Community: Message List

Grand Cayman rental rules

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:02:32 GMT

We are exploring the possibility of buying a vacation rental on Grand Cayman. Although I manage our northern Michigan vacation rental, I know I cannot follow all the same procedures on Grand Cayman. For example, we have a lock box with the key to our cottage, but on Grand Cayman the law requires a personal handoff of all keys to the guests.

I have seen listings by owners managing their own rentals on the island, and not all of them live there. Does anyone have any suggestions/tips about owner managing of Grand Cayman vacation rentals? I'd appreciate any advice you care to share!

We have been advertising for over 2 months and have yet to find a renter.

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:13:43 GMT

I suggest putting an ad on HomeAway. We advertise on both HomeAway and VRBO, and there are pros and cons to each. Since you are already on one other site, go with HomeAway, as they give you a lot more pictures for your money. Also, check out their tips for owners regarding how to take the best pictures. I found them very helpful.

When we first started renting, we planned to use our cottage for a summer week that wasn't booked, i.e. take what's available. Our cottage neighbor (who also rents) suggested blocking off some time for our own use on our rental calendar. Although it's unpaid, it is a "booking," and sometimes just seeing that someone else is using a property makes it more appealing to prospective renters.

First seasons can be slow, which is certainly frustrating, but eventually it will improve. Good luck!

How to screen potential Internet renters?

community-no-reply@homeaway.com — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:51:43 GMT

Before I respond to an e-mail inquiry, I do a reverse phone look-up on the number on the inquiry, and see if that information matches the name on the e-mail. If the phone number is not available, I may try a Google or White Pages search of the name. I usually call to respond to inquiries, and when I do, I ask how many adults and children, the ages of the children, if they've been to our area before, and where they live (city and state). Usually, people enjoy chatting about their family and reasons for visiting. So far, (5 years in), I have not had totally different information from my searches and the potential renters - except for one occasion when nothing matched up, I got a really bad feeling about the guy, and said the week had just been booked. If home addresses are not on White Pages, they are usually on the deposit check, or I just ask, as I will need it to send the security deposit refund. I have also started asking for a cell number that someone will be using during their stay, as I have had a few situations where I needed to contact them (found wallet, blocked parking) before they returned home.