Is it ok to rent a villa directly from the owner?
 

I am wondering if it is wise to rent a villa in Italy from an owner that I only know from the internet with no company to back him up. Any experiences on this? I think I had better stick to an agency, agree?

i would disagree, though i think it wise to check references, often time owers will not list their villas with agencies due to the fee charged by the agencies. caveat emptor as always. just make sure you do some due-diligence work about the place.<BR><BR>i am renting a place in positano next spring directly from the owner of the villa.<BR><BR>

<BR><BR>There are often trade-offs in business transactions. One may get a lower price on a villa, for example, by not going through an agency with the security they would presumably provide. <BR><BR>If you are planning on renting from the owner directly then, as David said, it's wise to ask for, and check, any available references.<BR><BR>

I personally prefer dealing with the owner directly. I have found that not all agencies visit their properties. And I just like dealing directly, without the middle man. So far it has worked. But yes, check references and check the travel forums for people who have already stayed at the villa.

I rented directly from owner last July in Italy and it was fantastic plus I saved $$ as the same place was on the InItaly site but more expensive there.<BR>I would do a search on this site for any feedback on the place and also ask here with the name of the place in your title...maybe someone here has stayed there.

Thanks for the ideas, I will post a question now with the name. This is why I love Fodors, so many helpful people on here.

I found dealing with the owner had less hassle than other years through an agency.

What do you do if the owner tries to keep a large deposit and you disagree with the amount they are keeping? An agent would protect you from this sort of thing, no?

Word of mouth would spoil their renting because it is usually the one building. An agency has many and harder to contact when things go wrong. The owner wants to protect his property

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