Hotels are certainly the most common type of travel accommodation, but vacation rentals are a great option if you’re hoping to save money and have a more comfy, private holiday. You can choose from condos, homes, and cabins, and most all come with professional cleaning services, a full-service kitchen, and all the electronic conveniences (cable TV, air conditioning, laundry machine) you’re accustomed to at home. To get the most out of your rental experience, follow our vacation rental tips and tricks. We’ll help you find a rental, save money, and have the best vacation possible.

First, think about what you want in a rental. Are you more concerned about the property’s location or ammenities? Do you plan to do a lot of cooking at your rental? Are you hoping for laundry machines? Figure out what you want first because all rentals have their pros and cons. Once you’ve sorted out your priorities, do a little homework and research rental properties located in areas you like. Scour online reviews and be sure to check out each property’s details, management, and ammenities. If you want to save even more money, try booking during the off-season.

Once you’ve decided on a property and date, contact the owners or management company and be sure to get a good look at the contract. Some properties ask you to pay for items like utility bills, cable, phone service, internet, propane/gas, and cleaning services. If you don’t get a good look at these details beforehand, you might be confronted with unexpected costs later on. For example, some vacation rentals ask that you clean the house after you leave. If you don’t, they will charge you an extra fee for housekeeping. Book the rental only after you’ve read and understood all its details.

Now that you’ve found and booked your vacation rental, save money wherever you can by taking advantage of the rental’s features. If your rental comes with a kitchen, cook meals at home. At the very least, you could try to eat breakfast and lunch at your rental home and have dinner out. If your rental offers laundry services, try to limit the amount of clothing you bring along. You could pack just a few outfits and then wash them whenever they are dirty or stinky. This will help you lighten your luggage and could even save you on airfare fees. Finally, if you’re traveling with family, you could book just one rental for the whole group or book multiple vacation rentals at once (and ask about a group discount).

Vacation rentals are perfect for families that want to feel like they’re at home when they’re on holiday. If you want the convenience of a kitchen and laundry machine while you relax at the beach for a week, use our vacation rental tips and give rental properties a try.

When individuals travel or have a vehicle in a repair shop, renting an automobile often becomes a necessity. It is good to focus on the best deal

Getting the best rate on rental cars can be challenging, but you can land great deals by doing a little research and by seeking out as many special offers that you can. Comparing car companies is best done on-line because rental car company Websites and other travel Internet platforms can help you narrow down the best rentals for your driving needs. Some things to consider before seeking out rentals is to know what you need from a car up front and whether or not the rental car company will provide you with services or products you will need.

Check Car Prices

Classes of vehicles include compact, economy, mid-size, luxury, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and vans. Your final decision about vehicle class and size will affect the price of your rental. Call the national car rental chains or any other local auto rental companies in your local area to determine the best price. In addition, be prepared to compare security deposit requirements.

Determine the length of time that you will need an automobile rental, and ask an auto rental representative for costs — including security deposit requirements. If you need a two- to three-week rental, compare the differences in discounts offered between auto rental companies.

Seek Special Services

Call auto rental companies and ask if they will pick you up from your location or if you have to physically go to an auto rental company. Another special service to inquire about are reward points. Ask rental companies if they have a reward point program or if they offer price discounts for special memberships.

Inquire About Discounts

special offers or membership programs. Sign up for free customer reward memberships if you plan on using a particular rental company again. Ask about special discounts such as senior, teachers, or military/government discounts, which can save you at least 15 to 20 percent off your rental rate. Find the best competitive discounts on the company’s website since many offer one-time coupons and rewards. Rental car companies, such as Avis and Hertz, offer daily specials and weekend discounts that can either reduce rental rates or extend rental service days free of charge.

Review Rental Policies

Read the rental policies before settling with a rental company to see if it accommodates your driving needs. Some rental companies will only allow rentals for a certain amount of days. Also consider the company’s policies on extra mileage charges, their policies on accident/car damage, insurance coverage, car check in times (24-hour clock rates) and return locations. Be sure to read the policy in its entirety and don’t hesitate to ask a representative to clarify certain details and particulars.

You may be considering a private home vacation rental, rather than staying in a standard hotel or motel room, for your next trip. A vacation home rental can have many advantages, from a lower cost to a greater amount of space to a better location to more amenities. However, it is important to know just what to expect before you sign on the dotted line so that you can be sure that you are getting a fair deal and that you will be staying in a home that is well maintained and appropriately located.

