Rental Blog :: Rental Property

Preparing For Holidays Vacation Rentals

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:30:33 +0000

Wisely choosing vacation rentals are a great and probably the best way of saving money and enjoying your vacations with a limited budget. It might seem difficult, but it sure is not! Following some of the simple steps below will help a lot in choosing a suitable vacation home rental.

Know your Destination
This is one of the things which most tourists deny to think of. It is very important to know where you are going for your vacation. Are the places you are planning on visiting near to the vacation home rental? If you’re going to a coastal area, is it near to the beaches? A wise way of choosing your vacation home rental is to plan which places you are going to visit beforehand, and choose a suitable vacation rental nearby.

Do the Research
This is another thing which most tourists don’t do. Do the research before you go on your vacation. The internet is a vast place full of information and pictures. Why not consult it? Find out about the vacation rentals available in your vacation destination and compare their prices, distance from tourist spots, comfort etc. You are sure to come up with a few great rentals which are suitable for your trip.

Ask your Friends
Did you know that the easiest way to find out about the greatest vacation rentals in your vacation destination was as simple as asking your friends, family and colleagues? Ask a few people you know who have already visited the destination, and you are sure to get some solid advice on not only the vacation home rentals, but also restaurants, places of tourist interest, beaches etc. You wouldn’t regret advice from a close one.

Consult a Travel Agent
Consulting a trusted travel agent, either reviewed or recommended by friends, is probably one of the greatest ways to get all the information you require about your vacation trip. Vacation home rentals, places of interest, restaurants, all the information at one place! If you hire an agent, you wouldn’t even have to do any work? The agent will do all the planning for you. All you have to do is pack up and catch the next plane to your dream vacation destination!

Beach Vacation Rentals Finding Tips

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:28:35 +0000

There are so many options when you travel for vacation rentals including, but not limited to, hotels, condos, villas, homes, timeshares, and more. The key to knowing which style to focus on will be based around needs, wants, budget, location, and any other accommodations you desire. We want to wipe away any anxiety so you know what you are getting with the various options you have. So, let’s get started now…

1. Know what you want, need, etc.

If you want to be right on the beach but don’t want to pay the premiums, then you may have to decide to give up a few amenities. In a beach rental you will get what you pay for so if you do want all the bells and whistles, then expect to pay a little more. It may be worth it since this could be one of the only vacations you have all year.

2. Do your due diligence…

The beauty of the web is there is all sorts of information out there. That can be a good thing and a bad thing, but utilize your common sense when determining what you are getting in a vacation rental. Ask for referrals, find a qualify local professional to assist you, read lots of reviews, view pictures and video tours, and so forth. Make sure you know what you are getting in terms of amenities and locations.

3. Know the owners and how will issues be handled:

Both of these attributes can play a huge role. Once our air conditioning went out and unfortunately we had to move spots, but luckily we were able to do that while they fixed the problem. Owners of vacation rentals should provide a bio and information regarding how to handle things while you are staying in their place. You may also be able to contact local business organizations like the chamber of commerce to make further inquiries.

4. Know the contract:

Signing up for a beach rental is not always like booking a hotel. Each rental will have specifications that you will want to know. The last thing you want on your trip is headaches with your spot. Do you have to clean up? Is there a refundable deposit? These are just a couple items to review. In addition to this don’t send money before you sign something and we recommend utilizing an escrow service or paypal that will allow you to dispute any issues.

5. Book early, book late, and ask for deals:

These owners are people just like you and I. They will tend to offer deals and usually do through a number of vacation rental websites (there are quite a few). Bottom line is write down what you want, your budget, and go find it. Once you do, book it or someone else will. You can get deals whether you book early or go last minute. Don’t play games though or you may wind up in a beach vacation rental you don’t want.

Vacations don’t come around all the time for the majority of us. Your goal is to enjoy it to the utmost and proper planning will ensure that. Finding beach vacation rentals is one of the critical factors that will determine the success of your trip.

Site of the Month for December 2011

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:01:35 +0000

Site of the Month for December 2011 is concerned with Vacation Rentals. Rent Directory provides free information on apartment rentals, house for rent, student housing, vacation rental, tenant rights, United Kingdom apartment, Canada apartment, United States apartment.

If I Rent Out My Vacation Home, Can I Still Use It Myself?

