This newsletter is emailed 6 times annually to 9,750 owners
of vacation rental homes who have registered for a free
universal availability calendar/guestbook at:
http://www.rentors.org

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: See Article #13, at bottom of newsletter.

1 -  Please Update Your Availability Calendar Today
2 -  Cost-saving Electronic Thermostats
3 -  Online Mapping and Vacation Rentals
4 -  Get It in Writing!
5 -  Vacation Rental Equipment Made Simple
6 -  Vacation Rental PLUS Motorboat: Risk vs. Reward
7 -  Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
8 -  Current State of the Travel Industry
9 -  Hits vs. Visitors
10 - More Vacation Rental Tips
11 - Rentors.org Sponsors Information
12 - Please Refer a Friend to Rentors.org
13 - How to Unsubscribe

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1 - Please Update Your Availability Calendar Today
==================================================

Your self-service universal availability calendar at
Rentors.org has no value if it is incorrect. Please follow
the link below to login to Rentors.org and update your
vacation rental calendar today.

  RENTORS login: http://www.rentors.org/login.cfm
 
If you've forgotten your Rentors.org PASSWORD, check the
bottom-left text in the yellow box at the login screen.

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2 - Cost-saving Electronic Thermostats
===================================================

f you add an automatic thermostat to your vacation rental,
you'll save on utility costs. Modern thermostats are all-
electronic, and let you SAVE different program settings for
cooling and heating seasons. Nearly all allow you to reduce
or increase the temperature at any time of night and day.
Some also differentiate settings for weekends vs. weekdays.

Read the booklet carefully when you install your electronic
thermostat, and make the instruction book available to those
who don't like your choice of temperature settings -- your
guests are on vacation, after all! We use these settings:

   Cooling: 72 F daytime, 78 F nighttime.
   Heating: 70 F daytime, 68 F nighttime.

   Daytime:   7AM - 11PM
   Nighttime: 11PM - 7AM

   Weekends vs. Weekdays: Same Settings

Once you determine your temperature and time settings, your
biggest decision may be what day of the year to (manually)
switch from cooling to heating. Most thermostats are simple
enough to install yourself by connecting just a few wires,
and a very good one should cost you less than US$70.

Instruct your cleaning staff to re-set the thermostat
correctly, each time they clean. Be sure to include step by
step instructions with both switch settings (fan auto/on,
heating/cooling/off) and temperature settings, whenever your
cost saving thermostat requires re-programming by your
cleaning staff.

-- Lisa Raub, A1Vacations
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3-  Online Mapping and Vacation Rentals
=======================================

The free online maps provided by such sites as mapquest.com,
mapblast.com and topozone.com are a great resource for
homeowners in helping market their properties. By creating a
customized map identifying your vacation property's
location, you can help build interest in your spot by
graphically showing its location and proximity to lakes,
parks, beaches, etc. Our favorite map provider for this
purpose is topozone.com, supplier of online topographic
maps. With these familiar topo maps you can see specific
buildings, roads, mountains, lakes, etc. Here, for example,
is the location of the office from where I am writing this
tip:
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4807057&e=686379&s=25&u=1

Mapquest.com and mapblast.com are better for finding to-and-
from driving directions, and thus is very useful to help
your incoming guests make their way to your vacation
property.  Explore all three of these sites and consider
using their free and excellent strengths to help your
prospective renters, and to add to your bottom line.

Hand-held GPS locator devices are falling in price and
becoming much more popular. With a GPS in hand, a renter can
enter the coordinates of your rental and have an arrow point
the way to the property from a 1000 miles away, or from
across the street. A Garmin Etrex is around $100. To explore
the world of the Global Positioning System (GPS) see
http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/

Geocaching is a fun new activity based around GPS. Great for
families who like to get outdoors, it's sort of a GPS
treasure hunt. People have hidden over 30,000 'caches'
around the world for you to find. They are located on
mountaintops, at historical spots, sometimes in just a place
of great beauty. There is undoubtedly one of these near your
vacation spot! Check it all out at http://www.geocaching.com

--Hunter Melville, CyberRentals
======================
4 - Get It in Writing!
======================

This may be obvious to you seasoned rental owners out there,
and if so, please skip to the next tip. For the rest of you,
read on.

