There are plenty of things that can turn a vacation disastrous, and one of them is a cursory booking of a vacation rental. While this type of travel accommodation is generally safe and even sought-after by several travelers, it’s not without flaws. Especially now that more and more fly-by-night owners are using rental websites and other posting sites to prey on unsuspecting victims, you should be more careful of what you reserve. In order to avert any vacation nightmare, here are some of the most common mistakes you should avoid.

Limiting your choices

The first step in booking a vacation rental is, of course, to find a reliable source with a surfeit of choices. But don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You’ll save more time if you use several rental resources either online or offline. As much as possible, collect as many rental candidates as you can to help you narrow down on the best choices. Limiting yourself with the choices can easily make for a risky travel, especially if you end up with a shady property owner.

Not inspecting the photos carefully

Each vacation rental you pick as potential choices should be equipped with plenty of photographs. Furthermore, the photos should showcase some of the most important areas of the house: living room, bathroom, bedrooms, front/backyard and kitchen. You should keep your eyes open for potential red flags that are usually hidden in the photos. For instance, undrawn curtains portend a potential unsightly backdrop, which the owner is trying to hide.

You should also inspect the photos for similarity. Many sham rental listings use photos that may seem to look related but are actually taken from different properties. Be careful of this trap as well as those retouched photos.

Skipping the rental agreement

Apart from confirming the specifics of the rental, i.e. number of beds and baths, square footage, location, proximity to important areas, etc., you should also double-check the rental agreement. It’s crucial to know just how you can use the house and what things and situations can make you liable for damages, for instance. Be sure to ask a lot of important questions to the owner, and base his or her credibility on the length of the reply. Too long a reply is a potential warning sign.

Choosing a wrong payment method

The oft-advised payment method when booking a vacation rental is through credit card. Don’t agree on money transfers or bank-to-bank transactions. Credit card payment is more reliable and less risky because it is traceable and offers a considerable level of protection both for your identity and your transaction.   We recommend using PayPal whenever possible – it allows renters the ability to finance their vacation and the landlord instant access to the rent money.

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