Rules and tips on renting a vacation rental

Know the rental agreement

When it comes to finding a good deal on a vacation rental, the more knowledge you have before hand the better. You owe it to yourself to do the leg work prior to choosing a vacation rental because you don’t want to waste your money and, perhaps more obvious, have your vacation ruined by agreeing to take on a poorly kept, beat up vacation unit. It all begins by knowing what you are getting into from the initial outset. That means, possessing a firm understanding of the rental agreement whether you are renting for a week, a month, or the entire summer.

As a general rule of thumb, never take on a summer rental from someone you don't know on the basis of a verbal contract. In fact, even if you do know them, it's still preferable to get everything in ink and if they are legit about you renting their unit or house, they shouldn’t have a problem with such a request. If they do, run, don’t walk, to the next agency or person who might want to rent a vacation home to you.

Also, don’t obsess over every minute about the rental agreement. Most agreements are pretty standard. You can have some drawn up if you like but involving the lawyers for lease forms you can download off the internet is probably an expensive option. But, if you do decide to have your own contract drawn up, just make sure you get it witnesses and notarized. Whichever you choose, what follows are some good tried and true tips for understanding your vacation rental agreement.

Know The condition of every aspect of the property

Most rental agencies are good about providing a place that is free of faulty appliances and other problems, but sometimes things can go unnoticed until suddenly they inspect it after you leave. So you want to inspect the home carefully when you first take the place and that means on the very first day. Let the Management Company or owner know immediately of any problems and take good notes. In other words, if a door is broken before you move in, get it down in writing and bring it to their attention. Take note of such things as the condition of the carpeting, draperies, countertops, and anything else that can accidentally be damaged as a result of renting. If the shower head doesn’t work, get it down on paper and let the rental manager know there is poor water pressure. If the hot water handle on the kitchen faucet is missing, let them know about it. The idea is to make sure you aren't going to be responsible for problems that existed before you got there.

Know what expenses will be incurred by the renter

Find out beforehand if you're going to be expected to pay for water and utilities or will all those things be included in the rental price. You may think that will be the case, but you just might be surprised when you get the bill after your stay. Since most people nowadays have cell phones, long distance expenses probably won't be a problem but you should know what is included free of charge and what is not well in advance. For instance, what about wireless Internet? If it is offered, is there a fee to use it. You get the idea.

Maintenance and general upkeep

Typically, a summer rental comes with a reasonable expectation that you'll take care of things like lawn and plant maintenance, vacuuming or sweeping, and just generally keeping the place presentable. Some summer rentals come complete with housekeeping services too but not all.

If you get a place with a pool or something else that requires constant maintenance, make sure you understand who is responsible for its maintenance. Keeping a pool clean can certainly take away from your vacation time and plus the minerals and other treatments needed to keep a pool in good order, aren’t free. Know who will pay them ahead of time.

Repair expectations

Find out if you are expected to pay for the repair of anything that may suddenly break, such as a TV set, computer or kitchen appliance. Normally, most people wouldn't expect to have to pay for the repair of an air conditioning that kicks out warm air, but you never know – you have to read the fine print and make sure this won’t be something thrust upon you. Even if you dispute the charge, if you neglected to get it in writing, you could be facing a legal battle depending on the extent of the damage and repairs needed to fix the appliance.

Refunds

Ever heard of Hurricanes? What about if one lands and wipes out the lovely small beach front community where you were renting? The message here is to get a refund policy covering any and all acts of God in writing? Typically, a renter should expect to receive a pro-rated refund of money shelled out for any time you they were not actually able to spend on the property because it happened to be in the path of an F5. Don’t’ forget about the security deposit either. Hey, you didn’t huff and puff and blow the house down – God did.

Paying for it

When you decide to go with a summer rental, you can usually expect to have to pay everything up front, including all the rent as well as any deposits and other fees. Although you may get lucky and find a place that will let you pay in installments, don't expect that to happen especially if it is a popular area. The security deposit is insurance against you and your buddies trashing the place and you can expect that if the place has been offered up as a summer rental before, for any period of time, it has been trashed once or twice during its illustrious history. Therefore, the best way to ensure your deposit is fully returned is to keep the place nice and tidy and everything in working order while you're there. If you have other friends there, make sure nobody walks away with them free souvenirs such as art work and linens. You can be sure you will get the bill.

Location

You have probably heard the old saw about location being everything. It is true. So, where is your vacation rental located? You need to know that before you sign the agreement. We are not talking about what city it is in, but where exactly at in that city or destination is it located. Is it right next to a loading dock, where there are fog horns going off constantly? Is there a marine training camp nearby where they explode ordinance on weekends? What about those seemingly innocuous train tracks?

Location is critical to enjoying your vacation. If you're looking for a beach house, make sure it's really on the beach and not merely 20-miles to the beach. Does it offer a view of the beach? If so, where from; a 210-foot ladder on the roof? Remember the movie The Blues Brothers when they are renting an apartment from a landlord as train comes by rattling the whole building. They asked how long that train comes by. The landlord said, “So often you will never notice it.”

Insurance

As far as insurance goes, the actual property should be insured under the landlord's policy and that should be all inclusive. This typically should cover fire, damage, acts of God, and burglary to the property.

Be aware, however, that if you are the one who caused the damage or fire or flood, you will likely be out of luck and will be held liable. A good tip is to check with your own insurance agent about purchasing a rider on your existing policy. This can give you important added protection. This should also include coverage of your personal effects and valuables, since those will not be covered by the landlord's policy.

Does, eh, size matter?

Yes, size does matter. Determine the size of place that you need for the people that will be using it for the duration. Ask yourself how many people are in your group and what type of accommodations does each person need? Does each person want their own bedroom and bathroom and do they really need them? How many couples will there be? Would someone be just as happy sleeping on a fold-out couch than on a bed?

Vacation rentals are typically listed with both the number of bedrooms and baths and the number of people the place accommodates. Frequently you will find places with pullout sofas, so that one or two more people can sleep in the living room in a pinch. Make sure as courtesy all your guests know where they will be sleeping. If they pitch in and are expecting a double bed and you break out the fold out sofa, they may not be too appreciative of your hospitality.

Access to baths

IF you are going to rent a historic place or one that hearkens back to a different day and age, keep in mind that not all such places will have a bathroom in each room. For example, in Europe many cool looking old villas and houses were constructed when indoor plumbing was a chamber pot you emptied out the window. So, before signing a contract, learn where the bathrooms are located in the rental unit insofar as you can tell other guests if they will have one in their room or there will be a common area for the entire floor. This makes a big difference to many people.

There you have it

We hope this list of tips for choosing a vacation rental helps ensure your next vacation rental is one you can simply enjoy without worry. While there will always be something that could creep up about your vacation rental, if you spend the time to learn the ins and outs of the rental agreement, you will have a firm understanding of what is your responsibility and what is not. This will help you enjoy more of the vacation and less of the hassles and worries that can crop up when your name is on a rental agreement you did not fully read.

BigScreens.com | CarAccidents.com | FinancialPlanners.com | GreatHotels.com | UsedTrucks.com