negotiating a villa

[luvsTink]

Hi All,
When renting a vacation home do you negotiate with the owner or do you just assume that their first quote is there best quote?

Anne

 

[kksmom92]

I've negotiated before. Last year I had it narrowed down to two houses and really liked the one a little better over the other, but didn't know if the price was worth that much more. So I flat out told the owner I wans't quite sure yet as I did get another quote and told them where and for how much and they ended up matching!

Now I'm going back to them again this year!

 

[2wins]

Would you be willing to share the name of the Mgmt company or the owners? Has anyone else negotiated a villa? I've heard of a few that throw in a grocery card etc.

 

[isla bonita]

All you can do is ask.

It might be worth your bother.

 

[Kellydelly]

Just tread cautiously. I have had several home owners be very rude to me, saying the price range I was looking to pay was insultingly cheap. Well, don't reply to my general inquiry, then! There are plenty of people willing to rent their home out for $700-800 a week, so I'm not worried about the people charging double that .

 

[castanhope]

Just tread cautiously. I have had several home owners be very rude to me, saying the price range I was looking to pay was insultingly cheap. Well, don't reply to my general inquiry, then! There are plenty of people willing to rent their home out for $700-800 a week, so I'm not worried about the people charging double that .

There is definitely no excuse for owners to be rude when someone requests a discount or price range. I do think that some are offended however, when someone tells them they can get a house for somewhere a lot lower because it's comparing their property to another as though they were identical. Certainly this is not true in every case, but in a lot of cases, the properties that are priced higher are newer, more thoughtfully decorated, with more upscale furnishing and amenities than those priced at a discount. Yes, they may be the same size house and serve the same purpose, but owners tend to expect to rent a house built in 2009 with granite and stainless steel kitchens, high end furniture, theme rooms, and high end electronics for more than someone with a house that is the base model, several years old, with only basic, slightly outdated decor and amenities. It's like expecting to rent a 2009 Lexus for the same price as a 2005 Toyota. They might seat the same amount of people and they both serve the same purpose, but you are paying for comfort and style. If price is your only deciding factor in where you rent, then by all means, go for the cheapest place. Certainly it doesn't hurt to ask if the owner will throw in a free BBQ rental, or give you a 10% discount for staying longer than a week, or something like that, but I generally wouldn't expect them to drastically alter their rates unless you are booking very last minute.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I have asked and received a discount - but generally we stay between 10 and 20 days - so perhaps there is more scope.

 

[two*little*birds]

Once you narrow down your choices - I agree, it doesn't hurt to ask.