Renting a Vacation Home – Beware

It is scary to think that some Internet vacation rental home ads may not be authentic. Some people may try to scam you when renting a vacation home. You would hate for a big chunk of your vacation budget to be out the window before the vacation even starts. Or even worse, you show up and have no place to stay. This is highly unlikely if you take the following precautionary steps. Search for homes from large vacation property Internet listing services, e.g. Cyberrentals.com, VRBO.com or VacationRentals.com. These sites will not allow vacation owners to keep their ads running if they are ripping off people. When they get complaints they will pull the ad. These Internet listing sites make money by offering reputable service provided by reputable homeowners. Use your instincts to tell you whether this person is legit. Do they know a lot about the property and the area? Ask a lot of questions. If someone is trying to rip you off they probably cannot answer these questions like honest homeowners could. They probably don’t own a home at all! Homeowners take a lot of pride in there homes and want to talk about the area and amenities. If you get a good feeling and your questions are quickly answered, proceed with booking. Once you decided on the perfect vacation home make sure that you receive a rental agreement signed by the owner. Does the agreement seem legally binding? Many homeowners do not accept credit cards or charge more to use them. If you use a credit card you have that extra layer of protection. Spending an extra few dollars may be worth the peace of mind.Before you sign the rental agreement, research the owner. Contact the Better Business Bureau in the city or county where the rental home is located and where the owners reside at their permanent address. This would be the address where you send payment. In addition, check public property records to validate who actually owns the home you are renting. Many counties have the records accessible via the Internet. Look for the county property appraiser and then search the online database. For example, Collier County Florida property appraiser’s can be found at www.colliertax.com. Click on database and enter the address of the vacation home. This search will generate the property owner’s name. Take a few simple precautionary steps to ensure your vacation plans run smoothly. The extra time will be well worth it. Now you can simply relax and count down the days to your vacation.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com