[ladygolfer123]

When we rented which was for 5 yrs in 5 different homes, after the 1st experience, having wicker porch furniture for living room furniture, we were sure to ask and request comfortable furniture ie. lazyboy recliner for a 6ft man. 3 months is a long time to be uncomfortable and pay a good sum of rent for.
Cleanliness was always hoped for, even though promised, and quite debatable by some standards! Everyone has their own opinions, but we always guaranteed leaving it cleaner than we found it and never paid a cleaning fee, and always had our deposits returned in full. Could write a book, but we bought instead!

[Carla B]

We had an experience with a patio-villa rental in The Villages I'd rather not repeat: faded, mismatched bed linens/towels and old kitchen utensils, appliances/gadgets from a bygone era. Obviously, these came from the owners' household and since they were of no use to them should have been thrown out or donated long before.

Another thing owners should look at carefully are safety issues. An AirBnB rental out of town was in an old apartment complex. It was managed professionally by an "expert host" and overall was okay but the bathtub/shower combo had been repainted and was extremely slippery. We had to buy a bath mat. There was also a large glass dining table that wobbled on its iron legs. One small accidental shove and it would have crashed. I told the host about these issues in a private message.

On the other hand, we found an AirBnB rental in the Village of LaZamora for overflow company. The house had been recently updated and was the most tastefully decorated and comfortably furnished place I've seen. I hope all the guests since then have treated it respectfully.

[Packer Fan]

Originally Posted by ladygolfer123

When we rented which was for 5 yrs in 5 different homes, after the 1st experience, having wicker porch furniture for living room furniture, we were sure to ask and request comfortable furniture ie. lazyboy recliner for a 6ft man. 3 months is a long time to be uncomfortable and pay a good sum of rent for.
Cleanliness was always hoped for, even though promised, and quite debatable by some standards! Everyone has their own opinions, but we always guaranteed leaving it cleaner than we found it and never paid a cleaning fee, and always had our deposits returned in full. Could write a book, but we bought instead!

I am sure you did leave the place very nice, however, as you say it is debatable as to the standard. This is why we never wave the cleaning fee- I know what my cleaners do, I never know what the renter will do. You might be fantastic, the next guy might not - but here is the real question - how do I know which is which? The answer is, there is no way of knowing - so I never waive the fee. My experience is that I am not alone, most owners don't.

[Packer Fan]

Originally Posted by Schaumburger

Agree with Tom C. WiFI is a must. I would pass on a home that did not have WiFI.

oh my - Isn't that like having Air Conditioning and lights? I would never have thought to list it, because it is so obvious - I would add you need basic cable TV also - I don't have it at home, but do in my rentals.

[bluedivergirl]

Originally Posted by charmed59

Our renters do get the Daily Sun, but I like the idea of getting take-out menus for them. We also provide a carousel of Keurig pods, and creamers, and tea, and a few bottles of wine. Who knows how long their trip was, and nothing like a glass of wine on the lanai after a long day. We provide a welcome book that gives them the lay of the land, and toiletry baskets in case they forgot their shampoo or toothbrushes. There are also the basics: paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, napkins, foil, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent and dishwasher pods, etc.

However, the welcome book does say to replace what you’ve used. I’m wondering if that is an unreasonable request.

Clean, linens and all dish ware and kitchen ware supplied and everything working goes without saying. Though I am going to go back and check to make sure the bed sizes are specific.

We rented in 2015, before we purchased. We had the same rule; replace what you use. We found it very reasonable, and it was nice having a starter supply in the home.

[pauld315]

I commend the OP for asking the question and trying to do the right thing for renters. I have owned short term vacation rentals for almost 20 years in Myrtle Beach and have learned along the way. While it is the right thing to do to provide a great accommodation, also remember that you are renting to people who are on vacation. Furnish your rental accordingly (not too many breakables etc), don't put things in there that would really bother you if it is broken, stolen or missing especially if you are not here locally to check on everything when a tenant leaves. Once another tenant moves in there, you will not be able to pinpoint who caused damage or broke an item. Protect yourself with deposits and/or insist the renter buy insurance to cover any breakage or damage. Always get a cleaning fee so you can have a professional come in between renters. Remember to get the correct insurance on your home if you are using it as a rental. Also, make sure your golf cart insurance allows you to let your tenants use it.

[spring_chicken]

Consider whether you want an occupancy limit. My rental is 3 BR, but I only allow up to 4 ADULTS. I do not allow children, as there is a pool and I don't want the liability.

[charmed59]

Good point on the golf cart insurance. Formost insurance now will insure carts at your rental property as long as people are renting the property, not just the golf cart. This is new within the last year.

As for number of people, we don’t mind children, but our third bed is a full size sofa bed. We warn potential renters that think they want 6 people staying, as I as an adult wouldn’t feel comfortable in the sofa bed, but kids aren’t as heavy and seem happy in the sofa bed.

We learned the hard way on furnishings. We had some mid-century modern dining chairs, but they were not sturdy enough to hold 300 pound folks, and the legs cracked. Our dining chairs now are iron, and extremely sturdy.

Since we live nearby if possible we check on the rentals between every tenant, after the cleaners come, to make sure it is ready for the next tenant. Sometimes, if we are busy and it’s a 10am to 3pm turnaround we can’t get in after the professional cleaners, and count on our property manager to make sure everything is tip-top.

[Fraugoofy]

Originally Posted by charmed59

Good point on the golf cart insurance. Formost insurance now will insure carts at your rental property as long as people are renting the property, not just the golf cart. This is new within the last year.

As for number of people, we don’t mind children, but our third bed is a full size sofa bed. We warn potential renters that think they want 6 people staying, as I as an adult wouldn’t feel comfortable in the sofa bed, but kids aren’t as heavy and seem happy in the sofa bed.

We learned the hard way on furnishings. We had some mid-century modern dining chairs, but they were not sturdy enough to hold 300 pound folks, and the legs cracked. Our dining chairs now are iron, and extremely sturdy.

Since we live nearby if possible we check on the rentals between every tenant, after the cleaners come, to make sure it is ready for the next tenant. Sometimes, if we are busy and it’s a 10am to 3pm turnaround we can’t get in after the professional cleaners, and count on our property manager to make sure everything is tip-top.

Does foremost put that in writing in their policy? Allstate says they will cover renters, but it is not written in their policy.

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