“Vacation rentals best choice for some” plus 2 more

Vacation rentals best choice for some
Vacation rental owners: Truckee/Tahoe would lose appeal with regulations
Vacation rental issue returns to Steamboat

Posted: 03 Jul 2010 01:00 PM PDT

A busy schedule is all that is needed to justify a little rest and relaxation. Add in a tight budget and you have the perfect recipe for a vacation rental. If you do not mind foregoing the mint on the pillow experience for more reasonable and less cushy accommodations, a rental may be just the ticket you need.

The Better Business Bureau advises vacationers to do their research before booking rentals because sometimes the properties are not as advertised.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that well more than $12 billion a year is lost to travel-related fraud. Some of the problems are a result of airline "consolidators" who advertise low fares, require cash payments and then fail to deliver. In other cases the problems result from bogus contest entries or discount travel package offers. Phony rental offers found on Craigslist.com, in newspaper classified sections and on the internet also make up a significant part of the problem. The rental schemes generally require an upfront deposit.

A vacation rental may be riskier than booking a hotel, but if you do your research and pay attention to the fine print, it can be a safe way to save money.

There are many different websites that travelers can turn to for finding a vacation rental. Hold on to your sunscreen though. First, the BBB offers the following advice to travelers looking to save money with a vacation rental:

n Start planning now. Rental properties in popular locations get snatched up quickly so start your search early before all of the best properties are booked. Remember to manage your expectations though. A home rental is not a hotel so you can't necessarily expect the same level of comfort, cleanliness or modernization.

n Do your homework. If you plan on enlisting the help of a business to connect you with a renter, such as a third-party website or professional service, always check them out with the BBB first. Vacation rentals by individual owners can save costs; however take extra precaution in checking out the deal.

n Take a virtual tour. Sometimes the pictures and descriptions of the property posted by the renter can be deceiving. Research the property on your own online and take a virtual tour of the surrounding area using Google Maps Street View.

n Get it all in writing. Make sure that all of the verbal agreements are included in the rental contract including details on the deposit, rules on pets, refunds, and what is included in the cost of the rental such as utilities, internet, linens, kitchen supplies, etc. Also, consider travel insurance to protect your vacation investment.

n Use a secure form of payment. Do not send money until you have signed the rental agreement and never pay via money wire, such as through MoneyGram or Western Union. When possible, use a credit card which can provide some amount of consumer protection.

Edward Johnson is president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving the Northeast and eastern Pennsylvania region. In This Corner features commentary by guest columnists. Send ideas to dfilaroski@timesshamrock.com.

Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Vacation rental owners: Truckee/Tahoe would lose appeal with regulations

Posted: 04 Jul 2010 07:05 PM PDT

TRUCKEE/TAHOE — Local vacation rental business owners are distancing themselves from restrictions like billing homeowners for law enforcement calls and banning minimum stay requirements, which are being considered in other parts of California.

"It could probably kill us in terms of desirability," said Charles White, owner/broker of Donner Lake Realty based in Truckee. "Who would buy a vacation place if they couldn't rent it?"

Similar restrictions have not passed in Incline Village, and are being considered by Santa Cruz County supervisors as well as areas in Southern California. The proposals being considered ask landlords to pay for the cost of law enforcement responses when problems arise, according to reports by the Associated Press, and ban big events like wedding receptions and eliminate requirements that guests stay at least one week.

Gordon Meyer, owner of vacation rentals based in Incline Village, agreed with White's assessment of the impact on real estate.

"It would have a negative effect on property values," said Meyer. "If owners can't get sufficient rental income, they won't be able to sell it as a potential rental property."

Meyer said if the local communities around the lake were not so dependent upon tourist dollars, regulations might not be as potentially harmful to business owners.

"It affects everything," said Meyer.

Meyer said responding to noise complaints or late-night parties is part of what residents pay law enforcement to do.

Nevertheless, he believes it is up to individual property owners to carefully screen renters.

"You have to rent to responsible parties," he said.

White said the people responsible for having the police come to the property — the tenants — should be accountable for reimbursement of law enforcement should any penalties be incurred.

"The people that created the crime should pay," he said.

Both Meyer and White said occasions of excessive parties, noise or criminal behavior are rare in Truckee/Tahoe, and usually happen around holiday weekends such as July 4, when such activities are not unique to vacation destinations.

