Vacation Rental Information

VRWD.com Logo

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) August 13, 2007

Vacation Rentals Web Directory, a new directory of vacation rentals, announces its recent launch. VRWD.com is the first and only vacation rental directory that provides a single gateway to the many thousands of vacation rental websites from all over the world.

VRWD.com is designed to provide a new advertising channel for vacation rental owners and publishers. Benefits of adding a listing to VRWD.com include increased search engine ranking and quality referrals. In addition, sites that are approved for listing on VRWD are issued a Trusted Vacation Rental seal that can be used to improve vacation rental public trust. Vacation rental listings on VRWD.com may be reviewed and rated by vacation rental experts, editors, customers and visitors.

“The launch of VRWD.com marks the new era in vacation rentals,” says John Romano, VRWD.com chief executive officer. “With the increased popularity of vacation rentals over the past few years and with no standardization within the industry, VRWD.com provides a new and unique opportunity for vacation rental owners and publishers to get rated and gain trust among vacationers.”

Submitting a vacation rental listing and using the Trusted Vacation Rental Seal is free. VRWD.com also offers paid submissions for featured and premium listings, which occupy a higher position under the search result pages.

About Vacation Rentals Web Directory

Vacation Rentals Web Directory (VRWD.com) is the world’s first and only marketplace that reviews and rates vacation rental websites and vacation home listings from around the world.

The VRWD.com human-edited directory provides a single gateway to everyone involved in vacation rentals: Renters can find trusted vacation rental websites and homes for free, while vacation rental owners and publishers can become trusted members for free and receive many marketing benefits.

VRWD.com is committed to quality and reviews every submitted listing before approval. The site only lists vacation rental-related Web sites. VRWD.com is led by an experienced team of vacation rental experts who are dedicated to making vacation rentals a more consolidated and trusted marketplace.

For more information, contact:

PR Staff

Phone: 305-407-2747

3531 Griffin Road

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

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by Donnaphoto

How to Create a Thorough Vacation Rental Agreement

It’s important to create a rental agreement for your vacation rental business so that you can get everything in writing from your guests.  You should clearly outline the expectation for you and for your renters so there are no disputes down the road. 

Below are 10 must-haves for your vacation rental contract:

1. Maximum Occupancy and Age Requirements. When going through the screening process for your vacation rental guests, you should be able to determine a rough estimate for their age and how many people will be staying in your vacation property. However, your vacation rental agreement should remind renters of your rules for required parental supervision of designated age groups, along with the maximum occupancy of your home in case they are considering bringing any extra guests.

2. Check-in and Checkout Dates & Times. To coordinate your cleaning and housekeeping duties, you’ll need to clearly communicate the check-in and checkout dates and times.  In the event of early arrival, the house might not be clean and could result in complaints. If your guests stay too late, your housekeeper might not have time to sufficiently clean your vacation home before the next group arrives. Your renters should be made aware of these important times, and your vacation rental lease should state the penalties if these times are not observed.

3. Cancellation policy.  Your vacation rental contract should spell out the penalties according to the time frame in the event that a renter needs to cancel his or her reservation.  As the date of the reservation nears, it will be increasingly more difficult to fill those dates with other renters. Therefore, the penalties should be higher as the date approaches.

4. Total payment due. You can not rely on your renters to write down prices from your vacation rental listing or during a phone conversation. The total rental rate, including all fees and taxes, should be included in your vacation rental contract.

5. Payment schedule.  Just because the renters know the cost of your property does not mean they know your deadlines.  Your vacation rental contract should provide a timeline for payment due dates, including deposits.

6. Pet Policy & Smoking Policy. It is up to you to let renters know about restrictions regarding pets or smoking at your vacation property. Just because a renter says that he doesn’t plan to bring a pet, you should still spell out your rules in your vacation rental agreement in case he changes his mind. Also, it cannot be assumed that people will be simply know to not smoke in your home. Your vacation rental lease should define the penalties if it is determined that a renter has smoked inside your vacation rental.

