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Rentors.org News #21 October 6, 2004
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Expert Tips and Tricks for Vacation Rental Homeowners
from the founders of Rentors.org:

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

This newsletter is emailed every 8 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: 34,546
-- # Calendars: 43,847
-- # Guestbooks: 15,883

In this issue:

1 - Please Update Your Calendar and Guest Book Today
2 - Getting a Competitive Edge by Adding a Floor Plan
3 - Hurricane Refunds
4 - Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
5 - The "Nigerian Scam" -- Vacation Rentals Version
6 - Change your Rates for 2005
7 - Straight Talk on "Fair Housing" Laws
8 - Get More Rentals with Visa/MasterCard
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 can't recall 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 - Getting a Competitive Edge by Adding a Floor Plan
=====================================================

Including lots of terrific photographs in your online
listing will always be the best way to make your property
stand out from the competition. As human beings, we're all
visually oriented after all.

But if you're in a highly competitive market, where many
properties look essentially the same, you may be able to
give yourself an edge by including a floor plan among your
images.

A floor plan can help a prospective renter see how your
rooms flow together. It can even help them with their
vacation planning. ("Ah, we'll put Grandma in this bedroom,
because it's closest to the upstairs bathroom for when she
gets up in the night." Or, "This room is the smallest, but
it has a great view. It'll be perfect for Bob and Carol.")

Again, visual images trump text descriptions every time.

So how do you add a floor plan to your listing?

You might start by contacting a local real-estate agency
that specializes in high-end properties. Find out who they
use when they need to have a floor plan created for one of
their listings. Then get in touch with that person and ask
for a quote.

If you can supply a copy of the architect's original plans,
you can probably have a complete floor plan done for a
couple hundred dollars or less, depending on the size of
your property.

If you don't have access to the plans, the floor-plan artist
may be willing to visit in person to take the necessary
measurements. Or you can simply draw a rough sketch showing
each room's approximate dimensions (and the location of
major pieces of furniture, while you're at it) and have the
artist work from that.

If your vacation home is a condo, a floor plan for your unit
may already exist as part of the property's sales
literature.

Since this is such a new field, it's not surprising that a
Google search of the Web turned up only one company
specializing in creating floor plans for vacation rental
properties. That firm is Plumley Drafting
(http://www.rentors.org/redirect/plumleydrafting.cfm).

We have no relationship with Kathleen Plumley, though we
admire her work. And her site is worth a visit if only to
get her instructions on how to assemble the information you
will need to supply to any professional drafter you might
hire.

Once you have the floor plan as a digital image, you can
easily add it to the "photo gallery" of your online listings
and to your own website. In fact, on your own website, you
or your Webmaster can even make each room a clickable link
to one or more photos of that room. Your floor plan could
thus become a veritable "table of contents" for someone who
wants to explore your rental property.

-- Dave and Lynn Clouse, Vacation Rentals by Owner

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3 - Hurricane Refunds
=====================

Florida's recent experience with several hurricanes
highlights the need to define a policy for weather-related
refunds in your vacation rental contracts. If you define
your policy ahead of time, in writing, you and your guests
can avoid arguments later.

When a weather disaster occurs, what's fair?

The North Carolina Vacation Rental Act states that tenants
are not entitled to hurricane-related refunds -- unless they
were never offered insurance by the landlord or rental agent
to compensate them for mandatory hurricane evacuations.

We think you should write your own weather refund policy --
a more generous policy than the law requires for hurricane
evacuations in North Carolina -- and include it in your
written rental contract. Here are our suggestions.

If a catastrophe (hurricane, tornado, earthquake, flood,
etc.) impairs a vacation rental, you should make it clear
that the owner is not responsible for any of the following:

1. Finding alternate lodging for the renter

2. Renter's financial losses related to transportation
or alternate lodging

If, on the day that the rental is scheduled to begin, the
property is uninhabitable, or the property is not reachable
by the usual means of transportation, or access to the
property by visitors has been prohibited by authorities,
then the owner should refund all money paid by the renter
for the vacation rental, including any deposit and prepaid
rent.

If renters (visitors) are required by local authorities to
evacuate the area, and actually do so before their stay in a
vacation rental is completed, then the owner should refund a
pro-rated portion of the unused rent paid by the renter for
the vacation rental, plus any deposit. For example, if $700
has been paid for seven nights, and the renters are ordered
to evacuate one night earlier than they were scheduled to
depart, then the refund would be $100, and there would be no
deduction from the deposit for damages that could have been
caused by the catastrophe.

As an alternative, you can offer replacement nights, or a
less-than-100% refund. The key is to put your policy in
writing, in advance, along with your other important rental
policies.

