1)
PRICES:
Make sure that the price is competitive.
If the rental is too high it will not
attract visitors. Ensure that the prices are
kept up to date on your entry on jmlvilas.com
(jmlvillas.com is the website that advertises
your South of France holiday vacation rental
property)
2) LOCAL AGENT: If you do not live near
the holiday property, you must employ a good
local agent who can check your visitors in and
out, arrange cleaning, routine repairs and replacements,
arrange linen hire or a laundry service and
keep an eye on the property when it is not occupied.
The agent should be able to provide a "Welcome
Pack" if you want to provide one - bottles
of wine for example or more if the visitors
are arriving late. You should provide your agent
with the visitor's contact details and vice
versa so that they can contact the agent if
they are delayed or lost.
The agent can of course be a friend or relative
living locally, but it should be a business
relationship and the agent should be paid.
3) RENTAL
AGREEMENT:
If you are letting a holiday property in France
you must provide a written agreement. In other
countries, although it might not be a legal
requirement it is advisable so that your terms
of rental are clearly agreed.
The document need only be 2/3 pages in length
and include the names of the visitors, the dates
of the rental. The amount of damage deposit
you are going to hold, The rental price, cancellation
of rental charges. Additional costs e.g. electricity,
linen hire etc.
A clause stating that if a local agent has to
meet the visitors at an unsocial hour, then
any additional costs paid to the agent will
be paid by the renter. If it is a legal requirement
in the country concerned that the renter takes
out insurance, then add it into the agreement.
4) INVENTORY: It is essential that you
have an inventory of the contents that 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.
5) PROPERTY HANDBOOK: Provide 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.
6) INSURANCE: You 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. In some
countries (France for example) the people renting
must also take out insurance by law, but you
must also be covered. If you are looking for
a policy visit our Insurance
section.
7)
LOCAL REGULATIONS:
You should ensure that your property complies
with the country regulations for safety issues.
In Britain for example a holiday home must
have furniture that complies with the fire
& furnishing safety regulations and displays
the appropriate safety label. There are also
gas and safety regulations in certain countries.
If in doubt talk to the local Tourist Office
in the area your property is located in.
In
France, rental properties with more
than 5 bedrooms are legally classified as a
small hotel. Hotels are classified as public
buildings requiring specific fire protection
such as fire doors and officially approved smoke
alarms. These regulations are enforced by the
Mairie. Although there is no specific legislation
for fire safety in in private properties or
rental properties with less than five bedrooms
in France, in any country the owner must
have a duty of care to his/her guests and install
basic fire protection such as smoke detectors,
fire blankets and fire extinguishers. It
is suggested that the emergency services numbers
are included in any Property Handbooks.
Looking
for Holiday homes insurance in the south of
France Click on the image below
For
French Holiday Homes
8) TAX: It is advisable to consult an
Accountant regarding any tax liability from
letting out your holiday property. If the property
is not the country you normally are resident
in then contact an accountant in that country
first. Many countries have Tax treaties with
other ones, but the issue is very complex and
the Tax Authorities do have ways of finding
out about properties that are being let out.
See also: Taxe
de séjour and Tax
Declarations in France
These are two most important areas for owners
to take note of.
9)
AVAILABILITY:
Ensure that the Availability dates are kept
up to date on your entry on jmlvilas.com
10)
PAYMENT OF RENT:
Do take great care when accepting rental payments.
Some people are able to accept credit card bookings,
but for the majority they are dependent on payment
by bank transfer or when the guests arrive. See
Accepting
Payments in Euros can prove Expensive
WARNING
- RENTAL SCAMS IN HOLIDAY LETS CLICK
HERE FOR DETAILS YOU COULD BE NEXT!
and
also Rental
Scams in Self Catering Holiday Home Lettings
Take
great care — if someone is making a booking
well into the future, the ideal situation is to
obtain a booking deposit at the time of booking
and the balance two months before they are due
to arrive. Stipulate those terms in your rental
agreement and also on any printed booking forms.
11)
PRE - LETTING CLEANING: -Make sure the property
is clean and tidy before the guests arrive. At
jmlvilas.com
we have received complaints that the property
was dirty and even someone still in there when
a guest arrived in the early afternoon. Make arrangements
to have the property cleaned thoroughly in between
lets and if it stays vacant for a while between
a let, have it cleaned before the new guests move
in.
12)
SWIMMING POOLS:
Remember that many countries nowq have specific
rules for swimming pools (alarms / fencing
in France). Ensure you are properly insured,
arrange for a regular maintenance contractor to
check it and if it is a Communal pool remember
to advise your renter guests that it could be
closed for a maintenance project during their
stay. There are occasions when they have to be
drained or r-tiled and will be out of use for
several days)
13)RECORD
KEEPING FOR PROPERTY OWNERS: As
a property owner ou are required to maintain complete
records of all expenses incurred and the income
received from your properties. This means
that you must hang onto every relevant receipt
and keeping details of any personal assets you
used for the property business. An example of
this would be to note down the details of all
journeys you make concerning your property's business,
the portion of your home used to process related
paperwork and time spent on your computer carry
out work for the property.
You
should retain all bank statements and all records
have to be retained for five years after the tax
return filing date. Any receipts regarding property
improvements should be kept for six years after
the end of the tax year in which the property
is sold. If you don't keep tax related records
you could face a UK fine of £3,000. See
also Tax
Declarations in France
Good
luck with your holiday lettings and if you have
any further tips for property owners to be added
here, please email
them to us.
Please note this guide has been compliled from
experience and jml Property Services takes no
responsibility for the accuracy of its content.
jml
Property Services taks no responsibility for any
bookings or dealings between a renter and a property
owner.
Advertise
your French Holiday Home Property at jmlvillas.com
and the advertisement is FREE at cotedazurrental.com
(for South of France Properties) PLUS FREE ADVERTISING
on villa-rental-france.com and euro-villalocation.com
CLICK HERE for Details - No Commission or
booking fees for owners or renters
Côte
d'Azur Rental - Villa Rentals in the South of France -
Holiday home owners guide and check list
