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Rentors.org News #19 June 8, 2004
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Expert Tips and Tricks for Vacation Rental Homeowners from
the founders of Rentors.org:

http://www.cyberrentals.com/
http://www.greatrentals.com/
http://www.vrbo.com/
http://www.a1vacations.com/

This newsletter is emailed every 5 weeks to owners of
vacation rental homes who have registered for a free
Universal Availability Calendar and/or Guest Book at:

http://www.rentors.org/

-- # Members: 29,398
-- # Calendars: 37,729
-- # Guestbooks: 13,107

In this issue:

1 - Please Update Your Calendar and Guest Book Today
2 - When Vacation Homeowners Go on Vacation
3 - Who Ya Gonna Call: Tips for Building a Support Network
4 - Increase your Rentals with Visa and MasterCard
5 - Fine-Tune Your Check-Out Checklist
6 - Guest Books as Advertising Tools
7 - How to Combat the Spam Plague
8 - Collecting and Paying Sales Tax
9 - Classified Ads
10 - More Vacation Rental Tips
11 - Rentors.org Sponsors Information
12 - Please Refer a Friend to Rentors.org
13 - How to Cancel This Newsletter

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1 - Please Update Your Calendar and Guest Book Today
====================================================

Your self-service Universal Availability Calendar at
Rentors.org has no value if it isn't kept up-to-date. 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.

While you're there, be sure to set up a vacation rental
Guest Book. Renter comments in guest books add credibility
to your vacation rental and help you to stand out from your
competitors.

And remember: As the owner, you can type in the comments
made by guests in your paper guest book (or sent to you via
email). You don't have to rely on former guests to key in
their own comments, although they can do so online if they
want to.

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2 - When Vacation Homeowners Go on Vacation
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Yes, it's true, vacation homeowners go on vacation too. As
schools let out and the height of the summer getaway season
approaches, many of you may be dreaming of your own escape
from it all. It might be worth a moment's time, though, to
consider how your vacation can affect the renters who are
paying you for theirs.

Just yesterday we received a phone call from a frenzied
vacationer who had paid their monies, received the key, and
successfully navigated to the rental home only to find that
the key didn't work. Repeated calls to the owner got only an
answering machine ... the owner was on vacation himself. The
renter knew there was a caretaker, but had no phone number.
Thus the call to CyberRentals, the only alternative they
had. We attempted to help by sending emails and calling
various phone numbers, all to no avail. As of this writing
the renter is still locked out.

To make sure that your own vacation goes without a glitch,
and that you gain the uninterrupted peace and quiet that you
so richly deserve, here are a few easy steps to take:

1) Be sure to include any caretakers' phone numbers on each
document you send to renters, including leases, maps and
directions, etc.

2) If you don't have a caretaker or property manager on
call, be sure to have some alternative contact (friend,
relative) so that renters in emergency situations have
someone to call -- even if that contact can only tell folks
where an extra key is hidden on the property.

3) While on vacation, consider modifying your home phone
answering machine to include the phone number where you can
be reached (for emergency use only of course).

4) If you take a cell phone with you, be sure that your
guests are aware of the number.

5) Consider removing your email address from your webpages
during the duration of your vacation, unless you plan to
religiously monitor your email.

6) Be sure to have at least one key hidden on the property
for extreme emergency use.

7) Give alternative phone numbers to your vacation rental
site. We don't mind recording that info as it can be a
lifesaver when we field those rare but horrific calls from
stranded renters.

A little bit of forethought can insure that your renters and
you both have a terrific, relaxing and hassle-free vacation.

-- Hunter Melville and Dave Bollinger, CyberRentals

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3 - Who Ya Gonna Call: Tips for Building a Support Network
==========================================================

What's the secret to successfully managing your vacation
rental property? We all know the answer. In today's parlance
it's "boots on the ground."

You've got to have a support network of trusted people who
live and work near your property. Plumbers, carpenters,
electricians, handymen, and cleaners whom you can call on at
a moment's notice, should the need arise.

