If you decided to take a trip by air, or wanted to book a package holiday, how long would you expect the airline or resort to ‘hold’ a space for you? Probably no time at all –unless you had put down a deposit. The reason for this is that once a hold is placed on a seat, or a room, then no-one else can book that space. The airline or hotel is at risk of losing any other clients who might be looking for availability at that same time.

The same is true of a cottage. If you contact an owner or agency to ‘book’ a vacation rental, they may place that property on hold for you while you complete a rental agreement and send in a deposit. This will make that property unavailable to other interested clients so if you take your time over completing the process and subsequently change your mind, that property has been out of circulation for that period and the owner may lose out on other potential bookings.

It is not surprising that most agencies will not allow a hold without a deposit of some sort, and expect all, or a portion of it, to be non-refundable. This covers their costs of generating a rental agreement, and the potential for lost income to the owner if the renter changes his or her mind.

Read cancellation policies very carefully. You run the risk of losing your deposit if you cancel and the owner or agency is unable to re-rent the period that has been booked. Even if they do, expect to pay a cancellation penalty in the region of $150.

Renting a privately owned property for a short term is very different from booking a hotel room, or an apartment owned by a resort, and for those who have never taken this type of vacation before, it can be a bit unnerving to be asked to sign a legal contract. However, you should be very wary if an owner does not ask you to complete a rental agreement. Booking policies and Terms and Conditions of Rental are there to ensure fairness for everyone, and are not generally designed to be restrictive. They protect all the parties involved in a rental agreement and make sure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities.

Vacation rental is a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends in a home-style environment in a fabulous location. It’s worth the extra paperwork to enjoy it to the full.

It’s the time of year when we begin to hear all sorts of popular myths about renting a cottage, so I thought it would be a good idea to blow some of them away. Here are a few of those I’ve heard this month.

It’s too late to get a good cottage:  True or False

FALSE: There are lots of new cottage owners who have just bought and closed on their purchase, and are now listing their properties for the first time. The secret is in how to find them. Unless listing agencies have a method for highlighting new listings or last minute availability, you’ll have to go through each listing and check whether the week is open or not. A tiresome process, so you may be better served contacting a few agencies and asking if they have something new coming up. We have just listed over a dozen new cottages, with another 15 or so to come in the next few weeks. Call us on 1 866 323 6698 and ask about what’s new, or bookmark this blog as we’ll be listing them all here as soon as they go on the web site.

Rental rates are higher through an agency than a private listing: True or False

FALSE: A reputable agency will place a competetive rate on a cottage that will be on a par with private listings. You may have to pay a booking fee on top of the rental rate. What you get for that is the assurance that the cottage has been inspected by agency staff, meets their minimum standards, and is regularly checked and maintained by the owner or his representative.

Discounts apply for last minute availability

FALSE: Some owners may discount late availability but don’t expect this to happen. There is a high demand for weekly rentals even at the last minute and we usually have a list of people waiting for a cancellation or late listing.  Many owners would prefer to use a vacant week themselves rather than offer a deal. However, it’s always worth asking.

All agencies are created equal: True or False

FALSE: There are a lot of rental agencies operating in Ontario, and thankfully, most are professionally managed and comply with provincial regulations of either the Real Estate Board (RECO) or the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO). However, offering cottages for rent and accepting a commission from an owner for doing the work, can seem an easy business to set up, and there are a number of unregulated agencies now listing cottages on web sites. To ensure your money is protected, held in a Trust Account, and managed professionally, make sure the agency you use is RECO or TICO registered. The logos and registration numbers should be clearly displayed on their sites and in supporting literature.

We get questions from renters every day, and there’s many of these asked over and over. Here’s the answers to some of the most popular questions.

Why can’t I rent a weekend in summer?

There’s a huge demand for cottages in July and August, and owners know they will be able to rent their properties by the week. Since most cottages rent from Saturday to Saturday, if they were to offer a weekend rental, say from Friday to Sunday, the owner would effectively lose the opportunity for two complete rental weeks. This is an economical no-brainer and the reason you’ll be very lucky to find an owner willing to rent a summer weekend.

Do I have to clean the cottage?

The usual terms of cottage rental require the renter to leave the cottage in the same condition in which it was found. Cleaning services are hard to come by in cottage country, and the owner often has only a couple of hours in which to check a cottage is clean, between rentals. If there is no cleaning service provided, you should clean thoroughly, using the checklist if the owner has left it for you. If you don’t there may be a substantial charge made on the damage deposit. This post on cleaning the cottage has all the information you need.

What if I change my mind after I book?

Check the cancellation policy carefully before making a booking. If there is a chance you might change your mind, or have to cancel for any reason, take our travel insurance. It doesn’t cost a lot and gives you peace of mind. Some owners may allow you to change dates but expect an agency to charge an administration fee for a change. There’s more on this here.

Can I bring more people?

