I rented a week on the panhandle with Gustav coming

[tombo]

I want to know what most here would do. I rented one of my weeks (months ago) on the panhandle of Florida with a Saturday August 30 check-in. Gustav is on the way and might mean nothing or might ruin the whole week. I want to be fair to the renters. If they don't show at all and the hurricane doesn't come at all I think I should keep the rent money. If they don't show and they evacuate the resort half way through the week i feel that i should refund half of the money. If the area has mandatory evacuation on Sat or Sunday, I feel that I should give them a full refund. They are driving and live 7 hours from the resort.

What would others do in this situation?

 

[Sunterra]

I want to know what most here would do. I rented one of my weeks (months ago) on the panhandle of Florida with a Saturday August 30 check-in. Gustav is on the way and might mean nothing or might ruin the whole week. I want to be fair to the renters. If they don't show at all and the hurricane doesn't come at all I think I should keep the rent money. If they don't show and they evacuate the resort half way through the week i feel that i should refund half of the money. If the area has mandatory evacuation on Sat or Sunday, I feel that I should give them a full refund. They are driving and live 7 hours from the resort.

What would others do in this situation?

I would have told them right off that their week was not changeable and could not be canceled. I would have given them links to four different timeshare/vacation insurance websites.

 

[tombo]

Where are those web sites for future reference?

 

[Talent312]

Many hotels have a hurricane-refund policy which, from what I've read, usually say: Guests are charged only for actual days used, the unused portion of any deposit is refunded, if a hurricane watch or warning is issued for the area during their stay.

I think it reasonable for you to restrict this to an official evacuation order, since until an evac order is issued, you've done your part by making the unit available for their use. You made no promises (guarantees) about the weather.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Where are those web sites for future reference?

Tombo,

Go to the Tug Travel Forum - click on the "Travel Insurance Advice" hyperlink which is a Sticky toward the top of the Forum


Richard

 

[Rent_Share]

You appear to be quite benevolent (sp?)

The renter received a bargain over Hotel Rates or a Real Estate Vacaton Rental firm

Although you might not have stated the complete terms in the begining, the lack of a refund is once of the risks assumed when renting substantially below the market rate . . . . (and renting in Florida in the Hurricane season . . . . . ) You (they) pay their money and take their chances . . . .

Had to cancel a rental due to a business conflict - Had the rentor send me a document that it was non refundable and my employer picked up the cost . . . . Had it not been pre approved time and then required that I cancell it would have been my cost all the way

 

[Sunterra]

Where are those web sites for future reference?

www.travelguard.com, www.csatravelprotection.com, www.accessamerica.com, or www.vacationguard.com
My list is the same as the sticky but I've been sending it out way prior to April 2005

 

[mamiecarter]

Treat your renter to a couple of nights in Tallahasseee!

If you want to be a saint treat your renters to a couple of nights in Tallahassee if they have to evacuate.

 

[shoji]

Tombo:

I would do exactly what you are suggesting, that is just the right thing to do!!!! Karma will be on your side!!

 

[Cathyb]

tombo: Follow your instincts and be able to live with yourself. Some of the posters here sounded so money-hungry

 

[Sunterra]

tombo: Follow your instincts and be able to live with yourself. Some of the posters here sounded so money-hungry

They know the risks, it's not my job to provide insurance for their vacation, I rent for so cheap if they can't self insure they should buy their own insurance!

 

[Sandy VDH]

That is the reason that I clearly state the cancellation clause before the reservation is made. With some of my TS I can cancel, but usually not less than 5 days away. I have some that have a 21 to 5 day window with progressive penalty, HGVC is this way. Wyndham is a straight you loose it at 15 days.

I too would feel sorry for their situation, but in the end I would have to veiw it as a business transaction.

It is not your fault that there is now a hurricane coming. Why is it that you now feel compelled to aborb all the risk of the transaction.

Future lesson, clearly state cancellation policy up front.

 

[theo]

Insufficient info...

I want to know what most here would do. I rented one of my weeks (months ago) on the panhandle of Florida with a Saturday August 30 check-in. Gustav is on the way and might mean nothing or might ruin the whole week. I want to be fair to the renters. If they don't show at all and the hurricane doesn't come at all I think I should keep the rent money. If they don't show and they evacuate the resort half way through the week i feel that i should refund half of the money. If the area has mandatory evacuation on Sat or Sunday, I feel that I should give them a full refund. They are driving and live 7 hours from the resort.

What would others do in this situation?

Your post does not provide the critically important detail of what (if any) cancellation terms currently exist within your executed rental contract.
For that matter, your post does not mention at all whether or not you even have an executed rental contract.

If a contract was executed, the mutually agreed, signed, voluntarily executed, contract terms were identified in advance and should prevail.
In the absence of a rental contract adequately addressing cancellation policy, your plan to base a full or partial refund upon full or partial week evacuation at the resort seems both fair and reasonable to me.

 

[mamiecarter]

The Pandhandel experience includes the threat of huricanes

I grew up in Tallahassee. You wanna vacation on the best beaches in the world you gotta face up to the threat of hurricanes. Take the bitter with the sweet and always have/require vacation insurers.

I know summer house owners who have rebuilt several times on the Panhandle.

You wanna go to Heaven? You got to get used to the sound of those angel wings flapping!!!!

 

[brucecz]

I agree with both Theo and Sunterra.

Here below is what we have in all of our detailed rental agreements that might be of help to some in their future rentals. Most of the list of renters insurance companies availabile in our item number 7 I think with got from a posting on Tug.

I feel a detailed rental agreement helps avoid missunderstandings in situations like this.



