You will be glad you followed these tips for Vacation Rentals
Vacation Rentals are meant to be some of the best ties of our lives; we work hard to afford them and rightfully expect the best. Or at the very least we expect to get what we have paid for whether this be a beach condo, a town apartment or a luxury hotel room in a mountain resort.
The thing is we often make the mistake of taking it for granted that everyone will give us what they imply we’re getting. Language is a tricky thing and it can be applied in deceptive ways to make you think you’re getting something more, or something different, from what is actually being delivered. With that in mind we’ve gathered a few tips to help you get what you pay for when it comes to vacation rentals.
See the Vacation Rental beforehand
The best thing you could possibly do would be to check out any possible vacation rentals yourself. This could mean, for example, looking at the possibilities for next year while you’re on your vacation. Otherwise you could make a quick trip to look at possibilities before you go. If you’re unable to do this due to distance or lack of time then you should book through a rental agent. You should also ask them to walk around the property and send you recent photos (you can ensure they are genuine by asking that they place a piece of paper with your name and the date in the pictures).
Ask the Right Questions about your Vacation Rental
You also need to ask the right questions. If, for example, they say that you are a stone’s throw from the beach be sure to ask for a more specific distance. Ask if you can see the water and how long it will take to walk there. If it says there are three bedrooms, ask how big they are and if they each have a view, and if so, what the view is of (a view of a brick wall, is still a view!).
Curated Properties
If you cannot go to see your a vacation rental yourself or have a friend visit, then you should consider going for rentals that are curated. An agency that deal with curated properties might have a less varied selection, or slightly more expensive, but they’re also more reliable. You can be sure that the properties on their roster will have been checked more than once by the staff, and you can be doubly sure because of this that you’ll get what you paid for!
Find Reviews of Vacation Rentals
If you are booking through an online vacation rental agency like VRBO or AirBnB, make sure you read all the reviews about your vacation rental; and if need be, post a question. If the owner or property manager of the rental does not reply, that isn’t a good sign.
Checklist of Damages
When you arrive at your rental property it would be wise to stand witness to the agent taking down a note of any previous damages in the property. In fact we would recommend that you get a copy for yourself; both parties should sign each copy. This way you’ll be sure that you have proof of what was already damaged when you got there. This way your safety deposit is… well, safe.
Use a credit card
Paying for your rental accommodation deposit with a card rather than cash is always a good idea as it leaves you with an electronic paper trail of sorts. This means that if you run into any troubles about when you paid, if you paid or what you paid (and what for) you have got all the evidence you need to back you up.
If you have any more tips about vacation rentals to add, please feel free to use the comments box below.