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6 Ways to Protect Yourself from Scams When Renting a Vacation Home

Vacation rental scams are on the rise. Many people have fallen victim to this fraud, and the outcome can be devastating. Whether you’re looking for a place to stay while you visit family or friends in another city or want a spot for your family reunion weekend, vacation rental scams can jeopardize your plans.


1. Research Before Renting:

Before booking a vacation rental, check the listing website to see if it’s legitimate. This will give you peace of mind and ensure that you aren’t renting from someone trying to scam you out of money.

Checking out the listing website can help confirm whether or not this property is up-to-date and has any reviews posted on it. If there are no reviews or very few ones, this may indicate that something fishy is going on with this particular property owner/common area manager (CAM).

Be sure to check all listings within your desired location and those in other countries if possible—especially if there is a language barrier between yourself and potential renters!


2. Deal With The Owner Directly:

Meet the owner in person. This is the best way to ensure you get legitimate keys and are not a rental scammer.

➝ Meet in a public place, such as at a coffee shop or restaurant, where many people can observe your interaction with the owner.

➝ Meet at an early hour when it’s light out. If possible, make sure to do this before noon so that you don’t have trouble seeing anything once darkness falls over your destination city/state/country!

➝ Meet somewhere safe, like a hotel lobby or parking garage, so no one can see what’s happening between yourself and whoever might be selling fake vacation rentals online today! Be careful, though: sometimes scammers will try to lure travelers into meeting them under pretenses like saying they need help finding their lost pet cat named “Molly” when they’re trying to steal their money while pretending they’ve got nothing better going on right now than selling fake vacations.”


3. Check Your Gut Feeling:

If you’re feeling uncomfortable with a vacation rental, it’s probably because something isn’t right. That gut feeling can save you money and time in the long run.

If someone sounds like they are trying to sell you something at a high price point (or even just not very expensive), that’s usually an indication that something fishy is going on. Even if they say “it’s no problem” or “I’m sorry,” listen carefully and think about whether or not this person seems genuine—if not, move on!


4. Meet At The House To Get The Keys:

Here are some tips to keep you safe from vacation rental scams:

➝ Meet me at the house to get the keys. Many people who were scammed say they fell victim to this scam when they met their host at a property that was not their own but located in another city or state. To avoid this situation, always meet up with your host at their home so they can show you around and give you your keys before leaving. If possible, bring along another person who knows where all potential problems may arise. 

➝ Don’t meet at an airport or public places like restaurants and parks because these locations tend to be highly surveilled by private security companies and law enforcement agencies like airports’ police departments or local sheriff’s offices. 


5. Read Reviews:

Read reviews posted by other guests on popular vacation rental listing sites. These reviews can be helpful, but they can also be fake. Real people do not always write reviews, so you should always read a review before deciding to rent a property or book one yourself.

It would be best to look at how many reviews a particular place has received. It’s also essential to ensure that all of the information provided in each study is correct and up-to-date; if it isn’t, then there may be problems with the property itself or its owner!


6. Check With The Better Business Bureau:

The Better Business Bureau is a great resource to consult when researching vacation rental scams. It will tell you if a business is registered with the BBB and whether or not they have had complaints filed against them in the past.

Suppose you see a listing on Airbnb, Home Away, or another third-party site that seems suspicious. In that case, it’s best to contact the owners directly via email or phone so that you can ask questions about their property and check whether any problems have been reported there. You can also contact Kolaxo CCS for rental services.

Conclusion

Remember, vacation rentals are a great way to connect with local culture, but they can also be a place where you’re at the mercy of strangers. Before you book your next trip, make sure to do your research and check out some sites like Common Sense Media or TripAdvisor. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!