Advertising

• Advertising for vacation rental homes can be deceptive. Photos can be out-of-date and deceptive. Most are shot at angles to make the home look larger and more attractive than it really is. Ask for actual room dimensions and a floor plan. Look for disclaimers on vacation home rental websites. If the website acknowledges that it can't guarantee the authenticity of the photographs, be on your guard.
  
  

Owner Vs. Agency

• Vacation homes are typically advertised by owners and rental agencies. While it may be more inexpensive to work directly with an owner, there are also significant risks involved. While a rental agency might be licensed and bonded, an owner may be neither. If you have a problem and need to reach someone, if the owner is out of town or unavailable, you are out of luck. Unless you know the owner personally, it is less risky to work with a rental agency.
  
  Be aware that if there is a serious problem and you want your money back, you can only sue the owner or agency in they county where they live. This can be impractical if you live out of state.
  
  

Information You Need

• When renting a vacation home, first check to see if the town the home is in requires vacation homes to be licensed. This is common in many tourist areas, and can give you an additional layer of protection. When talking with homeowners and agencies, ask if the vacation home is licensed and ask to see a copy of the license. You may also want to ask for references from previous guests. Make sure you have the owner's or agency's street address.
  
  Be sure to ask about who to contact in case of an emergency. An agency or property management company ought to be able to give you the number of a 24-hour answering service. An owner should give you his cell phone number.
  
  

Local Authorities

• In most cases, local authorities will regard any problems that you have with a vacation home as a civil matter, though in a situation of outright fraud-someone rents you a home that does not exist or that is occupied by someone else--you should file a police report. If a home violates building or health codes, you may want to make a report with the local agency that enforces these codes. Another option is to file a report with the Better Business Bureau and, if appropriate, the state's attorney general. If several negative reports are made, authorities may be more willing to investigate the home's owners.
  
  

Protect Yourself

• Probably the best way to protect yourself from vacation home fraud is to pay for your stay with a credit card. If the vacation homeowner or agency won't accept a credit card, move on and find another vacation home. While your credit card company can't help you fix any problems at your vacation home, you can dispute any charges with them. Be sure to document the problems that you have with your vacation home--photos are a good idea--to help your credit card company in an investigation.