Questions about Vacation Rentals
We have assembled the following series of the most frequently asked questions and answers we receive here for your convenience. If your question is left unanswered, feel free to call us.
01. What is Internet Vacation Zone.com?
02. What is a Vacation Rental Property?
03. What are the best things about a Vacation Rental?
Q: What is Internet Vacation Zone.com?
A: A Listing Service that provides the most convenient way for vacation shoppers to connect directly with vacation rentals in destinations worldwide. Internet Vacation Zone.com has brought hundreds of renters and vacation rental owners together over the years.
Q: What is a Vacation Rental property?
A: We define a Vacation Rental as somewhere to stay which has its own living room and kitchen facilities - as well as bedrooms and bathrooms. From magnificent villas, to charming little cottages, modern beachfront apartments, and ski chalets.
Sometimes there will be catering - for example in ski chalets.
They are mostly private homes, carefully furnished and fully equipped by their owners, with every convenience to make them a perfect place for your holiday.
Q: What are the best things about a Vacation Rental?
A: The best things about a Vacation Rental holiday are - value for money, freedom and privacy, and being a local not a tourist.
Value for money:
As you are often booking direct from the owner, you can get an extremely good deal. You can stay in a fully equipped home with your own living room, dining room and kitchen, not just a hotel bedroom. If you consider the number of people a property sleeps, and that the rates are usually for a week, the price per person per night, is often very low.
Freedom & Privacy:
The joy of staying in Vacation Rental accommodations is the freedom it gives you - to eat when you like, dress how you like, do what you like, when you like. You have your own living space, not just a bedroom; a garden you can enjoy without thinking you should be gardening; and a kitchen you can use as much or as little as you like. This type of holiday is perfect for families, and especially enjoyable for people who travel on business and cannot bear the sight of another hotel room! Some properties provide maid service!
Be a local - not just a tourist:
The joy of what the English call "self-catering" is that you can eat what you like when you like. Wake up and have breakfast when you want - not when the hotel thinks you should have it. Buy some cheese, meats, salad, and bread for an informal lunch. The owners of the property usually leave a guide to the best local shops. And for dinner you can either indulge your passion for cooking with fresh local ingredients - or you can eat in your choice of local restaurants. Again, the owners will usually recommend the best places - from haute cuisine to the local bistro. After a few days, the shop keepers and restaurateurs will start to recognize you - so you can really experience life as a local - not just a tourist.
Questions about Searching to Rent from one of our listings
We have assembled the following series of the most frequently asked questions and answers we receive here for your convenience. If your question is left unanswered, feel free to call us.
04. Do I have to be a member to use this site?
05. Can I do a search to find vacation rentals of a certain type?
06. Which searches should I use to find the property that is right for me?
07. I would like to rent from you. How do I sign up?
08. Does IVZone.com staff locate and book vacation rentals for renters?
09. Is a travel agent commission available for vacation rentals on IVZone.com?
10. Is there a Calendar to check availability on specific dates before inquiring?
11. When I inquire by email, do you sell my information to other companies?
12. Is there a way to see larger pictures of properties?
13. How do I make a payment to the owner?
14. How do I make a booking?
15. What about travel arrangements?
16. What should I do before I leave home?
17. What happens when I arrive at the property?
18. What if there is a problem during my vacation?
19. What happens when I leave?
Q: Do I have to be a member to use this site?
A: No. You are free to browse this site as much as you like to find the perfect vacation rental.
Q: Can I do a search to find vacation rentals of a certain type?
A: Yes. Click on Advanced Search on the right-hand menu.
Q: Which searches should I use to find the property that is right for me?
A: We know that people look for properties in different ways - so we have built in two different ways to search and find your ideal property:
Advanced Search
If you are looking for a specific location, you can either choose the region, country, state, zone and then the city you are interested in, to find a list of properties in that area. Then you may refine your search by adding other variables like Rental Mode, Theme, Property Type, Sleeps How Many, Estimated Budget and Suitability. By Suitability you may specify Smoking, Children, Handicapped, etc.
Smart Box Search
Already in a specific location, you can filter your search by Type, Rental Mode, Quantity of Bedrooms and Bathrooms, Sleeps How Many and Budget.