When you begin investigating a vacation rental, you will likely encounter two options – you can rent from a management company or you can rent directly from the owner of the property. If possible, try to find a way to work with the owner of the vacation home rental, as you may have access to more information and better support before, during, and after your transaction.

Once you have decided that staying in a vacation rental is the right choice for you and your traveling companions, you will discover that the process of finding the right property should go very smoothly.

The Steps to Renting a Private Home

First, find a reputable website with vacation home rental listings, or speak to your travel agent about your options. Make sure that you feel comfortable that whoever is providing you with vacation rental listings has screened each home to make sure that it exists and that it is owned by the person who is listing it.

Next, search for or specify the type of vacation home rental you are looking for, including:

• Price (What is your maximum?)
• Size (Are you looking for a condo unit for two people or a multi-bedroom house for a large family – or for multiple families?)
• Location (Do you want your vacation rental to be near a particular theme park? Do you want to be able to walk to the beach? Do you need to be within walking distance of a grocery store or a video rental shop?)
• Amenities (Do you want your vacation home rental to include a hot tub? Would you like to have access to a gym or to gym equipment? Would you enjoy a game room with video game systems?)

In addition, note whether you will be bringing a pet. (As with all types of rentals, some vacation home rental properties will be pet friendly with a deposit, while others may not allow pets at all. Find this out before you pack Fido into his carrier!) Last but not least, you will need to provide the specific dates for which you will need the vacation rental and the number of people with whom you will be staying.

Researching the Vacation Home Rental

You will then be presented with a list of available vacation home rental properties for your time frame and the other options that you requested. If you are able to work directly with the owners of the rental homes, you can contact them to find out more information. Many owners will be able to answer your emailed questions in depth (but make sure to keep your questions relevant) and to send you pictures of the specific vacation rental. The owner may even have a personal website that you can view for more information about the property. If you are dealing with a management company, you may either be shown pictures of the particular vacation home rental in which you will be staying or pictures that represent the type of home that is available.

In either case, make sure that you feel comfortable with the entire transaction. For example, you may want to avoid an owner or company that sends you emails every hour asking if you have made a decision about the vacation rental, or, on the flip side, someone who takes days to return your messages with answers to your questions, or someone who gives you vague responses.

Finalizing the Deal

When you have found a vacation home rental that suits your needs and with which you feel comfortable, you can then finalize the deal. The owner or management company will have you submit a deposit to hold the vacation rental – usually 10 to 20% of the final cost. Note that you will not receive an actual address or access information until the booking is paid in full.

You will then fill out a rental agreement. Make sure to be honest in this agreement about the number of people and the ages staying in the vacation rental. What happens next may vary depending on whether you are working with an owner or a company. The owner may send you all of the information you will need to access the vacation home rental – including access codes for the lock box and the alarm, so that you can go directly from the road or the airport right into the house. The management company may simply provide you with directions to its offices so that you can pick up the keys and additional important information about the home.

Notifying the Owner or Management Company about Any Issues with the Vacation Rental

Make sure that you let the owner or management company know about anything that is broken when you arrive at the vacation home rental, and also make sure that you inform them about any discrepancies between what your contract said and what you found when you opened the door of your rental. During your stay, remember to treat the home and everything inside and out (including furniture and electronics) respectfully – as if it were your own home all the time. Before you leave, inform the owner or company of anything that was broken or changed during your stay. Also, please take a few minutes to clean up the house by emptying the trash, doing a quick vacuum, and looking around for any other issues that you can easily resolve.

Above all, it is critical to do your own research about any vacation rental before signing a final contract. By becoming familiar with what towns are better for your needs and which locations offer easier access to attractions or beaches, you will be able to make a more informed choice before you sign the final agreement – and ensure that when you reach your vacation home rental, you can relax in style.

Renting your property may seem like an easy way to increase your passive income, but upon starting the process, you may find it to be more complicated than expected. Your house may sit on the market for months without a rental applicant because it is priced above the fair market rent. A bad tenant may be late or outright refuse to pay rent; they have the potential do thousands of dollars in property damage and may ignore your attempts to evict them from the property until authorities are involved.

So how can you avoid the headache of these common difficulties associated with renting a property? Here are five things to do before renting out your house to reduce the risk and stress of being a new landlord.

