalties for cancelling?
- pets permitted or not
- reservation guarantee - What if the Owner sells the property before your rental? What if the property becomes inhabitable for the dates of your rental (eg. flood, fire, etc)?
- what time you can check-in/out
6. Make sure that if the Owner is not in-destination, that they have someone in-destination to deal with emergencies (such as lock-outs or maintenance problems).
7. Pay for the vacation rental by credit card or PayPal. Both credit card companies and PayPal offer fraud protection. In the unfortunate event that besides your best screening efforts, you do become a victim of vacation rental fraud, you will not be out-of-pocket. If you send a cheque, money order, wire transfer or cash, it will be almost impossible to get your money back.
8. Make sure that you have received property check-in instructions and contact phone numbers before you depart for your vacation. If you are flying to your vacation destination, pack this information in your carry-on luggage in case your checked luggage goes missing.
9. Enjoy your vacation, stretching out in more space than a hotel room and paying a lot less for the pleasure!
Posted by Adrienne