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:30:05 +0000

Only for a very limited amount of time each year, if you want the chance to deduct losses on your rental property. To be treated as a business for tax-loss purposes, your use of the property can’t exceed 14 days or 10% of the days the unit is rented during the year, whichever is greater. Ten percent may sound like a lot, but really isn’t when you figure that a seasonal rental may only be in demand for two or three months each year. For example: Lorraine, who lives in the city, bought a house at the beach as an investment, planning to rent out the house each summer. This year tenants occupied the house during July and August, for a total of 60 days. Lorraine is allowed to vacation at the house herself for a total of 14 days, which is greater than 10% of the total time the house was rented (0.10 x 60). If you violate the 14-day/10% rule, you can still deduct expenses associated with the rental, but only to the extent that you report rental income. The property can’t produce a loss that will reduce your tax bill on other income.

Site of the Month for June 2011

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:28:51 +0000

Site of the Month for June 2011 relates to Rental Resource. Search Rent is a rental directory providing links to apartment rental, home stay, guest house, rental booking, lodges reservation, student housing, bedroom apartments, house rentals, furnished homes, rental homes, rental properties.

Buying a Timeshare

Andy Johnson — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:31:36 +0000

A timeshare exchange gives the owner freedom to vacation at any time of the year unlike only at a specific time. Also it gives the freedom from going to the same unit every year. It can not only avail the exchange service through the timeshare developer but can also go directly to a timeshare exchange company. But care should be taken to select a right exchange broker. Do your homework first by researching well about the background of the broker. The timeshare industry is not fully protected against non-scrupulous acts by scammers and frauds. Do not pay huge fees or sign any document unless making sure you are doing the right thing.

It is not a simple transaction. If the week requested by an owner is in the inventory and the week offered by the owner is a good exchangeable week then the exchange takes place. It does not mean that the owner has to wait until the time the exchange company finds an exchange offer for your timeshare. They already decide it after reviewing the timeshare like what season timeshare it is? What location? Those who have timeshares in peak season have more chances of finding a timeshare and they can request exchange both in peak time and off peak time periods. The owners who have off peak timeshares usually get off timeshares, their chances of getting a peak season timeshare are almost zero. But this may vary from resort to resort. Some resorts may be busy all round the year. The owners in these kinds of resorts generally have no problems exchanging timeshares.

If a person cannot find an exchange the exchange company puts you in the waiting list and contacts you whenever an exchange is available and gives you the exchange unit. The owner can also chose in the beginning of the exchange request whether to approve the exchange confirmation at the approval of the owner at least a week before the confirmation or to go ahead and confirm the exchange without the approval. Again keep in mind good planning is necessary to initiate an exchange. If you decide to exchange a timeshare in the last minute, it may not be possible.

Instant Tenant Screening

Thomson Thomas — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:52:59 +0000

Thirty years ago rental property owners, including me at the time, never paid much attention to tenant background screening or background checks. In fact most of us used a short rform of lease or rental selection at a local stationary store that basically only required a few bits of personal information with a signature at the bottom of the one page. Oh, boy, have things changed. In today’s leasing market property owners are suspicious of humans, or should be. Now it’s trust but verify, phone calls on tenant history, and a current credit report from all three reporting agencies. Next thing you know, property owners will be required of new tenants to cut a deck of cards and give a blood sample.

Of course there are some landlords and property owners with investments in the lower income parts of major cities who participate a nihilistic approach and could care less about a tenant home check or tenant verification of any type and any upfront rental deposit is ignored as well. Just rent it and forget it, baby. These landlords rent on a month-to-month basis and if the rent is not paid and a tenant eviction looms on the horizon, a 30 day notice to vacate is presented to the tenant to pay or quit. Some property owners have been known to simply use an acrimonious tone to the tenant inserting the word police or sheriff which makes the tenant think twice about damaging the rental unit.

One exception to property owners and landlords having to get a migraine over chasing tenant evictions, tenant leasing, background screening, tenant checks, tenant history, tenant verification of employment or a 10 year tenant background check is receiving the Federal Government concerned via the Section 8 rental program. Section 8 is low income housing using a voucher system to income-qualified rental units. Section 8, in advance, pretty much has all the tenant personal information on hand before contacting landlords or property owners on vacant units that may be available to rent. The government also shares in part paying a portion of the rent on behalf of the tenant. One of the drawbacks on this program is the amount of allowable rent charged to the tenant by the owner.

In any tenant screening process a landlord or owner is NOT required to rent to any one person or family. However, discrimination is profligate and not tolerated. There are generally two forms used when renting or leasing an income unit: a month-to-month rental agreement and landlord and tenant agreement to lease. When either form is completed by a tenant a landlord or owner should have in hand every possible thing to know about the future tenant including, but not limited to, picture drivers license, DOB, employment in the past and present, banking information, financial obligations, personal references, and much more.