(Part of item number 5A) There is a no refund policy once the timeshare is rented. The only type of refund that would be allowed is if the this unit is if it is uninhabitable as stated in part numbered section 7 of this rental lease agreement, and no other similar units are available for the same week at this resort. The parties have signed their names below to evidence their agreement to the terms and conditions of this rental agreement.

OR

5B. In most cases for special request for a non existing reservation check in date that we do not have a confirmed reservation for, there is NO CHARGE to have us check for availability for your special request that we do not have reserved at that time.

But a $200 good faith Pay Pal Good Faith down payment is required before we will CANCEL one of OUR confirmed reservations and try for a period of 2 business days after the Pay Pal good faith down payment is received to reserve your special request time period.

The main reason for this policy is that we may have already reserved a hard to reserve high demand reservation and may have to cancel that high demand reservation to try and accommodate your request.

The reason we have the rule as it is not fair to the owners to have the owners cancel a high demand and book a sprcial request week, so their efforts and time is not wasted by people who made that special request and then not rent.

Once the confirmed reservation is made the renter-tenet after being emailed is to send in the remaining balance due with in 24 hours.


6. The tenant agrees to rent the Unit from the landlord, and the landlord agrees to lease the Unit to the tenant.

7. The term of the lease is only for the exact period designated in paragraph 4. The tenant may use the Unit during the term without interference subject to the terms of this lease. If the Unit is not habitable on the day that the term starts by reason of flood, fire, storm, or for any other reason, the landlord shall refund the rent forthwith and will there after have no further liability to tenant.

Here are some links to renter's Travel Insurance that could help lessen any financial loss because of unforeseen circumstances of storms and other weather problems, travel problems like airline strikes or Airline Bankruptcies, health , etc problems or any other problems causing financial loss the landlord did not cause and is not responsible for.

You may also want to contact local travel agents and check out the cost of the of a level of a Travel Insurance package that you feel comfortable to protect your self against unforeseen circumstances that may affect or end your vacation plans.

http://www.globaltravelshield.com

http://www.travelguard.com

http://www.travelguard.com/affiliate/?PID=0000

http://www.insuremytrip.com/index-1000-0-13006-0.html

http://www.totaltravelinsurance.com/...CTWAodxmNj ZA

http://www.travelassurance.net/


Bruce

 

[Blondie]

Renting anywhere in prime hurricane season during hurricane is very risky and I would guess they know that. I too would feel bad but it is what it is. Do what you feel is right but cover your costs. I guess the question may be what your resort will do for you if you lose that week. Do they cut you any break? That would dictate what I would do.

 

[caribbeansun]

If the contract didn't spell out the terms and conditions in the event of a hurricane then I'd say either party has a case to go to one extreme or the other or of course reach a mutually agreeable solution.

However, to simply think that because they rented from you at such a discount that they automatically assume all the risks of the rental is well frankly strange logic to me. Further, to assume people are educated about hurricane season is also questionable - if you have never been impacted by a hurricane there's no reason to necessarily know anything about it whatsoever.

As the person renting the unit presumably you were educated about the possibility and you failed to protect yourself by the terms of the contract - so you made a mistake that you won't make again - lesson learned.

Because you didn't put it in the contract you have three options:
1) Return the full rental proceeds if the area is impacted by a hurricane
2) Keep the entire rental proceeds if the area is impacted
3) Return half the proceeds (or some other mutually agreeable compromise) if the area is impacted as a good faith gesture that recognizes that neither of you adequately provided for this possibility.

You pick the one that you can live with.

The reference to a "business transaction" is fine if the cancellation policy is spelled out in the contract - abide by the contract. If it's not in the contract a "business transaction" doesn't = you win, they lose.

 

[theo]

STILL insufficient info...

If the contract didn't spell out the terms and conditions in the event of a hurricane....
Because you didn't put it in the contract...
The reference to a "business transaction" is fine if the cancellation policy is spelled out in the contract - abide by the contract. If it's not in the contract a "business transaction" doesn't = you win, they lose.

As I pointed out previously, the OP has never actually indicated that there IS a contract, let alone any cancellation terms reflected therein.

 

[LauraG]

Wyndham is a straight you loose it at 15 days.

Sandy - this actually isn't true. If there is sufficient reason for you to cancel (such as a hurricane, airport closure, etc.), Wyndham will refund your points even if less than 15 days out.

 

[tombo]

I am sorry I didn't give details. I did have a contract signed.

My contract says that I agree to provide the vacation residence of the listed description and location at the agreed upon price. The contract also states that if the renter cancels this agreement for any reason that they forfeit all money paid to me. Owner can not cancel this agreement without reimbursing renter all of their money.

Thank goodness Ike went further west and my renters were able to stay the whole week. From my contract's wording it says they can't cancel (which they woudn't actually do during a mandantory evacuation) and I provided the room as agreed (but if they couldn't check in did I actually provide the room)?

I think in the future I will and write on the contract that I have given the renters access to trip insurance web sites and that no matter what happens I will not reimburse the rental fees. That will be fair to all since they were warned in advance that it is non-refundable and they have insurance options.

 

[Talent312]

... I think in the future I will and write on the contract that I have given the renters access to trip insurance web sites and that no matter what happens I will not reimburse the rental fees. That will be fair to all since they were warned in advance that it is non-refundable and they have insurance options.

You may want to include a "force majeure" clause stating that you have no liability and the lease may not be cancelled for any act of God, force of nature, accidents, strikes, war, any act or ommission of any governmental authority, or any other unforseeable act beyond lessors' control.

 

[tombo]

Another great suggestion.

Thanks.