One of the things we all must realize when renting our vacation rental properties is this – our vacationers need to trust us as much as we need to trust them. When a traveler finds us blindly on the Internet, there is always a bit of uncertainty. Does this property really exist? Are the photos up to date? Do the photos and written description truly depict the vacation rental property? What are the cancellation policies? What does the security deposit cover?

As a way to protect both yourself and your renter, you will want to put everything down in writing. You should send your renter a copy of your rental rules and billing confirmation. These documents are critical. You do not have to mail them. It's perfectly acceptable to e-mail these documents to the renter. Have your renter print and sign these documents and send them back with their deposit check or, better yet, fax them back with their credit card information. (Accepting credit cards gives the renters added comfort that you and your property are legitimate.)

The top 10 things you should have in your rental rules:

1. All of your contact information and the address of the vacation rental property
2. Pet and smoking policies and restrictions
3. Age and maximum occupancy restrictions
4. Check-in and check-out days / dates and times
5. Total bill including all taxes and fees
6. Payment schedule for deposits and rental payments
7. Cancellation policy with detailed fiduciary ramifications for cancellation
8. Check-out policy: your expectations of the renters upon departure
9. Provisions of damage deposit refund
10. Storm and road condition policies

For free copies of sample rental rules, click here. 

© Christine Karpinski 2006

VRBO Listing Critique: Sea Sun Rentals (Fairfield Sunrise, AZ)    With some help from this owner's personal website, this VRBO listing could be especially great.

Buying an Investment Property in Montana (Transcript)    Christine talks with realtor, Dorothea Lowe about the Montana vacation home market.

Buying an Investment Property in Provincetown, Massachusetts (Transcript)    Christine talks with realtor Rick Tourgee about the vacation rental market in Provincetown.

Insurance for Vacation Rental Homes-- Simplified (Transcript)    Christine speaks with insurance expert D. Workman about getting homeowner's and liability insurance for vacation rental homes.

New 3% Lodging Tax in Sevier County Tennessee (Transcript)    Christine talks with Sevier County Trustee, Jettie Clabo about the new 3% occupancy/lodging tax effective July 1st.

Sales Tax and Vacation Rentals 101 (Transcript)    Christine speaks with CPA and co-owner of HotSpotTax.com K. Stephens about collecting and paying sales taxes for vacation homes.

Buying an Investment Property in Martha's Vineyard (Transcript)    Christine chats with Martha's Vineyard buyer's agent, Fred Roven about the vacation home market in the area.

Florida Sales Tax Regulations: Part 1 (Transcript)    Christine Karpinski speaks with Belinda Watson of the Florida Department of Revenue about collecting sales taxes for vacation rental properties.

Buying an Investment Property in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge, TN (Transcript)    A transcript of Christine's interview with Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Realtor, Pat Malone.

Buying an Investment Property in Park City, Utah (Transcript)    Christine interviews Park City realtor, Dennis Hanlon about the Park City vacation home market.

Buying an Investment Property on the California Gold Coast (Transcript)    Christine talks with real estate agent, Meredith McKenzie, about the vacation rental market along the California Gold Coast.

Florida Sales Tax Regulations: Part 2 (Transcript)    Second half of Christine's interview with Belinda Watson of the Florida Department of Revenue.

Vacation Rental Bans (Transcript)    Christine addresses the issue of vacation, short-term, and transient rental bans.

Introduction to Vacation Rentals (Transcript)    Christine talks about the basics of buying a vacation rental home.

One-on-One with Canmore, AB Vacation Rental Owner Richard Colwell Part 1 (Transcript)    Christine discusses the challenges of owning and renting a vacation home in Canada while living in the UK.

Ask Christine #10: Should You Break Up the Rental Rate? (Transcript)    Christine answers a question from an owner who wants to know if it's better to charge one all-inclusive rate or to break the rental rate into parts (cleaning fee, sales tax, etc.).

