Experience local living in Costa Rica through private vacation rentals

PR Log (Press Release) – Jul 17, 2009 – For seasoned travelers, vacation rentals represent great value, privacy and space. For first time visitors to Costa Rica, there is no better way to feel at home than basking in the warmth of a cozy lived-in home while exploring a new culture.

For those who are new to the Costa Rica vacation rentals market, Costa Rica Bedfinder, an online vacation rentals resource offers useful insider’s tips that can help you get the most out of the renting process as well as avoid potential disappointments.

1. Do not be surprised to find the same properties listed more than once in the vacation rentals directory, as some property owners grant non-exclusive representation rights to multiple rental agencies in order to maximize bookings. As rental agencies vary in commission policy, you may find some variation in rates; if you come across multiple listings of the same property that you are interested in, do not skip, but go to the rates section of each listing to make comparison; chances are you will book with the agency that offers the best rates.

2. Dates that fall within high and peak seasons get filled up quickly; if you have fixed dates for your vacation, it is advisable to have your desired property booked at least three months in advance. Christmas and New Year periods are especially in high demand, and the months from December up until the end of Easter holidays are usually busy.

Consider the advantages of visiting during the low season, which in most parts of Costa Rica fall between May and November. During the low season, most vacation rentals are steeply discounted, sometimes as much as 50%. A few showers aside, low season visitors enjoy a cooler climate, greener landscape, less traffic and less congestion in restaurants, beaches and national parks. Despite of the wet, there is generally plenty of sunshine in the first half of the day.

3. If you are celebrating a special occasion, such as anniversary, honeymoon, family reunion, etc., by all means mention it to the owner or the manager; they are likely to offer some special assistance or amenities that are outside the norm. In general, it is helpful to mention the theme or purpose of your visit at the start of the search to property agents, as they are likely to use that as a cue in suggesting a particular location or properties that suit your expectations the most.

4. The payment and deposit policy can sometimes affect your final choice of property. For peak season bookings, full or 80% payment is required upfront by most vacation rentals. 50% upfront is the norm for high season and a minimum of 20% is expected to reserve the vacation rental in the low season. However, some properties that have limited availability will require full payment in advance regardless of the time of year. With partial payment upfront, the balance of payment is usually due 30 days prior to arrival.

For peak season bookings it is unlikely that you will be granted any refund at all should you cancel, but you can negotiate to have the payment, or a part of it credited towards a future booking. Apart from peak periods, 50% to 80% may be refunded if the cancellation is made 2 to 3 months prior to arrival. In some cases, property owners or agencies will offer a refund only if the property is subsequently rented to another party.

5. After you have booked a property, start to gather all the arrival information you need: maps, driving direction, contact details for the day of arrival, contact details for colleagues and family at home to contact you while you are in Costa Rica. Also give the owner or the agency details on how you can be contacted before and after leaving home if you are headed elsewhere in the days before your arrival.

Do not hesitate to ask the owner or agency for assistance with car rentals or airport pickup service, tours and restaurant information, distances to various places, town and shopping facilities etc., some vacation rental hosts will offer to stock up the fridge prior to your arrival. To get the most out of your vacation, ask about places to go and things to see that are outside the tourist telescope; there is always a hidden jewel waiting to be discovered.  


Potential Pitfalls

Those who have experienced vacationing in private homes and villas know the benefits of renting over staying in hotels: savings, privacy, freedom and space. However, the flipped side is that with vacation rentals what you see may not be what you get. To minimize the risk of disappointment, do your due diligence by asking as many specific questions as possible on what matter to you the most. According to Costa Rica Bedfinder here are a few vacation rental pitfalls to avoid:

Photos - Do not fall in love with the photos and base your decision on the photos alone; a  good photographer can make a tiny room appear spacious, hide a bad spot or make the neighboring houses disappear. Some condo unit owners prefer to display pictures of the model unit used for real estate sales rather than their own. In some cases, the view that you see in the picture is not a view from the property; while a picture tells a thousand words, it does not always tell the truth.

Internet - If you must have access to internet during your travel, you should confirm with your vacation rental host on internet availability and the mode of connection before you book. Costa Rica is not as widely wired as in the U.S. or Canada. Some vacation rentals may indicate internet access in the listings, but the access is through an extremely slow telephone dial-up connection, or the availability in the listings actually refers to an internet café in town.

Air Condition - Not all vacation homes that offer air conditioning are air-conditioned throughout; many, including some of the most luxurious villas, have air conditioning only in the bedrooms. And just because the property is fitted with A/C does not mean it is included in the rates. Due to electricity cost being notoriously high in Costa Rica, A/C is sometimes charged a specified extra daily or weekly price.

Taxes – Thanks to the recent annulment of the 3.39% hospitality room tax, tourist now pay just 13% sales tax on accommodation. For vacation rentals that are professionally managed by rental agencies, 13% sales tax is applicable but is not always included in the advertised rates, so clarify with your host if the rates are tax inclusive to avoid a last minute shock if you are on a tight budget. Vacation homes rented directly from homeowners on the other hand are not subject to government tax unless the owner has tax obligation through a corporation.

Pool - It is not enough to know the property has a pool; the question to ask is if the pool is regularly cleaned and chemically maintained. A family with 4 young children recently arrived at a VRBO vacation rental at a beachside village in the Central Pacific coast to find the pool alive with frogs and tadpoles.

Utilities - It is never a good idea to rent a vacation home at a location near ongoing construction no matter how good the discount is. Even with the guarantee of minimum noise, there are sometimes other graver risks involved. A young couple with a baby recently decided to cut short their one-week vacation in an oceanfront community on the south coast after enduring 3 days without running water; the villa owner received the bitter complaint and got hold of the community developer, who told her that they needed to divert water to the construction site to meet building deadlines.

Cleanliness - No matter what and where the vacation rental property is, renters are entitled to a thoroughly cleaned house; at times a property may fall short of expectations in ways that are not within the host’s control, but when it comes to cleanliness, there is never a justifiable excuse; renters should demand immediate remedial action or compensation if cleanliness is an issue.