We have rented approximately 150 nights over the years and in that time we have only brushed up against two fraudulent properties. Here are some things to look for.
1. Always call the owner. If you can't reach the owner by phone? There is a problem. Talking to a management company might be safe, but ideally you want the owner.
2. If the calendar is empty for months in every direction? Something is wrong. If you are working with Homeaway, they can tell you the last time the property was rented and what the owner's response rate is. If the response rate is 0%? Something is wrong.
3. A property might have no reviews because it hasn't been listed very long, or, the owner doesn't have any good reviews to post. A property with no reviews isn't neccessarily bad, but it could be a clue that something is wrong.
4. Owners often try to hide the location because they don't want to invite thieves. Nevertheless, you can usually figure it out by looking at a map and then looking at the street view in googlemaps. Make sure the Google street view matches the house you are considering.
5. Once you have the street address, go to the county tax collector to make sure the taxes are paid. The tax records should allow you to confirm the owner's name.
6. Look up the property on Zillow. If the property was sold in the last year? That could explained n the lack of reviews. But if it hasn't been sold in ten years, someone should have reviewed it in that time. Look over the property records for anything odd.
7. Google the address to see if there is any bad information posted anywhere. You might find the property listed on other sites. Howeaway owns VRBO and a few others. If it isn't a homeaway owned site, check the information to make sure it is consistent with homeaway.
8. Google the owner's name and look for any bad results.
9. When it comes time to pay? Always use a credit card but never give the owner your credit card number. Make the payment through homeaway or PayPal. Using a credit card will allow you to dispute the charge. If you must give a credit card number to the owner (perhaps for a deposites)? Use a MasterCard Gift Card to lower your risk exposure. The last thing you want is the owner or management company to have your credit card number sitting in a file folder or sitting out on someone's desk.
10. You may find Villa owners are from outside the country. That isn't neccessarily bad. During construction, various communities were marketed to different countries - especially the UK. Even if from another country, you still need to talk to the owner.
Follow these ten tips for the best chance. Of avoiding a rip off.
