An Alphabetical CHECK LIST for when
you are renting a Holiday Home in Scotland 1)
AVAILABILITY: We do advise property
owners to update their Availability dates on a regular basis on the jmlvilas.com
self catering holiday homes web site. If they have not indicated an availability
date, please email them for this information.
2) ACCOMMODATION:
Most of our advertisers provide excellent accommodation details, occasionally
they might have omitted some details, so if you require additional information
contact the owner. In many cases Property owners have their own web site that
shows additional details and if they do have a site you can access this from the
featured property page.
Many advertisers are registered or listed with
their country/region’s Tourist Office and have to comply with the guidelines on
standards of accommodation and facilities & equipment provided.
3)
BABYSITTING: If you require a baby sitter you must ask the Property owner
if they have contacts.
4)BREAKAGES: (see also Inventory &
Deposit sections below) Small accidents can happen when you are on holiday.
Normally if a renter breaks glasses, crockery etc they will often find replacements
at the local supermarket and should always advise the owner or agent. If there
is a serious breakage - window - chair etc, the renter should immediately report
this to the owner or their agent.
5)BICYCLE HIRE: If you need
to hire a bike, it might be advisable to contact the owner when you make your
booking as to availability in the property's area.
6)BOOKING FLEXIBILITY:
See No 9 Changeover Day below as many property owners can accommodate for longer
or shorter periods depending on seasonal demand.
6)CAR HIRE: If
you need to hire a car, sometimes if you book well in advance you can secure a
rental at a more favourable price. Rental prices tend to vary from country to
country and from experience car hire in Spain is a lot cheaper than Ireland. If
you want a quote Click
here to go to our CAR HIRE PAGE
7) CHILDREN: Some
property owners do not accept children under a certain age bracket.
8)CLEANING:
Many holiday properties provide a cleaning service and state this on their page
on jmlvillas.com. Sometimes they offer daily, weekly or just end of stay cleaning.
In other cases you either have to clean it yourself or pay additional charges.
It is advisable to check when booking.
9) CHANGEOVER DAYS: The
property advertiser will usually advise on our site the changeover days. In the
peak periods these days cannot usually be changed, however at other times of the
year many property owners will be agreeable to changing the booking period. i.e.
Instead of Saturday-to-Saturday - Tuesday to Tuesday. You
will also come across some property owners who will be happy to let the property
for a very long weekend. If this information is not stated you can always email
the owner.
10) CHECKING IN & OUT: Please make sure you
have the owner or agent's contact details with you - mobile phone/office phone
etc and provide them with your mobile number as well. Sometimes flights are delayed
for example and you should let the key holder know the situation. You should also
agree a check in time with them. With many properties you cannot arrive till after
12 noon, but check the situation out when you make the booking. If you are likely
to arrive out an "unsocial hour" then you might find that you are charged
a fee if there is an agent handling the check in.
When you leave the
property, quite often you have to be out by 10.00 in the morning to allow cleaners
in and normally times will be agreed between yourself and the owner in their Rental
Agreement or correspondence.
11) DEPOSITS: - Initial Deposit &
Damage Deposit: You will normally be asked to put down a deposit at the time
of booking. Sometimes this is non-refundable so please check the details with
the property owner. It is worth well considering taking out Travel Insurance when
you make a booking in case you have to cancel your visit.
Many property owners
now require a damage deposit to be held throughout your visit. see section
4 above on Breakages
12) ELECTRICITY, GAS & WATER: These
utilities are expensive in most countries and are usually metered (except with
butane gas). You will usually find that these services are included in the rent,
although sometimes the electricity is on meter and you sometimes have to pay additional
charges for heating or heating a swimming pool.
Electric voltages in
Scotland are 240v Square 3 pin plug. Visitors from overseas will need to purchase
an adaptor that will work in many countries including the UK, Ireland, Malta and
parts of Africa. You should find out when you arrive at a property where the trip
switch/fuse board is and also if butane gas is being provided how to change the
bottle and where to purchase a replacement.
13) INSURANCE:
You should take out adequate travel insurance when you make your booking in
case you have to cancel the holiday. In many cases if you have an accident at
a property, although the Property owner's insurance company will initially entertain
the claim they may also want to pursue your insurance company.
A property owner's insurance will
probably not cover your personal must make sure that your property is properly
covered for holiday lettings. You should advise the insurance company that it
is being let for this purpose. If you want some further information on quotes
follow this link Click
here to go to TRAVEL INSURANCE
14) INVENTORY: It is normal
procedure to have an inventory of the contents that will be checked in by the
local agent or owner. A damage deposit is often held and then will not normally
be returned till after the property has been vacated and will either be paid back
locally or sent to the renter’s home address. You will often find reference to
this and the amount to be paid in the rental agreement.
You should check with the owner as
to when you can expect to receive the deposit back. If can be checked in with
your guests. Either the owner or local agent
should politely point out that if the visitors break equipment, if they are glasses
for example then they should replace, if it is more serious - bed, window etc,
then immediately report it.