All these searches give you a list of properties that meet the specifications you have chosen. The search results give a headline description of the property, a summary of the accommodation and a few other key pieces of information. Click on "More Info >>" button to see the page of advertising for that property, which gives full details or the accommodation, facilities, and local attractions, as well as 10 color photos.
Q: I would like to rent from you. How do I sign up?
A: No need to sign up.
As a potential renter, you rent directly from us in Zones like Atlantic Coast South in Florida and Argentina in South America. Via email inquiry form.
On all other destinations you do not actually rent from us - you contact the owner of the vacation rental property itself, his local agent and or in some cases a booking service. Via email form on their web page listing or by telephone or fax number.
Q: Does Internet Vacation Zone.com staff locate and book vacation rentals for renters?
A: Only in the Cities inside the Atlantic Coast South Zone, in Florida and in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Otherwise, Internet Vacation Zone.com allows visitors to act as their own travel agent. We provide all of the necessary information and tools to contact vacation rental managers and owners directly.
Q: Is a travel agent commission available for vacation rentals on Internet Vacation Zone.com?
A: Only in certain properties in the Cities inside the Miami-Dade county, Florida and in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Q: Is there a way to find out if a property is available on specific dates before inquiring?
A: Some properties have availability calendars on their pages. These listings are indicated by the icon on the state/country pages. The owners update these calendars with dates that are already booked. Although the frequency of updates varies by property, it can help you determine availability.
Q: When I inquire by email, do you sell my information to other companies?
A: Absolutely not. That information goes directly to the owner of the property you are inquiring about. To learn more about our privacy policy, click here.
Q: Is there a way to see larger pictures of properties?
A: Yes. Simply click the thumbnail photo you would like to enlarge and it will take you to a page with a larger photo.
Q: How do I make payment to the owner?
A: Payment methods vary. You can determine this when you contact the owner for availability. Some owners do accept credit cards for payment.
Q: How do I make a booking?
A: Each property owner has their own way of conducting a rental, but this is what usually happens. When you make your booking you will be asked to pay a booking deposit of 10% - 50% to confirm the booking. You will usually have to pay the full rental rate 8-4 weeks prior to arrival. You will have to give a security deposit, either on booking or at arrival. This will be returned at or after your departure less the cost of any breakages and metered charges for telephone and electricity if they are not included in the rates. Check the cancellation terms with the owner at the time of booking. We recommend that potential renters, or their agents, confirm all the terms of the proposed rental contract in writing in advance of the rental, and if feasible, also view the property in advance.
Q: What about travel arrangements?
A: The owner will be able to advise you on your travel arrangements, including the best route from car ferry ports if you are driving.
Q: What should I do before I leave home?
A: Make sure you have directions to the property and that you have clear instructions on arrival and who is going to let you in. And make sure you have the name and telephone number of some one on the spot who you can contact if anything goes wrong. If you have to pay a security deposit on arrival, this will be in cash, local currency, checks or travelers checks. Make sure you have the means to pay the security deposit with you.
Q: What happens when I arrive at the property?
A: Some owners send you a key in advance, some actually live on site and will meet you, and some arrange for some one to meet you at the property. Make sure you are given details of some one you can contact if something goes wrong. If you are delayed, it is courteous to inform the owner if you can.
Q: What if there is a problem during my holiday?
A: If you have a problem, do get in touch straightaway with the person whose details you have been given. They have the local knowledge to sort things out on the spot. It is not worth suffering in silence, then complaining that you had a bad holiday. Now just relax and enjoy your holiday! Don't forget you are staying in some one's home - so treat it with respect.
Q: What happens when I leave?
A: The owner or their representative should check you out of the property, and assuming there is no damage, will refund your security deposit, either on the spot or within a couple of weeks.
Questions about Listing your rental with us …
We have assembled the following series of the most frequently asked questions and answers we receive here for your convenience. If your question is left unanswered, feel free to call us.
20. What does it cost?
21. Do I need a credit card to sign up?
22. Do I need to know HTML, or how to design my page?
23. How do I go about changing and updating my property listing?
24. Who updates my pages?
25. How do I add and change photographs to my listing?
26. Do you charge to update photos or make changes to my listings?
27. How will I receive inquiries?
28. May I provide links to other web pages?
29. What do you do to market your site?
30. Do you offer an availability calendar?
31. Are there setup fees?
32. Are there management or referral fees?
33. Can I cancel my listing?
34. Who sets and determines the price I charge to rent my property?
35. Why should I list my vacation property with you and not someone else?
36. I am already on another site. Why should I list with you, too?
Q: What does it cost?