7. Checkout Policy. As soon as your renters arrive at your vacation home you should tell them what is expected at the time of checkout. Let them know in your vacation rental contract whether they need to wash sheets, take out trash, etc., so there is no confusion on the day of checkout.

8.  Weather policies. Vacation rental owners should use their vacation rental agreement as a form of protection in the event of inclement weather or Acts of God. Spell out your storm and hurricane policy up front to avoid disagreements about refunds later on.

9. Requirements for security deposit refund. When renters pay the security deposit for your vacation rental, they should be aware of what is covered and what is expected of them in order to receive a full refund. Your vacation rental agreement should also explain the penalties for violating these rules.

10. Your contact information. Although it seems obvious, your vacation rental contract should include all of your contact information and emergency contact information, including the address of the vacation rental home.

Your vacation rental agreement should be as specific as possible and include detailed information to protect yourself and your renters.

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Check out these vacation rental property products:

How To Purchase A Rental Property For Under k!
This is a great book explaining where to find rental properties all over the US that are selling online for under k, without paying a finders fee or commission, and what to look for before and after purchasing one of these “low cost rental properties”.
How To Purchase A Rental Property For Under k!

by sweetviscape

Question by I Try: About Obama’s million vacation rental in Hawaii?
When they say “the President’s $ 4 million vacation rental” do they mean the place is worth $ 4 million, or that we, the taxpayers, are paying $ 4 million for the President elect’s vacation?

Best answer:

Answer by Flipert
that the place is worth 4 million

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

by Occasional_Traveller

Question by Matt: Where can I find info online on long term apartments in Sicily?
I am looking to spend three months in sicily at the end of this year (Sept-Nov) But have no idea where to look. Can someone please point me in the right direction online? Everywhere I look, I only find “holiday vacation rentals” not “long term” like I need. Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by miyako
Well the best thing to do is to rent an apartment in Sicily. You can find info on Homelidays.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

vacation rentals eBay auctions you should keep an eye on:

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6 Steps To Super Pictures Of Your Vacation Rental Property

As an owner, you know all the intimate details about what makes your property so great. The challenge is in conveying those to prospective renters. Vacation rental web sites help by providing you with a custom web site for your property, and promoting it to family vacationers around the globe. So what can you do to leverage this worldwide exposure? Attractive and descriptive photos can take a good property listing, and make it great. And it is a lot easier than you think.

So a picture really can be ‘worth a thousand words’, as they say. But how you create the best impression for your property? Here are some tips from the vacation rental property marketing experts at GreatFamilyRentals.com:

1. Digital or film, either works
Whether you use a traditional film camera or a digital one does not really matter. Use what you’re most comfortable with. Even single-use, disposable cameras (with flash) can take reasonably good photos. Both digital and film camera technologies are sufficient to capture images extremely well. We recommend 400-speed film for the best results from film cameras.

What matters far more is how the camera is used. Which brings us to…

2. Interiors – Plan the setting
Professional home photographers spend hours creating the right look before snapping the first picture. While we don’t recommend similar time devotion, a little time making sure your property is presentable will pay off. You will likely take your pictures between rental sessions, after the property has been cleaned. Of course renters like seeing everything neat and tidy, but we’ve noticed that sometimes a less sterile view helps vacationers imagine themselves in your property – and that’s what it’s all about. Here are some ideas to make the interior of your property look less like a hotel room, and more like a vacation home:

- Set the dining table for a meal, including wine glasses and candlesticks
- Put out some board games or books on the coffee table
- On your deck or patio, put a beach towel and a couple of cold drinks next to those chaise lounges

All right, since you’re taking pictures, the drinks don’t really have to be cold, but you get the idea. Of course your property should be clean and neat, but making it appear more like it probably does when occupied, helps show the potential of your vacation rental.

Spend a few minutes choosing which rooms you wish to show. Common areas, like living rooms and kitchens are important. You might not think your kitchen is anything special, but that’s not the point. Many vacationers like to see the kitchen’s layout, even if they know what equipment it contains. Primary bedrooms are important as well, as they allow renters to visualize their sleeping arrangements.

