Have fun renting your apartment!

When I first started renting my apartment. I took a deposit payment by cheque and a final payment by cheque and ended up queuing in the Nationwide to pay in my cheques a week or two later.

I also posted out keys to our renters on the first couple of occasions. All of which took up my time and my money.

I also religiously kept a record of their names, addresses, e-mail address, phone numbers and dates of the duration of their stay.

Now I have a key holder I can rely on I no longer send out keys through the post.

I also no longer accept cheques. I have a prepared e-mail document which I send as an attachment to any response to a rental enquiry. I ask them to complete their details which means there is less liklihood of me getting it wrong and it takes me no time at all.

Also on the booking form are the details of my bank account in England for payments in £s and details of my Spanish Account for payments in €s. (You need to include your IBAN no and your banks BIC Code). I ask them to pay the deposit directly into my account. They can either toddle off to the bank and pay it in directly, or as most of them now have internet banking can do it from the comfort of their homes. Easier all round! If they are using English banks paying into my English account payments can arrive in minutes.

No more trips to the bank and no delay in getting payment into my account. 

I can copy my key holder the copy of the booking form. That way he knows who is coming and when they're coming.

On the booking form I tell the potential enquirer that the full balance is due 8 weeks prior to departure and that on receipt of the full balance I will give them the contact details of the key holder (home and mobile number along with e-mail address). The instruction is to contact the key holder directly to arrange a meeting up point and I don't get involved as a piggy in the middle trying to liaise between the two of them.

Next time I'll give you a couple of pointers on how to improve directions to your property. It helps people enjoy their holiday if they can get straight to it without getting lost!