Home Questions to ask when booking a villa rental in Cabo San Lucas
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Questions to ask when booking a villa rental in Cabo San Lucas

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Woman making heart of hands near sea at sunset
Photo Credit: Ivan Kurmyshov

Renting vacation homes has become a preferred option for many people, especially for couples and traveling families for some good reasons.

Firstly, Cabo San Lucas villa rental homes give you sufficient space, as well as a free driveway and parking space, and even meals for certain options. Most importantly, a vacation home is cheaper than a hotel. Due to this, several well-established vacation rental platforms have come up every month, giving vacation homeowners and renters to find each other, talk about properties, and transact.

As a vacation home renter, it is crucial that you rent from a trustworthy homeowner- someone with an excellent online presence, reputation, and plenty of positive feedback. Also, you should never wire your money to people you do not know yet.

Make sure that you read reviews of a potential vacation home before you pay anything. With this in mind, what are some of the great questions to ask when looking for a vacation rental villa?

Here are some essential questions to ask when looking for Cabo San Lucas villa rental properties:

What is Included in a Vacation Rental?

Make sure to ask what the rental villa offers to renters. For instance, will you get the entire house on your own? Are there any restrictions? Are there any yards or garage? Will you have a telephone or Wi-Fi access? Are there any taxes, charges, or fees? Do you have to pay any deposits? Make sure your contract defines all these things before you sign it.

What is the Location of the Villa?

Photos are crucial, but they can mislead you. Ask for the address of the house and the map as well to know the exact location of the vial rental. Also, you want to make sure that you are close to the main attractions if this is your goal, plus restaurants and shops.

What is the Place Like Off-season?

It is always a good idea to travel off-season, especially if you are on a budget, but you may get to your destination and find everything closed. Therefore, you should ask what food and dining are available, activities to expect, and recreation offers to plan yourself well.

Are Recreation Tools Available for Use?

If your rental is near the beach, you will want equipment such as sunbathing, diving, and snorkeling gear. Ask whether the home has this equipment for use. If yes, then you will need to pack less. A lot of vacation rental villas also have movie and book libraries.

Does the Total Amount Include Cleaning Service Fees?

While cleaning is a regular occurrence in hotels, only a few rental villas have this option. So, ask your owner if they do clean and if the cleaning fees are included in the total amount you must pay. Ask if they will clean the villa themselves, or they will bring in a cleaner. This will help you know if you will be cleaning your bed on your own.

Are There Any Cancellation Fees, and If So, How Much?

This varies from one place to another, but either way, cancellation is made after 60 days will lead to a cancellation fee of between 20 and 25 percent of the initial rental price.

A cancellation of between 30 and 60 days will attract a cancellation fee of 50 percent of the initial amount. On the other hand, cancellation within 30 days will attract a full refund of the gross rental fee. So, make sure you confirm this with the villa agent.

Can I Book the Villa in Advance for the Same Time Next Year?

If you would like to reserve the same place for next time, you may rebook at once return. Most popular rental villas are rented faster. The villa reservation agent will contact you once you return to help you rebook your villa or find another great vacation rental.

Can Other People Come Along?

Unless the villa description states the maximum occupancy number, it is customarily assumed that the maximum number of occupants is 2 per one bedroom.

If you bring extra persons above the required number, you will pay for an occupancy allowance, or you may have to leave the villa.

However, most of the time, a booking agent will help arrange for another accommodation if you have last-minute guests who must be with you, or if possible, to find you a bigger villa that can accommodate you and your guests.

Will I Have to Make a Security Deposit on my Vacation Rental?

Security deposits differ from one place to another and from one vacation rental to another. The amount you should pay depends on the villa owner.

For example, if potential features valuable items such as electronics, artwork, and antiques, it will have a higher security deposit. The majority of vacation rental villas will ask between $500 and $10,000 but based on the weekly charges.

In most scenarios, the owner will take your credit card number as a guarantee for security deposit and would only charge you if there are pending utility fees or damages that occurred within the rental period.

If you hire a rental villa where the owner asks for the security deposit when you are making the final payment, the check will be deposited to the owner’s account and then refund the cash, minus damage or utility expenses, between one and three months after your vacation.

Who Should I Call When There is an Emergency in The Villa?

Things happen all the time, and there is nothing you can do about it. The power may go out, and the toilet may refuse to flat, the dishwasher may cease to work.

When something stops to function or breaks in your rental villa, you will want to be able to call someone urgently and get things sorted as soon as possible.

So, save the property owner and the emergency contact number on your phone so that you have easy access to it. Also, it would help you if you know you will be arriving at the property late, and you won’t have to hustle to find the number.

What Supplies Are Not Found in The Vacation Villa?

Different rental villas have different terms and conditions. In certain situations, you will have to come with your beddings, while on other premises, beddings and linens are provided.

Coming with three other guests only to find one roll of toilet paper, shampoo, or soap can be problematic. It is crucial to inquire about what the property provides and what you need to bring along with you.

Does the Area and the Rental Villa Have Stable Cell Reception?

While this may not seem like a crucial factor if you want to get away from phones and the internet- which is okay- it could come in handy when you need help and require urgent medical attention.

If you are going to an unknown place and suffer a medical condition, you will not be able to find the nearest emergency room, and if you do not have a stable call reception, it would be difficult to call 911, which could be bad for you.

Are There Insects, Critters, or Rodents in The Vacation Rental Villa?

If you live in town and your vacation rental is wrapped in an elegant mount, near a lake, and the area is known for bobcats, cougars, bears, and deer, you would love to know, won’t you?

While there is no problem if the critters are present, it would still be great if you are warned early enough. The same can be said for squirrels or insects. It is essential to know so that you can have the animal control or local handyman phone number at hand.

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