Posted: 23 May 2010 10:45 AM PDT

Jason Kershell, assistant property manager with McKinney & Associates in South Lake Tahoe, is grateful to see a turnaround in vacation rentals.

With a month to go until the start of the summer season, Kershell said the rental agency has more than doubled its rental sales from April 19 to May 19 compared to last year. Sales have increased about 10 percent from 2008, he said.

"I'm just happy that we're ahead of when it was good, which means we're doing really well" Kershell said of the yearly increase.

But business has not bounced back to the rental sales in 2006, which was the biggest year in their history.

"Back then, you had all the forces going for you," he said. "That's when the big bubble was about to burst."

Kershell attributes the increase to making changes in advertising and having a better trained sales staff.

Vacation Rentals by Owner, with more than 80 million visitors a year, and Craigslist Classifieds were the big shifts Kershell said they made in advertising.

While most of the business comes from within the Tahoe driving market, he said more and more are coming from farther away. The benefit of renters outside the California and Nevada area is they typically stay longer, he said.

The average number of nights for someone who is diving is three to four nights, whereas those flying in will stay for a week.

Memorial Day, which is next weekend, brings the "first little burst" in sales, and the busy season generally stretches from mid-June to mid-August, Kershell said.

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City pondering vacation rentals

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:22 AM PDT

The city of St. Helena is following the county's lead by reconsidering its regulations pertaining to vacation rentals.

According to City Attorney John Truxaw, the city's municipal code contains no clear prohibitions of vacation rentals — defined as residential rentals for a period of less than 30 days without a use permit — but the reading of several code sections together makes it clear they are illegal.

Property owners who rent their property for less than 30 days must obtain a use permit and pay the city a 12-percent transient occupancy tax. But as the county has discovered, violations are widespread and enforcement is difficult.

On Tuesday city staff asked the planning commission to consider revising the municipal code to more clearly address vacation rentals.

"This has been an issue in the past," Planning Director Carol Poole told the commission. "People have gone online and looked at our code and haven't gone away with the conclusion that they can't rent their houses out (for less than 30 days)."

City staff periodically troll the Internet for illegal vacation rentals.

In 2004 the city filed an enforcement action against Peter and Paulette Story to abate illegal vacation rentals at a house on Pratt Avenue. The city won and got a lien on the property for collection.

Another enforcement action on South Crane Avenue ended in a settlement out of court.

Commissioner Alan Galbraith suggested that the city farm out enforcement duties to an attorney from the private sector. Violators could be forced to cover the legal fees for enforcement, which would give the attorney a financial incentive to ferret out violators.

Meanwhile, the city could make special permits available to property owners who wish to offer short-term rentals but don't fit the rubric of a traditional bed-and-breakfast, Galbraith said.

Planning Commissioner Sandy Ericson proposed that people who have a primary residence in St. Helena could rent out their rooms short-term to help people who can't afford a hotel.

Poole will discuss the commission's ideas with the city attorney and report back at a future meeting.

No comments posted.

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Vacation rentals good way to save, also risky

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:30 AM PDT

Dear Action Line: Last summer we all went with my sister to a "vacation rental" condo in Florida and saved a ton of money. How do I find such condos? — C.M., Tulsa.

"In this tough economy, renting someone else's condo — a `vacation rental' — is a good way to save thousands on resort hotel fees," said Rick Brinkley, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Eastern Oklahoma. "Vacation rentals seem riskier than hotels but if you research them and check the contract fine print, it will save you money."

Travel websites: A summer 2009 TripAdvisor.com, tulsaworld.com/tripadvisor, survey showed 43 percent of respondents planned to use vacation rentals within 12 months. The average price per square foot for a U.S. hotel is twice that of a similar size vacation rental, says a HomeAway report, tulsaworld.com/homeaway. For info on cheap flights to there from here, see tulsaworld.com/TripAdvisorFlights.

Start now: Many websites claiming to connect travelers to vacation rentals take a cut for their efforts. Others cut out the middleman and potentially consumer protections such as money-back guarantees. The Bureau advises traveling consumers to start planning now. Rental properties in popular locations get booked quickly, so start your search before all the best properties are taken.

Homework:

Do yours if you plan on enlisting the help of a business, such as a third-party website or professional service, to connect you with a renter. Always check them out first with tulsaworld.com/TulsaBBB.

Expectations: A home rental is not a hotel, so you shouldn't expect the same professionalism, cleanliness or modernization. Some companies guarantee the property meets your expectations. If a guarantee isn't offered, consider travel insurance tulsaworld.com/BBBtravelinsurance.

Virtual tours: Sometimes pictures and property descriptions on renter websites are deceiving. Research the property online and take virtual tours of the surrounding area with Google Maps Street View. Ask plenty of questions about the property.

Written contracts: Make sure all verbal agreements are included in rental contracts, including details on deposits, pet rules, refunds, utilities, Internet access, etc. Never send money until you've signed a rental agreement, and never wire your payment (MoneyGram, Western Union, etc.).

Vacation rentals by owner: Take extra precautions when renting from an individual, especially international rentals. If possible, get references from previous renters and double-check property location to avoid treading international waters. See 44 Bureau articles for the budget-savvy traveler at tulsaworld.com/BBBtraveltips.

Submit Action Line questions by calling 699-8888 or by e-mailing phil.mulkins@tulsaworld.com or by mailing it to Tulsa World Action Line, PO Box 1770, Tulsa, OK 74102-1770.

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Vacation rentals offers provisional refund policy

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:50 PM PDT

LEE COUNTY: One Southwest Florida vacation company is offering what they call 'provisional refunds' to tourists if the oil comes ashore here.

Royal Shell Vacations of Sanibel and Captiva Islands says they've mounted a beach watch for oil.

They also say if the beaches of Sanibel and Lee County are closed, then they'll give refunds to any tourist for the days left on their trip.

Royal Shell manages more than 400 rental properties in Sanibel and Captiva.

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