-- Brian and Lisa Raub, A1 Vacation Rentals

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4 - Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
==================================

Would you pass up the chance to earn an additional $30,000 a
year? (Or more. Often much more?) Surprising as it may be to
readers of this newsletter, the vast majority of owners of
vacation property--some 84 percent, according to the
National Association of Realtors--do just that.

There are lots of reasons, of course. But as the New York
Times pointed out in mid-September 2004, one of the main
reasons more property owners don't offer their places as
vacation rentals is that, frankly, they are just not
comfortable with the idea of letting some other couple or
family stay there.

The article opened with a quote from the proprietor of a
store called Metaphysical Books and Tools in Sag Harbor, New
York. Apparently there's always a post-Labor Day run on
"sage sticks," which vacation property owners "come in and
buy to use in purification rituals."

After this grabber of a lead-in, the Times reporter pulled
back and included quotes from people who, while they are not
into formal purification rituals, nonetheless are uneasy
about renting out their properties.

One owner in East Hampton, New York, was distraught because
his renters had left his house "a mess." His chief
complaint: The towels in the linen closet were folded
differently than the way the homeowner had left them.
Another complained that he was missing several Limoges place
settings at summer's end.

If you aren't chuckling by now, you probably should be. Any
reader who has ever taken a class in basic psychology will
recognize this as a classic "approach-avoidance dilemma."
The owners want the rental income, but they don't want the
renters to occupy their second homes.

We understand such feelings. And we have a solution. It lies
in an attitude adjustment centered on the term *second*
home. By definition, a second home is not your main nesting
place. It is not your "home." It is ancillary. It is
auxiliary. It is someplace else.

It can be a sweet little moneymaker. As well as a place to
get away to when you desire. So you furnish it with
practicality in mind. Limoges china? You've got to be
kidding!

A second home should pay for itself through rentals, with
enough time left over for you and your family to enjoy it
free-of-charge. Furnish it with the high thread-count
sheets, fluffy towels, and other amenities needed to attract
the renters who will pay your bills. Lock away anything
really important to you in the owner's closet.

Then get over it. And get on with it.

Excise the phrase "second home," because it's nothing of the
sort. It is your vacation rental property--that pays for
itself thanks to your renters, that increases in value each
year thanks to the real estate market, and that you can use
whenever you want because you own it.

Here ends today's lesson!

-- Hunter Melville and Dave Bollinger, CyberRentals

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5 - The "Nigerian Scam" -- Vacation Rentals Version
====================================================

There's a wonderful lost treasure of a movie we'd like to
recommend. It's called "The Flim-Flam Man," and it stars
George C. Scott as a fast-talking grifter working the back
roads and whistle-stop towns of the rural South in the
1960s. He encounters a 20-something Michael Sarrazin,
recently AWOL from the Army, and sets about showing him that
there's a touch of greed in everyone. Sarrazin doesn't want
to believe it, but, of course, he learns otherwise.

It's a lesson all of us who own and rent out vacation
property should take to heart. Particularly now that a
variant of what is commonly known as "the Nigerian Scam" has
surfaced in our field.

There are innumerable variations on the classic Nigerian
Scam. But they all involve the "certainty" of a large sum of
money coming to you if only you will help facilitate things
by writing a check to someone. Don't worry. You'll get all
your money back quickly. And then some. The scam gets its
name from the fact that the letters or e-mail messages or
faxes that set up the fraud often originate in Nigeria.
(Unconfirmed reports list the scam as one of the top five
sources of foreign currency in the country.)

Here's how criminals have adapted the scam to the vacation
rental market. Someone who has seen one of your online ads
or your Web page sends you an e-mail expressing the desire
to book your place for an entire month. If your weekly rate
is $1,000, that's $4,000. Like all of us, you're suddenly
very interested.

But, unfortunately, there are a few minor complications. The
prospective renter is a sailor currently at sea, so he can't
get to a bank. Or his funds are otherwise tied up. But, he
does have a cashier's check for $10,000, thanks to an
insurance settlement he has just received. He'll FedEx you
that check. You're to deposit it and keep the $4,000 for the
rental while sending a check drawn on your own account to
the renter's travel agent to pay for his tickets and those
of his special friend. Perhaps he will suggest that you keep
an additional $500 for your trouble and inconvenience.

There will undoubtedly be some very plausible sense of
urgency for you to write your check and send it off. That's
crucial to the scammer's plan, because the cashier's check
he sends you will be a complete counterfeit.

You can expect criminals to play an infinite number of
variations on this theme. But there are at least two things
you can do to keep yourself from being taken.

First, go to
http://www.rentors.org/redirect/secretservice419.cfm. This
Web site is maintained by the U.S. Secret Service to alert
people to the Nigerian scam.

