Has anyone ever dealt with home rentals through a company call Chez Nous. They have a web site cheznous.com. You deal directly with the property owners and I just want to know how safe it is to send money (no Visa).<BR>I'd hate to pay for a house and find out it upon arrival that it doesn't exist or was rented twice for the same time.<BR>Thanks,<BR>Sherrie

Bonjour,<BR><BR>We've rented two places with Chez Nous, and were very happy. The places are usually owned by British or Scottish indidividuals. Arrangements were made directly with the owners. We have rented with another couple and they were the ones who made the arrangements with the owners.<BR><BR>Our first rental between Toulouse and Carcassone near the town of Castlenaudary, we were is search of the best Cassoulet in France. <BR><BR>The second was a place in the Luberon, les Bories, was a converted silk worm plant (believe it or not), it was owned by a British couple who were also living there. It was very nice with marble floors, very nice modern kitchen, two very nice bedrooms, a bath and 1/2 and a very nice terrase with BBQ grill. <BR><BR>The second was much nicer than the first, which is to be expected since there is no uniformity, although they do need to be accepted by Chez Nous.<BR><BR>Price run between $350 to $600 or so per week. <BR><BR>I also have friends with a home in the Var, in a medieval village named Cotignac (they are currently in the process of remodeling), and the brother of the owner has a beautiful Gite about 15 or 20 minutes from Aix in St. Canat.<BR><BR>Depending on where you are wanting to stay I could also get you in touch with the owners, if you are interested.<BR><BR>You may email me if you like.<BR><BR>Sincerely &amp; Bon Voyage,<BR><BR>Randall Smith

Sherrie:<BR><BR>Why are you so paranoid??Some of us (including me) always think the worse of something. I don't think people , in general, who advertise through Chez Nous or other direct owners website are dishonest or in a business to cheat you. You asked if it is safe to send money to them and if the house really do exist. That's so weird!!

I dont think it is weird in any way to be cautious about dealing directly with owners.<BR><BR>There are, sadly, many cowboy outfits out there any many of us have been stung in the past and dont want to repeat the experience. Therefore it is only natural to want to know whether a company is reputable and reliable before sending off your hard earned money.<BR><BR>Secondly, when dealing with a company you have the assurance that they are fully liable, being a limited company they must have all the proper insurances and also you can look to see if they are a bonded member of a travel organisation such as ATOL or ABTA.<BR><BR>With private owners you have no such recourse, they arent liable in the same way, so therefore it is perfectly understandable to want to know more about the company under which they are collectively advertising.<BR><BR>As it happens I havent used Chez Nous but have heard of them, I think they are quite big.<BR><BR>I cant pass on any recommendations but I totally agree with you for trying to find out whether they are legit first.<BR><BR>Whilst it would be nice to be able to go through life assuming no one is out to cheat us, hurt us, or injure us in any way, it would be laying ourselves open to the minority of B******S who are out there to get something for nothing.<BR><BR>Kavey

Hi Sherrie,<BR>In June, we are renting a house that I located through the Chez Nous website. It is in the Dordogne area of France, in a town called Domme. We have had wonderful interactions (by phone and in writing) with the British owners, who live three miles from the rental house. I think each rental situation through Chez Nous is unique and you have to "go with your gut." I had initially booked a home with another owner, then I saw more detailed pictures they sent me over the internet and the house didn't look too great. For the rental in Domme, I just had a sixth sense that it was the place for us and sure enough, when the formal brochure arrived in the mail, complete with pictures, I fell hook, line and sinker. I think it is fairly safe to book through Chez Nous, if you are willing to make the international phone calls, write e-mails, letters, get pictures, etc. So far, our experience has only been great, but I'll know more after we are back in July.

Hi Sherrie,<BR>We have used Chez Nous twice in the past to rent places, once near Cahors and once near Bergerac and were very pleased with both properties, nice furnishings, well equipped kitchens and both had swimming pools. We will be going to Britanny in August again staying in a Chez Nous property. Perhaps not of interest to you but travelling from the UK Chez Nous also have some great deals on the car ferries which you can book once the property rental is agreed.

we are advertising in ChezNous, and it is not cheap to do it, so you can be sure that we are serious about it... <BR>and anyway if you pay with a cheque, you can alway track the person who cashed the cheque. what is the average lenght for a stay in europe for american tourists? and what period of the year (european, specially british, concentrate the holidays on july/august, for the school holidays), so you can have beeter deals in spring or autumn. visit www.chauffour.com

I have never rented through Chez Nous, but I have through Gites de France and Clevacances as well as from an agency and independent owners. Luckily, I have never had a serious problem such as you suggest. But I do understand your wariness. The first time I rented a house in France in 1996 I was a bit paranoid. I called the owners a couple of times and asked for more pictures of the house. They were very patient with me and answered all my questions. It turned out to be a beautiful house (near Cahors) and the owners were wonderful. They brought us a bottle of wine and Monsieur took us on a tour of his truffle field! I am now a big fan of self-catering. <BR>You do have to be careful, though. Going through an organization like Gites de France or Clevacances does give you some assurance of quality control. Still, read ALL the fine print carefully. You should be provided with a written contract that describes the property in detail. Make sure you know what is included and what is extra, e.g. are sheets and towels provided free or rented?, is electricity extra? Is there a phone and if so, can you make calls from it or just receive calls? How much is the damage deposit and when do you get it back? (sometimes 2 weeks after you leave!)Etc. etc. Deposits are normally 1/4 to 1/3 of the total rental price, the rest to be paid upon arrival. I have sent deposits by bank draft or personal check. (Once sent a check to the owner's son who lives in DC.) <BR>Finally, realize that no matter how careful you are, you are likely to have a few minor surprises. The last house I rented in Provence only had two burners on the stove top (made preparing a meal a bit difficult) and the picture of the yard was taken from the most flattering angle; the view from the road was not nearly so pretty. In another I hadn't realized that it would cause some logistical problems to have five people in a house with only one bathroom and WC. <BR>Nevertheless, I still prefer self-catering to staying in hotels or B&B's. I feel more like I'm part of the community and love to shop in the local Spar, Intermarche or Super U. E-mail me if you would like further details of my experience. Good luck and have a wonderful trip! <BR>

We booked a fantastic cottage in the Dordogne last year through Chez Nous - it could not have gone more smoothly and we had the most fantastic time - the owners were English and very helpful bit discreet - thoroughly recommend them - but I did get engaged as it was so romantic.

Great information here but nothing new since 2001. Anyone care to update?<BR><BR>We are interested in a 2-bedroom rental house in a great town a couple of hours from Paris. Any ideas would be appreciated!

Sherrie,<BR>Booked a three week holiday direct with the owners of a fantastic property close to Caylus/St Antonin Noble Val north of Toulouse via Chez Nous. <BR>Can't recommend it enough. I've also booked through Gites de France (Brittany Ferries) and other companies and they have all been without exception superb. May be we've been lucky but I actually believe that people are offering a service for profit and so want to maximise repeat business and not run scams.<BR>Have no fear of Chez Nous though.