amy_zena

Hi all!

My husband and I are in the process of selling our apartment in Tuscany, Italy. We need to get a larger place as we're expecting our first child this summer.

My husband currently has it on the market, but I was thinking of maybe renting it out as a holiday/vacation rental. Do any of you Fodorites do this? I think a Fodorite in Dijon, France does this. Are there any others out there? And has it been a positive experience or a pain in the rear?

We have a 1 bedroom apartment right in the historical center of Pistoia (28 km/17 miles outside of Florence. Do most holiday/vacation renters look for larger apartments? Ours is completely renovated with all new kitchen appliances, washing machine, air conditioning, and satellite SKY tv. And it's a 10 minute walk to the train station.

Do you think it would be a successful rental or do people prefer to stay in Florence and in hotels? Thanks for any opinions/advice you may have for me!

Amy

annhig

hi, Amy,

by the looks of this this forum, lots of OPs like apartments even when there are just two/one of them travelling, so a 1-bed isn't out of the question.

why don't you have a look at some of the italy apartment rental web-sites to get an idea - some of them have buttons for prospective owners to press which you might like to do.

as for pistoia, it would have the advantage of being in a place where there are fewer aparments to rent; on the eother hand, it would be somewhere not too many tourists go.

another option, perhaps easier, would be to rent to locals as a long-rent. again, there would be agents who could organise this for you.

regards, ann

amy_zena

Thanks Ann - could you recommend a few of the more reputable apt. rental sites? Is VRBO good? I already put a "for sale" and a "long term rental" ad on the Craig's List website. Am not sure if people use that website for real estate or rentals in Italy much.

missypie

Do you have someone reliable to do the "make ready" (cleaning) between guests? I think that in your town, lots of people would want to stay for just a few days and not a whole week, so you'd have to clean fairly frequently.

As for the size, could you put a comfortable sofa sleeper in the living room? Then you could advertise it as "sleeps 4." Of course, you may WANT to limit it to 2 people.

amy_zena

My husband and I would still be living in Pistoia - we just need a larger house. So we would be here to look after everything. Yes, we have a cleaning lady already that comes once a week, but I would not want to rent it out for less than a week...would be a pain I think. Actually we HAD a cleaning lady, but since I have been home on early maternity leave, we've let her go until I return to work in a year or so. I already told my husband that we should change out the sofa for a nice sleeper sofa...so that's not a problem.

missypie

If I were you, I'd post your question on Slow Travel (slowtrav.com). Ask if they think one week rentals would go over in your town. If the SLOW Travel folks wouldn't want to stay that long, you'd know that everyone else wouldn't either.

annhig

hi again, AMy,

To find agencies that do long-term or holday rentals, I suggest google or loke the OP says, Slow travel - the ones they say are good for tourists would be good for the owners too, IMO.

If you are already in Pistoia, why not take a trip down to your tourist info office/give them a ring and ask them if anyone ever enquires for holiday apartments?

regards, ann

janisj

I'm on the other end - I rent apartments when I travel. A BIG plus for me is when the owner lives nearby. Also, small flats are in demand as much as larger places. Lots of singles and couples like to rent small apartments/cottages that are reasonably priced.

I don't know your town at all - but most anywhere in Tuscany is popular. Are there any special sites in your immediate area you could emphasize in your marketing? Also how long/frequent is the train journey in to Florence? If convenient for popping in/out of the city that would be a big plus if you were priced less than comparable properties in Florence

a/c is a HUGE plus for North American travelers.

BlueSwimmer

Hi Amy-

There was a long thread a couple of years ago on which vacation rental owners told their tales. I don't know how to post the link, but search for "truth rentals" and it should come up as the second hit.

amy_zena

Thanks Blueswimmer! I just read the post. Some of it a bit funny, some a bit scary and amazing! Seems that owners experience more damage to their apartments from long term renters than from short term holiday renters. I would have totally thought the opposite...just thought with high turnover of renters, there would be more wear-and-tear on the apartment. Anyway, it made for interesting reading!

sethered

Dear Amy,

I am very interested in renting your Pistoia apartment in the fall. It sounds lovely, and just perfect for my needs. I first learned of your apartment last night on Craig's List, and sent you an e-mail query then. Today I came across this posting. I'm hoping that your apartment is still available. I look forward to hearing from you!

A presto,
Susan