"We would be hurting ourselves to allow things to get out of control," said White.

Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Vacation rental issue returns to Steamboat

Posted: 03 Jul 2010 11:25 PM PDT

Photo by John F. Russell

Robin Craigen, owner of Moving Mountain Chalets, sits in front of one of the homes he manages in Steamboat Springs.

Photo by John F. Russell

Robin Craigen, owner of Moving Mountain Chalets, talks about his business in Steamboat Springs.

On the agenda

■ 4:30 p.m. Reception for outgoing City Councilman Jim Engelken, whose last meeting is Tuesday. Engelken previously served on City Council from 1995 to 2001 and was re-elected in November 2009. Engelken is moving to the Front Range with his family and announced his resignation June 15.

■ 5 p.m. City Council meets as the Steamboat Springs Liquor License Authority.

■ 5:10 p.m. Work session on the city's vacation home rental regulations, scheduled for an hour; work session on transfer of development rights

■ 7 p.m. Public comment; report from historic preservation commission; resolution approving a $21,450 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado for the Little Toots Restroom Project, for which the city would provide matching funds; public hearing of preliminary plat for parcel at Casey's Pond, north of Walton Creek Road

Steamboat Springs — One of the city's most emotionally charged issues returns to Centennial Hall on Tuesday night, and some hope to expand the discussion of vacation home rentals beyond the three topics slated for review.

"I believe that this has gotten to a point where it's reached an industrial type of level," Steamboat Springs resident Bill Moser said about the local vacation home rental business, in which homes — often luxury residences near Mount Werner — are rented to visitors for multiday stays. "It hurts my property values, it hurts my peace and quiet — these things tend to grow, like the (bark) beetles. … I want that discussed, and some limits placed on it."

Moser and several other residents of the Burgess Creek area have long sought to place tighter restrictions on vacation home rentals, citing impacts such as noise and traffic from visitors coming and going, primarily in the winter months.

On the flip side of the argument are property managers such as Robin Craigen, whose Moving Mountains Chalets offers vacation rentals at 20 local homes. Craigen and other managers say vacation home rental impacts are minimal and largely outweighed by benefits such as stimulation of the local economy and job creation in a resort community that thrives on tourism dollars.

The Steamboat Springs City Council adopted vacation home rental regulations in 2001 and revised them in 2007. Jonathan Spence, interim director of the city's Department of Planning and Community Development, said Tuesday night's Steamboat Springs City Council work session in Centennial Hall is intended to focus solely on three issues: rental properties that have a shared access, such as a driveway, with a residential home; parking regulations; and the fee structure for vacation home rental permits.

Moser said limiting the discussion to those items occurred "over our strong objections," the "our" referring to other mountain area residents in favor of tighter restrictions. Craigen, however, said the debate about whether to allow vacation home rentals ended years ago.

"We're way past that point," Craigen said. "The idea is to look at what real impacts are left."

City planner Jason Peasley agreed with that perspective last week.

"I think we've gone through (the issue) several times, and we've realized that we don't, at the moment, have any desire politically to limit the numbers," Peasley said. "The impacts of these VHRs are pretty localized … but I think people realize the larger benefits these provide to the city."

Spence said there are 75 to 80 vacation home rentals in Steamboat.

"We have a stable amount of them," Spence said, acknowledging the issue's emotional nature. "Certainly for some members of the community, this is a very hot topic."

Spence said city planning staff is taking no position on the issue of shared access and easements. He said staff is recommending a flat fee for vacation home rental permit renewals, which currently cost $50 per bedroom. Parking regulations should be reached on a case-by-case basis, he said, with maximum parking limits set according to a vacation rental's location and layout.

Moser emphasized that he's hoping for a broader discussion Tuesday.

"What we're trying to do is make it certain that people don't do this kind of thing in residential neighborhoods. … Each time someone opens a VHR, it's at someone else's expense," Moser said. "We'll see what happens (Tuesday). … I have a feeling the majority of our current City Council seems to be more interested in enhancing the economics of our town than the quality of life that brings everybody here in the first place."

Craigen, pointing to several large, empty homes on Ski Trail Lane last week, said that economic enhancement is a significant benefit that's vital for the city.

"Most of these other homes are sitting empty most of the year — and what does that contribute to our town?" Craigen said. "I think this is a great example of what we should be excited about having."

Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Vacation Rentals

Monday, July 5, 2010