1. Take Photographs of the Property

Photographs of the property are necessary for several reasons. They are an important part of online advertising – otherwise favorable rental listings without pictures of the property are often passed over by potential tenants because they do not want to have to wait for a house tour to find out that the property does not have a layout or design that suits them. These photographs will also be helpful when your future tenants are moving out, as you can use them to measure any property damage that occurred during the rental period.

2. Assess Fair Market Rent

While it may be tempting to charge higher rent to make money back on recent renovations you may have done or moving costs from when you left the property yourself, the best thing to do is conduct market research: check with rental websites, newspapers, local landlords, realtors, and property management companies to determine the amount that properties of similar location, size and condition are renting for.

3. Create a Concise, Effective Rental Application

An effective rental application will not intimidate potential renters with its length, but will be comprehensive enough that it can be used for tenant screening purposes. Any additional information that you need from the tenant should they pass screening can be included in the lease documents. A good application will have spaces for the following items:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Social Security Number
• Phone Number
• Current/Previous Addresses (last 7 years, including landlord name(s) and contact information)
• Current Employer (name, address, hire date, income, contact information)
• Authorization to Obtain Consumer Report Statement
• Tenant Signature

4. Consider Using a Property Manager

Property managers will typically charge a percentage of the monthly rent for their services, but in exchange, they will take care of things such as finding new tenants, creating/signing the leases, collecting the rent, and issuing legal notices (including evictions). Hiring a property manager cuts down on the profit you will make from your tenants’ rent payments, so you should carefully consider the cost-benefit of these services.

5. Find Good Tenants

Finding a decent tenant is easier said than done – many applicants can be friendly, polite, and will seem to be a good fit, but will create a flood of problems for you. The best way to improve the quality of tenants that you are leasing to is to conduct tenant background checks – that is, choosing tenants based on measurable fiscal and rental responsibility. Most landlords will charge rental applicants an application fee to cover the cost of tenant screening.

For some individuals, owning, and operating, rental, real estate properties, is a great idea, while, for others, this might not be the case! The difference, not only applies, to the specific property, but, also, each individual’s personality, attitude, and personal, specific strengths and weaknesses. Some factors include, of, course, financial ones, including the necessary reserves, needed, for purchasing a property, starting with the down – payment, closing costs, reserves for repairs, upgrades, renovations, and contingencies. In addition, some individuals are better – suited, for, owning rental property, than others, because some, do not want, the stresses, and tensions, involved, in this type of commitment. With this in mind, this article will attempt to briefly consider, review, and discuss, a few of the key factors and considerations, one should thoroughly explore, in – depth, prior to taking the leap.

1. Personal financials: Do you have the necessary funds, and will you qualify, for whatever financing, might be required? Obtaining a mortgage on a non – owner – occupied property, is significantly different from the process, regarding, one for a personal home. In most cases, a larger down – payment is required (often 25% – down, instead of 20%). In addition, the requirements differ, because not only, must you clearly demonstrate, the same things, you do, for a personal loan, you must also demonstrate, the property is viable, from a financial standpoint, and the rents, will handle the cash flow. It’s important, to have, several reserves, including: a) repairs; b) renovations; c) upgrades; unanticipated contingencies, etc.

2. Property financial issues: I am a believer in the 6% – rule, which means, the net return, should be 6%. For example, one factor is the cash flow, while the other is the overall rate of return, or return – on – investment/ ROI. Therefore, if you purchase a $500,000 property, put $125, 000 down, and have a $375, 000 mortgage loan, and the rate is 5%, your principal and interest, on a 30 – year, fixed – rate vehicle, will be approximately $2,000 per month. If the real estate taxes, and other escrow items, including insurance, etc, are, for example, $12, 000 per year, or $1, 000 per month, your total, out – of – pocket, each month, is approximately, $3, 000. If you estimate, upgrades, repairs, etc, are another $12, 000 per year ($1, 000/ month), you should use this $4, 000 per month, figure, for your preliminary calculations. In addition, base you revenues, on having each unit, unoccupied/ vacant, 2 months per year, to proceed conservatively. This means, you should collect a rent – roll, total, from all units, of at least, $4250 per month. In addition, you should be ensured, your net income, must generate approximately $32,000 per year.

3. Dealing with maintenance issues: Are you comfortable with these challenges and responsibilities?

4. Dealing with tenants: Are you ready, willing and able, to deal with tenants, and collect rents, enforce leases, meet the needs of a tenant, and the personality issues, involved?

5. Opportunity costs: How does the owning of these properties (remember to factor in appreciation, depreciation – benefits, and net income, compare with how, you might do, with other investment vehicles?

