Rental Villa

Hello,

I found a rental called Villa San Lucas on Homeaway.com and have been in touch with the owner regarding renting it for a week. Has anyone heard of this villa? It is owned by a French couple, Henri and Dominique. They have been very kind and helpful, we are just being cautious.

Is it normal for the owner to request that 50% of the total cost be deposited in a bank account to secure the rental? We understand that some kind of deposit is required, but would prefer using a credit card or paypal. This seems not to be an option. Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

Security Deposit

Thanks for the response, Massielg. That is reassuring to hear. If I may trouble you further to respond, is it also normal to request a cash security deposit as well? We will be paying the full amount in advance, but the owner also requires a cash deposit of $500 cash when we get there.

It just seems odd to me to hand someone $500 with absolutely no guarantee of it being returned. I understand that it is difficult to trust that people will treat the property respectfully, but it is also difficult for me to trust that this money will be returned to us. I am feeling uneasy with this, yet have had other homeowners also request to hold a cash deposit upon arrival. Is this common procedure?

Thanks again.

Thank you!

Good advice, daniel san. I'll do that. It's also good to know that that seems like a pretty normal request then.

Thank you!