Property managers have just such networks, of course. And
often the services they provide are used as sources of
additional profit. (We're willing to pay for service, but
$35 to change a light bulb seems a bit pricey.) If you're a
"rent-it-yourself" owner, you're interested in reliability
and reasonable fees.

So how do you find the people you need? The best way is to
go by your past experience. If you have used a property
management company in the past and have been satisfied with
the third-party cleaning and maintenance services they
provided, consider contacting those third parties and
negotiating a deal. Whatever that deal may be, the cost of a
service call or visit should be less than you used to pay
via your property manager.

Another way to build your support network is to ask your
friends and neighbors in your vacation rental location for
their recommendations. Though be aware that they may be
reluctant to share this kind of information.

Finally, one of the most intriguing ways of finding local
support people was introduced by Google in March. It's
called "Google Local." To reach this service, go to Google,
click on "more," and then on the "Google Local" icon.

You will next see a box for entering your search terms
("plumber," "electrician," "carpenter," etc.) and a box for
entering a location. The location box will accept addresses
and zip codes, but if you enter the name of a city, be sure
to follow it with a comma and the state abbreviation
("Manteo, NC," for example).

It's like searching a "super Yellow Pages" directory for
your target area, even if you live thousands of miles away.
Each entry provides contact information and MapQuest maps
and driving directions, plus links to any associated Web
sites for each company listed.

When you find a company that looks promising, call them. Try
to get a sense of what they are all about -- just as you
would when calling a company in your home area. Ask for
recommendations. And follow up on those recommendations. The
next time you visit your rental property, set up an
appointment to meet with company principals to personally
cement your relationship.

Remember, the key to managing your property remotely is
first establishing a network of great support people. And
now, thanks to the Internet, doing so is easier than ever.

-- Jan and Pat VanVoorhis, Great Rentals

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4 - Increase your Rentals with Visa and MasterCard
==================================================

Rentors.org has designed a new program that allows vacation
property owners to take credit card payments easily and
economically. If you have a computer with Internet access,
you have all of the tools that you need to get started.
Accepting rental payments has never been easier.

Increase rentals: Offer your customers their preferred
choice of payment.

Save time: Process payments, issue credits and receipts with
the click of a mouse.

Save money: Choose from three flexible pricing plans.

Improve cash flow: Funds are deposited to your bank account
within 2-3 business days.

Confirm bookings: Take deposits to secure your guests'
commitment.

"I have just switched from PayPal to a merchant account
through Rentors.org, because I had several guests complain
about the hassles of using PayPal. The merchant account is
much easier for the guests to use - and that's the goal."

--Richard Pretl, Lancaster House

For more information call 866-663-6415 or visit:

http://www.rentors.org/cc.cfm

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5 - Fine-Tune Your Check-Out Checklist
======================================

Be sure that your vacation rental guests know exactly what's
expected of them at check-out. Start a "check-out checklist"
by recording a detailed list of what you do personally at
check-out. Then reduce your list to a much shorter one
that's reasonable to expect from renters rushing to depart.

Be sure that your list is reasonable; happy guests can be a
great source of future referrals. Email your check-out
checklist to your renters before they arrive. Also leave a
printed copy in plain view inside your rental. This helps to
make it clear, from the beginning of their stay, that you
expect your guests to treat your vacation home with care.

Renters appreciate the checklist because it defines what you
expect of them. Here are some basics that we expect to find
on a check-out checklist:

__ Dishwashing instructions. (Reasonable: "Load and start
the dishwasher before you leave.")

__ What to do with used bed linens, bath towels, etc.
(Reasonable: "Place used linens on top of the washer.")

__ What to do with leftover food. (Should unopened food be
discarded with the garbage?)

__ Where/how to dispose of garbage.

__ If guests are responsible for any housecleaning chores,
be specific -- but never expect your guests to eliminate the
need for a thorough, professional housecleaning.