The 2 simplest ways to best maintain your Parkade.

How condo boards can maximize their investment now and for years to come.

Recent information on maintenance shows that a condo board can plan to pay anywhere from $100 to $500 per parking stall to keep its parkade in good repair and to budget for upkeep of the moisture protection systems. So, if a building had 150 stalls, it breaks down to an average of $25 per stall, or $15 to $75 thousand dollars.

What are the best ways for a condo board corporation to use this money effectively?

By focusing on the reserve fund and operating budget, here are some guidelines to make sure that the parkade is maintained properly.

Before we start let’s get down to basics.

Most parkades today are equipped with reinforced concrete. These are durable because of waterproof membranes that protect against water and salts, which both can destroy the concrete surface. This happens when water and salts mix together and contact metals and steels which create iron oxide or rust. The rust expands and creates pressure on the surrounding concrete. These metals are found in rebar- which creates strength on the concrete floors. The rusting process reduces the strength of the concrete, and can severely affect its ability to handle weight in the parking areas. Eventually, the structure’s integrity can be comprised, in some cases, it could even collapse completely!

So the aim of maintaining parkades properly is to make sure that the salts and dangerous pollutants are removed on a regular basis.

Here are the 2 simplest ways to maintain your Parkade and help reduce the damage to the parking garage structure.

1) The most cost-effective plan is to have your parkades power swept, pressure washed, and power scrubbed, at least twice a year. This will combat against the harmful influences of rusts, dirt and dangerous debris.

2) Have a regular program for flushing and cleaning floor drains and drain pipes in the garage every 6 months. A good time to do this is as the parkade is being swept and scrubbed. This allows the salts and dirt waters in the parkade to flush down these pipes safely. This reduces the contamination of salts and debris on the concrete surface.

It is a lot easier to make sure the membrane and concrete are properly cared for with regular maintenance than to overspend on replacement costs of the overall structure. A little maintenance goes a long way when it comes to important structures like your parkade.

One of the interesting discussions I have with property owners is about pets and whether they should accept them. It is a hot topic, so I thought I would lay out the pros and cons and some of the things you can do to offset the potential risk of accepting pets.

60% of Americans Own Pets!

To start you need to understand that about 60% of Americans have pets. If you decide not to accept pets, you are eliminating almost two-thirds of the population as potential tenants. Also, if you have a high-end single-family home that number may be as high as 70% to 75% of families are going to have pets.

If you own lower end properties or student housing that percentage might be lower. But either way, if you do not accept pets, a large chunk of the population is not eligible to rent your property.

Pet Owners Tend to Stay in Apartments Longer!

Pet owners tend to be very good tenants in that they tend to stay longer. Because it’s difficult for pet owner to move or find another place that accepts pets, they are going to stay at their current property much longer. Obviously, that helps with turnover and with repair costs so it’s better to have longer term tenants.

Pet Owners Tend to Make More Money and Make Better Tenants

Pet owners tend to make more money than non-pet owner tenants. Because owners of pets have pay for food, vet bills, and all the other stuff pet owners buy it indicates a higher disposable income than non-pet owners. Higher incomes should allow them to afford higher rents and be able to offset any short term financial trouble.

Charge Extra Rent and Security Deposit

You should make more money with accepting pets. We charge an extra $25 per month, per pet. If the tenants have two pets, then we would charge an extra $50 per month of rental income. We also charge an extra $300 per pet in security deposit. It is refundable if the place is perfect when the tenants moves out, but if pet does any damage then we have additional monies to be used to make repairs. Also, if the carpets were not clean when they left, one of the things we will be using the $300 security money for is to clean and shampoo the carpets.

Use Pet Addendums to Lay out the Pet Rules and Regulations!

We recommend that you should have the tenants sign a full pet addendum. The pet addendum lays out all the rules and regulations of owning a pet and the ramifications if they don’t take care of that pet.

Do Not Accept Aggressive Dogs

We do not accept any aggressive dogs. If tenants own a bull dog or other aggressive dogs we would not recommend accepting them. Additionally, I would not accept dog that are over 50 or 60 pounds as they are adding a lot of additional risk for your building and other tenants or neighbors. One of the reasons for this is most property insurance companies will void your insurance if you accept aggressive or large dogs.

Professional Shampoo Carpets Once the Tenants Move Out!