Rental agreements vary in detail from the most basic to
pages of complex legalese. Whichever you choose, you should
always use one. It will give you some basic protection, and
will spell out an agreement in such a way that there is no
ambiguity between you and your renter in terms of what is
expected. By the way, your renter will appreciate this too!

There are several key elements that should be in any rental
agreement:

1. Descriptive Information - this should include the
location of the property, contact information for the
renter, and your contact information, dates and lengths of
stay.

2. Financial Information - including the amount of your
rental fee, rental deposit information (how much, and
conditions for return of the deposit or if the deposit is
applied to the rental amount, etc.), charges for pets,
charges for additional guests, cleaning charges (if any),
all applicable taxes, and the total amount due including all
of the above (we do not want any surprises for the renter
here!).

3. Detailed cancellation policy

4. Damage policy

5. Signatures of both parties (you can mail or fax the
signature copies back and forth)

You may want to purchase a legal document (found at office
supply shops). Of course, it is always a good idea to
consult an attorney for specific rules that might apply in
your location.

Additional rules and procedures to follow should be posted
in the rental home as a reminder of what is expected of the
renter.

Here are 2 sample rental agreements:
http://64.227.75.157/rental_agreement1.html
http://64.227.75.157/rental_agreement2.html

--Jan Van Voorhis, Greatrentals

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5 - Vacation Rental Equipment Made Simple
=========================================

Last week we had to purchase a new coffee maker for our Maui
Vacation Rental.  The local WalMart had quite a few coffee
makers to choose from - some with brand names and some with
names we've never heard of, some simple and some more
sophisticated. Some of the more sophisticated models
included a clock and timer feature (you know, so the coffee
is ready when you wake up in the morning).

After looking them all over, we choose a name brand model,
but one of the simpler ones WITHOUT all the bells and
whistles and without the clock feature.

Why choose the simpler model? Because sometimes simpler is
better... and that's especially true when it comes to
equipment in a vacation rental. Guests are likely to be
staying in the property for only short time... and they just
want things to work, without having to figure out
complicated instructions on how to set the time on the
coffee maker for example - PLUS... it's just one more thing
that can go wrong.

Next time you need to replace a piece of equipment at your
rental property (be it an alarm clock, TV, or toaster or
whatever) try to choose a model that can be operated
intuitively without having to read the manual. If you do own
a piece of equipment that is a little more complicated use,
do yourself and your guests a favor by typing up a short
list of instructions and attaching the list to the equipment
itself.  Remember... keep it simple...

Happy Rentals!!!

-- David Clouse, Vacation Rentals by Owner
===================================================
6 - Vacation Rental PLUS Motorboat: Risk vs. Reward
===================================================

Dare you include a motorboat with your waterfront vacation
rental? The risks and rewards are both substantial.

We own a vacation rental condo at Smith Mountain Lake,
Virginia. Our lake is 40 miles long, with 500 miles of
shoreline. When we purchased our condo 3 years ago, we
thought that we could greatly increase our occupancy rate if
we included a boat with our 1-bedroom condo rental. Guests
visit the lake so that they can see it ALL from the water
... right?

To test our idea, we spent an extra $5000 up front on a used
pontoon boat with a 50hp motor, plus $350/year for a boat
slip, and $1000/year for insurance. A pontoon boat is the
only type of motorboat that we could commercially insure for
maximum liability, so we did not consider other options.

We've been through many variations on the "condo plus boat"
rental concept. Here's what works for us now, 3 years later:

-- We offer our condo with or without the boat, for the
entire rental period only. If renters want the boat they
must choose that option for the entire rental period, when
they first book a rental.

