5 Reasons for Booking Vacation Rentals from the Pros

[caption id="attachment_5782" align="aligncenter" width="1375"] With no repair and maintenance issues to resolve with a long-distance owner, you'll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy some quality family time.[/caption] Finding the perfect beach vacation rental to book for a reasonable price can be difficult. So, we suggest that rather than struggle with uncertainty, you go through an experienced and reputable property management company when booking vacation rentals. In addition to making the booking process easier, the advantages of using a pro may include discounts, cleaner units, quicker maintenance turnarounds, and a local staff to deal with issues quickly. “To sum it up, property management companies have ‘boots on the ground’ where you are going,” said Sterling Resorts Director of ecommerce Matt Raab. “We have staff onsite to help with questions, recommendations, and problems that arise.” On the other hand, individual property owners often live out of state – possibly in another time zone. They can be hard to get in touch with quickly. Plus, they frequently don’t have the connections or resources necessary to take care of problems efficiently. As a result, vacationers may turn to a property management company for help, even though they didn’t rent from that company. Sterling sees such scenarios play out often because they operate the lobbies of many condominium resorts where private owners rent out units. “Every single day, we have a guest from a privately rented condo come to our desk asking us to help in any way possible because they cannot get the owner on the phone, and they have an issue,” Raab said. Unfortunately, Sterling is limited in what it can do to help. “The reason being each condo is a private residence,” Raab explained. So, for example, if a guest is locked out of his or her unit, Sterling’s hands are tied when it comes to helping. The company doesn’t have a key or permission from the owner to open the door. “And we don’t have records as to whom the guests are of that unit so we don’t even know if the guest standing in front of us should have access to the unit,” Raab said. Checking to see whether Sterling employees know the owner and might have a phone number is the extent of what they can do. “But past that, we offer our sympathies and a card letting them know to rent through us next time so we can help,” he said. Booking through a management company also often comes with incentives such as discounts for restaurants, golf, and more. Local managers typically are members of area chambers of commerce, sponsor events, and have family and friends throughout the community. These connections often enable them to offer special beach vacation deals. You’re also more likely to find a unit that meets your standards for cleanliness in a professionally-managed rental because many companies employ housekeeping staff they can hold accountable. Even if a company contracts out the cleaning work, management is on hand to do inspections. Out-of-town property owners have to trust cleaning [caption id="attachment_5583" align="alignright" width="600"] Professional property management companies often offer concierge and other onsite services to which you won't have access when you book with an individual owner.[/caption] services to do the quality job for which they’re paid, without being able to check what they do. “These services can go through spells of poor performance, employee issues, or go out of business,” Raab said. “And the private owners are slow to learn of these issues, typically only understanding the gravity of the problem after a couple of bad stays.” Likewise, maintenance issues typically are addressed more quickly when you rent from a management company, which might even have a repair person on staff. Let’s face it, nothing can derail a great vacation more quickly than an air conditioner that’s not cooling, a broken washer or dyer, or a refrigerator that’s on the blink – especially when it’s sweltering outside and there’s no one to offer a quick fix. If a management company doesn’t have a maintenance person on staff, they typically have a relationship with a repair company that’s willing to respond to their requests quickly – even on weekends. Another perk of renting from a property management company is that onsite employees, such as those working in the lobby, can suggest the best restaurants, adventure parks, charter-fishing groups, shopping venues, and more. They often share some of their favorite places, so that tourists can experience more of the local flavor. “Many of our team are lifelong residents of the area,” Raab said. “But private owners are to a large part tourists themselves. They know of the places they have been that match their particular tastes and interests, and that is about it.” And, Raab said, you can’t overestimate the importance of accountability. Companies are subject to a lot of oversight that doesn’t usually apply to individuals. “Credit card companies hold us responsible for delivering a vacation we advertise,” he said. “There is the Better Business Bureau, government watchdogs, licensing, and so much more that ensure businesses are not taking advantage of customers.” So, next time you’re booking a vacation, look to BeachGuide, where the perfect, professionally-managed rental is just a few clicks away. Unlike many travel sites, BeachGuide doesn't add on traveler or online booking fees so you'll get the same price on BeachGuide as you would if you were to book on a management company site. 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Published on Wednesday, May 24, 2017