Second, if you are approached by someone you think might be
a scammer, explain that you only accept credit cards. If the
thief gives you a phony credit card number, you'll know the
moment you verify it. (Visit http://www.rentors.org for
information on how to get the "Merchant Status" you need to
be able to accept credit cards.)

-- Jan and Pat VanVoorhis, Great Rentals

==============================
6 - Change your Rates for 2005
==============================

Believe it or not, it's already time to start thinking about
changing your rates for 2005. Now that kids are back to
school, people will start researching properties for next
year's vacations. Don't leave your 2005 rates in question.
Be sure to give specific dates for your rates. i.e. 2004
April 3-10 was a Saturday to Saturday; 2005 April 2-9 is
Saturday to Saturday.

Typically rates increase 5-10% per year. Check with a local
management company and other owners to see how much they
will increase the rates and change yours accordingly. Don't
forget to update your rates on all your web sites.

Want to secure your 2005 bookings now? Send an e-mail to
your 2004 guest and tell them you're starting to take
reservations for 2005 now. You may even want to consider
offering 2004 rates for 2005 pre-bookings. Have your renters
send you a nominal refundable reservation deposit now, and
secure dates with full deposit by December 1st.

Another thing to offer is a payment plan. If they book now
for next year, offer a monthly payment plan! I have secured
many booking this way! It's a great way to make your
vacation home affordable to all.

-- Christine Karpinski
HowtoRentbyOwner.com
http://www.rentors.org/redirect/karpinski.cfm

Christine Karpinski authored the 2004 book "How to Rent
Vacation Properties by Owner" and "The Vacation Rental
Organizer". Both are available from online booksellers, and
through her website.

========================================
7 - Straight Talk on "Fair Housing" Laws
========================================

Here's a question: A couple with a two very young children
wants to rent your place. Can you refuse them because your
property is not "toddler friendly?"

Or how about this: The social chairman of a college
fraternity calls you to book a group of sixteen of its
members for Fourth of July week. Can you turn him down?

To put it another way, can you impose age restrictions of
one sort or another without violating the Federal Fair
Housing Law? The answer is, "Yes," at least in the vast
majority of cases.

One of the advantages of following and writing about the
real estate business for so many years is that you get to
know many leading authorities in the field. Early in her
career, Emily ran the national Real Estate Licensing Exam
program for Princeton-based Educational Testing Service
(ETS). So when the question of how the Federal Fair Housing
Act applies to vacation rentals came up recently in a Yahoo
forum, Emily contacted her old friend John Reilly for his
authoritative advice.

John is a nationally recognized expert on real estate law
and the author of one of the best-selling books in the
field--*The Language of Real Estate*, now in its fifth
edition. He's also a licensed attorney in both Hawaii and
California and a licensed real estate broker in Hawaii.

Here is the essence of what he explained to us about the
Federal Fair Housing Act as it applies to rental properties:

1. If you own no more than three single-family properties
and you rent them without the services of a licensed real
estate agent, you're exempt from certain key provisions of
the Federal Fair Housing Act under what's commonly referred
to as the "Mom-and-Pop exemption."

2. There's also a "Mrs. Murphy's Exemption" for owner-
occupied multi-family dwellings of four units or less. This
means that if you occupy one unit in a multi-family dwelling
of this sort, you can rent the other units to whomever you
wish.

State and local fair housing laws vary, of course, so to be
completely safe on these matters, you'll want to consult a
reputable real estate attorney who knows the laws governing
the area where your vacation property is located. After all,
your job is to get your place rented. Let the legal eagles
worry about the law.

-- Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner
FullyBookedRentals.com
http://www.rentors.org/redirect/glossbrenner.cfm

The Glossbrenners are vacation rental experts and
bestselling authors of *How to Make Your Vacation Property
Work for You: The Quick & Easy Guide to Advertising,
Renting, Managing, and Making Money from your Second Home.*

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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 - Increase Rentals with Visa/MasterCard
=========================================

Rentors.org offers a new program that allows vacation
property owners to take credit card payments easily and
economically. Accepting rental payments has never been
easier. You'll enjoy these advantages:

Quick and easy access to your funds: Payments are deposited
to your bank account within 2-3 business days. There's no
more waiting for checks to clear or worrying about returned
checks.

More Rentals: Consumers are used to paying for their
accommodations using their Visa or MasterCard. A typical
property owner processes 4 card transactions per month
totaling approximately $2000.

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

"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

Three flexible pricing plans are available. For more
information call 866-663-6415 or visit:

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

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10 - Classified Ads
===================

Your classified ad can appear in the next issue of
Rentors.org News. Rates are $30/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

==============================
11 - 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
this newsletter at:

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

====================================
12 - 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
advertising 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.

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

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/adminpublic/members_area.cfm

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

This "Tips for Vacation Rental Homeowners" newsletter was
emailed 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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14 - 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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