-- During peak season (summer) the boat adds $250/week to
the cost of a 1-week minimum rental. That compares with
local boat rental fees of $130 daily.

-- Off-peak the boat adds $50 daily, with a 3-night minimum.

-- We require a 50% non-refundable deposit for all bookings,
via credit card. Bookings are first-come, first-served. A
signature for the non-refundable credit card charge is
required for all bookings, via fax.

-- There are no refunds for bad weather. However, we do
provide for refunds of the boat rental cost (only) if the
boat is for any reason unavailable, or if lake water levels
are too low for safe boating.

-- There is a $250 deposit for boat damage, and we require a
signed, pre-authorized credit card authorization to cover
boat damages that exceed $250.

-- Renters are required to watch a "safe boating" video,
which we include in the condo, next to our TV/VCR
combination. (Search your favorite engine for "safe boating
video".)

-- We personally provide each renter with 60-90 minutes of
"safe boating" instruction, on and off the water.

-- For legal protection, we use the "Standard Boat Rental
Agreement" Form #1947 from Jenkins Business Forms
(www.jbforms.com).

SO, WHAT'S OUR BOTTOM LINE?

During the past 3 years, we've averaged 150 days of rentals
each year in an area where many similar properties book just
half as many days.

More than half of our renters take the boat option, and
nearly all of them tell us that the boat was the deciding
rental factor.

Most renters actually use the boat on about half of the
days that they rent, and most return the boat undamaged.
Damages can be substantial when they do occur, so it is
important to be clear and specific about damage recovery.

-- Brian Raub, A1Vacations
   
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7 - Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
=======================

With the year coming to an end, now is the time to get your
vacation home items together from a tax standpoint. Organize
all those receipts and tally those revenues. This will make
it easy for your accountant and you may learn that there is
still time to take advantage of some tax saving maneuvers.
Also, the IRS provides a publication on rental property(pub
527) and you may call for it toll-free at 800-829-3676.
Another looming tax issue that may be discussed with your
accountant or municipality, is the subject of the local
"tourist" taxes that homeowners are subject to by renting
their homes. It seems that states like CA, FL, HI and VT are
stepping up the enforcement of these taxes. In some cases,
restrictions on what types of rentals are permitted are
being decided and we encourage you to take an active role in
these policy changes. Be sure you are aware of your
responsibility with regard to taxes!

--Dave Bollinger, CyberRentals
 
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8 - Current State of the Travel Industry
========================================

This next article may seem a bit unusual, since it is not
really a "tip", but we thought it might be interesting
enough to warrant its inclusion in this newsletter. These
are excerpts from an article by Gene Sloan in USA Today on
Friday, October 25, 2002.

"Are you cutting back on vacations? If so, you're one of the
few. While all those black clouds hanging over the economy
have prompted Americans to ease up on overall spending, they
continue to open their wallets for pleasure trips. In fact,
Americans are hitting the road in record numbers. Statistics
released recently by the Travel Industry Association show
the much-ballyhooed downturn in travel that has some
airlines on the verge of bankruptcy and hoteliers cringing
at each month's income statement is almost entirely the
result of a drastic drop in business travel (down 9% in
number of trips this year). Leisure travel, by contrast, is
up 2% this year. The Travel Industry Association forecasts a
3% rise for next year.

"Americans have come to view vacations as a birthright.
They're not willing to give them up," says Suzanne Cook, the
association's chief researcher.

The robust leisure travel numbers over the past year come as
somewhat of a surprise to industry watchers. After the 9/11
attacks, which paralyzed the nation's travel infrastructure
for days, many predicted that leisure travelers would be
slow to rebook trips, while business travelers would quickly
get back to routines. After all, a vacation is infinitely
postponable, while business has to get done.

