by Jenny Reid
Holiday rental time is rife with scammers, fraudsters and the possibility of theft or damage. For holiday-makers, late bookings run the risk of their deposits being stolen, booking a rental that has already been booked or simply doesn’t exist. There may also be unforeseen fees that get included at the last minute.
Holiday rental owners must deal with the possibility that the staff they allow to access the property could steal, damage or otherwise negatively impact the property or the guests’ experience while they stay there. This is especially concerning if you as the owner don’t live nearby.
In both cases, due diligence is necessary to ensure you’re protected. For holiday-makers, ensuring you verify the address and contact information of the rental is essential. The SAPS recommended you contact the local tourism bureau before booking to ensure the rental is above board.
We also suggest checking the reviews, as well as searching for the name of the rental property on local message boards or groups to see if there have been any complaints. There are few things that could ruin a holiday faster than discovering your accommodation isn’t secured after you’ve had to pay the deposit.
It’s necessary to also be wary of holiday rental scams through their use of questionable booking processes. If things seem off, they probably are. It’s unlikely that you’ll be asked to pay the entire booking fee for the accommodation up front, you’ll be asked to pay the deposit and the rest later.
This can be overlooked by some holiday-makers when they discover they have waited too long to book accommodation, and they’ll get panicked and not think things through. The best way to avoid this is to plan.
For owners of holiday rentals, your guest’s experience is the entirety of your business. Ensuring the service providers, you allow onto or into your property are trustworthy and qualified is essential to maintaining a successful holiday rental. Your housekeeper, groundskeeper, plumbers, security guards and anyone else who has access to what is in essence, an empty house, could be a threat.
The only way to do this is to utilise an agency that screens their staff or to screen your own staff. Doing so will help you ensure you’ve not accidentally hired someone who harbours malicious intent or a penchant for criminal activity. Avoid the risk of theft, damage or worse to your property or guests from your staff, by doing criminal record checks at the very least.
Due diligence is important for every aspect of life. Screening and vetting the plumber you call to fix the tap in your holiday rental to doing research to ensure a holiday home is a real place, are both necessary to ensure a good holiday.
iFacts can help you. From the holiday maker to the holiday homeowner. Do your due diligence to help protect yourself from scammers, fraudsters and the possibility of theft or damage. Hire with confidence, hire with iFacts.
Jenny Reid is a Human Risk Expert and Professional Speaker, and the owner of iFacts based in South Africa, a specialist employee screening and vetting service. She is constantly assessing new and innovative ways to remove the people risk in any organisation. Since 2009 when she took over iFacts completely, she has seen the company double in size and hopes to continue this growth. iFacts specializes in employee Screening, risk assessments, employee wellness, investigations, and truth verification. Jenny is a past President of the Security Association of South Africa. Contact Jenni via email jenny@ifacts.co.za
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