sleepinitaly
 

I recently booked an apartment through sleepinitaly. There was a 30 euro deposit which I paid to book the apartment. Now I get a confirmation email stating that there is a 200 euro deposit payable upon arrival along with the 270 euro. I would have never booked the apartment if they would have informed me of the 200 euro deposit. Our flight leaves rome at 8:30am. So we'll probably leave the apartment at 5:00am. I don't feel comfortable about leaving a large deposit and relying on someone to be there at 5:00 am to give it back. Is this normal procedure for sleepinitaly? Do they always sneak in the 200 euro deposit after you book?

Hi chuck,

If you check the posts here about apartment rental, you will find that just about everyone requires a security deposit payable upon arrival.

I suggest that you contact sleepinitaly about how to get your deposit back.

((I))

I used www.sleepinitaly.com in March and I had to only send in a small deposit to secure the apartment. I was never asked for any type of further deposit on arrival. I only had to pay my week up front upon arrival and that was for the remainder due after the deposit I'd already sent.

It sounds like there is an error somewhere. I have yet to be asked for a deposit on an apartment in Italy that doesn't go toward the total due for the week which is paid on arrival.

Its not so much leaving a security deposit. It's getting it back at 5:00am. Has anyone done this before?

I stayed in an apartment through sleepinitaly this summer, and didn't have to put down a deposit. But I know a lot of apartments do require this. I think it is probably the owner of the apartment's, rather than sleepinitaly's, policy.

to someone who did have to pay a deposit:

Did they make you aware of an additional deposit before you booked?

I rented an apartment with sleepinitaly,and was never asked for a secure deposit but only a small amount to secure the apartment, and paid the remainder week rent upon arrival.

chuck249, from the experiences posted here with sleepinitaly.com, maybe you could email them back and confirm that there was not an error in what they told you. Are you dealing with Giulia?

I agree that certain individual owners might require a deposit to be returned upon departure, but even if that's the case, couldn't it all be done by credit card? Of course, I have to admit I'd be a bit leary of getting that back, too.

It just seems that most experiences with apartment rentals in Italy in general, and especially those with sleepinitaly.com, only require a small deposit to secure the dates and then full payment of the remainder due on arrival.

I'd email them and ask about this.

Also just had to pay a 50 euro deposit to hold an apartment for next March. I'd definitely question this, as it does not appear to be the norm.

I put down a €100 deposit for a new (at least newly listed) apartment with sleepinitaly. I was then told that the owner required a €200 deposit on our arrival. I am okay with that.

I hadn't thought of how we will get our deposit with the owner back. Perhaps he will come to inspect the night before we leave. Either way, I am not concerned.

That is good to know, Judi. :) Especially since I'd never heard of a separate deposit other than that to hold your dates. Thanks.

Just looked at our booking with Sleep in Italy.

"At the check-in you will be requested to pay a guarantee deposit of euro 250,00 that the owner will give you back at the check-out.
Electricity and gas extra cost to be calculated at the check out."

We are leaving the day before our friends so it will be up to them to recoup the money - I will email Sleep in Italy to figure out the logistics as my friends are also leaving early in the morning.

There we go. It is obviously dependent upon the owners wishes when renting. I've just never run across it myself. I have also never paid for the cost of gas or electricity usage in renting apartments in Italy...sleepinitaly.com included. But, I do make sure that is included in the price before sending my deposit to hold my dates.

I guess it all comes down to reading that fine print before booking.

If you are unhappy with the deposit amount, I would just find another apartment. As mentioned above, each apartment owner has their own preferred arrangments. We had to pay a small deposit, and the rest was due in cash when we met our apartment owner at the hotel. After that we did not see him. We just left the keys in the room and shut the door on our way out when it was time to check out and that was it. Overall we were very pleased with the whole experience.

Tracy

Utilities are included but there is a €45 charge for final
cleaning.

Our apartment looks very nice and is reasonable so I don't mind the extra charge.

You are right, Statia. It is good to read the fine print or ask a lot of questions. It appears that there is no consistency in the rules for sleepinitaly apartments.

I cant believe that the owner charges extra for using the electricity and the gas.

