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Carefree renting in France
Renting a holiday home on the Cote d'Azur requires attention
Every year, millions of holidaymakers go to France. A large proportion of these people rent an apartment or luxury villa. Renting a home has many benefits; think of the enormous freedom, like doing your own shopping and eating what you like. Or simply grilling on the BBQ near the swimming pool while the kids frolic in the garden. Both individuals and professional organisations rent out vacation rentals. The benefits of hiring a private home seems obvious, yet there are also a number of disadvantages. In this article we will both discuss the advantages and the disadvantages. Hiring from a private home owner may be cheaper, which is the biggest advantage. However, there are still some disadvantages. There are no organisations where private individuals are affiliated, such as the SGR (Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden), which guarantees you’re payment if an affiliated professional organisation goes bankrupt, and thus there are no rules and regulations. How much the down payment is and when it is to be paid is not regulated, neither when the final payment is due. Homeowners can make their own rules, and down payments of 50 %, with final payments 2 months before arrival are often requested. If you need to cancel, you usually lose the amounts already paid and that can be a painful thing if that is the sum. Individuals can advertise at rental sites for a small fee, but unfortunately scammers know this as well.
For them it is very easy to put nice pictures of a villa on a site and then collect rental fees for a villa that does not exist! If you book with a professional rental company you are working with a company that is registered with the Chamber of Commerce, and is usually a member of a number of organisations for the protection of consumers, of which more later. If you still decide to hire from a private homeowner, look how long he advertises this villa, which is usually mentioned at the site where you find the advertisement. Also check whether there are references from people who have rented this house before. In France, houses are often specially decorated for the purpose of renting out, so you will find many small beds; it is important that you check out several things thoroughly before booking. Do not forget that a deposit must be paid on arrival. But what happens when the washing machine, which after 10 years of duty, suddenly breaks down? Will you get your deposit back? Good professional landlords take their responsibility where individuals are much less easily approachable for any disappointments.
Another advantage of booking with a reliable professional company is that they visit the villa's they rent out in order to keep you from unpleasant surprises. And if the owner of a house sells his, or passes away, then if you have booked with a professional company this will guarantee you that they are looking for an alternative accommodation for you, and if you do not agree with the alternatives you will get your money back. So be careful when booking a holiday home from a private person, and if you have the possibility, try to book with a professional company that is officially registered as such, so that you can enjoy a carefree holiday on arrival.