Occupancy limits on cottages are set by the owners and include all adults, children and overnight guests. These limits are usually determined by the capacity of the septic system to cope with the number of people in the cottage. I’m always taken aback when people say, ‘my children are babies and in diapers – they don’t use any water’. Mmmm…I have children and I do recall bathing them quite regularly. A backed up septic system on a hot day is not going to make your vacation special, so please do not overcrowd a cottage. Remember too, that cottage communities are close and neighbours will watch out for each other. If you invite more people to the cottage than you have declared to the owner or agency, they will find out, and you may become liable to additional charges, or even eviction without refund.

Can I bring my pet?

Don’t take your pet to a cottage unless you have permission to do so. The owner will be within his rights to refuse you entry if you haven’t declared a pet on the rental application. If you have overnight guests or even day guests during your week at the cottage, make sure they don’t arrive with their pets either. If the cottage is pet friendly, read this post before you go.

Can I arrive earlier or leave later?

Unless the owner has agreed to an earlier check-in or later check-out, stick to the times given to you by the owner or agency.  There are only a few hours between one set of guests leaving and the next arriving for the owner or his caretaker to check that the cottage has been cleaned and everything is ready. Read this for more information on this topic.

Can I view the cottage before I book?

I understand you may want to take a look at a cottage before you book, however don’t expect the owner to hold a reservation for you while you make up your mind. Many seasonal properties are not accessible until the spring so it’s unlikely you will be able to view if you want to seal the deal now. If you are booking through an agency, ask to talk to the person who viewed the cottage; if booking directly with an owner, ask if you can speak to a previous renter to get a first hand testimonial.

Renting a cottage for your vacation can be a wonderful experience, but it does require a lot of research. Doing it thoroughly can mean the difference between a dream vacation and a nightmare!  If you have any questions about vacation rental, leave me a comment here, and I’ll post the answer.

You’ve chosen your dream cottage to rent, paid the deposit, and the kids are already excited. You’re sure you have everything covered and in only five months you’ll be heading off for a week or two of blissful relaxation on the lake; a little fishing off the dock; watching exquisite sunsets; playing board games in the evening and getting back to real family time.  But what happens if it all goes wrong? If something so unexpected happens that you have to cancel.

Have you covered that possibility too?

There are a number of things that can occur to curtail or cause a complete cancellation of your vacation. A death in the family is an obvious one, but other situations can come up that you may never have considered. Here’s a couple of examples that we experienced with guests last year:

A teen failed year twelve and was entered into summer school for additional tuition. The cancellation of the cottage came too late for it to be rebooked and the family lost their vacation. I don’t think the teen in question will be allowed to forget that in a hurry.

A family member developed a severe allergy a few weeks before the vacation and had to spend several days in allergy testing that could only be scheduled in over the holiday time. Once again cancellation came to late for the place to be rebooked so the family just took three days of their time at the cottage.

The father of a rental group was made redundant four weeks before the vacation commenced. We were able to rebook the cottage for part of the time so they received some of their money back but had to pay $150 in cancellation penalties.

I would not dream of going on any vacation without travel insurance in place that would cover these eventualities. An annual family policy could cost less than the cancellation fees imposed by many agencies and private owners and provides cover for the entire year. It is worth it just for the peace of mind.

Check the Cancellation Policy

Rental agencies will have a clear cancellation policy that is written on the Terms and Conditions of Rental and is clearly stated on their web site. If you are booking privately with a cottage owner, make sure you are fully aware fo their procedure in case of cancellation. A standard policy is likely to offer a full refund of all your payment if the period you rented can be re-booked, less a cancellation fee, but these can vary so check thoroughly.

Planning and looking forward to a vacation is great fun. Being well covered in case of a problem occurring should be part of that planning.

There are thousands of cottages available to rent in Ontario. The most popular cottage rental site lists over two thousand, and there are dozens more websites listing a whole range of cabins, cottages and waterfront homes! Most of these are on or near a body of water, so most Ontario cottage vacationers look for waterfront properties. Standards vary widely, from rustic cabins without hydro or running water in remote and tranquil locations, to palatial mansions on busy and popular lakes. There are rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, wide open vistas and heavily wooded hideaways. Cottages can be reached by navigating twenty kilometers of winding and undulating dirt roads, by water taxi, or can be found relatively near a major route. Interiors often remain embedded in the seventies – the heyday of orange and green cottage décor, or have been renovated to either restore the original features or to reflect city styles of modernism. Facilities vary from the basics – an indoor washroom and cooking facilities – to the luxurious. Rental cottages featuring  ensuite bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs, wide screen entertainment systems, and even hi- speed internet access, are becoming more common. In fact, there is still something for every need, providing you are willing to pay the price if what you need is a replica of your city villa.

Where do you start?

So with this huge range of choices, just how do you start looking?  Note that I say ‘how’ and not ‘where’. This is because your job will be made so much easier if you have already defined your criteria – what you want in a cottage and the facilities you must have; decided on your preferred location and the area you want to visit; and most important of all, have set a budget. That’s the subject of today’s post.