__ Identify appliances that should be unplugged for safety,
like the coffeemaker and toaster.

__ Heating/cooling system instructions.

__ Turn off all lights, radios, TVs, and electronics.

__ Instructions for pool, pool heat, and spa.

__ Instructions for safe disposal of fireplace ashes.

__ Instructions for locking/securing your property.

__ What to do with the keys.

__ How to report destroyed, damaged, or lost items.

Solicit some feedback from your guests on your check-out
checklist:

__ Request comments in your Rentors.org online Guest Book.
(Ask them to do it before they leave if your home includes
Internet access.)

Your checklist should also address any financial issues:

__ Tell guests when to expect return of their security
deposit; identify possible "deductions". Be specific to
avoid misunderstandings, bad feelings, and complaints.

-- Brian and Lisa Raub, A1 Vacation Rentals

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6 - Guest Books as Advertising Tools
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Our friend, author, and idea-person Seth Godin calls it
"viral marketing." Others call it "tell-a-friend promotion."
But most people know it as good old-fashioned "word-of-mouth
advertising." And there is simply nothing else like it.

People who study these things point out that everyone has at
least five friends. So if one person tells five people, and
each of them tells five people, the number of people who get
the word grows geometrically. We don't know about that. But
we do know that when a friend says "You've got to see this
movie" we almost always follow their advice.

Word-of-mouth can also work for your rental property. So if
you have not yet activated your free Rentors.org guest book,
you're really missing a bet.

Guest books have a long tradition. Who hasn't enjoyed
thumbing through the pages of a typical hardcover or spiral-
bound guest book, reading comments made by others who have
stayed in the same rental? The trouble is that renters don't
get to see the house guest book until after they have
reserved the place -- too late for the book to be used as a
marketing tool.

That's why the Rentors.org guest book can be so powerful in
persuading prospects to rent your property instead of
someone else's. It's instantly available -- only a click
away on your commercial listings or on your personal Web
site. You can key in comments from your on-site guest book,
and you can encourage your renters to post comments of their
own.

The key is to alert your renters to the existence of your
online guest book and to make it as easy as possible for
them to enter their comments.

As noted in an earlier article in this newsletter, you can
encourage them to post a comment before they leave.
Alternatively, you can send a follow-up email thanking them
for selecting your property, asking them to email you
directly with any suggestions for improvements, and
requesting that they share positive comments with other
vacationers by posting them in your online guest book.

If you include a link to your guest book in your email
message, you'll get a much better response rate. The link
should look like this, with your Rentors.org Property ID
number in place of 0000:

http://www.rentors.org/guestbook.cfm?pid=0000

The Internet amplifies the power of word-of-mouth
advertising. If you own rental property, the online guest
book is a tool you should not ignore.

-- Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner, Fully Booked Rentals
http://fullybookedrentals.com/

Special Offer: Mention Rentors.org and we'll include a free
half-hour phone consultation with purchase. (See website for
details.)

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7 - How to Combat the Spam Plague
=================================

Junk mail and junk telemarketing calls are an annoyance, to
be sure. (An annoyance now greatly reduced by "do-not-call"
lists.) But junk email is a plague.

And by all accounts, the federal "Can-Spam Act" of 2003 has
had almost no effect in reducing the flow. Given the daily
torrent of junk email, even the most meticulous property
owner can easily delete rental inquiries by accident -- or
not even see such inquiries due to spam filters in place on
their own systems and those of their Internet Service
Providers (ISPs). In fact, your ISP may be filtering your
email, and you may not even know it.

What to do? First, see if you have a problem. At VRBO, you
can log on to your account and pull up a list of all the
inquiries your ad has generated in the past few months. (The
other Rentors.org sponsor sites have similar features.)
Compare this list to the email inquiries you have received.
If they don't match perfectly, you definitely have a
filtering problem.

To solve it, start with any spam-filtering program you may
have on your own system. Ideally, your software will
maintain a list of the messages it has "spammed out," along
with the reason why. If rental inquiries are among them, you
can adjust the program's filter accordingly. Next, contact
your ISP and find out how to "whitelist" your advertising
sites' email addresses.

