Showing up to your vacation home only to find out it’s not what you expected can quickly ruin a vacation. Before you even pack a bag you want to make sure you can show up at your destination ready to have fun, not ready to scramble to find a new place. Here are a few tips and tricks to consider to avoid bad vacation homes if you are thinking of renting a place in the near future.
1. Rent from a reputable source. Whether you’ve heard of this owner or agency by word of mouth or through your own research, it’s always good to go with a real estate agency that someone you know and trust vouches for. If you’re going someplace new and can’t ask anyone you know, ask professionals in the area and read the reviews of a few real estate agencies that specialize in the kind of vacation house you want to rent. There might be a few odd negative rental experiences people might have had, but look and see if this is their personal issue or an issue that points to the upkeep of the rental home or the mismanagement of the company itself.
2. Don’t make your entire rental payment up front. General practice is to make a security deposit either online or through a transfer, but be aware of the payment method you are using. Make sure it is traceable and returnable if something does go wrong with your rental. This way you can look at the property when you arrive and if not all is up to speed, you don’t lose money.
3. If you’ve gotten to the point of signing a contract make sure there are clauses that protect you as the client from any harm or financial liability. You have just as many rights as the landlord or owner, but it is easy to take advantage of people when they don’t know the local laws and aren’t from the country they are vacationing in.
4. If you are all questioning your rental house when you arrive, have a backup hotel or vacation rental plan in place. No one wants to have to go to Plan B, but it is helpful to have one if that time occurs. If your vacation rental doesn’t end up working out you have another place you can go that will hopefully be better for you and those you are vacationing with.
5. Ask as many questions as you need to from the real estate agency or the owner of the vacation property you want to rent. Feel free to also ask for recommendations. This will be no problem for a reputable landlord or company, but will give you valuable insights into a bad vacation home experience if they can’t answer your questions or furnish good reviews for you to take a look at.
No one wants to have a bad vacation home experience, but unfortunately it does happen. Hopefully these tips help in your quest to find a great rental the first time, every time!