What should you expect to pay for your rental cottage?

Setting a rate is not an exact science for cottage owners, since there are rarely two the same. Some aim too high based on how much their neighbours are getting, without considering a real comparison of features; others underestimate their rate and you may find a rare bargain. For good value and realistic pricing, the agencies are probably the best places to go. Each cottage will have been personally inspected and a rate set according to a range of features and facilities, as well as occupancy levels.

Here’s a basic guide although not definitive it will give a good idea on how much you could expect to pay.

$750 – $1000 may get you a small cabin in the popular areas with minimal facilities, or one with a few more features but not as good waterfront. Tomorrow’s post will be looking at lower priced cottages in more detail.

$1000 – $1500 should provide at least a three bedroom cottage, one bathroom, moderate facilities probably including satellite TV and maybe a dishwasher. This is the rate range where you will find the most cottages; because of this it is a more competetive area so you can often find some good deals if you are prepared to compromise on some of your criteria in order to have great waterfront, for example.

$1500 – $2000 brings you to the start of the higher end properties and you should expect waterfront to be attractive; the cottage to have at least three good sized bedrooms, more than one bathroom; upgraded facilities, and to be well decorated and equipped.

At $2000 and above there are many variables that can affect the pricing. Sandy beaches, private location, hot tub, sauna, extensive decking and Muskoka rooms, and higher accommodation numbers.

If you are vacationing with another family to save money, be sensible on how much that saving might be. If you have a total of 8 people (including children) think about renting a cottage that sleeps at least 10. You’ll need extra space believe me. Don’t expect to pack more kids into a smaller cottage by using air beds – not only will you be overcrowding the property, you’ll find it pretty uncomfortable after a few days. My suggestion is that you budget around $2500 for a dual family vacation – at $1250  per week per family you could get a superb cottage with space for all.

Setting your budget before you start looking at cottage rental websites will save you a lot of time. Over the rest of this month I’ll be looking at each price range in more detail and making some suggestions.

I remember it well. A Christmas get together with friends; a considerable amount of mulled wine; lots of fun, and lo and behold, a plan to go on holiday with them the next summer. In the enthusiasm of the moment we all got excited about the idea and talked into the early hours about all the fun we would have, how the kids would just love being together on the water, and the sort of property we could rent when we were sharing the cost. Sadly, it was all a bit of a disaster, but that is another story!  We all learnt a lot though and I want to share some of that with you.

Friends usually decide to vacation together based on a mutual desire for a similar style of getaway, and plans are often made in the relaxed atmosphere of a festive occasion or card game with neighbour ‘friends’. When reality sets in, it’s often too late to back out as deposits get paid and cancellation policies apply.

So, before you get too excited, here’s the top five tips to make vacationing with friends a holiday to remember, for all the right reasons!

Make important decisions in the cold light of day

Since many vacation plans are made over a few beers or a bottle or two of wine, make sure you confirm any decisions in the cold light of day. This is the best time to get practical. Will sharing a house for a week really work?  Do you know your friends well enough for them to witness your quirky habits?  Do the children get on with each other?

Agree on your priorities

Get together and be totally honest with each other. Then create a list of your collective criteria – the ‘must have’, ‘nice to have’, and ‘in your dreams’ lists.  Watch out for areas where you radically disagree.  Let’s say your friends would prefer to go without TV but it is a top priority for your family.  Or, your idea of a vacation is to relax, read books and eat yourself silly, and your friends are excited about all the activities you can do to keep fit. This could be an sign of problems ahead. You need to be in sync with each other in order to have a successful vacation.

Set ground rules

The issue that can cause most friction is the different way families have of managing day-to-day activities such as meal times, childrens bedtime routines, cooking and housekeeping. If one family relaxes their hold on regular routine for holiday times, and the other doesn’t, this can create a conflict situation that will surface in the very early stages of the vacation. If you don’t address some of these issues before you get into vacation mode, this will have a considerable impact on your enjoyment of the holiday you have spent months looking forward to.

Decide on bedroom allocations early on in the planning process

Don’t leave it until you arrive at the property to decide who is having which bedroom. This can cause friction at the very beginning particularly if there is a master with ensuite, or if there is only one queen bed and the rest are doubles. Resentment can be quick to build over something like this, so it’s best to get this sorted out very early in the planning process.

Plan how you will manage housekeeping and food budgets

This is another issue to discuss early on. You don’t need to get into the finer detail until nearer the vacation, but talk about this aspect at the outset. Will you share the cooking?  Who will do the shopping? How will you pay for groceries?  If you see a vacation as a junk food extravaganza and your friends are talking about all the healthy eating they plan on doing, it would be good to get this sorted out before you go any further!

Renting a good sized, upscale cottage becomes much more manageable when you share the cost with another family but if it has the potential to cause dissent, and at worst, the loss of a friendship, think again.  Your vacation should be a relaxing event – not a hot bed for arguments and resentment so in some cases, it may be best to think of it as a good idea at the time, and leave it at that.