Booking a holiday villa directly with owner

emer_b

Is there anything in particular I should check/ask for?
I've always used sites like booking.com but this time we wanted a very specific type of apartment in a complex that we are familiar with. I found the owner through ownersdirect.co.uk.
She has agreed to take payment via paypal so that I can pay by credit card but I still feel a little uneasy about it.
How can I ensure my booking is safe and trustworthy?

dudara

I'm going to move this to the Travel forum as I think you might get better responses there.

dudara

endofrainbow

It's just a chance you have to take.

I always check for testimonials from previous guests, ask about cancellations policies, whether or not there is someone local who handles maintenance issues etc.

Here's a post from a few years back but it explains things nicely :

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g58277-i63-k2943041-How_do_I_know_if_rental_property_is_legitimate-Virginia_Beach_Virginia.html

Marcusm

Read the terms and conditions ont he ownersdirect.co.uk site; they offer limited deposit protection.

Jocelynel

hi emer_b,

i advertise on trip advisor, so often deal with guests who feel nervous about booking direct, especially those who are renting a holiday home for the first time.

i don't use owners direct, but owners are vetted before their advert goes live. make sure you receive a booking contract. does owners direct have the length of time an owner has advertised with them. holiday lettings and holiday homes direct do. ask who their management is for greeting you and giving you the keys to the villa. you should be able to look up this company, although some owners just use a local for key holding.

you should be absolutely fine.

emer_b

Thanks very much for the replies. I'll contact the owner again tomorrow for a few extra details.

Lima Golf

I've rented twice from ownersdirect.co.uk (in Tenerife) I had no hassle either time. The first apartment was through an agency in Tenerife and they posted me a key before I left. The second time was through an English couple and the key was in a lock safe by the door. They just sent me the code before I left. Both times I did a bank transfer. You can see how long each property has been advertising with the website. Just pick one that's with the website a long time, that's what I did. I figured if they had payed for 5+ years advertising that they were reputable and not a scam.

Unshelved

I've rented a few times with holidayrentals.co.uk, and have never had any problems. Previous poster's advice is the best - look at how long the property has been on the site and at the testimonials. Each time I've used a bank transfer to transfer about 10-20% of the overall price and have had no hassles.

anne burnell

have rented a few times with homeaway.com and no complaints.... had a few emails back and forth with both owners of properties and no hassle.... both properties were in the states, and both were fab, better than the pictures on the site

emer_b

Thanks for the replies. Spoke with the owner on the phone tonight and all seems to be in order.