This should not be relied on for up to date accuracy as it was posted in 2005 with a disclaimer at the end
An Alphabetical CHECK LIST for when you are renting a Self Catering Holiday Vacation Home in the South of France in association with jmlvillas.com
In 2001 euro-rentavilla.com was established for the marketing of self catering holiday rentals.
In 2002 a new site jmlvillas.com was established and this remained in business till May 2018.
As a result of the GDPR - General Data Protection Regulations legislation coming into force in May 2018, jmlvillas.com ceased to offer an advertising service for holiday home owners.
The guide below is from information provided from the jmlvillas.com site for people renting a holiday home property
1)
AVAILABILITY:
We
do advise property owners to update their
Availability dates on a regular basis on
the jmlvilas.com
web site in association with cotedazurental.com.
If they have not indicated an availability date,
please email them for this information.
2) ACCOMMODATION: Most
advertisers provide excellent accommodation details,
occasionally they might have omitted some details,
so if you require additional information contact
the owner. In many cases Property owners have their
own web site that shows additional details and if
they do have a site you can access this from the
featured property page.
Many
advertisers are registered or listed with their
country/region’s Tourist Office and have to comply
with the guidelines on standards of accommodation
and facilities & equipment provided.
3) BABYSITTING:
If you require a baby sitter you must ask the Property
owner if they have contacts.
4)BREAKAGES: (see
also Inventory & Deposit sections below)
Small accidents can happen when you are on holiday.
Normally if a renter breaks glasses, crockery etc
they will often find replacements at the local supermarket
and should always advise the owner or agent. If
there is a serious breakage - window - chair etc,
the renter should immediately report this to the
owner or their agent.
5)BICYCLE HIRE: If
you need to hire a bike, it might be advisable to
contact the owner when you make your booking as
to availability in the property's area.
6)BOOKING
FLEXIBILITY:
See No 9 Changeover Day
below as many property owners can accommodate
for longer or shorter periods depending on seasonal
demand.
6)CAR HIRE: If
you need to hire a car, sometimes if you book well
in advance you can secure a rental at a more favourable
price. Rental prices tend to vary from country to
country and from experience car hire in Spain is
a lot cheaper than Ireland. If you want a quote
Click
here to go to our CAR HIRE PAGE from Zest Car Rental
(Economy Car Hire) who have numerous rental partners
with locations in the south of France
7) CHILDREN: Some
property owners do not accept children under a certain
age bracket. It is worth checking in advance ofd
making a booking.
8)CLEANING: Many
holiday properties provide a cleaning service and
state this on their page on jmlvilas.com.
Sometimes they offer daily, weekly
or just end of stay cleaning. In
other cases you either have to clean it yourself
or pay additional charges.
It is advisable to check when booking.
9)
CHANGEOVER DAYS: The
property advertiser will usually advise on our site
the changeover days. In the peak periods these days
cannot usually be changed, however at other times
of the year many property owners will be agreeable
to changing the booking period. i.e. Instead of
Saturday-to-Saturday - Tuesday to Tuesday. You will
also come across some property owners who will be
happy to let the property for a very long weekend.
If this information is not stated you can always
email the owner.
10) CHECKING IN
& OUT: Please make
sure you have the owner or agent's contact details
with you - mobile phone/office phone etc and provide
them with your mobile number as well. Sometimes
flights are delayed for example and you should let
the key holder know the situation. You should also
agree a check in time with them. With many properties
you cannot arrive till after 12 noon, but check
the situation out when you make the booking. If
you are likely to arrive out an "unsocial hour"
then you might find that you are charged a fee if
there is an agent handling the check in.
When you
leave the property, quite often you have to be out
by 10.00 in the morning to allow cleaners in and
normally times will be agreed between yourself and
the owner in their Rental Agreement or correspondence.
11) DEPOSITS: - Initial Deposit
& Damage Deposit:
You will normally be asked to put down a deposit
at the time of booking. Sometimes this is non-refundable
so please check the details with the property owner.
It is worth well considering taking out Travel Insurance
when you make a booking in case you have to cancel
your visit.
