Wekiva

We're a month out from our trip and several days ago I received a reminder from HomeAway that I need to pay the remaining balance for my Paris apartment. The due date on the final payment is 4/29...one month before our arrival date of 5/29. Somehow I misread the original agreement and thought the balance was due on arrival. While I've rented a few apartments years ago I thought I usually paid the final amount upon arrival. How unusual is it to pay everything a month out.

flpab

We are seeing that more and more. Our Dublin apartment for the fall was a deposit and then the payment in full one month before arrival. Our Paris apartment last year we paid in full via credit card to the agency before arrival. Last year our apartment in Dublin was a deposit and payment upon arrival but everything this year was paid in full a month in advance. Times are changing and they are covering themselves for no shows.

bvlenci

When I've rented apartments in London, that's always been the case. Also the case for my upcoming trip to Northern Ireland.

vincenzo32951

I've paid part of the balance on arrival at every one of the several apartments I've rented, but as others have noted, some policies are changing. This doesn't surprise me.

One thing I don't like about the full payment in advance is that it takes away any leverage you have if the apartment isn't as advertised.

yestravel

I've done it both ways in Paris and other places. Some have you pay a month or 2 weeks in advance of arrival and others have you pay upon arrival.

Wekiva

Great...so it's not unusual. That's what I was wanting to know. Thanks all!

Whathello

Not unusual but I would never accept.

Good reminder for reading the small print tough.

janisj

Of all the flats I've ever rented probably 70%+ were pay in full in advance and 25% or 30% were pay balance on arrival.

StuDudley

We've rented 67 gites through Gites de France, an apartment from Pebbles in Nice, and from Paris Perfect in Paris. For all but about 5 gites - we've paid the final balance 1 month in advance.

Stu Dudley

justineparis

I have rented three apartments in Paris.. I have never paid in full in advance.. only on arrival.. and I totally trust the company I use now ( used them for all three rentals)so if they changed their policy and asked for it up front I would be ok with it .. but just for them.
Sorry.. I have ( over the years) read far too many tales of folks arriving to apartments that were not as pictured or described, or, not clean.. or worst nightmare.. withdrawn from rental pool after you pay and then you are offered another one ( which you likely would have never chosen)..
My money is hard earned and am careful with it..

janisj

But look at it from the owner's point of view - they would write "Sorry.. I have (over the years) read far too many tales of folks not arriving and the owner being left holding the bucket with an apartment un-rentable at the last moment"

historytraveler

I believe Home Away has a credit card option along with some type of security guarantee. I used this and paid in full when I booked with them. With a credit card you do have recourse of something does go wrong.

I would assume that one would do sufficient research including recent reviews of the property that they want to rent and even speaking directly to the owner if concerned about certain aspects.

As already pointed out, there is a tendency to look at property rental only from the renters perspective and the not owners. Concerns and possible problems exist on both sides.

hpeabody

I am renting in Paris later this year through VRBO (sister Co to Home Away) I know I am expected to be fully paid 30 days in advance. I have rented this apartment before. I think it has much to do with the owner. I do not think it is all that unusual

Tulips

You usually pay in full in advance, in my experience. If you don't want to do this, don't rent the flat.
Some discount hotel rates are payable in advance as well.

StuDudley

Like I stated earlier, we've rented 67 properties through Gites de France. We've rented several of them multiple times, for a total of 51 different gites.

The very first gite we rented in the Dodogne in 1997, we pretty much picked "blind" based on 1 picture in a book, a rating system, and a short description. It was great, & we've returned 4 other times & will be in the same gite this September. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gites were rented "blind" in 1999 - based on a picture in a book, rating, & description. They were nice (great location - near Gordes, St Remy, & Vaison) but the gites themselves were about B- places. We returned to the one near Gordes several years later. While we were in France in 1999, we visited two other gites, (near Nice, & near Cotignac in the Var) and examined the properties & talked to the owners. We reserved them on the spot. They were both A- to B+ Gites. We stayed in 2 other Gites in 2000 also - returning to the Dordogne gite & staying in one in the Loire. The Loire gite was picked "blind", and it was a B+. All the remaining 46 gites were picked using books the first couple of years, then the internet and proprietor's web sites. Again - these were all through Gites de France, http://www.gites-de-france.com/ which has a rating system and supposedly does examinations and follow-ups with renters - but we have never participated in any follow-up. Gites-de-France advertises about 50,000 different Gites. It has some B&Bs too - in addition to these 50,000 - and we have stayed in 2 of them. Gites-de-France is not very "English Friendly".

So - of the 51 different gites we've rented - we have examined only 2 in person, and have never talked to "others" who have stayed in any of the gites in the past to get input from them. We have NEVER been disappointed in any of the gites we've stayed in. We usually stay in the "best" gite in the region we choose to stay in.

In 7 weeks, we'll be in this gite for 2 weeks
http://www.gites-de-france.com/locat...07G155006.html

and in each of these gites for 1 week.
http://www.gites-de-france.com/locat...d-05G5280.html

http://www.gites-de-france.com/locat...74G103018.html

Stu Dudley

annhig

Whether you pay in advance tends to depend a lot on the country though not always. In the UK the industry standard is to pay a deposit on booking, followed by the full amount 4-6 weeks in advance. This is what we do, unless it's a late booking when we expect full payment in advance, or a very late booking, when they just bring the cash. In over 10 years I can only remember one rubber cheque; the chap obviously had some problems which went beyond his financial ones and said he was coming anyway so we locked the gate, thus perplexing our neighbour who happened to call round at the time our guest might have been arriving!

In France we have always paid in advance, but in Italy we have paid a deposit and cash on arrival for the balance.

<<or worst nightmare.. withdrawn from rental pool after you pay and then you are offered another one ( which you likely would have never chosen).. >>

As we have only one "unit" that's not a problem with us.

justineparis

Stu Gites de France is a reputable company that only rents legal places. Many apartments in Paris are not legal, so a neibhor complains and the owner has to suddenly withdraw the unit,or others have had their rentals cancelled at last minute

Whathello

Paying 67 bookings in advance doesn't mean mean you are smart.
Having no problem doesn't mean you are smart.
I am like above poster : my money is hard earned I don't part with it easily. You do what you like
I understand the owner point of view but the owner has to understand mine.
If relation is unbalanced I run away

You do what you want.

jubilada

Here in the US we have rented frequently and always have to pay ahead.
I have never found that to be a problem.

janisj

>>I understand the owner point of view but the owner has to understand mine.<<

And you have the choice of not renting a place. But IME (and as annhig says it does vary a lot by country) most rentals in the UK and in the States require full payment in advance and mostly far in advance. In france I've found maybe 50/50 - half require full payment half don't. I've only rented one place in Italy so I don't know what is 'normal' - but that one did require full payment in advance.

Just seems totally normal to me . . .