But quite the opposite happened. Massive discounting lured
bargain-conscious Americans back into vacation mode even as
a punishing business environment forced many companies to
slash travel spending more than forecast. Leisure travel
ended 2001 up 3%; business travel, down 3%. Still,
Americans' vacation habits have been far from unaffected by
the 9/11 attacks and economic downturn. While they're
traveling more than ever, Americans are keeping a lid on
spending by:

Staying closer to home. Americans took 8% more "in-region"
trips during the first half of 2002 than over the same
period last year, says the Travel Industry Association. At
the same time, they shunned far-away, pricier-to-reach
destinations such as Europe, as well as perceived-to-be-
pricey domestic destinations such as Disney World in
Orlando. "The greatest negative impacts seem to be in the
largest cities and major resort destinations," Cook says.

Driving instead of flying. Auto travel rose 3% during the
first six months of the year, even as air travel plunged
(down 11% through August, according to the Air Transport
Association)...." "Booking at the last minute. Everyone from
hotels to cruise lines to tour packagers say vacationers are
waiting for last-minute deals before booking. The National
Tour Association reports that the percentage of people doing
the once unthinkable, booking a packaged trip less than 30
days before departure, has soared to 17% after the 9/11
attacks (from 3% before the attacks)."

-- Pat Van Voorhis, Greatrentals
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9 - Hits vs. Visitors
===============================

New web sites sometimes advertise the number of hits on
their web site to trick unsuspecting people into believing
their web site gets a lot of visitors. What most people
don't realize is that a web site's popularity should not be
measured by the number of hits, but by the number of
visitors.

Have you ever seen a web site claim something like "We get
500,000 hits a month?" That might sound impressive, but it's
important to understand the difference between hits and
visitors when you want to know how much traffic that a
specific web site gets.

What is a hit anyway?

One hit means that one file has be requested from the web
server. That can be a web page (an .htm file), a photo or
graphic file, a hit counter, a java applet etc... Especially
today, with many web pages containing lots of graphics file,
one request to view one web page might result in 20 hits or
more on the server (for example if one web page displays 19
graphics files, then that could count as 20 hits (one hit
for the page itself and 19 for the graphics)

Are "hits" an accurate way to judge how much traffic a web
site gets?

In a word... NO.  If you were to visit a web site and view
10 pages on that site and each page contains an average of
19 graphics, then you have just racked up 200 hits, but you
are just one visitor.

So... when you hear a company advertise that their web site
receives "over 500,000 hits per month" but does not mention
the number of visitors they get, you know to proceed with
caution.

Happy Rentals!!!

-- David Clouse, Vacation Rentals by Owner
  
==============================
10- More Vacation Rental Tips
==============================

If you would like to read more vacation rental tips, you
can refer to articles that were featured in previous issues
of the newsletters.

http://www.rentors.org/archive/index.html

====================================
11 - Rentors.org Sponsors Information
====================================

Rentors.org is sponsored by these experienced vacation
rental advertising services. All will be pleased to help you
advertise your vacation rentals on the Internet.

Why not join all four sites to promote your vacation rental?
The Rentors.org availability calendar and guestbook works on
all of them, and you'll have just ONE calendar and guestbook
to maintain!

Great Rentals
  Home: http://www.greatrentals.com
  Join: http://www.greatrentals.com/Admin/Posting/Post.html

VRBO - Vacation Rentals by Owner
  Home: http://www.vrbo.com
  Join: http://www.vrbo.com/global/owner.htm

A1Vacations
  Home: http://www.a1vacations.com/
  Join: http://www.a1vacations.com/advertise/

CyberRentals
  Home: http://www.cyberrentals.com
  Join: http://www.cyberrentals.com/signup.html

=========================================
12 - Please Refer a Friend to Rentors.org
=========================================

This "Tips for Vacation Rental Homeowners" newsletter was
emailed to 8,400 members of Rentors.org -- which offers
FREE online availability calendars and guestbooks for
vacation rental property homeowners and property managers.
Please refer a friend to:

 http://www.rentors.org

=======================
13 - How to Unsubscribe
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Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 Rentors LLC and the individual contributors.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form requires written permission.
==========================================================================

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