HOLIDAY HOMES: HOW TO AVOID PROBLEMS?

​It's summertime! Have you planned your holidays and want to book a holiday home in Italy?
In our article, we see what to look for to avoid problems that might spoil our well-deserved rest.
Booking holidays online is easy and convenient, but sometimes it is risky because you might encounter scams. Holiday homes differ significantly from online ads, dilapidated flats or real ghost houses.

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IS IT REAL?
The scam of phantom holiday homes is a great classic that never goes out of fashion. Along with the beautiful houses in the pictures, with the beach just a stone's throw away, that turn out to be absolute wrecks or that have already been rented out to others because the advertisement was published by a scammer who cashed the deposit and then vanished.
 
TIPS FOR AVOIDING RIP-OFFS
 
The Internet is the tool of choice for finding a holiday home in 64% of cases, primarily through specialised sites or apps such as Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and HomeAway. But how can we avoid having our holidays ruined? First, by learning to use the Net with the right mistrust while taking advantage of the opportunities it offers.
 
To avoid running into 'ghost' holiday homes, be wary of the ad if:
 

• The prices are a bargain: if the rent is much lower than average compared to those in the area, start to doubt and do your research;
• The photos of the holiday home and the place are too good: they may have been taken from Internet sites, so it is better to ask for more, perhaps from the outside where you can see the house number so that you can check on Google Maps;
• The deposit is requested by recharging a prepaid card, a money order or through money transfer agencies (such as Western Union or Money Gram): all means that make it challenging to identify the holder, as opposed to a bank transfer that relies on a current account with a holder;
• The owner never answers the phone.

 BOOKING A HOLIDAY HOME:WHAT ARE THE TIPS?

• Always remain within the platform and avoid managing the negotiation using private channels: in this way, you risk losing a series of protections guaranteed by the circuit;
• Consult, above all, ad sites on which you can also book, so you will have a different form of guarantee compared to those who are only contacted by email or telephone.
• Read the reviews left by other guests;
• Ask the owner of the holiday home for a signed rental contract with all the details of the house, the price and all the services included (air conditioning, electricity, gas...);
• Do not delete emails and text messages with which you have agreed with the details with the person renting you the house;
• Never pay the total price in advance and agree on a deposit of no more than 25-30% of the total.
• Remember that the deposit is an advance payment that the holiday home owner can retain if you cancel the booking or do not show up. Still, it also entitles you, in the event of cancellation of the contract by the owner, to be refunded twice the amount you paid as a deposit. Always get a receipt by explicitly asking for it if the owner 'forgets'.

 
WHAT TO DO IF THE HOLIDAY HOME HAS PROBLEMS?

 What to do if the house has problems once you arrive at your holiday destination?
 

• It is best to report the defects immediately to the owner or the agency that rented it to you and document everything with photos and videos. You can ask for a reduction in the rent or termination of the contract and also compensation for the damage suffered, not only economical (expenses incurred, days of holiday lost), but also biological (the psychophysical stress resulting from the ruined holiday);
• Have the owner immediately point out any defects (e.g. malfunctioning air conditioning, peeling walls, faucets that do not work) before or at the time of signing the contract, asking him to remedy them or, in any case agreeing on a reduction in the rent taking into account the condition of the property;

 HOW DO TOURIST LEASE CONTRACTS WORK?
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To make a claim, it is also essential to have concluded a written contract with the landlord. It must also be said that tourist lease contracts are valid, whether verbally or in writing, but 'verba volant, Scripta manent', because this is the only way to prove what was agreed. So, on the phone, it is better to limit yourself to an informational contact: then, it is better to put everything in black and white, even by email, with a written contract signed by both parties (they only have to be registered if they exceed 30 days in duration).


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