| Questions & answers |
If you have not used holiday-properties-for-rent before, or rented from a
private holiday home before; this page should help answer any questions you
have about using the site and having a perfect and relaxing holiday!
These are the questions covered: |
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What will I find on this site?
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What is a privately owned holiday property?
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What are the best things about a renting a holiday
property?
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How do I contact the owner?
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How do I make a booking?
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What happens when I arrive at the property?
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What if there is a problem during my holiday?
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What happens when I leave?
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What will I find on this site? |
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holiday-properties-for-rent gives you full details and
photos of actual individual properties where you can spend your holidays - not
examples of properties in a given area. At the bottom of every page of
advertising gives you the details of who to contact to book the property. There
is always a telephone number, usually an e-mail link, and often a fax. You will
either be contacting the owner of the property, his local agent, and in some
cases a booking service. |
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What is a privately owned holiday property? |
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The holiday properties on this website can range from a ski
chalet in a village in the Canadian Rockies that is legendary for its snow ...
to an appartment in a world class city such as London ... to a villa or chateau
in the South of France. Privately owned holiday properties are typically a
property that has been bought because it has something very special to offer. |
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What are the best things about renting a
holiday property? |
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We think the best things about a holiday property holiday are
- value for money, freedom and privacy, and being a local not a tourist.
Value for money:
As you are often booking direct from the owner, you can get an
extremely good deal. You can stay in a fully equipped home with your own living
room, dining room and kitchen, not just a hotel bedroom. If you consider the
number of people a property sleeps, and that the rates are usually for a week,
the price per person per night, is often very low.
Freedom & Privacy:
The joy of staying in holiday property is the freedom it gives
you - to eat when you like, dress how you like, do what you like, when you
like. You have your own living space, not just a bedroom; a garden you can
enjoy without thinking you should be gardening; and a kitchen you can use as
much or as little as you like. This type of holiday is perfect for families,
and especially enjoyable for people who travel on business and cannot bear the
sight of another hotel room! Some properties provide maid service and even a
cook.
Be a local - not just a tourist:
The joy of what the English call "self-catering" is that you
can eat what you like when you like. Wake up and have breakfast when you want -
not when the hotel thinks you should have it. Buy some cheese, meats, salad,
and bread for an informal lunch. The owners of the property usually leave a
guide to the best local shops. And for dinner you can either indulge your
passion for cooking with fresh local ingredients - or you can eat in your
choice of local restaurants. Again, the owners will usually recommend the best
places - from haute cuisine to the local bistro. After a few days, the shop
keepers and restaurateurs will start to recognise you - so you can really
experience life as a local - not just a tourist.
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How do I contact the owner? |
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All the listing give you the telephone number of the owners
or their booking agent. You will find this information on the Property details
page. There also a form to send an e-mail inquiry, and often a fax number.
Whichever method you choose, you can get directly in touch with the owner, or
an agent who really knows about the property. You can ask them those important
little questions that only some one who really knows the property can answer.
If you are telephoning or faxing internationally see the list of country codes
and time zones to make sure you do not wake people in the middle of the night!
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How do I make a booking? |
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Each property owner has their own way of conducting a rental,
but this is what usually happens. When you make your booking you will be asked
to pay a booking deposit of 10% - 50% to confirm the booking. You will usually
have to pay the full rental rate 8 weeks prior to arrival. You will have to
give a security deposit, either on booking or at arrival. This will be returned
at or after your departure less the cost of any breakages and metered charges
for telephone and electricity if they are not included in the rates. Check the
cancellation terms with the owner at the time of booking, there should be a
balance between not paying for a holiday you do not take, and the owner not
receiving rental for a period that they otherwise would have filled. We
recommend that potential renters, or their agents, confirm all the terms of the
proposed rental contract in writing in advance of the rental, and if feasible,
also view the property in advance.
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What happens when I arrive at the property? |
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Some owners send you a key in advance, some actually live on
site and will meet you, and some arrange for some one to meet you at the
property. Make sure you are given details of some one you can contact if
something goes wrong. If you are delayed, it is courteous to inform the owner
if you can.
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What if there is a problem during my
holiday? |
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If you have a problem, do get in touch straightaway with the
person whose details you have been given. They have the local knowledge to sort
things out on the spot. It is not worth suffering in silence, then complaining
that you had a bad holiday. Now just relax and enjoy your holiday! Don't forget
you are staying in some one's home - so treat it with respect.
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What happens when I leave? |
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The owner or their representative should check you out of the
property, and assuming there is no damage, will refund your security deposit,
either on the spot or within a couple of weeks. As soon as you get home, go
back to Holiday-properties-for-rent and start planning your next holiday!!!
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