I've
never rented a vacation/corporate home
before. How does the experience differ from
renting a hotel or motel room for my
vacation/temporary job assignment?
An individually owned home or condo is, first of all, more spacious and more private than a hotel or motel room. You will have the entire home, including a fully-equipped kitchen and, often, more than one bath, at your disposal. You will not have, of course, room service or valet parking. But you can arrange for periodic maid service if you would like it. Just ask the reservation agent. In comparing cost, you will likely find that the cost per bedroom to rent a vacation or corporate home is significantly less than the same number of hotel rooms.
It is helpful to realize that renting a vacation home is a bit of an adventure - a wonderful adventure, typically, but an adventure just the same. You are renting someone's home, and although the owners and the management will do everything possible to make your stay fantastic and memorable, things can go wrong with vacation homes, just as they go wrong at your own house. Your patience is occasionally required while things that go wrong are made right again.
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I'm a little apprehensive about renting a
vacation/corporate home sight-unseen. How
can I insure that I won't be disappointed?
How can I have the best chance of getting
the right rental property for me?
Be as detailed as possible in telling the
reservation agent what style home you prefer
(contemporary, with very modern furniture
and fixtures, or a Victorian filled with
antiques, for example). Also, telling the
reservation agent what you don't want is a
help ("I don't really like a rustic cabin -
I want to be pampered" or "It doesn't have
to be modern - rustic is fine"). Ask
specific questions. Assemble a thorough list
of questions about aspects of the rental
property that are important to you prior to
calling the reservation agent.
Be prepared to talk about yourself. Tell the
reservation agent why you are coming to the
Monterey Peninsula (vacation, work, special
event?). Talk about what you will be doing
while you are here (shopping, golf, reading
a book on the beach, commuting to a
particular part of the Peninsula?). The
agent can give you good information about
properties in the general proximity of the
activities you have planned.
Describe the other members of your party
(parents, grandparents, children, friends,
co-workers?) to the reservation agent. This
will help the reservation agent understand
the type of space you need. It will insure
the comfort of everyone in your party as
well as insure the compliance with local
occupancy ordinances. Our local vacation
rental ordinances restrict rentals to the
number of persons (including children!) who
can sleep in beds.
Speaking of children, be honest with the
reservation agent (and yourself!) about your
children's needs; they won't act any
differently than they do at home, just
because they're on vacation. You will enjoy
your trip more if your kids are enjoying
themselves. Do you need a fenced yard where
they can run and play? Do you need a house
with both a living room and a family room,
so that everyone has their own space? If so,
let the reservation agent know. Most of our
reservation agents are parents themselves
who can relate to the needs of families. You
may want to also ask the reservation agent
about safety issues at the properties you
are considering. While an ocean-front home
may seem enticing, if you have to spend
every moment worrying about the safety of
your children, you will not enjoy your stay
as you would in a safe environment where you
can relax.
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What household equipment will be in the home
I rent? What will I need to bring with me?
We require our property owners to have
certain items in their homes prior to
listing the home for rent. You may view this
list
here. Most of our owners expand
on this list quite a bit. If there is an
item in which you have a particular
interest, please ask the reservation agent
whether that item is in the property you are
considering. All properties have enough soap
and paper products to get your stay started
comfortably. It is the philosophy of
Monterey Bay Property Management that you
should need to bring nothing other than your
clothes and your groceries, so if there is
something you need after arrival, we can
generally get it for you.
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Are all the utilities on in my vacation home
when I arrive? What about telephone and
cable TV? Internet access?
Vacation homes have the utilities on when
you arrive. For rentals of one month or
longer, you may be asked to assume the cost
of some utilities, such as gas or
electricity. Telephones are provided in most
units and local calls are free. You will
need a cell phone, a calling card or a
credit card to make long-distance calls.
Most vacation homes have standard cable
service for the area; some homes offer
expanded service or satellite TV. Most of
the homes we manage provide free internet
access for your convenience. Internet
service in our area can occasionally be
unreliable, however. If you need internet
access for your work, you may want to come
armed with an air card to guarantee your
ability to log on at any time.
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May I request a non-smoking accommodation?
What if I want to smoke?
All of our rentals are NON-SMOKING. If you
are a smoker, please consider whether or not
you are willing to smoke outside and to
properly dispose of all remains. If you are
not, please do not request the rental of the
homes we manage. Disregarding this portion
of the contract will result in additional
charges for clean up.
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May I bring my pet with me?
We regret that pets are not allowed in many
of the homes we manage, since a subsequent
guest may have an allergy to animals or
asthma. However, a few properties do allow
dogs (breeds that are not excluded by the
homeowner's insurance policy). Other animals
are not allowed. If you would like to bring
your dog, please take a look at our
Pet
Friendly homes to see if one of these homes
will meet your needs.
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When is the most economical time to book a
vacation rental home?
Most resort areas have high and low seasons.
Our highest demand months are July and
August, thus the rates are the highest at
those times, and reservations for those
months are often made up to a year in
advance. You should also expect to pay the
highest rates during special events and
holidays. If you can book during non-peak
times (low season) and avoid holiday times,
you can obtain the best rates. You may also
want to ask if a better rate is available
for a longer stay. A monthly rate may be
more economical than paying for 2 1/2 or 3
weeks at the weekly rate, for example.
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Can I negotiate the price?
