This newsletter is emailed 6-12 times annually to owners of
vacation rental homes who have registered for a free
universal availability calendar at: http://www.rentors.org

TO UNSUBSCRIBE: See Article #12, at bottom of newsletter.

1 - Please Update Your Availability Calendar Today
2 - Send Me Your Keys, Please
3 - The Rentors.org Availability Calendar: Pros & Cons
4 - Extras Can Make your Vacation Rental Stand Out
5 - Photos Sell Your Vacation Rental
6 - Collect Your Rental Deposits Quickly
7 - He Said, She Said
8 - No, It's the Title!
9 - This Key Can't Get Lost in the Mail
10 - Rentors.org Sponsor Information
11 - Please Refer a Friend to Rentors.org
12 - How to Unsubscribe

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1 - Please Update Your Availability Calendar Today
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Your self-service universal availability calendar at
Rentors.org has no value if it is incorrect. Please follow
the link below to login to Rentors.org and update your
vacation rental calendar today.

   RENTORS LOGIN: http://www.rentors.org/login.cfm

If you've forgotten your Rentors.org PASSWORD, check the
bottom-left text in the yellow box at the login screen.

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2 - Send Me Your Keys, Please
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Never give out a key or arrival instructions until you are
fully paid. Think about installing a key lock box, available
at most hardware stores for about $30.

Place one key in the lock box for arrival and for emergency
use. It can also be used for giving access to maintenance
personnel, if needed in an emergency. Attach this key to the
lock box lid, which makes it very hard for people to forget
to return it. Place 2 or 3 additional keys inside the
property for the renter's use while they are staying.

Attach each additional key to VERY LARGE key rings. This
makes it more difficult for renters to lose the keys.

-- David Clouse, Webmaster, Vacation Rentals by Owner
  
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3 - The Rentors.org Availability Calendar: Pros & Cons
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PRO: Save time, by responding to fewer inquiries for your
vacaton rental's already-unavailable dates.

PRO: See your upcoming vacation rental bookings at a glance.

PRO: Change your calendar in one place, and immediately
display up-to-date availability information on these major
Internet vacation rental sites: A1Vacations, CyberRentals,
Great Rentals, and VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner).

PRO: Create a link to your calendar from ANY web page,
including your own personal website if you have one.

CON: You'll receive fewer inquiries than you do now, since
many prospective renters WILL actually USE your calendar.
You may conclude (erroneously) that your property is no
longer as "visible" on the Internet.

CON: You may miss bookings from vacationers who might
otherwise be more flexible about their travel dates.

CON: If you don't keep your calendar up-to-date, it WILL
become a liability.

-- Jan Van Voorhis, Webmaster, GreatRentals
   
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4 - Extras Can Make your Vacation Rental Stand Out
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When it really gets down to it, vacation rental properties
differ from each other in very few ways: size, price, view,
neighborhood, proximity to the beach or slopes, etc. Most of
these you can do little to change, but there are ways you
can make your rental stand out from the crowd inexpensively.

With a little thought you can add certain extras that will
cause renters to choose your spot over others. Examples
might include a really large lobster pot, an in-house ice
machine like restaurants and hotels use, or perhaps setting
up a mini-office with fax machine and Internet access.

The logic is inescapable. If two properties are exactly the
same, the one with more extras will invariably be chosen, so
you should add as many extras as you can afford, and you
should be sure to mention them all in your property's online
description.

-- Hunter Melville, Partner, CyberRentals
   
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5 - Photos Sell Your Vacation Rental
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Nothing sells your vacation rental better than TOP quality
photos on your webpage. Here's what makes photos shine on
webpages: bright blue sunny skies, white clouds, sharp
images, lots of contrasting colors, and well-lit interiors.

Invest in 4 rolls of film, or a recent-model digital camera
the next time you visit your vacation rental. Take 75-100
photos, or hire a professional photographer. You may need a
very-wide-angle lens for interior shots in tight spaces.

Then pick the very best photos ... and arrange for copies to
be included on all of your webpages.

If you use prints rather than digital photos, let your
webpage advertising service do the scanning; they know how
to scan them to "best fit" the webpages they produce.

-- Brian Raub, Founder, A1Vacations Vacation Rentals
   

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6 - Collect Your Rental Deposits Quickly
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Make sure you get a deposit at the time the booking is made.
We ask for a 50% deposit, and have never had a renter
complain about this; renters expect to make a deposit. Then
get the balance along with a refundable security/damage
deposit prior to arrival (30-45 days if at all possible).

