Renting apartment from owner - Ok to send deposit??

[VerityBrulee]

I have been searching and searching for an apartment to rent in Paris over the oct mid-term, Finally found one via this site which has apartments let out by their owners. Most profiles have recommendations from people who have stayed in the apartments, but on the page for my apt it says the owners have opted out of feedback IYSWIM.

Anyway to secure the booking I have to send a weeks rent, 1000 Euro, they have sent me their bank details, but I feel a bit nervous sending this amount to people I know nothing about! On the other hand, I don't want to lose the booking. Do you think I should offer them half now as a booking deposit and half nearner to the time? Can't ask dh's advice as it's his birthday surprise. AArgh!

WWYD?

Hi VB - I would ask for a written confirmation of the booking, setting out the amount of the deposit, and the remainder and the agreement upon when this should be paid.

You should have this before wiring any money. Best of luck

Thanks Dolcee, good advice.

Good luck with the party

I'd be very careful if I were you. If the owner is renting the flat out it seems they wouldn't really need a deposit anyway, you could just pay them on arrival. And that is a BIG deposit!
If I were you I'd keep looking.

What I mean to say is for all you know, there might not even be a flat. The photos could be of somewhere else. Be careful. Even if you get a written agreement this wont be much good if they're not who they say they are.

Although this is from their website

"Ask for a written agreement from the owner

You should receive written agreement from the owner which includes arrival/departure dates, payment schedules, pet policies, as well as cancellation/refund terms and conditions. Review the agreement carefully and ask questions if anything is unclear.
Hold your reservation with a deposit

To secure your vacation rental, the property owner may request a deposit. Deposits normally range from 10% to 50% of the total rental amount. Full payment is generally expected prior to arrival. Use secure payment methods such as credit cards and Pay Pal, if possible. Never pay by money wire (Trans Union, Money Gram, etc.)."

So maybe it's not so unusual to ask for a deposit. I nearly got stung once with a scam similar to this for a flat so I'm a bit of a sceptic, sorry.
Might be a good idea to try to pay by paypal though as I think they provide some kind of dispute resolution (and if you pay the paypal with your credit card instead of bank balance the credit card company will cover you).

I own a holiday home which I rent out and it is standard to ask for a deposit in order to secure booking. Normally 50 GBP per week with balance due 10 weeks prior to departure. Everyone I know who rents out does this.

Definitely get some sort of written confirmation/invoice though setting out the agreement/terms/dates etc

Thanks weaselmoose and thephoenix

What makes me nervous is the lack of 'feedback' from previous guests - most other aparments have reviews so you know they exist but as you say weaselmoose, perhaps this apartment doesn't exist!

Thephoenix would you expect the full amount as a deposit 3 months in advance? It seems a bit steep to me.

I will email them now asking for written confirmation, but still feel a bit uncomfortable about it. I am still looking but most places are already booked up as it's half term for most of Europe it seems.

No, as said above, I take a small deposit on booking (most of my guests book up to a year in advance, if not longer) with balance 10 weeks prior to departure. To be honest, this is not too different from what travel agents do. It is necessary to obtain full payment in advance of the holiday to avoid the situation where they back out at the last minute and you are left with an empty villa that you can't rent out.

Most places require balance 8 to 10 weeks before and perhaps as it is just over 10 weeks until you go they decided to ask for it all now?

OK, thanks for that advice. I have emailed and asked for written confirmation, asked to pay 500E now and the balance one month before the holiday and asked to pay via credit card or paypal.

We'll see what happens! I appreciate the advice and hand-holding

hope it all gets sorted ok. I can understand your reservations (for want of a better word!) but the majority of owner/renters are very honest.