If your property has anything out of the ordinary on the inside (a complete home theater, for example), it’s a good idea to take a photo of it as well (and don’t forget to include it in your property description). For many properties, views to the outside are important – so capture them, and at the best time of day.

Like any good Realtor would recommend, turn on all the lights inside your property before taking your pictures. Set your flash to automatic, so that it will fire whenever necessary. Set your zoom on its widest setting and move back to position yourself to capture as much of each room as possible.

3. Exteriors – Open your eyes
You probably don’t think too much about how your property and the surrounding area appear. You’ve been in and out of your rental property hundreds of times. But take a few minutes and decide what you’d like to show potential renters – it could sometime make the difference between someone booking, and passing. Showing which unit is yours in a multiple unit building can be helpful. If your property is a house or detached condominium, the exterior appearance and setting can be a big selling point. Amenities specifically for your unit can be worthwhile showing as well, such as swing sets, docks, saunas, etc.

Aside from your particular property, there are probably other reasons to book your vacation rental. So show them! Include a photo of the beach your renters can use. Put one in showing how close the chairlift is from your front door. Show the pool, playground, fishing pond, hiking trails, etc. You may be wondering, should I only show features that are for my guests only, like a private pool? Of course you’ll want to include these, but by all means you should include non-exclusive amenities as well. Potential guests want to know what then can do, where they can go, etc. The idea here is to give potential renters a sense of the setting of your vacation rental property, and the best things about the immediate area. All the more reason to book their vacation with you!

4. Maps, floor plans, etc.
Perhaps there some things about your vacation rental property that you’d like to show prospective renters, but you can’t take a picture of them. Does your property have a unique or particularly expansive layout? In addition to the description you write, there is a way to include a floor plan in your listing. Just take a photo of it! Lay out the floor plan on a table with good light. Try to position yourself directly above the center of the floor plan, instead of at an angle – that way it won’t be distorted. Sometimes standing on a chair can help. Lastly, make sure you hold the camera very still so that the image is not blurred when you press the shutter.

5. Labeling your photos
Here’s another opportunity to include information about your vacation rental property. Don’t pass up the opportunity to label your photos when you upload them! And include some descriptive text. Which sounds better to you: “Master bedroom” or “Spacious master bedroom with king bed and Gulf view”? If the seasons affect the views your property offers, like leaves on trees that block that mountain view in the summer, or the sunset that’s only visible from the living room window for part of the year, you should label your photos appropriately. Such as: “Sunset view from balcony in August”. Some might assume that these views exist throughout the year, so it’s best to be explicit in this regard. Don’t forget to label maps and floor plans, too, so prospective renters know what they’re looking at. These are all opportunities to help get inquiries and sell bookings for your vacation rental property, so take advantage of them.

6. Processing issues
Unfortunately, all film processing is not the same. We prefer one or two day service from an off-site lab, compared to typical one-hour results. While we’ve gotten acceptable results from one-hour service at a drugstore, the off-site labs provide more consistent photofinishing quality. If you try one hour processing and aren’t happy, you can always have a lab reprint your photos.

A Real Estate Video Tour featuring the Allstar Lodging Cabin Travel Vacation Rental Property, located on Wallace Avenue in Luray Virginia. For more info visit Allstar Lodging online at www.allstarlodging.com today. This video tour is presented by AgentCasts Real Estate Video Tours http

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European Rentals – YOUR PERSONAL REFERENCE TOOL FOR RENTALS, IN AND ACROSS EUROPE!

Whether personal property, products, services, location, equipment or more, there are more to European rentals than meets the eye at first glance.  You might be asking yourself, why EUROPE??… Some call it the “cradle of civilization”. For many others, this is home and/or a prized, treasured location of choice and distinction, to visit, frequent and return to often!  It is for many also the perfect venue for vacation, business, short to- medium, interim and even longer-time periods,

List Price: $ 4.50

Price:

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Image by larry_ami
Island Real Estate has worked out of the same location since 1970. Our web site is www.IslandReal.com and we offer Real Estate Sales, consulting, Vacation Rentals, Property Management, Association Management, and Home Away service 7 days per week!