We require pet owner tenants that they must professionally shampoo the carpets when they leave. They must pay for the cleaning and provide us a receipt proofing the cleaning was done. If for some reason they were not to do it, then again as I mentioned earlier, we’d use that extra $300 in security to have the carpets professionally shampooed and cleaned.

Hard Wood Floors and Pets?

One major concern is hardwood floors. If you have a property with hardwood floors, accepting pets is a real risk factor. We do recommend mitigating the risk by requiring that they have rugs over some or all the hardwood floors. But either way, if you have hardwood floors, it is an extra risk and make sure it is worth having a dog in the property with hardwood floors.

Service Animals are NOT Pets!

It is very important that everybody understands is that a service animal is not a pet. If you decide to not accept pets, that’s fine. But if the tenant has a service animal you cannot decide to accept to decline a tenant based on a service animal. So just make sure you’re aware of that as an owner that a service animal is not a pet.

When it comes to searching for a new apartment there is the option to choose an unfurnished or furnished apartment. Many people prefer to start from scratch with an unfurnished place and invest in their own personal collection of furniture. However, for the short-term stay or simply for convenience, the option to lease a furnished apartment can be very appealing. Let’s take a look at five practical benefits of a furnished apartment:

Quick to move in

A major benefit of the furnished apartment is the ability to quickly move in and get settled without needing to relocate with big pieces of furniture. Plus, with a lot less personal belongings to pack up and travel with, the cost of moving from one apartment to the next is a lot less hassle and more affordable.

Less furniture to buy

If moving to a larger apartment there will be no need to buy new furniture to fill out the empty spaces. Having to invest in a new couch, bed, television, etc. can be very expensive. Even though a furnished apartment can cost a little extra each month on rent, it is possible to cut out many of the initial costs that are needed to get an apartment in a livable and comfortable position.

Flexible leases

Many of the apartments that are complete with furniture and ready to live in come with the flexible lease options. This can help to target those people who are looking for a low commitment option or a place to stay for the short-term. Typically, there is a great opportunity to negotiate a short-term lease that matches the specific needs, which can range from three or four months to over 12 months or more.

Style the apartment

There are still limited options to style the apartment if only staying for the short-term. Many apartments are decorated with neutral colors to make them more appealing to the wider audience. So, with the use of throw covers for the couches and chairs, artwork, or other style options, there are plenty of ways to create the homely atmosphere.

Utilities included

A final benefit is the fact the furnished apartment will already be set up with the must-have and practical utilities. This will mean that access to the internet and cable is already in place and there will be no need to have these supplies installed after moving in. Also, they are likely to form part of the monthly rental, so there is no need to pay extra for these services.

If you are looking for a cheap and beautiful apartment, you need to work on your deal-finding and negotiation skills. Before you go ahead and negotiate, make sure you know what you need. Given below are 6 tips that may help you rent the right apartment.

#1: Use an apartment locator

First of all, you need to consider a few important features before you look for an apartment in your area. You can check out an apartment locator as well. There are many websites that can serve this purpose. This tool can help you find the right place for you.

#2: Consider your needs

You want an apartment that can meet your needs, not those of your friend’s. Make sure the place is located in the type of neighborhood you like. It should have all of your desired features.

#3: Call a local Locator

You can also contact a local apartment locator for help. In the same way, you can also use a phone book.

It’s a good idea to make a call to at least 2 providers to ask about rental neighborhoods and communities. Make sure you let them know about the features you are after.

Since the locators work for commission, they will try their level best to find you the property you need.

#4: Call a Community

Make sure you pay a visit to the property before you make the decision. It’s even better if you make a call to ask for a quote. Once you are in the apartment, the agent may impress you with the features of the property. On the phone, you will just get numbers. What you need to do is compare the numbers you get with the figures you found online.

#5: Visit the apartment

Although virtual tours can help you make the final decision, you shouldn’t rely on them alone. You can find these tour videos on websites, and this can give you some idea of the features of the property. However, it’s important to keep in mind that visiting the house in person is a must. You just can’t rely 100% on the virtual tours. To get a better feel, you still need to walk around your neighborhood.

#6: Review the features

Make sure you review the features you want in the house. Actually, you should remove the features that are on the bottom of your priority list. This will help you have you choose from a broader list of properties that may have the features you want. You should make adjustments to your list based on the short list of features. Finally, you should make the renting decision after weighing the features and the price you are willing to pay.

The Takeaway

So, these are a few things that you should keep in mind when looking for an apartment to rent. Keep in mind that you will get what you pay for but keeping a few basic things in mind can go a long way.