Many
property owners now require a damage deposit to
be held throughout your visit. see section 4
above on Breakages
12) ELECTRICITY,
GAS & WATER:
These utilities are expensive in
most countries and are usually metered (except with
butane gas). You will usually find that these services
are included in the rent, although sometimes the
electricity is on meter and you sometimes have to
pay additional charges for heating or heating a
swimming pool.
Electric voltages in France are 240v
European
2 prong round plug.
Visitors from overseas will need to purchase an
adaptor that will work in many European countries
and parts of Africa. You should find out when you
arrive at a property where the trip switch/fuse
board is and also if butane gas is being provided
how to change the bottle and where to purchase a
replacement..
13) INSURANCE: You
should take out adequate travel insurance when you
make your booking in case you have to cancel the
holiday. In many cases if you have an accident at
a property, although the Property owner's insurance
company will initially entertain the claim they
may also want to pursue your insurance company.
A property
owner's insurance will probably not cover your personal
must make sure that your property is properly covered
for holiday lettings. You should advise the insurance
company that it is being let for this purpose. If
you want some further information on quotes follow
this link Click
here to go to TRAVEL INSURANCE PAGE
14)
INVENTORY: It is normal
procedure to have an inventory of the contents that
will be checked in by the local agent or owner.
A damage deposit is often held and then will not
normally be returned till after the property has
been vacated and will either be paid back locally
or sent to the renter’s home address. You will often
find reference to this and the amount to be paid
in the rental agreement.
You should check with the owner as to when you can
expect to receive the deposit back. If can be checked
in with your guests.
Either the owner or local agent should politely
point out that if the visitors break equipment,
if they are glasses for example then they should
replace, if it is more serious - bed, window etc,
then immediately report it.
15)
KITCHENS: We
encourage advertisers on jmlvilas.com
to give a description of their kitchen.
They should include an oven (conventional or microwave
)They should include an oven (conventional or microwave),
Does it have a dishwasher, washing machine, iron
etc?
16) LINEN HIRE/TOWELS/COTS:
Before setting off on your holiday check out the
linen hire situation. Many property owners provide
linen & bath towels (but not beach towels) and
many of the properties advertised do not have linen
or towels. They would provide pillows, duvets or
blankets usually. You can often hire linen locally,
which is a good idea if you are flying. Check with
the property owner when you make your booking. If
you require a cot you should find out if the owner
provides these, or if you can hire one or if you
have to bring your own.
17) LOCAL FACILITIES:
If the owner has not provided a Property Handbook
(see 21 below) please ask for information. Do not
forget to buy a guide book and buy local area maps.
18) LOCAL AGENT: Many
property owners will employ a local agent to check
you into the property. This person (or agency) would
most likely be your point of contact if you have
problems at the property. The local agent can sometime
arrange linen hire and if the owner has not left
you a Property Information book, the agent can normally
tell you about local shops, restaurants, bars and
attractions.
19) PRICES / RATES:
At jmlvilas.com
we encourage our clients to keep
their prices updated. Unfortunately not all advertisers
do this and in some cases do not submit their prices.
If you are not certain about the information shown,
email the owner for confirmation. You will probably
find that you are paying more over bank holiday
periods and in the main summer season.
20) PROPERTY CAPACITY:
Although a property might stipulate it sleeps 6,
there is often the possibility that it can sleep
an addition 2 on a sofa bed. Alternatively a property
stating it sleeps 6 might only have 2 bedrooms -
the other sleeping capacity being on the sofa bed.
Check the description carefully and if in doubt
email the owner for clarification.
21) PROPERTY HANDBOOK:
We advise owners to leave a ring bound folder with
some notes about the property - how the hot water
system works, where the rubbish should be put, information
on local shops, restaurants and attractions etc.
22) RENTAL AGREEMENT:
It is normal procedure to have a rental agreement.
In some countries like France it is the law. It
will set out the terms of the rental - prices, length
of let, damage deposit and other conditions.
23) SWIMMING POOLS:
Take great care if you are renting
a property with a swimming pool. In France it is
now the law to have these fenced and or alarmed.
