Don’t get stung: book with a reputable holiday rental company

There is rarely a week that goes by without another British holiday maker falling foul to a holiday rental scam.  Whether a ghost owner sets up a bogus property website or a legitimate holiday rental owner’s email is secretly intercepted due to phishing, there are many ways in which consumers can, in all innocence, get caught out.

So, how do you ensure that a holiday rental property is 100% genuine – and that you are not risking a holiday disaster?

According to Jannich Friis Petersen, Chief Operating Officer, from Spanish holiday rental specialist, Spain-holiday.com: “First and foremost, it is crucial to rent properties through a reputable company.  Such organisations will do much of the initial legwork on behalf of their customers, weeding out any suspect owners.

“Secondly, all holiday rental portals should have a strict vetting process whereby prospective owners are fully verified.  At Spain-holiday.com, we ask for a copy of the property’s deeds (which are then checked), a recent utility bill and the owner’s passport details”.

Spain-holiday.com has the following top holiday rental booking tips:

• Book with a reputable holiday company that verifies property owners’ details e.g. passport and property deeds, as Spain-holiday.com does
• Check how long a property has been advertised which provides added credibility – you can easily do this on Spain-holiday.com
• Check the online booking calendar to make sure it’s not booked during your desired rental period
• Check reservation and deposit fees: never pay 100% of the holiday rental cost up front
• Always call the telephone number displayed on the advertisement on Spain-holiday.com before paying by credit card, PayPal or bank transfer
• With bank transfers, make sure the account holder’s name corresponds with the name online
• Make sure the bank account is located in the same country as that in which the owner is based
• Always follow the payment conditions that are published in the advertisement

Spain-holiday.com is also a firm supporter of the holiday rental licence law in Spain that has been brought in to set standards and regulate the holiday rental industry. The laws vary from region to region, but they ensure that renters are protected when choosing to book a private holiday rental, and that homeowners are declaring their rental income and have adequate public liability insurance.  For further details, see Spain-holiday.com’s RentalBuzz blog that includes many up-to-the-minute articles on a range of pertinent holiday rental topics.

For the safest possible holiday rental property booking or for further information, contact Spain-holiday.com on 020 3384 7066 or visit www.spain-holiday.com.

ENDS – 25 September 2014

Media enquiries: For further information, quotes, photography or press trips to Spain, please contact Julia Farish or Karen Carpenter, Travel PR, tel: 020 8891 4440, email: j.farish@travelpr.co.uk or k.carpenter@travelpr.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

Spain-holiday.com’s website provides other regularly-updated articles and blogs (many with excellent insider tips), detailed area guides and useful maps, plus lively and professionally-filmed HD video footage of a wide range of Spain’s cities and coastal resorts.