An article by Tamara Camden published by www.luxuryvillafinder.com
I received an email from a couple who were recent vacation rental
guests at a rental I have. Here's what they had to say: "We loved the
house & had the best vacation ever...We did our best to leave the
house as we found it. We did not need to use the A/C, the washer &
dryer, or the 2nd bedroom. You did a great job with that house & we
respect that. We were out & about most of the time any how...Thanks
again, we look forward to going back soon."
Now wouldn't it be
great in a perfect world if every guest was like this! These are the
type of guests I would welcome back anytime. Most Vacation Renters are
pretty good (and I'm sure there's another future article that can be
written about "Owner Etiquette"), but due to my experience in the rental
business over the past several years, I've come across some good tips I
can recommend for Vacation Renters to follow that will make for a Happy
Owner:
Don't misrepresent the number of people in your group.
This will not make the Owner or Property Manager happy from the start.
Capacity limits are provided for a reason (local ordinances and the
extra strain on the home and utilities). The same goes for pets. Make
sure you get permission from the Owner before bringing a pet. Parties
and weddings at a home should also be ruled out unless prior permission
was granted.
Let the property manager know in advance if you are
going arrive early or later than expected. Most owners or managers are
accommodating if they have advance notice and availability. If your
airplane is late, be sure to give the Owner a quick call to let them
know so that the Owner is not waiting around for you to give you the
keys, etc.
Try to leave the vacation home in the same condition as
received. You are on vacation and not expected to do a lot of work;
however, if you have several dirty towels, you may want to help the
cleaning person out and start the laundry. This is particularly
important if there is a turn-around guest (another guest arriving later
that day), because it is the laundry that takes the most time for them.
If you are at the beach all day, make sure you hose off the sand outside
before tracking it in. Try not to get food or drink stains on the
carpet or the living room furniture. If tipping is customary at your
vacation place, or if you feel your housekeeper or Caretaker did an
excellent job, feel free to leave them a tip for a job well done.
Make sure your children are closely supervised-that they are not doing things such as hopping on the beds and furniture.
If
you break something in the home, don't try to hide it. Let the Owner or
Manager know so that they can try to replace it, or you may offer to
take care of it yourself. Many Owners live a distance away from the
rental home so it may not be as easy to replace something. If it's a
small item, many Owners will not ask for compensation, but will
appreciate the honesty. Make sure you bring equipment you take outdoors
such as all of the towels, chairs, and snorkel equipment back inside
from the beach or wherever you went for the day.
Be sure to secure the house and lock up while you are out for the day.
Be
aware of the utility consumption in the rental property. Electric for
A/C can be expensive if run full-blast all the time or if the windows
are left open.
Don't smoke inside the house.
Don't let a
maintenance issue go. If there is a plumbing issue, etc. notify the
Owner or Manager immediately so they can take care of it before it gets
to be a bigger problem. On the same token, be sure to take care with
Owner's equipment such as being careful not to overload the washer, and
to clean the lint out of the dryer.
If the Owners have supplies
out for their guests, try not to be greedy and either replace or save
something for the following guests. Many guests are generous and will
leave a good book behind that they've already read for the next guest.
Be respectful of any surrounding neighbors by not being too noisy.
Don't
nitpick and fuss at every little detail about the home if it is clean
and adequate. Your decorating and furnishing ideas may be different than
the Owners. You are there to relax and enjoy yourself and to have a
good time with the area and attractions that you have chosen.
Do not rearrange the furniture. Vacation renters are renting short-term and it is difficult to move the furniture back.
Do not park on the lawn or pick the flowers.
Finally,
treat the home as your own. Owners tend to have a lot of pride in their
homes and enjoy sharing their home with others. They like to see their
guests have just as much fun as they do. Owners appreciate it when
guests send them pictures of their trip and give them positive reviews
for future guests. The biggest compliment you can give them is a repeat
booking.
Author Tamara Camden's vacation rental websites are as follows: http://www.AllRentals2Remember.com & http://www.eleuthera-bahamas-vacation-rentals.com
