Five Florida Short Term Rentals Tips
An increasingly popular accommodation option for your Orlando vacation is to choose one of the many Florida short term rentals. For families and groups these condos or single family homes offer more flexibility than a motel or hotel and can be rented on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Orlando in particular is one area where absentee owners have purchased homes and adopted the short term rental approach as a way to recover some or all of their running costs. More and more families and groups are building this type of accommodation into their Orlando vacation package to make the most of their time away from home.
But can you have confidence that the short term rental property you see on the Internet will live up to expectations? The last thing you want is for all those weeks and months of anticipation to be wrecked because your accommodation is below standard. So how can you make sure you get what you’re looking for?
One way to minimize the risk of disappointment is to find out as much as you can about the property you are interested in renting. Few people would trust to chance that the hotel or motel room they have booked was okay without first doing some research on the motel/hotel. So when choosing your short term rental accommodation think about the following:
* Price: Book the lowest priced vacation home at your peril. Just like you probably stay clear of the $25 per night motel because you know that maintenance and facilities are unlikely to be the best, the same is true of low priced rental homes. Some owners who undercharge eventually go out of business and if you want to avoid the risk of arriving in Florida to find your dream home has been foreclosed on or is low-quality, remember that the lowest price is not always the cheapest.
* To ensure the quality of the home you are thinking of booking, ask to see photos or a virtual tour of the property. Most owners have these on their websites so you can see exactly what you are getting. If you are booking through a company choose only those who allocate your home when you book it rather than one that assigns one when you arrive.
* “Five minutes from Disney” is often a phrase used in the description of Orlando vacation rentals. This may be true at three o’ clock in the morning in the off season but in reality the travel time will depend on traffic conditions. The majority of rental homes are between two and ten miles from Disney World. To find out the exact location of the property that you are interested in search for it on Google. If you cannot get the full address at least ask for the name of the community and the zip code.
* In a hotel if the air conditioning isn’t working or the TV breaks down you call down to the front desk and they usually have it repaired in a short time. What happens if these same things happen or the pool heating isn’t working in your rental home? How long will it take to fix it? If necessary is there alternative accommodation if the problem is more serious? These are questions you need to ask the owner or management company before confirming your booking.
* No matter whether you are staying in a five star hotel or the most expensive, luxurious rental property there are going to be things that the guest book doesn’t cover. In a hotel the front desk or the Concierge will usually be able to help with any questions not dealt with in the guest book. Staying in a short-term rental home you have to be far more self reliant. The Internet will help you locate restaurants and malls, while calling the Sheriff will deal with that midnight party in the pool next door. For anything else the management company should be able to help.
To ensure your vacation isn’t spoiled by unsatisfactory accommodation make sure you thoroughly research all aspects of Florida short term rentals. By doing your homework it will take you one step closer to having a great vacation.