15) KITCHENS:
We encourage advertisers on jmlvillas.com to give a description of their
kitchen. They should include an oven (conventional or microwave) They should include
an oven (conventional or microwave), Does it have a dishwasher, washing machine,
iron etc?
16)
LINEN HIRE/TOWELS/COTS: Before setting
off on your holiday check out the linen hire situation. Many property owners provide
linen & bath towels (but not beach towels) and many of the properties advertised
do not have linen or towels. They would provide pillows, duvets or blankets usually.
You can often hire linen locally, which is a good idea if you are flying. Check
with the property owner when you make your booking. If you require a cot you should
find out if the owner provides these, or if you can hire one or if you have to
bring your own.
17) LOCAL FACILITIES: If the owner has not provided
a Property Handbook (see 21 below) please ask for information. Do not forget to
buy a guide book and buy local area maps.
18) LOCAL AGENT:Many
property owners will employ a local agent to check you into the property. This
person (or agency) would most likely be your point of contact if you have problems
at the property. The local agent can sometime arrange linen hire and if the owner
has not left you a Property Information book, the agent can normally tell you
about local shops, restaurants, pubs, bars and attractions.
19) PRICES
/ RATES: At jmlvillas.com we encourage our clients to keep their prices
updated. Unfortunately not all advertisers do this and in some cases do not submit
their prices. If you are not certain about the information shown, email the owner
for confirmation. You will probably find that you are paying more over bank holiday
periods and in the main summer season.
20) PROPERTY CAPACITY:
Although a property might stipulate it sleeps 6, there is often the possibility
that it can sleep an addition 2 on a sofa bed. Alternatively a property stating
it sleeps 6 might only have 2 bedrooms - the other sleeping capacity being on
the sofa bed. Check the description carefully and if in doubt email the owner
for clarification.
21)
PROPERTY HANDBOOK: We advise owners
to leave a ring bound folder with some notes about the property - how the hot
water system works, where the rubbish should be put, information on local shops,
restaurants and attractions etc.
22) RENTAL AGREEMENT: It is normal
procedure to have a rental agreement. In some countries it is the law. It will
set out the terms of the rental - prices, length of let, damage deposit and other
conditions.
23)
SWIMMING POOLS: Take great care if
you are renting a property with a swimming pool. In France it is now the law to
have these fenced as well as to supervise young children. You will quite often
pay an additional charge for the heating of the pool. Take great care with pools
they are not always lined with tiles and concrete and the lining can easily be
damaged by a sharp object. They are expensive to replace and you could be responsible
for paying this if a member of your party has caused the damage.
24)
TELEPHONES: Some property owners provide telephones for incoming calls; some
have a pay phone system. If you are taking your mobile on holiday, make sure that
you have contacted the mobile phone provider to allow calls to be made to and
from it when you are not in your home country. Generally you will pay the cost
of the call coming from your home country to where the mobile is being used. Remember
that not 100% of the UK is covered by the mobile phone networks and if you live
in the UK the phone you have might not always work in parts of Scotland.
If
you do not have a mobile and there is no telephone at the property and you want
friends or family to contact you in an emergency let them have the owner or agent’s
number
25)
TELEVISIONS: Many properties provide
a television. Quite often it will only be the local country’s networks. (BBC,
ITV, Channel 4 / 5 etc). In some areas in Scotland TV reception is not 100%
Some properties have satellite systems in addition.
26)
WASHING/IRONS: If the property you
are going to rent does not have a washing machine, you should find out from the
owner or agent the location of the nearest laundry or laundrette. You should also
check to see if the property has ironing facilities. If you need to take an iron,
there are very neat travel irons on the market.
27) WCs:
Many properties have a septic tank rather than mains drainage and have narrow
gauge pipework. Nothing other than toilet paper should be put down any WC. Blockages
are inconvenient and expensive to clear and you could be charged if a specialist
is called in.
28)
WELCOME PACKS: A lot of properties provide
a welcome pack. Quite often a local agent can arrange for this if required, especially
if you are going to arrive late at night. (Bread, milk, coffee tea etc). In some
case these are included in the prices of your stay, in others it will be an additional
cost. Do not expect to have a welcome pack, as many property owners do not provide
these. 29)
COMPLAINTS: If you are not happy about the letting — Let the owner or agent
know. They might not be able to do anything about it, but often they can. Please
note that the descriptions on the jmlvillas.com web site are put on by the owners
themselves. If you are in doubt about accommodation details always check with
them before you book. jml Property Services takes no responsibilty for any bookings
or agreements made between an advertiser and holiday home renter. Please
note this guide has been compiled from experience and jml Property Services takes
no responsibility for the accuracy of its content. jml Property Services takes
no resonsibility for any agreements / transactions or arrangements made for any
property advertised on this website and all dealings must be carried out between
advertiser and applicant
If you have any further tips
for people renting holiday properties that could be added here, please
email them to us.
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