Next, test that your inquiries are arriving by going to your
listing and pretending to be a renter. Send yourself a test
inquiry message by filling out the online form. Then check
your email to see if it arrives.

If all else fails, terminate your old email account and
start fresh. This is the single most effective way to
eliminate spam, and it may be just the motivation you need
to switch to an ISP offering high-speed, broadband
connections.

Finally, protect your new address from the spammers by
making sure that any site that asks you to key in your email
address has a clearly stated "privacy policy" stating that
your email address will never be given to anyone else
without your permission.

-- Dave and Lynn Clouse, Vacation Rentals by Owner

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8 - Collecting and Paying Sales Tax
===================================

If you own a short-term rental, you are almost certainly
subject to sales, occupancy, and other taxes levied by your
state, county, township, city, or other governing body.
While renters pay these taxes as an add-on to the rental
cost, it's your responsibility to collect and remit them,
usually on a quarterly or monthly basis.

The trouble is, each taxing authority has different forms,
different requirements, and different due dates. Making a
mistake can cost you dearly in penalties and interest. (And
don't think that revenue-strapped governments aren't using
the Internet to identify owners of vacation rental property
who may owe back taxes.)

That's why Rentors.org has partnered with HotSpot
Management, a tax management service for vacation rental
homeowners and property managers. HotSpot takes care of
everything, charging $5 to $10 for each return it files on
your behalf, plus an annual $19.95 service fee. That means
that for about $80 to $120 a year, you will not only be in
full compliance, you will also make sure that you are
receiving all applicable rebates for timely filing.

If you mention Rentors.org and this article, HotSpot
Management will reduce your annual fee by 50% for the first
year. Call HotSpot at 877-589-0207 or see:

HotSpot Tax Info:
http://www.rentors.org/redirect/hotspot.cfm

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9 - Classified Ads
==================

Your classified ad can appear in the next issue of
Rentors.org News. Rates are $25/word (10-word minimum). URLs
count as 2 words. ALL CAPS are forbidden. Sorry, we do not
accept ads from vacation rental advertising services, and we
reserve the right to reject ads for any reason. Ads appear
in first-paid, first-listed order. Our next issue's payment
deadline is exactly 2 weeks from today. Contact:

admin@rentors.org

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10 - More Vacation Rental Tips
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If you would like to read more vacation rental tips, you can
refer to articles that were featured in previous issues of
this newsletter at:

http://www.rentors.org/archive/
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11 - Rentors.org Sponsor Information
====================================

Rentors.org is sponsored by these experienced vacation
rental advertising services. As at least one authority has
said, "There are literally hundreds of vacation rental
property Web sites, but only four that really matter." Those
four are the founders of Rentors.org, and each will be
pleased to help you maximize the rental income your property
generates each year by advertising it on the Internet. All
charge a flat annual fee. There are no commissions or other
nonsense.

The Rentors.org Availability Calendar and Guest Book work on
all four sites, so you will have just ONE calendar and/or
Guest Book to maintain!

A1Vacations - A1 Vacation Rentals
Home: http://www.a1vacations.com/
Join: http://www.a1vacations.com/advertise/

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

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

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12 - Please Refer a Friend to Rentors.org
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This "Tips for Vacation Rental Homeowners" newsletter was e-
mailed to members of Rentors.org -- which offers FREE online
availability calendars and guest books for vacation rental
property homeowners and property managers.

Please refer a friend to:

http://www.rentors.org/

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13 - How to Cancel
==================

To cancel your newsletter subscription, please log in to
your Rentors.org account and then select "Delete this
Account." Your free calendar(s) and guest book(s) will be
deleted, and you will no longer receive this newsletter.

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Copyright (C) 2004 Rentors LLC, 95 Westlake Rd. Suite 205,
Hardy, VA 24101 USA Advertise: 540-375-3633
==========================================================

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