When renting house offsite, do you go with back up plan in case it is a scam?

[bcinohio]

We are renting a house offsite for the first time in July. It is a little scarry to me. The person we have rented through seems very nice, got back to me fast, I checked the tax records and they are paid, and the court records. The house does exist. My question is if you rent like this do you go with a back up plan in case it is a scam? There will be 3 familes together for a total of 14 and I'm making all the arrangements. I just want to cover everything. I know it is a long time off yet but I just wondered what other people who have done this do?

I think it will be fine but I'm just a little scared. Thanks for any help.

 

[Brian Noble]

The vast (vast!) majority of these transactions go off without a hitch. It sounds as though you've done your due diligence. Enjoy!

 

[sympatico]

You can also ask the owner for references. Contact their management company and ask questions also. I've never done this but many have.
We've rented houses for many years and haven't had any problems.
You could also post the house website or the name of the house and maybe someone has stayed there.

 

[In The Zone]

We are renting a house offsite for the first time in July. It is a little scarry to me. The person we have rented through seems very nice, got back to me fast, I checked the tax records and they are paid, and the court records. The house does exist. My question is if you rent like this do you go with a back up plan in case it is a scam? There will be 3 familes together for a total of 14 and I'm making all the arrangements. I just want to cover everything. I know it is a long time off yet but I just wondered what other people who have done this do?

I think it will be fine but I'm just a little scared. Thanks for any help.

I'm in the same boat as you. Could you please give me a link to check out the status on the taxes and court records?
TIA

 

[Chelley00]

The first year we rented a villa, I made a hotel resevation just in case I ended up canceling it since everything went fine with our rental.

 

[bcinohio]

In the Zone:

As long as your staying in Osceola county, ours is Windsor Hills, then these are the links you can use to search. For tax info: www.osceolataxcollector.com
and for court records use: www.osceolaclerk.com

Hope this helps. I will send you some pixie dust that yours goes well and please send us some that ours goes well.

 

[BellyBaby]

I tell my guests to register their vacation on http://guarantee.homeaway.com/

This is if you found the home on VRBO, HomeAway, or VacationRentals.com, they are all the same company. It's free insurance against internet fraud. If you used your credit card to pay, you're also likely protected.

You can also look at it this way - owners are also taking a huge risk letting strangers into their home, hoping the place doesn't get trashed - it's scary on both sides!

Make sure you read over your contract carefully, and ask questions on anything you're unsure about.

Now, stop worrying and have fun!

 

[formill]

We booked a villa last March (directly from owner) .....I was getting worried as a couple weeks before we still had no information on the lock box to get in the house....when we had a week before we were to leave the guy sent me an email that the house was double booked and he was sorry -blamed management company but put us in his other house same neighbourhood but not the house we chose- one less bathroom one less living room- he did not give us a refund of any sort and also took a few emails to get back our security deposit. This year we have two villas and my parents are already in one of them now and the rest of the family is coming over the next couple of weeks- we rented again directly from an owner but I also called the management company to confirm they had the same booking info and they reassured me that we were all booked in as we are supposed to be. This owner is great and has emailed back and forth regularly.....the guy from last year took a long time to answer any email. So I would find out the management company and confirm all is okay.