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HELP |
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| What is a vacation rental? |
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A vacation rental is a home away
from home. It can be a private home, condo, villa, or cabin
that includes a kitchen and all of the amenities you would
expect to find at home. The kitchen should be fully stocked
with everything you need to cook and serve a meal.
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| What is a vacation rental
owner? |
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Owners of vacation rentals
advertise their properties on AlwaysOnVacation.com. They are
typically a private citizen and sometimes a company, who own
properties in resort areas and rent them on a short term basis
to vacationers. See our tips for booking directly from vacation rental owners.
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| How do I book a vacation rental? |
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To book your vacation rental you
need to contact the owner directly. Check the availability of
the rental through the availability tab on the listing. If
there is no availability tab, you will need to contact the
owner for availability for your desired dates. See our tips for booking directly from vacation rental owners.
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| How do I cancel or change my
reservation? |
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AlwaysOnVacation.com is unable to help you with
reservations booked directly with owners. Please contact the
owner directly and read Tips for
Booking Direct with Owners |
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| What if there is a problem with my
vacation rental? |
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You will need to work out any
issues you have with the owner directly. We suggest you
contact the owner as soon as a problem arises during your
stay. Don’t wait till afterwards. Be sure to have a phone
number to contact the owner in case you have a household
emergency. See our tips for booking directly from vacation rental owners.
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| TIPS |
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| Tips for Booking Directly
with a Vacation Rental Owner |
When you are looking for a
vacation rental, consider booking direct with the vacation
rental owner. There are a number of advantages when booking
direct and some disadvantages that can be avoided by following
our list of tips. The advantages include being able to speak
directly with the owner, who knows the property intimately and
therefore able to accurately answer all of your questions.
Often owner direct homes rent for less money than the neighbor
vacation rentals that are professionally managed. And booking
direct also give you an opportunity to negotiate some great
deals. The disadvantage of booking direct is that there are no
standards to guarantee the quality of the vacation rental or
the professionalism of the owner. Here is a list of tips to
follow when booking a vacation rental, especially when it is
direct through an owner.
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Get it in writing |
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A renter’s agreement is best, but a
confirmation that states all the details of the reservation is
acceptable. Included on your confirmation should be the
following.
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Your Name and
Address |
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Dates of Travel- (Including Number
of Nights) |
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Total Cost of the Rental |
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Security Deposit (if any) |
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Additional Fees (Pool Heat,
Firewood, Cleaning Fee) |
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List of Policies including
Cancellation, Terms of Payment and House Rules |
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Address to Property (Important: Look
up on Internet Map service to make sure address is
real) |
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Phone to Property |
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Owner Address and Phone Number |
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Contact for Maintenance Emergency-
Names and Phone Numbers |
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Driving Directions to the
Property |
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Clear Instruction on Obtaining
Keys |
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Is the Home Professionally Cleaned? |
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If the home is not professionally
cleaned, there is a chance that it won’t meet your standards.
Especially, if it is up to the guests to clean the property
before they vacate. If you have a choice of cleaning the home
or paying for a professional service, consider if you really
want the hassle of cleaning the home on your vacation.
Typically, vacation
rentals that use a professional cleaning service, will ask you
to remove linens from the beds and start a load of wash before
you leave. The kitchen should be clean and the dishwasher
loaded and left running.
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Is the Kitchen Fully Equipped? |
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Be sure that the kitchen is fully
equipped with all the appliances and pots and pans you will
require for the vacation. Also be sure there are enough place
settings for everyone in your party.
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Clarify the Bedding Configuration |
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Carefully, go over with the owner
exactly where everyone will sleep. Ask about the age and
comfort of sofa sleepers. Make sure there is bedding for every
couple and that you aren’t expecting adults to sleep in child
size beds.
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Stairs and Floor Plan |
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If anyone in your group has trouble
with stairs, be sure to clarify how many stairs there are into
the property. Understand where the bedrooms are in relation to
bathrooms and the main floor.
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Clarify Location |
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If you are looking for a home that
is walking distance to attractions, clarify with the owner
that there are no highways or hills on the walk. If you want
to be able to drive to a nearby attraction, be sure to ask
about driving times to and from this attraction during peak
traffic hours.
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Clarify Views |
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There may be a gorgeous view of the
ocean or lake from this property. But how old is this photo?
Have the trees grown enough to block this view? Where was the
photo taken? Was it from the deck? Did the photographer zoom
into the view before taking the photo?
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Clarify Parking Restrictions |
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Always find out how many cars can park at
the property. And if there is a garage at the property that
you expect to use, be sure that is available. For mountain
trips, clarify snow removal restrictions and if you need 4
wheel drive. |
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Are Linens Included? |
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Most professionally run vacation rentals
will offer enough linens for your entire party. Some may
charge an extra linen fee. Check to see if the property
includes linens. Typically, you should only need to bring your
favorite Beach Towels on vacation. |
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AlwaysOnVacation.com, a leading entity in the vacation rentals industry, is fast becoming one of the preferred vacation rental directories with vacationers and
holiday rentals & vacation rental owners. With a user-friendly search engine, in-depth guides for vacation homes and holiday rentals such as condos or condominiums, villas,
and more, and the latest buzz about fairs and festivals,
AlwaysOnVacation.com enables even novice vacation renters to easily plan their
vacation. Vacation rental property owners and managers will also find Alwaysonvacation.com effective and easy-to-use for marketing their properties.
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