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!