According to a national news outlet, owners vacation rentals scams are a growing epidemic. At least 4 states were mentioned in the article for having this growing problem including Alaska, Oregon and Washington. The article also mentions Florida as a “favorite target” for scammers. Click here for the full article.
The sad truth is that no one benefits from these scams including the underlying vacation rental owners and of course the consumer. This is yet another reason why you need to rent from a professional vacation rental management company.
What are some ways I can protect myself and my family from these owners vacation rentals scams?
- In a recent blog post, we warned our readers about cheap Orlando condo vacation rentals. When a rate or price looks too good to be true, that is usually a telltale sign of a potential scam.
- Scammers often want you to do a combination of several things. This may include wiring the vacation rental payment or paying a full or large security deposit well in advance.
- The latest scam mentioned in the article is to place fake ads on online general listings sites with a property description and phone number for a “phantom” rental. These general online classified and bulletin board listings are most often not scrutinized for fraudulent activity of this kind.
- Specific industry owners vacation rentals sites such as Homeaway®, VRBO® and AirBNB® were not mentioned as hotbeds of fraudulent rental activity. Only general classified and bulletin board type sites were referenced in the article.
The Federal Trade Commission also has several tips on avoiding owners vacation rentals scams. Many of these cautionary tips are the same and based on good common sense. The FTC consumer advisory also gives you a little bit better guidance on actually reporting scams when you experience them. Reporting scams may not get your money back, but at least you may help prevent future owners vacation rentals fraud for other consumers.
OVH 360 wrote an original piece on this owners vacation rentals scams problem several years ago. One of our most common inquiries is from prospective guests worried about these types of owner vacation rentals scams. Our final tip is to rent from a professionally accredited vacation rental manager due to a few of these reasons and to avoid all of the above problems:
- Professional vacation rental management companies have a track record with their local Better Business Bureau. This is public information anyone can check for free online by going to the BBB Orlando vacation rentals online area .
- Local professional rental managers are accredited with the Central Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association (CFVRMA) and have a standing record of honesty and integrity.
Your vacation is too precious not to rent from professionals. OVH 360 provides a one-of-a-kind satisfaction guarantee for all our guests which takes the risk out of booking your Orlando vacation. Search our online inventory of vacation home rentals above or give the OVH 360 team a call at 1-888-826-0551 to discuss your needs.
