Frequently Asked Questions

Owner or Rental Manager FAQ

• How will an interested renter contact me?
• How do I request a new vacation region be added?
• What does it cost to post a vacation rental?
• How do I change my email address, password and contact information?
• What do I do if I forget my password?
• How do I post my vacation rental on MyBeachRental.com and when does my listing become active?
• Can I have a personalized URL for my vacation rental?
• I added a new listing, but cannot find it. How do I find my ad?
• How do I edit or delete my existing listing?
• How do I add photos, and how many of them can I display on my listing?
• Can I copy photos from another website to post on my listing?
• Is my contact information kept private?
• How can I protect myself from potential fraud when renting?
• What should I do if I receive a suspicious email or unsolicited spam?
• What should I know about vacation rental sales tax?

Renter FAQ

• Do I need to register to use your site?
• How do I file a complaint about a property/owner?
• How do I find a vacation property if I already know the listing ID number?
• How do I inquire about a vacation rental?
• An email I sent to inquire on a property bounced back to me. What should I do?
• Renters’ Checklist

• How will an interested renter contact me?
  Renters will contact you via email using the Contact Owner form on your listing. Your email address will be hidden from visitors to prevent spamming.   You may also choose to add your phone number to have potential renters call you directly.  Your subscription also gives you the ability to add web links of your choice, perhaps to your own website, or your managment company.
  
• I don’t see my rental’s local region or city on the map. How do I request a new region be added?
  If you do not see your region or city already listed, you have the ability to add this when you add your listing.  You are not restricted to list "near" another destination.
  
• What does it cost to post a vacation rental?
  It's FREE to post your Beach Vacation rentals on MyBeachRental.com. We also do not charge commission or a transaction fee for properties posted online. Searching and booking vacation rentals at MyBeachRental.com are also free.
  
• How do I change my email address, password and contact information?
  Go to "Owner's Corner" or "Renter's Corner"from the home page (you will need to log in first if you are not already logged in) and click on “Change Contact Info/Permissions.” You can make all changes from a single page.
  
• What do I do if I forget my password?
  If you forget your password, you can go to either "Owner's Corner" or "Renter's Corner"  and enter your email address. Your password will be emailed to you immediately. You man also change your password when logged in to your account.
  
• How do I post my vacation rental on MyBeachRental, and when does my listing become active?
  You can post your vacation rental on MyBeachRental in a matter of minutes at Add a Rental. It will become active immediately after all required information is entered, normally in a matter of minutes.
  
• Can I have a personalized URL for my vacation rental?
  The URL for your vacation rental will not ever change.  When you view your property, The address in the web address bar is your direct link.  If you would like to get your own domain name (http:www.yourname.com), you can point that domain name to your URL on MyBeachRental.com to avoid duplicate site development.  Fee free to call us for help on this.  Our phone number is 1-800-618-0172.  Or, you can contact us through the website and have us call you at your convenience. 
  
• I added a new listing, but cannot find it. How do I find my ad?
  You can find your listing at MyBeachRental.com or by entering the listing ID assigned to you on the main page under "Rental Quick Search".  This listing number is emailed to you just after your create your listing on MyBeachRental.com.   If you are unable to find your listing by doing a location search, it is possible that your city has been re-classified.   Please give us a call if you need additional help.
  
• How do I edit or delete my existing listing?
  If you want to edit or delete your listing, log into "Owner's Corner" and click on “Edit Listing” or “Delete Listing” in the Listing Management Center.
  
• How do I add photos, and how many of them can I display on my listing?
  You may add up to eight photos per property. Photos can be added at the end of the property submission process. If you want to add photos to your listing at a later time, log into "Owner's Corner" and click on “Add a Photo” in the Listing Management Center.
  
• Can I copy photos from another website to post on my listing?
  It is best to upload only photos that you have taken of your property. Since many sites copyright their photos once you add them to their web sites, you may need to obtain permission before uploading your photos to our listings. Please read the MyBeachRental.com Terms and Conditions prior to posting a listing.
  
• Is my contact information kept private?
  Your information is kept private since we store it in a secure database ensuring that your personal information is safe. Renters may search anonymously. To receive inquiries, owners and managers must submit an email address when posting a vacation rental; however, that email address is never revealed to anyone visiting MyBeachRental.com to prevent spamming.
  
• How can I protect myself from potential fraud when renting?
  Be sure to provide a property lease/legal agreement, and insist on exact payment. One popular scam is the “Renter Overpayment Scam” where a renter will send you an inquiry which may seem legitimate and suggest he sends you more than your rental fees and ask you wire back the difference. The check that he will send is fake (the bank takes several weeks to catch it) and by then you have sent the difference back and will be unable to recover it. We suggest you insist on exact payment or if you do accept an overpayment wait at least 30 days before returning any funds.
  
• What should I do if I receive a suspicious email or unsolicited spam?
  If you receive a suspicious email or unsolicited spam through the MyBeachRental.com web site, please delete the message without responding and let us know immediately so we can prevent it from happening again.
  
• What should I know about vacation rental sales tax?
  Contact your city, county and state governments about requirements specific to your location. Ask about the governmental entities which require registration for your area as well as how much sales tax you should collect and how often these payments are due to the authorities.

Renter FAQ

• Do I need to register to use your site?
  Renters do not need to register to search vacation rentals at MyBeachRental.com, although registration allows a user to contact owners without continually retyping your contact information.  Additionally, registrering as a renter gives you many tools to manage your future rentals and specials.  Property owners and managers must register for free to post a vacation property on MyBeachRental.com.
• How do I file a complaint about a property/owner?
  If you have a complaint about a property or property owner, please let us know. Based on the severity and legitimacy of the complaint, MyBeachRental.com reserves the right to remove a listing.
• How do I find a vacation property if I already know the listing ID number?
  You man go directly to a listing by entering the unique number on the main page under "Rental Quick Search" or by going to the Advanced Search Screen and enter the listing ID number.
• How do I inquire about a vacation rental?
  Use our secure Contact Owner form on the vacation rental listing to inquire for availability, reserve the property, or ask questions of the owner directly. Many owners list their phone numbers or have a link directly to their property manager or personal web site.
• An email I sent to inquire on a property bounced back to me. What should I do?
  Please forward your email to mailto:jim@mybeachrental.com. A client service representative at MyBeachRental.com will get the correct email address and forward your inquiry to the owner or property manager.
• Renters’ Checklist
  • Booking - Make reservations early. To ensure that the details of the rental are communicated clear a lease or written agreement is recommended. Make sure to include arrival and departure dates, payment schedules, detailed instructions, and terms and conditions related to cancellations and refunds in the lease. Make sure everything is agreed to in writing before you send the rental payment.
  • Preventing Fraud - Ask for references from past renters, locate the property (complete address) on a map, request additional photos of the property, speak to the owner before sending any money, request a written lease/rental agreement, and avoid using wire transactions when making a payment.
  • Travel Arrangements - You can contact the owner for advice including the most convenient airport, car rentals, and alternative transportation options. Special parking requirements and passes should be detailed in the rental agreement.
  • Rental Details - Details on check-in times, pets, smoking and other unit-specific items should be explained in the rental agreement.
  • Deposit and Payment Due Dates - Usually a deposit of 10%- 50% is required to confirm the reservation, with full payment due 4-8 weeks prior to arrival. To avoid losing your reservation, you have to make sure all payments are sent as agreed in the lease.
  • Pre-arrival Instructions - You should expect directions to the property, keys or instructions for getting them at the property, the name of the person who will greet you at the property, and the owner’s contact information.