SOS - ASAP!! Should I be worried?

[Giddy Goat]

Hi all. I today received the cheque for deposit for a group of golfers to stay in autumn next year . The initial inquiry (just over 3 weeks ago) was via a rental site, from a woman in France. I picked it up soon after it was sent, and because the week in question was a little uncertain, I telephoned. The inquirer, who was English, had some French ? friends sitting with her and looking at our website. It sounded as if they could be clients.

A few days later I was able to confirm by email that the week was available. The deposit was slow in coming but last week she told me she was waiting to 'get the funds from everyone'. I thought this too was a bit strange, as she was a mature person, and the sum wasn't huge.

Now I have the booking form with an address, I've just got into Pages Jaunes. Having experimentally typed in 'vacances' under 'activite', what have I found? She has a seasonal and temporary rental company!

This person gave her name as C...... X on the initial inquiry, (her maiden name perhaps) but has listed herself among the names of the group on the form as Mme C...... Y, and signed at the bottom as C....... X again.

Mme Y (or Miss X?) has asked me for an invoice as well as a receipt for the deposit. I don't usually send invoices, only a receipt for the deposit and one later for the balance - clients are given a date when the balance will be due, and if late, I simply send an informal reminder that it is due. It could be that she is indeed part of the group, or on the other hand, she may be sending a group of clients to the house and looking to make a profit.

What do you think? Is this something to worry about? How would you react - she's paying the normal rate after all, but I don't like the idea of being used for someone else's profit either! I will delay before banking the cheque.

[Sue Dyer]

I'm probably a bit slow, does that mean she is subletting your place?? Or is she staying and doing the arrangements for her friends?

[Ju]

I think as long as you have the money the booking should be ok. Do you state clearly in your terms and conditions that the person signing must be a member of the party?

If the person runs a holiday company they could be just like you or I wanting to have a break.

Ju

[alexia s.]

I'd worry, Jane, but I don't know what you can do to avoid a "profits on your back" situation. Whenever a group other than a family stays there is the chance that the organiser is taking a percentage for arranging the holiday. I'm sure this happens to us all.
It is perfectly reasonable to ask for an invoice.
It's not high season so I would probably take the booking (depending on telephone contact impressions etc).
Good luck!

[paolo]

I do occasionally take a booking from an agency on behalf of their clients, and obviously they will charge a mark-up to them. That doesn't bother me too much because you would expect to pay more through an agency than direct from the owner. I do ask for details on the people who will be staying, and I Google them to check up on them.

In this case I would call and ask about anything that is bothering me about the renting party.

[Giddy Goat]

Hullo, and thanks to Soo, Ju, Alexia and Paolo for your prompt input. I was relieved and glad to have it, having greeted our very first guests back in June. Still a bit nervous, but we've been lucky so far; only one family from hell!

I shall bank the cheque, and who knows, if the owner of the company does come with her group, and likes the house, she may bring more business our way!

Hey, I, too, fancy a coffee morning (or wine evening)with fellow LMH'ers ......

[accommodation-in-spain]

I would have been slightly worried too Jane, you aren't being paranoid - sometimes it is best to follow your instincts (actually most of the time)

If I was you I would give this lady a call or e-mail and ask if she is working on behalf of an agent, explain that this does not worry you but you want to confirm if she will or will not be staying at the premises herself.

If she says it is a booking through her agency then request a breakages deposit to cover you.

That way you know exactly what is going on and will feel more relaxed about it.

[Giddy Goat]

Thanks A-I-S, and I guess in future, the best way to protect ourselves is to follow Ju's suggestion and put a line in the Terms and Conditions to state that the person signing must be a member of the group. After all, the main point of letting our properties privately is to have some degree of control over/knowledge of who's coming - and to enjoy the personal contact that this brings.

[accommodation-in-spain]

No problem, I can see why you were worried, just looked at your web-site and it is a gorgeous house you have!

I would not be happy with someone sub-letting my place without being up-front about it but if you ask straight out at least you know what is going on.

Hope it all goes well which I am sure it will.

Kind regards
Zoe

[Giddy Goat]

Thanks Zoe for your advice and the lovely feedback re the house. I've looked at your site too - great! What an amazing service to provide for local property owners!

I currently ask £150 damage deposit per week of rental; in your experience is this enough for the size of the property?

[accommodation-in-spain]

I would ask for more than that really as you have a larger property. If someone is not happy to pay a decent breakages deposit for a house like yours then I would worry about letting it out to them.

I would ask for £200 - £250 personally but I do not have a lot of personal experience with them as we don't tend to ask for them for our properties (www.villa-espanol.com - this is our property site) - this was mainly due to having a Spanish agent originally, who althought was very nice, I knew she wouldn't bother really checking the place over and I would have to deal with the extra admin of it my end. As long as you make is perfectly clear that it is fully refundable if nothing is damaged them you should be fine.

Thanks for the comments on the Costa Luz Holiday site, it is growing really well and has just been featured in Living Spain magazine which is wonderful after all the hard work.

[Giddy Goat]

Congrats Zoe, on the article in Living Spain. Well earned. Peeped at your personal site just now, and loved the funky font!

Re deposits, I don't think I've seen a topic specifically on this so perhaps I should ask the question of the Forum. I hesitated to ask more, in terms of deposit, as this seemed a lot to expect guests to have to stump up at the same time as the balance.

[Nessie]

Last year we rented an apartment in corsica for a week and had to pay 1000 euros breakages deposit. Ok the payment was not up front, but the owner wanted a cheque or credit card details ont he day of arrival and this was returned to us on the day of departure

[Paul Carmel]

Sorry Nessie,

Bit off topic, but can I ask you were you stayed? and how you found the place? and why you came to chose the property/area that you did. Again sorry, but a bit of market research is always helpful. I don't mind if you post this or pm me.........thanks in advance

[cromercrabholiday]

It's quite difficult to put a sensible value on a security deposit that doesn't scare off legitimate guests. Our guests who left us with problems this year racked up over £800 in extra costs and that was just for leaving the place in a filthy state and some relatively minor damage - if they had really trashed the place they could have easily cost us several thousand pounds. Our deposit at that time was £100 and, in one way, it was so inadequate it made us fight hard to get the costs back (which we did).

We've now raised the deposit to £250, which we take as a cheque that we return uncashed all being well - we've yet to get any reaction to the increase.

John