Eleuthera Vacation Home Rental Tips

Eleuthera Rentals “How To”

There are quite a few excellent Eleuthera vacation rentals to choose from. Renting a family vacation home by owner or even a luxurious villa can prove to be cost effective -- especially when traveling with friends or family who can share the expenses. You can have more room for socializing and relaxing -- more room for the kids to have their own fun. Being able to cook and eat at the house instead of going to restaurants saves money too. If you’re looking for a romantic island getaway or that perfect honeymoon in the Bahamas, renting a beachfront cottage or villa can offer additional privacy.

Our listing of Eleuthera vacation rentals by owner is unique because all of the web sites are owned and operated by their property owners. Renting a vacation home on Eleuthera is perfectly safe if you know what to look for and what to ask as a renter. Here are some tips to help you find and stay in those perfect vacation rentals.

1) Reserve Your Vacation Rental Early

When looking for vacation rentals, doing research early on can save you money and provide more options on where you can stay. The better Eleuthera vacation rentals, homes and villas will be reserved many months in advance. The very best rentals are reserved a year or more, especially in prime season.

2) Know Who You Are Dealing With

Just because a vacation rental property on Eleuthera is listed on the likes of VRBO or Homeaway does not mean you will be dealing directly with the property owner. In some cases, you may be dealing with a vacation rental agent or agency who is listing multiple rental properties -- sometimes in bulk. In other cases, the contact could literally be “anybody” who is listing a property in order to “leach” the inquiries from it to other preferred properties. Sometimes “property manager” really means “rental agent.” It’s not uncommon. Nothing wrong with working with credible and legitimate agents or agencies either.

If you do come in contact with a rental agent or a professional agency as a result of making an inquiry on a so-called “home rental by owner” website or the like, the rental agent should disclose their identity and relationship with a property early on. Take time to understand their relationship with the various property owners. Ask for a list of all the properties they represent. In the end, you still want to know who the property owner is and how they may be contacted in the event there is a problem. Understand where your money is going to and who is going to be responsible for it.

A professional rental agency will have executed a rental agency agreement where the property owner and agent’s respective responsibilities and liabilities are spelled out. These responsibilities should be disclosed in your rental agreement so you know who you will be dealing with should there be any serious issues with your vacation rental.

Remember, your focus is on being sure you have a good experience with the vacation rental you choose. The internet is rife with scams of all sorts. You want to be sure you know who you are dealing with and they have your best interests at heart. Know exactly what they are willing to do and not do if anything goes wrong with the rental. True professionals who have been in the vacation rental business for a number of years should be more than happy to disclose all details in a proper agreement.

One way to check to see if there are any problems with a person you are speaking with is to do a search on the internet for the name of the vacation rental, the name of the person you are dealing with, their street address and their phone number(s). Sometimes you will find reviews, and in other cases, you can verify whether the phone number is associated with the person you are dealing with, especially when it is an agent or agency. Looking up a street address on Google's satellite maps will show you exactly where the address is located.

Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. Ask for references. Check the person out. Talk with them on the phone.

3) Do Your Own Homework

Having a telephone conversation with the rental home owner can be much more effective than just looking at photos. Homeowners know where the restaurants and grocery stores are, how best to get around the area, who to get a car rental from, what to do about medical emergencies, etc. More than anything, you want to know they will be responsive to any questions or concerns you may have especially when you are staying at their rental property.

While talking to a homeowner, it can’t hurt to ask how long they owned the property and how often they visit it. Some properties are just meant to be rented. Those that get rented a lot require more intensive maintenance and attention. Others are lived in any number of months out of the year by the homeowners. In either event, it’s good to know how much the homeowner cares about the condition and maintenance of their vacation home.

4) Ask for Referrals

Ask if reviews from other renters are available. Take all reviews with a grain of salt. Just because you are reading a review on the likes of Tripadvisor does not mean you are getting a completely objective opinion. There have been cases where agents, owners or others are simply “talking up” (also known as “shilling”) a property for the sake of renting it. There are other cases where competitors may “talk down” a competitor’s property. You can’t expect these mega websites to check each and every message that is posted on their boards, however you can do some research on whether a person leaving a review has any authority. For example, Tripadvisor provides you with the means of looking at how long a reviewer has been a member, how many reviews the member has contributed and what those reviews were for. If the review was basically the reviewers first and last review, take the review with a really big grain of salt. Very few places, if any, are absolutely perfect. In the end, practically anyone can leave a review even if they haven't really stayed at a place or had other motives.

In other cases, such as Homeaway and others, the “owner” (which may otherwise be an agent or property manager) can block negative reviews.

It’s best to talk directly with a few people who have rented a property and get their candid opinion on what they liked and didn’t like about the rental. It can’t hurt to ask them if they know of any other rentals in the area they might have liked or considered.

Logic and common sense will many times tell you what you need to know. Be careful when it sounds too good to be true.

