We put a list together to help protect the owner as well as the renter. The list has 10 tips and could easily be a lot longer. This is just a start, for more information you should get a book or do a lot more research on the internet. There are all kinds of lists out there and many tips.
- Overpayment SCAM, Potential renter wants to pay you with a certified check for more than the requested vacation rental charge. They then want you to send the difference back by wire transfer. Never Ever send money via wire transfer for overpayment. Ask yourself or any of your friends, when was the last time you over paid for something and trusted a stranger (you are a stranger to a potential renter) to send you money back via wire transfer for over payment. They will make up some elaborate excuse why they have a certified check or bankers check, don’t believe them it’s a scam.
- Cancellation policy, how much is refunded or not refunded if they cancel their reservation, clearly spell out the total rental amount including taxes, cleaning, clause regarding security deposit refund, payment schedule, and if needed storm policy.
- A signed lease agreement. We are not lawyers and one should be consulted for any law questions. There are plenty of lease agreement examples on the WEB. Just do some searches for lease agreements and you will find plenty of free ones.
- Number of occupants and ages staying at your rental property.
- Check in and checkout dates and times need to be specified very clearly. A story from one of my renters had a problem because the renter said they wanted to stay Jan 1 – Jan 5. Well come checkout time they said oh Jan 5 meant we were staying the night of Jan 5th. She didn’t have a lease agreement (shame on her) but did have an original email sent in by the renter requesting Jan 1 – Jan 5, 4 nights and luckily got them out. This could have been very messy.
- Checkout Policy, where how, and when. Things you want on your lease what to do with keys, cleaning out perishable foods, condition you want your unit left, some owners take a video of items in the rental unit, etc.
- Accompanied with the lease, request a copy of their driver’s license, home phone number. At least you know they are real. I will usually call them at least once at their home number verifying it’s real. You can check white pages and verify that’s it’s a home number and not a cell, even it’s unpublished.
- Cleaning person, they need to be reliable with quality work. I may be crazy but I let my cleaner (who I have been using for years) stay on a long holiday weekend for free (it wasn’t rented). I needed it cleaned, it saved me a cleaning fee and she got to stay at a resort, albeit it was offseason July 4th in Florida, but her family loved it.
- Pet policy, some owners allow them and some don’t. At least ask what kind of pet/s they have. Some owners charge an additional security deposit for pets.
- Phones numbers, get their cell number and give them yours, you may need to reach each other while they stay at your vacation rental. Should give them a list of emergency numbers, hospital, police, fire department, and other numbers you feel is needed.
Hope this list helps, like I mentioned earlier the list could be a lot longer. Do more research.