Judi, final cleaning is another good point to look into. I have always made sure the apartments I rent include electric, gas, final cleaning, etc., (in other words, no extra charges). All of these things can come into factor, however, and I've seen apartments that charge extra for such. It's just something we have to all look at in what the overall cost will be upon depature.

We just booked a VRBO apartment and will be paying a 200 euro security deposit upon arrival. The owner has said she will refund it when we leave if there's no damage. I wasn't aware of it ahead of time, but have no problem with it either. That's in addition to the 30% deposit for the rent that I wired to her.

I did notice that the other apartment in Sorrento we're renting has a cleaning fee listed on two websites but not on the one that we booked through.

I seems that I looked at hundreds of apartments trying to find these two on short notice and I'd say that most required a refundable security deposit. I'd say that about a quarter also had separate charges for electricity and gas, and some just charged extra if the air conditioning was used.

Hi

Sleep in Italy has just replied to my emailsaying that I should arrange the appointment with the owner teh night before.

Oops - just proof read my post. Let's stat again:
Sleep in Italy has just replied to my email saying that I should arrange the appointment with the owner the night before.

sleepinitaly emailed me this morning and said it was a mistake, there is no 200 euro security deposit. And I can just leave the key on the table when I leave.

Glad to hear it, chuck. :)

This thread has still been quite helpful to many of us learning about various owner preferences when renting apartments. Good info. for us all to keep in mind in the future. :)

I have followed this with interest as I have reserved - for a tiny deposit - an apartment with sleepinitaly for mid-October. I have to pay the balance in cash on arrival. I have not read anything about an additional security deposit, on this apartment anyway.

However, when I have rented a holiday house here in the UK, at the time of paying the balance(usually 6 weeeks ahead of the holiday) I also have to send a cheque for £50 as a security deposit. At some point, if I and my family have incurred no damages, the owner of the property presumably tears this cheque up. It has never been presented at the bank, despite a few broken glasses and mugs! I have now rented this same house in Cornwall for 3 years and so far all has been well... Electricity costs - when I am there, I have to put coins in the meter, so no extra charges there, and I pay for linens and final cleaning in advance.

But I understand your concerns about getting cash back at 5am, so try to negotiate something the evening before.

Have a great trip anyway!

I've rented a lot of apartments in the US and in Europe (once with SleepinItaly) and have nearly always paid a security deposit, often a very large one. Sometimes they send it back later, sometimes it's credited on a card, sometimes they hold a check and then return it or tear it up.

But ask yourself this. Would you let total strangers come stay in your own house for a week and be able to leave early in the morning without leaving you some way to collect if they took valuable things with them or had done damage to your home? I frankly think they have more to fear than you do. Renting someone's personal apartment is a matter of trust between two parties and that trust must work both ways.

Neopolitan...

The apartment I've rented in Rome is the one you just stayed in - Piazza Rondanini.

Did you have to pay a security deposit on it because (although I haven't checked back through the literature yet, but I will be doing so) I swear I haven't seen anything about a security deposit payable on arrival.

Please advise!

As Statia says "There we go. It is obviously dependent upon the owners wishes when renting"

I have rented plently of times with with Sleep In Italy. I have not rented an apartment that required an additional deposit, however I have used other company's that do, this request, it's not all that uncommon.

Chuck if you are concerned because you are leaving early in the a.m., I'm fairly certian this has early departure has happened before. Maybe you can arrange to meet with the owner or SII the day or night before you leave for inspection and your refund.

Each apartment has it's own menu so to speak - most include utilities some don't, if they don't it's listed as such.

Too many apartments rented since that one in Rome. I really can't remember about a deposit. I do recall that I paid very little in advance -- I think something like $100 or 100 euro. And I paid the balance in cash on arrival. We left quite early in the morning and just locked the place leaving the keys inside. If there was a deposit returned it was by credit card. I had several of those this summer and it was hard for me to determine who was returning a deposit. But I really don't recall any deposit on the Rondanini one.

Thanks for responding Neopolitan. There is absolutely nothing about a security deposit in all the 'small print' from sleepinitaly about this apartment, so I shall have no further worries!