You must supervise young children. You will quite
often pay an additional charge for the heating of
the pool. Take great care with pools they are not
always lined with tiles and concrete and the lining
can easily be damaged by a sharp object. They are
expensive to replace and you could be responsible
for paying this if a member of your party has caused
the damage.
24)
TELEPHONES: Some property
owners provide telephones for incoming calls; some
have a pay phone system. If you are taking your
mobile on holiday, make sure that you have contacted
the mobile phone provider to allow calls to be made
to and from it when you are not in your home country.
Generally you will pay the cost of the call coming
from your home country to where the mobile is being
used.
If you do
not have a mobile and there is no telephone at the
property and you want friends or family to contact
you in an emergency let them have the owner or agent’s
number
25)
Internet:
Although a lot of properties now
have wifi systems, many do not and so this is well
worth checking in advance.
26) TELEVISIONS:
Many properties provide a television.
Quite often it will only be the local French network
(5/6 channels). Some properties have satellite systems,
but these systems might not necessarily have programmes
in your language.(For example TPS - Television par
satellite - similar to SKY only has about 8 English
language channels including BBC Prime and BBC World).
Other property owners might have a SKY system and
then you should be able to receive BBC1, BBC2, BBC3,
BBC4, BBC News 24, ITV1, 2, 3 Film Four etc. The
BBC made changes to their satellite broadcasting
in 2003 and then again in 2013/14 and whereas the
signal used to be strong south of the Pyrenees,
apparently this is no longer the case, however the
majority of France receives clear signals provided
the dish is big enoigh, although these can be affected
by bad weather conditions. There are also Scandinavian,
German and Dutch satellites. More changes take place
in November 2013, so although there might be a Sky
service, BBC, ITV & Channel 4 may no longer
be available.
RADIO Riviera Radio broadcasts in English from Monaco covering an area from St Tropez to San Remo in Italy. 106.5 fm. They have BBC news on the hour and local news on the half hour plus traffic reports.
Other Media:
Riviera Reporter - bi monthly magazine in it's 20th year in 2007 - available from many outlets Free along the Riviera.
The Riviera Times: Available at selected newsagents.
Newspapers
like The Times and Daily Mail are printed in France
and are widely available in the Riviera.
27) WASHING / IRONS: If
the property you are going to rent does not have
a washing machine, you should find out from the
owner or agent the location of the nearest laundry
or laundrette. You should also check to see if the
property has ironing facilities. If you need to
take an iron, there are very neat travel irons on
the market.
28) WCs: Many
properties have a septic tank rather than mains
drainage and have narrow gauge pipework. Nothing
other than toilet paper should be put down any WC.
You will often find in Greece & Turkey that
you will have to use a separate container for toilet
paper. Blockages are inconvenient and expensive
to clear and you could be charged if a specialist
is called in.
29) WELCOME PACKS:
A lot of properties provide a welcome
pack. Quite often a local agent can arrange for
this if required, especially if you are going to
arrive late at night. (Bread, milk, coffee tea etc).
In some case these are included in the prices of
your stay, in others it will be an additional cost.
Do not expect to have a welcome pack, as many property
owners do not provide these.
30) WIFI - INTERNET - Make sure if the owner has this facility
31) COMPLAINTS: If you are not happy about the letting — Let the owner or agent know. They might not be able to do anything about it, but often they can. Please note that the descriptions on the jmlvillas.com web site are put on by the owners themselves. If you are in doubt about accommodation details always check with them before you book. jml Property Services takes no responsibilty for any bookings or agreements made between an advertiser and holiday home renter.
Please
note this guide has been compiled from experience
and jml Property Services takes no responsibility
for the accuracy of its content. jml Property Services
takes no resonsibility for any agreements / transactions
or arrangements made for any property advertised
on this website and all dealings must be carried
out between advertiser and applicant.
St
Tropez in the 1960s
Enjoy your stay in the South of France ....
eat - drink -stay & wake up on the Riviera
________________________________________________
See site Map for statutory information about jml Property Services Here