A: Listing is FREE
Q: Do I need a credit card to sign up?
A: No!
Q: Do I need to know HTML, or how to design a web page?
A: NO. When you join Internet Vacation Zone.com you do not need to know anything more than how to fill out a simple web form. We have gone out of our way to make it easy for you. Once you have provided the information about your vacation rental, we take care of the rest.
Q: How do I go about changing and updating my property listing?
A: Simple. Once you have added your property to Internet Vacation Zone.com, you may change all aspects of your listing by logging into a secure administration area where you are presented with web based forms that are very similar to those used to create the listing initially. You can change your information as often as you like. Once you are done, your web page and property information will be instantly updated.
Q: Who updates my pages?
A: You do! We provide you with a secure web based administration tool which allows you to update the details of your rental such as its availability, description, title, amenities, photographs, your rental policies and terms and we take care of making sure that your listing page gets updated on Internet Vacation Zone.com.
Q: How do I add and change photographs to my listing?
A: We provide you with a web based photograph administration tool that allows you to upload and update up to ten photographs per listing at your leisure. The photograph administration tool allows you to upload your photographs much in the same way you might attach them to an email message. This convenience is provided at no extra charge to you.
Q: Do you charge to update photos or make changes to my listings?
A: No, we do not charge for updates to your listings. You are provided with online tools which allow you to easily update your vacation rental listing at your convenience.
Q: How will I receive inquiries?
A: Once a potential renter finds your property in our index, and they fill out a simple inquiry form the information will be sent to whichever email address you specify when creating your listing on our system. Further, you can change this email address at your convenience.
Q: May I provide links to other web pages?
A: The short answer is NO.
Q: What do you do to market your site?
A: We understand that results are the key, to that end we have gone to great lengths to make sure that your vacation rental listings on Internet Vacation Zone.com gain the maximum exposure possible, and are always working on improving those results. The following are a couple of the things we do to try and make sure you get the most out of your listings.
Paid Search Engine Placement We have partnered with many of the top search engines and directories, to ensure that our site and your listings are given the maximum exposure possible.
Search Engine Optimized Web Site. By making sure that our site is optimized for search engine indexing and is overall, search engine friendly, we have been able to achieve phenomenal results with many of the top search engines and indexes on the net. Of course we never rest in trying out best to make sure that our site always accessible, and well placed.
Q: Do you offer an availability calendar?
A: Yes we do. There is an availability calendar in which you simply check off the unavailable dates. It is simple and easy to use, and is provided at no extra charge to you. But if you feel that it is not in your best interest to have it online, you have the possibility to hide it from the general public view. For property listings in Miami-Dade County and Argentina the availability calendar is also the means of communication between you and Internet Vacation Zone.com. It is in your best interest to keep the calendar updated at all times.
Q: Are there setup fees?
A: No! There are no setup fees for standard listings.
Q: Are there management or referral fees?
A: No! There are no management or referral fees. The only fee you are ever charged is the listing fee for your property. There are no hidden charges. Except for property listings in Atlantic Coast South in Florida, USA and Argentina, where a 10-15% commission is applicable.
Q: Can I cancel my listing?
A: Yes, you can cancel your listing on Internet Vacation Zone.com. Canceling your listing is as easy as logging into the system and checking the option to cancel your property listing.
Q: Who sets and determines the price I charge to rent my property?
A: You determine the price you want to charge for which times of the year. Included with every listing is a web based administration tool to assist you in setting your rates.
Q: Why should I list my vacation property with you and not someone else?
A: Value, we feel that we offer the best value when it comes to marketing your vacation rental. We have gone to great lengths in making our site as useful to potential renters as it is easy for you the property owner to get up and running. To learn more about why we feel we offer the best value, please click here.
Q: I am already on another site. Why should I list with you, too?
A: No one web site can possibly reach 100% of your potential clients. While there are other sites to list your vacation rental property on, we do not feel that the choice needs to be, nor should be exclusive. All vacation rental listing sites have their unique merits and users, so to get the most exposure for your property; it only makes sense to list on more than one.
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