Using a rental agreement

Sample rental agreement

Payment methods

Your guests’ information

Determining if an inquiry is legitimate

Common scams

 

Using a rental agreement

A rental agreement protects you and the renter. A written agreement helps you and the renter cover all terms of service and will clarify outstanding questions.

How to initiate the terms of service prior to officially confirming the reservation:

• Work out the terms of the rental with the renter by phone or email.
• Send the renter a written rental agreement tailored to his/her stay, as discussed.
• The renter should thoroughly review the agreement. Any questions should be answered prior to the renter signing a contract. If everything is included as discussed, the renter can sign and date the rental agreement.
• Have the guest return the signed agreement with a deposit (if required).
• Once the rental agreement is signed by both parties, payment can be accepted.

 

Sample rental agreement

 

Payment methods

A rental agreement should be signed by both you and the renter before exchanging payment. Only accept payment for the amount agreed upon. We recommend using the following payment methods:

1. PayPal
2. Credit Card
3. Personal Check

 

Your guests’ information

We protect our customers’ and renters’ privacy at all times and do not share contact information with third parties. This issue is specifically addressed in the FlipKey Terms & Conditions:

 "You hereby agree to allow FlipKey to send review requests on your behalf based on the contact information (email address) of past guests' that you provide and that FlipKey shall have the right to retain this contact information, including the guests' name and email address for record keeping purposes. FlipKey respects the privacy of your customers and our users and hereby agrees not to reuse this information for remarketing purposes. Users that register an account with FlipKey shall be subject to this Agreement and may be contacted in connection with FlipKey promotions or service information.”

 

Please click here to review our Terms and Conditions for additional questions.

 

Determining if an inquiry is legitimate

It is important to make sure that you are entering into a safe agreement. As an owner, there are a few things to be aware of prior to renting your home. Identifying a fraudulent inquiry can be difficult.  

 

Tips to identifying suspicious inquiries:

• While many legitimate inquiries come from domains with free email services, it is important to remember that anyone can create an email address from a free provider. If the inquirer’s message sounds unusual, check if the email domain is coming from a free service provider by going to the email address domain online (the part of the email address after the @).
• Be cautious of a traveler asking to pay by check without having any information on your property. Paying by check is usually safe, but when a traveler is too eager to book a property, it becomes suspicious.
• Although many renters have flexible travel dates, be cautious of inquiries where a traveler’s available dates are totally unrestricted.
• It is not uncommon for fraudulent inquirers to want to pay using unsecure payment methods, such as paying in cash or by a wire transfer.  We recommend accepting payment by personal check, credit card, or through PayPal.

It is important to use your judgment when determining if an inquiry is valid. Using the tips above will help inform you of potential scams. Check out examples of some of the common scams that are prevalent in the industry to help safe-guard your business.

 

Common scams

 1.   A Renter Writes a Check for More Than the Rental Fee:

 The renter submits a check for more than the rental fee, often administered by a third party. They claim the over-payment was an accident and request a check refunding the difference. As requested, the owner writes a check, paying the different between the rental fee and the renter’s check.  The renter deposits the owner’s check but does not book the property. By the time the fraud has been discovered, the renter has deposited the owner’s check and the initial check sent by the renter for the over-paid amount bounces. The renter stole money from the owner by sending a fraudulent check and depositing a legitimate one.

Quick Tip! If a renter sends a check for more than the rental amount, rip up the check and request that the renter sends a new check for the appropriate amount.

 

2.   A Renter Requests Proof of Property Ownership:

A renter pretends to be interested in booking your property but is concerned about renting from a private owner. The renter requests information that validates an owner’s identity and proof of property ownership.  An owner assumes that this is a genuine concern and sends appropriate documentation – hoping to secure a booking.

The renter agrees to rent the home through bank transfer. The renter, who now has access to the owner’s ID and bank account information.

Quick Tip! Requests for validation of ownership of the property or business are not uncommon, so it is ok to share some general information to put the traveler at ease, but be wary of anyone asking for too much information.