Safely booking offsite villa/townhouse - tips needed.

[Karen4120]

Hi please help. This has become quite the task with our Disney Rental. I have a few selected on HomeAway and AirBNB. What are your requirements when booking a home/townhome?

Do you go by the most reviews?
Does Premiere Partner influence you or superhost on AIRBNB?
Payment protection a factor?
Do you google the address (many won't give it) to make sure the home is not for sale or tax sale?
Do you deal with the private owner on a site like Windsor Hills/Palms.
Do you call them before you make payment?
Do you only deal with a private party or are you more comfortable with a management firm?

I have read some horror stories about owners selling the unit shortly before vacation and I'm very leary. Will HomeAway protect against that if I book with a credit card thru their site? I thought I found the perfect rental in Solterra. It had great reviews, looked awesome, was pretty new but when I searched the address, I found it just came off the market. Doesn't say it was recently sold. I am thinking they are changing realtors. I asked the management company if the unit is for sale and she said no but there are no guarantees that it will stay that way. So what are your tips to safely secure a rental? In the past I have rented from a owner that had lots of 5* reviews and I have not been disappointed. But can a owner rig the system and have fake reviews (family members posting for them)? I came across a rental that looked great in Windsor at Westside but the management company (a premiere partner) was awful. From my first correspondence he was short with one line answers. When I asked for a telephone number to contact him, he disappeared. I almost thought it was fraudulent. I even contacted HomeAway but they assured me he was legit and the mgt co was a premiere partner! There was no way I was dealing with this company, can just imagine how helpful he would be in the case of an issue with the house. I also googled his company name and many had problems. So please help.....what are your suggestions for safely renting?

 

[ParkHopperFan]

All good questions.

My experience has been to deal with owners directly to avoid the bait and switch that management companies can do. I am not a fan of AirBNB or Homeaway because they charge a ridiculous fee just to link you with an owner or management company. Some of the fees can equal as much as an additional night. When you deal with an owner directly, you will get a pretty good sense of the level of service you will get when you stay. The ones who are communicative will most likely remain that way and will provide good service. Don't be afraid to contact an owner and ask a bunch of questions to meet your comfort level. We use Paypal for the protection during the transaction.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We also chose to book directly through an owner. We filled out an inquiry form on windsorhillsofficialrentals.com and chose from the replies we received. My husband emailed back and forth with a couple of owners with questions we had, and he spoke to the owner we chose over the phone before we ended up booking with her.

 

[starvenger]

I think you’re off to a solid start. With rental properties you’re really dependent on reviews and word of mouth, so if something doesn’t pass your smell test then take it off your list.

Definitely don’t look at anything with less than 5 reviews. Most of these people are probably legit but you don’t want to “take one for the team”, as it were.

As pp noted, service fees can add up, so make sure you look at that final total, not just the per night fee. For example, One place I was looking at near FLL/MIA for 2 nights had a per night of $150, taxes of $47, a service fee of $47 and a cleaning fee of $66. For a 2 night, those last two fees are a hefty add-on. Over 7 days, different story as you’re looking at an additional $16 per night versus the $57 for a 2 night stay.

 

[bearzabout]

I’d feel comfortable renting from David Robinson at Windsor Hills. He owns many condos and got together with other owners to rent off a website he manages. I signed up for emails and get notifications of deals on last minute rentals.

I always do a bit of research after getting the property address and make sure I am dealing with the real owner. I check property owner records for pricey rentals. The advantage of VRBO and AirBnB is they help resolve problems if they pop up. After my sister-in-law booked a fraudulent rental on VRBO, she bought the insurance and got all her money back.

 

[bearzabout]

I found out that Dave Robinson of Vacation Central Florida passed away in December. Looks like the rental company is still operating.

 

[trubgerg]

Maybe think about looking into hotel suites, too? It was 20 years ago so I don't remember the name of the place, but I'm sure it was in Kissimmee... there were 5 of us and it had 2 bedrooms, a pullout couch, and maybe a cot or a murphy bed. Anyway, it was pretty much a 2 bedroom apartment with a decent sized living room and a kitchen.