Renting a Property

With an ever increasing number of people looking to rent properties on the Costa del Sol the demand for good quality accommodation continues to rise.

The philosophy behind renting is very simple, if you are a property owner you need to provide a clean, well furnished property at a reasonable price and if you are renting do not expect to pay peanuts for a property that is well maintained and in a good location and always treat it as you would expect to find it.

Here are just a few tips to help you along the way:

1. Just like we have mentioned above, do not expect to get a well maintained property in a good location if you are only prepared to pay peanuts. Everyone wants a good deal but there is a difference between that and expecting too much!

2. It is normal to have to pay up to 50% of the price when making your booking followed by the balance around 6 weeks prior to your arrival, most good agents can take these payments by credit card but be prepared to pay an additional bank charge of around 3%, this is not the agent trying to earn money from you but is a standard banking charge!

3. You will also be asked to pay a cash deposit of around €300 subject to the type of property being rented which will be returned upon a satisfactory inspection before you leave. The odd broken glass etc. is not a problem, however do not expect this deposit to be returned if there are items missing or damaged, yes the owner will be insured but who is going to pay for the increased premiums and excess if they have to keep claiming?

4. When making your travel arrangements do not assume that keys etc. will be available for you to collect 24 hours a day, you are not booking into a hotel! With more low cost flights available nowadays it is easy to get a cheap flight that arrives late at night or even in the early hours of the morning, do not expect automatically that someone will meet you and if they are prepared to do so there will normally be an additional charge if it is after a certain time of the day.

5. Always treat the property you are staying in with respect and remember that the chances are there will be someone else who has paid good money arriving after you leave. How would you feel if you arrived and you could not get into the property because the people before you had left it in a mess, were late leaving and had damaged items etc.? In addition, whilst we all want you to have a fabulous holiday there will be local residents around you who need to go to work the next day and will not appreciate loud noise etc. after a certain time of the day/night.

6. Always take out your own travel insurance, things are mostly different in other countries especially when it comes to medical assistance. There is nothing worse than losing your luggage, having an accident, missing a flight etc. and not having adequate insurance cover.

7. Should something go wrong or stop working etc. in your accommodation please be reasonable in your expectations of getting it fixed i.e. don’t expect a plumber or an electrician to be available after 8pm unless you’re prepared to pay them and like most foreign countries, they very rarely have a sense of urgency!

   
   

Finally and most important of all, relax and have a fantastic holiday!

The staff at Property Options are always available to discuss your requirements and to offer a wide selection of properties for either holiday or long term rentals.