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Watch For Pitfalls With Private Rentals

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By MICHELLE HIGGINS

The New York Times

Published: November 2, 2008

Renting a private home, an affordable alternative to staying in a hotel, is becoming an increasingly popular option for many travelers, particularly those on a family vacation. But it also has potential pitfalls and drawbacks - not only for the renter, but sometimes for the owner as well.

At least that's the conclusion one might draw from the reaction to a recent travel column about this subject.

Renters and owners alike shared their vacation rental experiences - some terrific, some horrific. And some, such as Christine from St. James, N.Y., the owner of a vacation rental in Puerto Rico, took offense to the story's description of one person's bad experience with a different property in Puerto Rico that a renter said was dirty and poorly maintained.

"I was dismayed to read this article that portrayed private vacation rentals in such a bad light," Christine wrote. "I have heard similar stories from friends who rented from management companies. You can have a bad experience at any vacation rental, or at a hotel for that matter."

But there were more than just complaints or rebuttals. Readers also shared tips and advice on how best to select a vacation rental.

Lesson No. 1: While professionally managed rentals promise a certain level of quality control, they don't always deliver on that promise. Take this post by "rjc" from Madison, Wis.:

"In September 2007, we rented an apartment in Nice, France, from a Scottish owner. Upon arrival at the rental agency, before the designated time, we had to wait because the rental agent wasn't on site and when she came, she had to run an errand. When we were finally taken to the apartment, it hadn't been cleaned, there was rotting food, and mold, in the refrigerator, and no hot water for over 18 hours. 'These things happen,' we were told by the rental agent. The apartment was cleaned within the next three hours, but it was a rocky start to the week. Correspondence to the owner after returning home was ignored. The rental agent was responsible, but took no responsibility and offered no recompense."

That's not to say that rental management companies don't have fans.

"I have rented homes in several states for vacations with family," wrote a reader named Sue from Schererville, Ind. "We would suggest only renting from a professional management company. We have been very disappointed with rentals from private individuals."

Likewise, rental management companies had something to say about the services they provide, mostly, it seems, a dose of reality. "Every owner believes his property offers something special - which is the attitude you want an owner to have - but the fact is, they sometimes don't really notice the barking dog, the street noise, or the out-of-the-way location," wrote Nikki Hootman, who writes a newsletter for Rentvillas.com, an agency specializing in rentals in Europe. "The role of the agency is to evaluate the property impartially and disclose the strengths and weaknesses openly with the client."

Vacation rental homeowners wrote in passionate defense of the rental-by-owner market, pointing out that many of them take great pride in their homes and hold their rentals to high standards.

And sometimes, homeowners pointed out, it's not the property that is the problem - it's the renter.

"Not mentioned in the article: the fact that it's all a two-way street," wrote Zachary K. "Sometimes renters ignore rules of the house (regarding smoking, late-night noise, etc), break things without paying or even mentioning them, etc. These folks are in the minority, I think, but it just goes to show you: Trust is required on both sides."

Travelers can also learn a lot from a vacation rental ad, if they know what to look for. A lack of interior photos can be a clue that something's not quite right, a reader with the screen name nyc10012 pointed out.

Several readers recommended Web sites where travelers can find reviews of vacation rentals, such as www .vacationrentalscommunity .com and www.slowtrav.com.

Bob Kelly, who owns a rental property in Pacific Beach, Wash., pointed out that reviews, like those on www .cyberrentals.com, often include the renter's e-mail address so travelers looking for feedback on a property can contact past renters for more insight.

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