I have geared my blog posts towards owners of vacation rentals thus far. I wanted to take the time to do a post for the renters. None of us would own vacation rentals if we didn’t take care of our renters, after all. What better way to help out vacation renters than to help you make sure that beautiful home you see online is what you will actually be renting? We have all heard stories of someone booking a vacation rental through Craigslist only to find out that they have been duped and the rental doesn’t actually exist. Here are some tips to avoid vacation rental scams.
Book Through a Trusted Vacation Rental Website
The internet has made finding a quality vacation rental from an owner or manager you can trust much simpler. There are dozens of vacation rental websites that allow you to search, view photos and book, all without leaving the safety of that well-known site. The two biggest vacation rental sites are Homeaway and Airbnb. Most reputable vacation rental listing sites offer the guests some form of protection from scams. For example, Homeaway’s Book with Confidence Guarantee protects renters from listing fraud and property misrepresentation.
Use a Secure Form of Payment When Booking Your Vacation Rental
The safest way to pay for a vacation rental (or anything else for that matter) is using a credit card. Credit Card companies allow you dispute not only fraudulent charges, but also in instances where the product or service was not as advertised. Your debit card may provide the same or similar protection, but it can be more complicated to get your money back and take longer. In the meantime, you are still without your hard earned dollars.
Most vacation rental owners will be able to accept credit cards in this day and age, but some will ask you to pay with a check. This request should not automatically set off alarm bells, but just make sure you have thoroughly researched the property and/or the vacation rental manager. Some smaller vacation rental operations may just ask you to pay with cash when you arrive. I think this is OK as well. Just make sure that you have it in writing that your reservation is guaranteed and you are indeed allowed to pay upon your arrival.
If a prospective vacation rental accommodation asks you to pay via wire transfer, please ignore the request and find another home. I can guarantee that anyone asking for payment via wire transfer is a scammer.
Do Some Research to Avoid Vacation Rental Scams
Booking through a major vacation rental site certainly makes things easier to avoid vacation rental scams. But what about booking directly through the local vacation rental management company? Good for you if you choose to go this route! You can have the satisfaction of knowing you helped a small business. You will just need to perform a little due diligence.
Check out the property management company online. Look at their website and see if they have a physical office address. If they do, verify the location and make sure it is legitimate. Even small cities typically have a local chamber of commerce. If the manager is a member, that is a very good indicator that they are a legit company. The Better Business Bureau is another good resource for vetting companies.
Look at Reviews from Other Travelers
Accommodations rank right up with restaurants as one of the most heavily reviewed industries. Any legitimate vacation rental should have at least some reviews. If you have fallen in love with a property that has no reviews, ask the owner why he has none (it could be that he just started renting the house).
A property management company might also have a Facebook or Google Business Page with reviews. Find as many reviews as you can. You should see some negative reviews (no business is perfect), but mostly positive reviews if you are dealing with a legitimate party.
Ask to See a Copy of the Rental Contract Before Booking
Every vacation rental should have at least a basic contract. This will spell out the obligations of each party. This will typically be displayed somewhere in the booking process if you book a vacation rental online. Make sure you read the contract before booking! Most people simply click “accept” and don’t take the time to read it. Make sure the property sends you a copy of their contract before booking if you do not book online.
It is important to be aware of the key aspects such as the cancellation policy. More importantly, a well prepared and professional contract adds some legitimacy to the person you are about to entrust.
Use Common Sense
If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Your intuition is the most valuable resource to avoid vacation rental scams. Usually the scam artist will offer the property at a greatly reduced rate. You might see an advertisement for a beautiful beachfront home with a rate half or less of comparable homes in the area. Do some research on a reputable vacation rental listing site such as Homeaway if you don’t know what the average rates are in the area. Another sign of a scammer is if they are pressuring you into making a quick decision.
Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance will generally not cover a vacation rental guest in the event of fraud, however travel insurance companies are constantly evolving and offering new products. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of your policy if you have purchased travel insurance.