Some property owners are more negotiable
than others. The reservation agent can help
you get the best possible rate for the
property you are considering, or you may
submit a bid for a particular property on a
particular date by using the Bid Now button,
located on each property page.
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Are there any tips for getting the best
service from the reservation agent who takes
my call?
Yes! Try to call on Tuesday or Thursday.
Those days are less busy in the vacation
rental office. Also, try to call mid-morning
or mid-afternoon. The telephones are less
busy at those times, so you are likely to
get the most attention from the reservation
agent. Finally, take notes on what the
reservation agent tells you about the
available vacation rentals, so you don't
have to ask him/her to repeat information
and so you don't risk confusing one property
with another.
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Can I make reservations online?
Yes. Each property page has a button that
will take you to a section of the website
where you can see the property's
availability calendar and reserve the
property with your Visa or MasterCard.
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Can I make reservations at the last minute?
Yes! Although it may be difficult during
high season, it never hurts to call at the
last minute. There may be a cancellation,
and there may be vacancies available that
the vacation rental manager will fill at a
discount. Ask!
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Why are some of the properties listed only
by the week or by the month?
Some of the owners for whom we manage have
preferences for certain lengths of tenancy
that fit into their own use schedule for the
properties. In other cases, local ordinances
dictate minimum rental periods. We are
committed to managing property in compliance
with local rules. In the case of owner
limitations, we will present an owner with
an offer that is outside the scope of his
usual limitations, so please do not hesitate
to request a different time frame, if what
you see does not work for you.
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May I preview rental properties by visiting
your office?
Yes, you may want to look at a property
prior to making a confirmed reservation. If
so, we can assist you with that on Monday
through Friday (except holidays) between 9
AM and 3 PM. We will look forward to seeing
you during those times and to providing you
with the most possible assistance.
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Can I pay for the accommodation with my
credit card?
We are happy to accept your Visa and
MasterCard.
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Is there a security deposit involved? When
may I expect its return?
We require a security deposit of at least
$1000, possibly more for holidays and
special events. You may also be asked to
sign an agreement that authorizes excess
cleaning charges or damages to be charged to
your credit card. Your security deposit will
be returned to you within 21 days of your
departure, and will be paid back to you in
the same form (check or credit card) in
which it was received.
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Are there any hidden expenses in the price
quotes?
No. The quoted nightly and weekly rates are as shown on each property page. The applicable departure housekeeping and local taxes, if applicable, are indicated. Nightly and weekly rates include listed communications services, cable or satellite TV, and all utilities. Quoted monthly rates include listed communications services, cable or satellite TV, water, trash collection, and all related taxes, fees and departure housekeeping. Some monthly rates do not include gas and electricity - please inquire.
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What if I need to cancel my reservation?
In case your plans change unexpectedly, your
reservation may be canceled up to 60 days
prior to arrival (a few special events have
stricter cancellation periods). Your
non-refundable down payment will be retained
as a cancellation fee. However, if a
cancellation occurs within the cancellation
period (inside 60 days of arrival, in most
cases), you are responsible for the full
amount of the rental unless we are able to
re rent the property, which we will gladly
attempt to do for you.
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What are the check-in and check-out times?
You may check in at any time after 3:00 p.m.
on your arrival date. Check out time is
11:00 a.m. If you will be checking out prior
to 11:00 a.m., we thank you for calling
either the housekeeping company (name and
number posted in residence) or the MBPM
office to let us know. It will help the
housekeeping company get the house ready for
the next guest to have additional time to do
so.
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Am I expected to clean the vacation home
before I depart?
We engage housekeepers to clean the property after your departure and prepare it for the next guest. However, you are expected to leave the home "broom clean" which means doing general clean-up after yourself and leaving no major messes for the housekeepers. To avoid additional charges, please clean all dishes as well as the barbecue if you used it, spot any carpet spills, put trash in the outside bin, and pile used linens in a heap near the laundry or the door. At 11:00 a.m., a housekeeping crew will arrive at the property to launder linens, re make beds, re stock soap and paper supplies, vacuum and dust, clean the kitchen and baths, and prepare the house for the next guest. These services are covered in the housekeeping fee (if you paid one), or in the case of a monthly stay, in the rate you paid to occupy the property. The cost of cleaning beyond what is listed here and in your rental agreement, cleaning the carpet, and charges for any missing linens or accidental damage to the home will be billed to you.
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How do I know that I am in good hands at
Monterey Bay Property Management?
The folks at MBPM have been doing vacation
rentals since 1983. We have done over 25,000
rentals, so with that many under our belts,
we know how to do it! Our company has a
reputation with the local real estate
community as the “go-to” rental agency. We
are members of the Vacation Rental
Management Association, which sets ethical
standards for members. We subscribe to those
standards, as well as to those of the
National Association of Residential Property
Managers and the National Association of
Realtors, to which we also belong. Our
policies and procedures have been emulated
by others in the industry, both locally and
nationally. We are flattered that others
consider us the property management experts,
and we work hard to live up to those
expectations! We look forward to bringing
our exemplary service to you in the near
future.
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Who will help in an emergency?
Emergency or non-emergency, if you need
something during your stay, you can get help
24/7. Just call the reservation agent's
phone number which appears on your rental
agreement and on this
website. If the agent is
not in, or if it is after regular business
hours, just press 3 on your telephone keypad
from inside the agent's voice mail to be
connected to the agent's cell phone. You may
also
click here to request maintenance for
your vacation/corporate rental property
online.
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