Property owner guide
How does CORTES ISLAND VACATION RENTALS work for the property owner?
What is the home owners’ responsibility?
* You must provide proper home and liability insurance for your home.
Be sure to check with you insurance company because there is usually an additional premium for short term rentals.
* If Cortes Island Vacation Rentals is not caring for your home it is important that there be at least one contact person available on island should there be a need to address a problem with the home or property.
* It is the owners’ responsibility to keep the house and grounds in a good state of repair and cleanliness. Cortes Island Vacation Rentals reserves the right to refuse management of a home if there are concerns about safety or the home does not meet our standard of cleanliness. We inspect each home before contracting with the owners and can provide suggestions for making your home more appealing to renters.
*The home owner must provide all the essential articles required for the guests to have a comfortable stay in the home. We will provide a list of essential items needed for stocking the home with our owners’ package.
What services does CORTES ISLAND VACATION RENTAL OFFER?
* We can provide full marketing and booking service. This includes presence on our web site with a full page for each property. Each individual property page has colour photos and a write up about the property and amenities. We advertise our web site in popular magazines and newspapers in both Canada and the US. We also network with other agencies and other sources of potential guests both on and off island.
* We can provide full property management services including cleaning and home inspections both before guests arrive and after they leave.
* We can handle all the financial transactions which include bookings and security deposits as well as rental payments and returns of the security deposits. All monies are held in a Trust Account until time of pay out.
* We have professionally prepared rental and property management contracts that insure all parties are aware of their responsibilities and liabilities.
* We are registered under the B.C. Travel Agents Act as a provider of Travel Services in B.C.
* Because we specialize in Cortes Island properties only we can familiarize ourselves with each and every property so we can knowledgeably discuss each property with potential guests making it easier to match the right guests with the right property. We are able to answer questions about the properties for rent as well as general questions about Cortes Island. We are available to personally help guests during their stay in your home and we will make every effort to make their stay as enjoyable as possible.
How does the payment schedule work?
*There is an initial registration fee payable for each home offered for rent. This fee covers development of your web page including photography and write ups plus administration expenses. There is also an annual renewal fee payable on the anniversary date of your initial registration.
* CORTES ISLAND VACATION RENTALS charges a commission for services provided. This is calculated on a percentage of the rental fee collected on each booking made by us. Commission rate is based on the type of service provided. There are three service packages to choose from. Fees due will be taken from the rental money collected and the balance will be mailed to the home owner with an itemized receipt. All rental monies and security deposits are placed in a trust account and payments are not dispersed until the guests have vacated and the home is inspected. Security deposits are held for 30 days to insure there are not additional charges made to the guest for phone calls, damage or cleaning expenses. If the home is booked and managed by us the cleaning charges will be deducted from the rental rate.
Full service or partial service … your choice.
We are very flexible in the service we can provide and are happy to tailor our services to meet your needs. There are three packages available which gives you the opportunity to do your own bookings or cleaning. You will be billed based on the service provided for each rental week and you may choose to vary the services provided depending on your needs for each booking.
Option #1. We handle the marketing and booking only.
You are responsible for all cleaning, home care and guests’ needs. Once we have confirmed the booking and collected the money all contact with the guests will be made directly with you.
*Option #2. We handle the marketing and booking plus we handle home and property care including cleaning on ‘change over day’, checking the home when guests leave and before guests arrive to make sure everything is in good order, getting the keys to and from the guests plus we are available to help guests as needed during their stay in your home.
You are still welcome to do some of your own bookings but it is very important you advise us of the dates you have booked so we do not double book your property. We would consider the time you wish to spend at your property as a booked week.
*Option #3. We handle the home and property care only and you do the marketing and booking including collecting the rent, damage deposit and having agreements signed. Cortes Island Vacation Rentals will take no responsibility for rental agreements or financial transactions made by the home owner in this case.
