Ireland bank transfer and other questions
 

Happy Easter! I hope you can help me with some questions I have. I'm trying to rent a place in Ireland and have narrowed it down to these two-

http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/dublin/45086
http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/dublin/86875

I have been emailing both of the owners back and forth and have pretty much decided on the 2nd one for the 'by the sea' location and because it is a cottage, even though it is a new listing. The owner asked me to send a bank transfer and gave me only her name and address. I told her in the past when I have rented, I have completed a rental agreement first. She told me she would send one later. I asked again and she sent me a terms and conditions agreement, no signatures required. So now it seems I have to email her again and ask her for her bank info. This seems like 'pulling teeth', I understand she may be new at this and it is now a holiday weekend, but she is not making this easy! The rent is 600. euros plus a 200. deposit from which the utilities are deducted. What are my chances of getting any of that deposit back?

The owner of the 1st listing is quite the opposite of the owner of the 2nd! She's experienced, quick with lengthy replies, very helpful and understanding. It's a flat 750. euros, no extra fees. She's also kind enough to wait and see what my decision is! I feel more comfortable dealing with her, but like the other listing better. One of my reasons for this trip is to de-stress and the other location and gardens seem perfect for that!

Now here's my other problem. I have never done a bank transfer and as far as I can tell from my bank (which is actually a credit union), they don't do them. So what I'm thinking I would have to do is transfer the money into an account I rarely use and send the bank transfer through them. Plus from what research I have done on this site, I'm a little leary of doing bank transfers. I haven't asked either owner about using PayPal or credit cards, but I doubt they do. Sorry about such a long post, I reeeeally appreciate the help I receive on this site! :-)

I can't imagine a credit union not able to do a bank transfer. Talk to an officer at your CU. You need the BIC and IBAN for the owner's bank account, plus the bank name and address. It will take a couple of days. It will cost you about $35. The owner will probably have a bank fee of about $10 on their end.

izzie 2
Both your locations are good. I would be very worried about having to pay 2 months in advance. This is not normal. Normally a deposit to hold the booking is all that is required. Dont be fooled into thinking you will be almost on the beach. From the photo you are nestled between other proprties and you may not have a sea view. Most of the sea views in this location are occupied by high profile people who have paid a fortune for the most prestige properties.
The other location is fine. Its a sought after dublin location. It depends what you want from your holiday, but from what you have written about your dealings i would agree with you that the second lady seems a bit inexperienced.
As for a bank transfer I have never had a problem with them, but you will need all bank details including eban number. There will be a charge from the bank for this service, so check how much. It might not be chesp. I would have thought that an easier way is to just transfer the money from your account to theirs by setting them up as a beneficiary on your bank account and then just transfering the money straight into the other persons account. But i repeat i would not pay 2 months in advance
Dave

It may be different in Ireland, but here in France most properties require payment 8 weeks in advance. Quite normal.

And if you do a bank transfer, you should receive an IBAN -not eban. (International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is an international standard for identifying bank accounts across national borders. It was originally adopted by the European Committee for Banking Standards, and was later adopted as an international standard.) It includes bank and branch identifiers, plus the account number. The only problem with a bank transfer is the charges to you and the person receiving, which can add up.

I'm pleased to be getting such helpful replies! I'm not worried about payment 2 months in advance because my trip is in a month.

I know what you mean about not having sea views, Dave, I'm sure Bono has good views though! I happened to find the listing on another site with more pictures and I'm not sure I like the looks of the garden area. Also I've been curious as to why there have been no bedroom or bathroom pictures. It looks like the pictures show a part that might be an addition, so maybe the other rooms are older and have not been renovated, just a guess.

Now I'm leaning towards the other place in Dublin. I had a lot of problems with a rental before and don't want to get into that situation again. A helpful, experienced owner is a big plus!

Sorry eban was a typo. it should have been iban. your second choice is a great location. You are close to donnybrook which is a great village with a Dublin feel. Ballsbridge is also a great location and is on the fringe of Dublin city centre. Anywhere in Dublin is close to the sea if that is what.

I had finally decided on the one in Dublin, and I went to email her back but there was an email from her saying that she had someone requesting it for 2 weeks, which would overlap into my time. So now I'm left with the other place, which I don't think I'd mind, except for the owner's inexperience. I have thought of looking for another place, but it's getting kinda late for that, they are all getting booked up and I'm getting dizzy looking at more! I'm still open to suggestions though....