Comments on: Renting to Family and Friends http://cottageblogger.com/2008/04/renting-to-family-and-friends/ Rental Resources for Vacation Home Owners Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:32:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Emerald http://cottageblogger.com/2008/04/renting-to-family-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-2681 Emerald Sun, 07 Nov 2010 19:17:16 +0000 http://cottageblogger.com/rental-questions-answered/renting-to-family-and-friends#comment-2681 I have a dilemma after renting a week in our high season to a guest who is related to our neighbors, actually the son of the people that sold us the house years ago. He was getting married in town and booked the house for a week for what he said would be a party of 4. He assured me the house would be occupied by his mother/father in law and sister and brother in law, and no parties or entertaining as we have policies that these need to be cleared with us prior. On the day of check in I called his inlaws to confirm the time and they tell me they are not coming in until mid week, but that the groom and his wife are checking in. I call the groom and he is cagey, then mentions he was looking through the emails to see if there was mention of where the key was. I also find out through the in-laws that there are two additional guests, two children. We charge extra for extra guests. They also only stay 6 nights instead of 7, although they leave late on the sixth day. After all is said and done I charged them for only to additional guests for two nights. They booked it for 7 nights, 4 people, but in the end it was unclear if there were 2 for 2 nights and 4-8 for 3 to 4 nights. Plus, cleaning is not included and these people left if dirty, although visually neat. We had to charge for that. As well, we heard from the mother in law that she "cooked breakfast for some people and it went well other than no one stayed to help with the dishes." I charge a small hosting fee if guests want to use the house for entertaining and added that to their bill. In the end, the groom does not get his deposit back. I rarely have to keep a deposit, mostly there is no charge or a 25-75 dollar cleaning fee. This one added up to 500 after 200 for cleaning, 150.00 for the breakfast party and 150.00 for the additional guests. After receiving this bill he told me he and his wife never stayed at all, even though he called my husband mid-week and informed him that he had checked in. He also said there was no breakfast party, just two of his mother in laws friends. In the end my guest is saying that the house was only occupied wed-sat and even tho he added the two children it should be a wash since they didn't use it for three of the nights reserved. I do happen to have a phone bill showing that someone was making long distance calls the day he said know one was there. My question is, if a guest reserves a home for a week in prime season and you give them a rate based on four, then they tell you they weren't there for three of the nights but added two people to the guest list without informing you, is this ethically "a wash?" I am prone to charge him for the two additional guests despite what he says because he was cagey and there are so many contradictions I don't feel like I can believe him at this point. 99% of my guests are completely upfront and never pull stunts like this. Two parties breached the lease, one used the off limits wood stove and one had a small bd party, in each case they politely asked my forgiveness and told me to keep their deposit. This guy seems to want his cake and eat it too. I have a dilemma after renting a week in our high season to a guest who is related to our neighbors, actually the son of the people that sold us the house years ago. He was getting married in town and booked the house for a week for what he said would be a party of 4. He assured me the house would be occupied by his mother/father in law and sister and brother in law, and no parties or entertaining as we have policies that these need to be cleared with us prior.
On the day of check in I called his inlaws to confirm the time and they tell me they are not coming in until mid week, but that the groom and his wife are checking in. I call the groom and he is cagey, then mentions he was looking through the emails to see if there was mention of where the key was. I also find out through the in-laws that there are two additional guests, two children. We charge extra for extra guests.
They also only stay 6 nights instead of 7, although they leave late on the sixth day.
After all is said and done I charged them for only to additional guests for two nights. They booked it for 7 nights, 4 people, but in the end it was unclear if there were 2 for 2 nights and 4-8 for 3 to 4 nights. Plus, cleaning is not included and these people left if dirty, although visually neat. We had to charge for that. As well, we heard from the mother in law that she “cooked breakfast for some people and it went well other than no one stayed to help with the dishes.” I charge a small hosting fee if guests want to use the house for entertaining and added that to their bill. In the end, the groom does not get his deposit back. I rarely have to keep a deposit, mostly there is no charge or a 25-75 dollar cleaning fee. This one added up to 500 after 200 for cleaning, 150.00 for the breakfast party and 150.00 for the additional guests. After receiving this bill he told me he and his wife never stayed at all, even though he called my husband mid-week and informed him that he had checked in. He also said there was no breakfast party, just two of his mother in laws friends.
In the end my guest is saying that the house was only occupied wed-sat and even tho he added the two children it should be a wash since they didn’t use it for three of the nights reserved. I do happen to have a phone bill showing that someone was making long distance calls the day he said know one was there.
My question is, if a guest reserves a home for a week in prime season and you give them a rate based on four, then they tell you they weren’t there for three of the nights but added two people to the guest list without informing you, is this ethically “a wash?”
I am prone to charge him for the two additional guests despite what he says because he was cagey and there are so many contradictions I don’t feel like I can believe him at this point. 99% of my guests are completely upfront and never pull stunts like this. Two parties breached the lease, one used the off limits wood stove and one had a small bd party, in each case they politely asked my forgiveness and told me to keep their deposit. This guy seems to want his cake and eat it too.

]]> By: Wally O http://cottageblogger.com/2008/04/renting-to-family-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-1094 Wally O Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:30:28 +0000 http://cottageblogger.com/rental-questions-answered/renting-to-family-and-friends#comment-1094 Why not! If you can make money do it! Should not matter what they do with it, if it is their week then they should be able to charge what ever they want for it... it is their weeks after all. Why not! If you can make money do it!

Should not matter what they do with it, if it is their week then they should be able to charge what ever they want for it… it is their weeks after all.

]]> By: Lisa http://cottageblogger.com/2008/04/renting-to-family-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-387 Lisa Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:29:25 +0000 http://cottageblogger.com/rental-questions-answered/renting-to-family-and-friends#comment-387 We have a thorny isueand need help! My three sisters and I own a cottage together inMassachusetts. One sister would like to rent her weeks to freinds in order to cover her portion of the taxes, etc. The cottage costs us each about $4,000/yr or about $700/week from April to October ( the only months we can use it). I look at it as if each of us owns her weeks and can do what she likes with them and set a rent that will not allow her to make more than her total of $4,000/yr. Other sisters see enting a week for $1,000 or $300 more than the cost as making a profit. What do you think? Has anyone out there been in similar situation? Help! We have a thorny isueand need help! My three sisters and I own a cottage together inMassachusetts. One sister would like to rent her weeks to freinds in order to cover her portion of the taxes, etc. The cottage costs us each about $4,000/yr or about $700/week from April to October ( the only months we can use it). I look at it as if each of us owns her weeks and can do what she likes with them and set a rent that will not allow her to make more than her total of $4,000/yr. Other sisters see enting a week for $1,000 or $300 more than the cost as making a profit. What do you think? Has anyone out there been in similar situation? Help!

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