Follow these tips before reserving vacation rental
Vacation rentals are an attractive alternative to the conventional hotel room. Perks for vacationers often include access to the amenities of a larger home such as a full kitchen, pool and washer/ dryer. There is also a potential for higher occupancy rates with home rentals, so instead of booking multiple hotel rooms for larger groups, you can rent a larger property to stay together. You can potentially shave hundreds, or even thousands of dollars off your vacation costs as a result.
Before you reserve a rental, however, the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas advises you to do your research to insure that the rental description matches the condition, amenities and location of the actual property.
• Check with BBB first. It’s a good idea to check out a company at BBBHouston.org to view its complaint history and BBB rating. You also may ask the company or agent for references, and visit the website directly.
• Choose a popular rental destination and reserve early. If you’re looking for big savings, your best bet is to choose a location where there are a lot of vacation rentals on the market where prices stay competitive.
• Take a virtual tour. Sometimes the pictures and descriptions of the property posted by the renter can be deceiving. Research the property on your own online and take a virtual tour of the surrounding area using Google Maps Street View. Don’t be tentative about asking plenty of questions about the property.
• Don’t send money until you sign paperwork. Never send anyone money until you’ve signed your rental paperwork. Many home rentals are managed by professional real estate agents, so the rental paperwork should include all the legal details you need. When possible, pay with a credit card. Doing so can provide some amount of consumer protection.
• Read the fine print. Is there a cancellation or partial refund policy if you have to leave early? Does it stipulate when you will get your deposit back? Spend the time up front checking things out to avoid hassles later. Some rental homes will say “everything’s included,” but you want to double-check to be sure that there are no hidden surcharges. Some properties will say they include utilities, electricity and gas and then the fine print said it’s included, up to a certain dollar amount only.
• Have an emergency contact person. Make sure you have a phone number and email address of the contact and if possible get a second person as a backup. You don’t want to rent a home and have the hot water heater stop working and end up with cold showers for two weeks.
• Watch for red flags. Be wary of anyone requesting payments by wire transfer and do not wire funds to people you do not know. Take extra precau- tions when renting from an individual, particularly for international rentals. If possible, get references from previous renters and double-check the location of the property to avoid getting stuck in international waters.
If you do your research and read the fine print, a vacation rental can be a safe way to save money.