Buying an Investment Property in Stowe, VT (Transcript)    Christine chats with Stowe real estate agent, Ken Libby about the current market conditions.

Vacation Rental Resources: Ontario (ON)

Vacation Rental Resources: New Brunswick (NB)    Handy resources for vacation rental property owners in New Brunswick, including tax information and links for local newspapers.

Vacation Rental Resources: British Columbia (BC)    Handy resources for cottage rental owners in British Columbia, including tax information, regulations and forms.

Vacation Rental Resources: Florida (FL)    Handy resources for Florida vacation rental owners including tax information, regulations, and forms.

Vacation Rental Resources: Nova Scotia (NS)    Quick list of resources for Nova Scotia vacation rental owners.

Guide to Starting a Vacation Rental in... Fenwick Island, Delaware    Vacation rental owner resources for Fenwick Island.

Complying with State, County, and City Short-Term Rental Laws    A list of considerations a new vacation rental owner should look into.

Vacation Rental Resources: Alberta (AB)    Handy vacation rental resources for owners in Alberta, Canada.

Vacation Rental Resources: Newfoundland (NL)    Handy resources for vacation rental property owners in Newfoundland, including tax information and links for local newspapers.

Christine Weighs In On The Benefits Of Collecting Sales Tax    Sales tax evasion has always been a pretty hot discussion topic among vacation rental owners.

Raising Your Rates: When and How Much?    When and how much should you raise the rates of your vacation rental property for next year?

Determining Monthly Rates for Your Vacation Rental Home    A general formula you can use to determine monthly rental rates.

Income Tax Deductions for Vacation Rental Owners    Don't miss out on the federal income tax deductions available to vacation rental home owners.

How to Work with a Travel Agent to Book Your Vacation Home    Travel agents can be a source of bookings and often work for clients who may not have discovered your property otherwise.

State Sales Tax Offices    Links to each state's sales tax office.

Sales Tax Requirements for Vacation Rental Homes    Do you know the rules for your state, county and/or city sales and lodging taxes?

Sales Tax Formulas for Vacation Rentals    How to calculate your base rate or sales tax amount.

SF Seminar Response Page

The Different Types of Vacation Rental Travelers    A light-hearted look at the easy-to-book travelers, the tough-sells, and the ones to avoid altogether.

Checklist for Responding to Vacation Rental Inquiries    Be sure your email includes all the necessary information before clicking send.

10 Ways to Ease in Travelers New to Renting Vacation Homes    For some, renting a vacation home sight-unseen can be a leap of faith. Here are some ways to ease their minds.

Christine's Blog: Proposed Vacation Rental Bans in Hawaii (3/2/07)    Christine addresses the reasons behind the Owner Community's new Vacation Rental Bans and Local Rental Alerts sections.

The 2nd Edition of Christine Karpinski's Book, How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner    Christine talks about the new 2nd edition of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner, which includes over 150 pages of new material and is now available on her website.

Christine's Blog: How I'd Like to Respond to Bargain Hunters (5/7/07)    Christine reacts to a few of the inquiries that she received this week.

Christine's Blog: Not-So-Smooth Sailing (8/6/07)    After her claim of a smoothly-running summer last week, Christine recants as this last week was a doozy.

Vacation Rental Seminars & Workshops    Information about Christine's upcoming How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner seminars and workshops for vacation rental owners.

How to Get Help Collecting and Filing Sales Tax    HomeAway offers an easy way for you to remit your sales and lodging taxes to the appropriate agencies.

May 23, 2007: Florida Property Tax Relief and Reform    Letter from CAPEC Executive Committee regarding Florida property taxes.

May 15, 2007: Recent Sales and Lodging Tax Rate Changes    Some examples of tax rate changes that have occurred in 2007.

10 Ways to Defend Against Vacation Rental Bans in Your Area    Tips for staying one step ahead of short-term rental bans.

Vacation, Transient, and Short-Term Rental Restrictions    Christine addresses the issues driving vacation rental bans and how to fight them.