Vacationers - First Time Renters
Thank you for your interest in renting a vacation home. If this is
your first time considering a vacation rental, please review the
following information to help you in deciding to rent a home.
The
Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) has over 600
professional vacation rental management firms as members representing
nearly 150,000 vacation home rentals, so there are many choices
available.
It is important to remember that
renting a vacation home is different from reserving a room at a hotel,
bed and breakfast, or resort. The benefits of renting include having a
home experience with full home advantages available to you throughout
your stay. Many renters find that renting a vacation home provides them
with exceptional value.
In addition to
bedrooms and bathrooms, rental homes offer living areas, eating spaces,
and other conveniences such as porches or decks. Most rental homes are
also stocked with kitchen utensils along with food preparation items,
plates, cups, glasses, etc. In addition, many homes feature
entertainment items such as a DVD players, hook-ups for games, CD
players, multiple TVs, high speed Internet access, and more.
Please
note that renting a home typically requires signing an
agreement/contract with the vacation rental management firm. This
agreement/contract is legally binding and provides more detail than the
standard form you might find at a hotel or bed and breakfast. Vacation
rental managers advise that it is important to read the
agreement/contract and pay very close attention to cancellation and
refund policies. Many vacation rental management firms offer trip
cancellation insurance as an option, which you should consider.
As
a part of a home rental, those renting should bear in mind that they
are living in a neighborhood. As such, they should be considerate with
respect to hosting parties, playing music late and loud, parking,
preparing trash for pick-up, and other responsibilities. The happy
renter is one who rents a home and makes use of it in the same way that
they make use of their own home. They also leave the home in the same
condition as when they rented it.
Prior to
starting to search for your vacation home, we suggest that you meet
with everyone that will be staying in the home to discuss and decide on
preferences. The more you know about your preferences before you begin
to find a home, the better you will be able to secure the best home to
meet your needs.
The following is a checklist
of preferences that you should consider BEFORE picking up the phone or
checking the web to determine availability.
- How important is location? Do you have to be on the beach or on the
golf course or right next to the ski slope or can you be a few blocks
away?
- How flexible are you on the dates for your vacation? If flexible, determine alternative dates.
- How important is the view?
- Do you want a ground floor condominium or one with a better view on a
higher floor? Can you climb stairs to a higher condominium?
- How many adults and children in your group?
- How many bedrooms do you need? Can the children stay together in one bedroom? Have they ever shared a room before?
- What amenities are important to have in the home, such as a computer,
Internet connectivity, copy or fax machine, multiple TVs, DVD player,
CD player, bathtub, hot tub, swimming pool (private or community), full
service exercise facility, outdoor grill, deck, etc.?
- Will you eat the majority of your meals in? Most vacation rental homes
offer well-stocked kitchens. Also think about whether the availability
of room service or nearby restaurants is important.
- Are there special services that you would like to take advantage of if
available from the vacation rental management firm, such as food
delivered to the home, bicycle/ski rentals, event or activity tickets,
tours, tee times, spa treatments, etc.?
- Can you handle day-to-day responsibilities, such as cleaning up the
kitchen and reusing towels and soap, or do you require daily maid
service? A number of our vacation rental management firms offer
frequent cleaning services, so be sure to ask if this is important to
you.
- Do you need concierge level services? If so, be sure to check with the
vacation rental management firm to ensure that it can meet your needs.
- Any special considerations, such as non-smoking, handicap assess, public transportation, or pet friendly?
- How important is price?
- Do you need off street parking, such as a garage or covered parking? Parking can be an issue in several locations.
- Would you be interested in a â??gated communityâ? for extra security?
- Do you want trip cancellation insurance or travel-related insurance?
- Will your use of the rental home violate residential covenants or
restrictions, such as having late parties or playing music loudly?
- Are you sharing with other people, do you know their preferences?
When you are ready to start your research, please type a keyword in the
Directory Search box on the right to find vacation rental management
companies with homes in the area you want to visit. The Vacation Rental
Managers Association (VRMA) has over 600 professional vacation rental
management firms as members representing nearly 150,000 vacation home
rentals, so you have plenty of choices. Thank you again for your
interest!
http://www.vrma.com/Vacationers/vacationers_first_time.asp