Never hold a booking for longer than 7 days or so without a
deposit. If the renter tells you that they're "mailing a
check today", tell them that you can only hold the booking
for 7 days -- if the check does not arrive, you will cancel
the booking and try to re-book it to someone else.

Be very wary of renters who call and want to move in
"tomorrow". Never permit this without a written agreement
and payment via credit card.

-- David Clouse, Webmaster, Vacation Rentals by Owner
   
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7 - He Said, She Said
=====================

To protect both you and your renters, consider using a
simple, straightforward rental agreement that is ultimately
signed by both you and your renters. Include this info:

1. Agreed upon dates, including arrival and departure times.

2. Total price, showing your rate PLUS any additional items
such as cleaning fees, taxes, non-refundable deposits, fees
for additional persons, etc. Never surprise your renters
with hidden charges!

3. Fully describe your cancellation policy.

4. Specify reservation and security deposits.

5. List extra policies for children, pets, smoking, etc.

6. Let the potential renter know if maintenance workers may
come in for routine tasks while they occupy the property.

Keep it simple (no more than one page should be necessary).
Long documents written in legalese are not necessary and may
discourage potential renters.

If you have your own personal web site, post a sample
agreement there, so that potential renters can see it right
away without having to wait for your "snail mail".

-- Jan Van Voorhis, Webmaster, GreatRentals
   
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8 - No, It's the Title!
=======================

While a photo is worth a thousand words, it's totally
worthless if vacationers can't see it! On the web, words
come first. Whether it's your title line in a list of search
engine results, or your descriptive title in a vacation
rental list, surfers can't find your graphic-filled webpage
unless they choose to click on the words that link to it.

Use your literary skills:

  Bad:  SKI CHALET
  Good: ONSLOPE WITH HOT TUB AND SLOPE VIEWS

  Bad:  ORLANDO CONDO
  Good: SPACIOUS TOWNHOUSE, 1 MILE FROM EPCOT

Good titles range from 6-8 words and use every character to
paint a picture that vacationers can't resist.

-- Hunter Melville, Partner, CyberRentals
   
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9 - This Key Can't Get Lost in the Mail
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Do guests lose your keys? Do you have trouble delivering a
key to the guest who arrives at 2:00 AM? For about $300, you
can hire a locksmith to install a secure, high quality
pushbutton combination lock on your front door, in place of
a regular doorknob.

Your cleaning service can change the combination according
to a pre-arranged set of codes each time they clean, so that
each new guest will have a unique new combination. Keys to
other locks (and to an extra deadbolt lock on the front
door) can be stored inside.

Give your guest their personal entry code by phone or email
a few days before they are due to arrive. Contact a local
locksmith for a recommendation and price quote.

-- Brian Raub, Founder, A1Vacations Vacation Rentals
   
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10 - Rentors.org Sponsor Information
====================================

Rentors.org is sponsored by these vacation rental
advertising services. All will be pleased to help you
advertise your vacation rentals on the Internet.

Why not join all four sites to promote your vacation rental?
The Rentors.org availability calendar works on all of them,
and you'll have just ONE calendar to maintain!

A1Vacations
  Homepage: http://www.a1vacations.com/
  Join Us:  http://www.a1vacations.com/advertise/

CyberRentals
  Homepage: http://www.cyberrentals.com
  Join Us:  http://www.cyberrentals.com/signup.html

Great Rentals
  Homepage: http://www.greatrentals.com
  Join Us:  http://www.greatrentals.com/Admin/Posting/Post.html

VRBO - Vacation Rentals by Owner
  Homepage: http://www.vrbo.com
  Join Us:  http://www.vrbo.com/global/owner.htm

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11 - Please Refer a Friend to Rentors.org
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This "Tips for Vacation Rental Homeowners" newletter was
emailed to 917 members of Rentors.org -- which offers FREE
online availability calendars for vacation rental property
homeowners and property managers. Please refer a friend to:

  http://www.rentors.org

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12 - How to Unsubscribe
=======================

To be removed from this mailing list, please log in to your
Rentors.org account, then select "Delete this Account". Your
free calendar(s) will be deleted, and your email address
will be removed from this mailing list.
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Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 Rentors LLC and the individual contributors.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form requires written permission.
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