You get what you pay for. While looking for that best vacation deal, if it is really cheap, there is probably a reason.

5) Review Rental Agreement Thoroughly

Don’t send a deposit until you have a signed rental agreement that has been reviewed thoroughly. Not all agreements are created equal. Some have not been reviewed by attorneys and may not be worth the paper they are printed on. Pay attention to the details, particularly:

• Dates of stay along with check-in and check-out times
• Number of adults and children
• Name and address of rental property
• Rates, deposits, taxes, cleaning fees (if any)
• Policies regarding “damages”
• Policies regarding return of deposit fees including dates
• Check cancellation fees and policies. For example, what happens if the rental house should happen to fall into disrepair before you arrive?
• Name, address and contact number of agent or homeowner
• Pet policies

If there is some detail of the rental agreement that is covered in e-mail or in a telephone call but not specified in the agreement, ask to have that included in the agreement before signing it.

You will find many rental agreements for Eleuthera rentals and for rentals in the Bahamas to be basic and generic. It can’t hurt to ask a Family attorney to briefly review a rental agreement, especially if you are investing a lot of money in a dream vacation.

6) Ask for More Photographs of the Rental Property

Not many photographs of the rental property? Are they hiding something? Or did they just do a mediocre job of providing photographs? Ask for more photographs and when the photographs you are looking at were taken. Ask the home owner if there are any previous renters who have posted their photos on the internet. Look for photos of the immediate surroundings so you can evaluate things such as privacy, noise, scenery, etc. The more photos you can look at, the better. Be careful if all you see is perfection – you should not expect it.

7) Check the Location of the Rental Property

Check out our satellite maps of Eleuthera to see where a property is located and what the proximity is to the nearby beaches, restaurants, stores, airports and other attractions. You will likely need a rental car. Ask the homeowner for a few referrals and find out how much it is going to cost. “Just steps to the beach?” How many steps?

8) Kitchen and Beds

Are you a master chef and expect there will be sharp knives, can openers and a dozen baking pans in the kitchen? Or perhaps you are planning on blending that perfect Goombay Smash when you arrive and you’ll need a blender for the task -- one that works and doesn't leak. It is best to ask exactly what to can expect in the way of utensils and kitchen equipment. “Fully equipped kitchen” means different things to different people. Eleuthera is an underdeveloped island and you won’t find a Walmart on the island. Does the refrigerator have left over condiments in it? Yuck!

The same holds true for sleeping arrangements. If the rental listing says “sleeps 8,” be sure to ask if that means 2 people have to sleep on an air mattress. Know what the layout house is and where the bedrooms and bathrooms are located. Determine how much privacy you want and make sure the rental property can accommodate that.

9) Walk Through the Rental When You Arrive and Before You Leave

Walk through the rental with the owner or property manager when you arrive. Look for any apparent damages and point them out taking a few photos along the way if necessary.

• Check the plumbing, turn on faucets, flush toilets, etc.
• Test the appliances in the kitchen, refrigerator is cold, stove is on, toaster works, etc.
• Check on the water supply, whether it is safe to drink, where it comes from and how it works.
• Check fans and air conditioning equipment and how to use them.
• How does the telephone and internet service work exactly.
• Where are the circuit breakers, flashlights, candles and fire extinguishers?
• Ask how to secure your belongings and how to properly lock the rental. Is there a safe or perhaps an owner’s closet with a lock you can use?
• If you have any problems during your stay, contact the property manager immediately.
• Find out how to contact the property owner / manager day or night should any problem arise.
• If there is a pool, how often is it cleaned? Is it heated? Pools can be chilly depending on time of year and not much good if you can’t get in.
• Are towels available and in decent shape?
• Are the beach toys and outdoor furniture in working order?
• Bug spray.
• Remember this: You're on an island!

Before you check out, be sure you clean the place to whatever standards are expected of you. If you had any problems with the rental, tell them before you leave and take a few photos if need be. Ask the property manager if they see any problems. You want any problems noted before you leave so there aren’t any problems with getting your deposit back later. Don’t leave problems behind without resolving them first with who ever is in charge of returning your deposit.

10) Before You Head to the Rental

• Call a few days in advance and be sure someone is expecting you. Provide your travel information so they know who to contact in case you don't show up.
• Ask if anything is not working at the time i.e. washing machine, television, etc. Sometimes things break. It's better to know in advance so you aren't disappointed.
• Bring a copy of your rental agreement and contact information.
• Find out what the contingency plans are in case you have to arrive early or late. You can't have enough telephone numbers.

If you follow these tips on finding your ideal vacation rental home on Eleuthera, you're going to have an excellent experience on the island! When you deal with the right people, they will do everything reasonable to get you to rent their home again. Repeat customers are a sure sign a vacation homeowner is doing it right. Don't forget you are using someone else's vacation home, their pride and joy, so treat it like it was your own or better. You want the next person to enjoy it as much as you did -- don't leave any surprises behind.