usvi-on-line
Who actually manages a villa
Who actually manages a villa
When a villa is available through more than one agency, how can I determine who is actually responsible for managing the property? I'd prefer to rent from the company that actually manages the villa.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Viva notes the villas they manage. Those are also available for a 10% repeate renters discount, when you pay in cash.
Some management companies have different types of contracts that differentiate the repairs that can be done without pre-approval and some villas are maintained by owners rather than the company.
So, the best question to ask is "Who takes care of a maintenance issue when it happens?
Cheers, RickG
Some management companies have different types of contracts that differentiate the repairs that can be done without pre-approval and some villas are maintained by owners rather than the company.
So, the best question to ask is "Who takes care of a maintenance issue when it happens?
Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
While I understand your preference to rent directly from the company that manages the villa we take a different approach. We prefer to develop a relationship with one Company and let them handle all of our rental arrangements. That way if I do have a problem I have a long term relationship with the rental Company and I believe they will be more responsive.
Diana2 mentioned Caribbean Days is not on Island and doesn't manage villas on STJ. That is a true statement and I'm sure it was meant just as information and not a slam on Caribbean Days because it is a factual statment. They are not based in St. John. However I've used Caribbean Days for years on numerous Islands and I love the service and attention we get from them. I can literally email Lisa 24/7 and get a response anytime day or night.
We ran into an issue on Tortola with a villa a few years ago. The place was bad enough that we paid the airlines a penalty to get us off the Island early. I felt the property was not what the owner had respresented, via numerous property management sites,and felt we deserved some reimbursement.(The villa itself was beautiful but it was FULL of critters to the point we couldn't stand it, we've traveled the Caribbean many times and are used to critters but seriously this was an entirely new level of mutants) The owners refused us any consideration for the days we left early but Caribbean Days paid us themselves and they certainly had no obligation to do so. I don't know how many other agencies would have done the same but I suspect it would be a very small group.
For me it works to have a long term trusting relationship with the agency. We've rented with them for a long enough period of time now that they know our tastes and are more than happy to recommend and steer us away from specific properties.
We've rented Latitude Villa on STJ through them, managed by Catered To and we'll be there in 12 days. While I'm sure Catered To is a fine Company to deal with I feel very comfortable knowing we can contact Caribbean Days anytime if we have an issue with the property. However from looking at the pictures I can't imagine there will be one.
Lisa, Caribbean Days VP has seen the villa and if it is good enough for her I'm sure I'll love it. They take numerous trips, visiting countless properties so they know what they are putting their clients in.(I keep asking her is she needs an assistant, tough life but I guess somebody has to do it)
Good luck on finding the right porperty and rental agent for your trip. It's hard to go wrong on STJ!
Diana2 mentioned Caribbean Days is not on Island and doesn't manage villas on STJ. That is a true statement and I'm sure it was meant just as information and not a slam on Caribbean Days because it is a factual statment. They are not based in St. John. However I've used Caribbean Days for years on numerous Islands and I love the service and attention we get from them. I can literally email Lisa 24/7 and get a response anytime day or night.
We ran into an issue on Tortola with a villa a few years ago. The place was bad enough that we paid the airlines a penalty to get us off the Island early. I felt the property was not what the owner had respresented, via numerous property management sites,and felt we deserved some reimbursement.(The villa itself was beautiful but it was FULL of critters to the point we couldn't stand it, we've traveled the Caribbean many times and are used to critters but seriously this was an entirely new level of mutants) The owners refused us any consideration for the days we left early but Caribbean Days paid us themselves and they certainly had no obligation to do so. I don't know how many other agencies would have done the same but I suspect it would be a very small group.
For me it works to have a long term trusting relationship with the agency. We've rented with them for a long enough period of time now that they know our tastes and are more than happy to recommend and steer us away from specific properties.
We've rented Latitude Villa on STJ through them, managed by Catered To and we'll be there in 12 days. While I'm sure Catered To is a fine Company to deal with I feel very comfortable knowing we can contact Caribbean Days anytime if we have an issue with the property. However from looking at the pictures I can't imagine there will be one.
Lisa, Caribbean Days VP has seen the villa and if it is good enough for her I'm sure I'll love it. They take numerous trips, visiting countless properties so they know what they are putting their clients in.(I keep asking her is she needs an assistant, tough life but I guess somebody has to do it)
Good luck on finding the right porperty and rental agent for your trip. It's hard to go wrong on STJ!
I totally didn't mean to slam Caribbean Days as an agency at all. We've have used them without any incident for villas on STJ as well as Tortola so I didn't mean anything doragatory. I simply used them as an example of an agency that lists lots of houses but doesn't actually manage properties.
We also had a bad experience renting a villa on Tortola. The agency treated us well but we also had critter problems and felt that the villa had been misrepresented. I'll never go back to Tortola and that is only one of the reasons that I won't go back. Enough said.
I prefer dealing with the agency that actually manages the property but that's just me. To each his/her own.
We also had a bad experience renting a villa on Tortola. The agency treated us well but we also had critter problems and felt that the villa had been misrepresented. I'll never go back to Tortola and that is only one of the reasons that I won't go back. Enough said.
I prefer dealing with the agency that actually manages the property but that's just me. To each his/her own.
As I understand the villa rental business, there are wholesalers and there are managers. The wholesalers maintain a website and collect a commission from the management company for the villas they rent. Some companies are combination managers and wholesalers, like McLaughlin Anderson and Viva (mentioned by RickG) and I think Caribbean Villas, too, but am not totally sure about them. Any maintenance and emergency calls will be handled by the on-island manager even if you book through a wholesaler and, usually, your villa greeter works for the on-island manager as well. Some owners also list their properties on vrbo as well as having them listed with the management company and various wholesalers. The management company is also the go-to person on the island for these vrbo rentals.
I totally agree that relationships are key, especially the ones built over time and excellent service. On STT and STX we go through an on-island management company, on STJ we have used both a management company and an excellent wholesaler who lives on island. Our only bad rental experience has been direct through an owner who did not use a management company and had very weak on-island maintenance and lots of problems at the villa. Never again, but that's just us. Some folks swear by VRBO and HomeAway rentals; some think the properties are priced lower than when a property is handled by a manager. Sometimes a deal is not a deal, though. We learned a painful lesson.
Ask who to call if you have problems and, if it's the wholesaler, that is not necessarily a bad thing as long as they are reachable and can get in touch with the right people to solve your problem quickly. If you have specific questions about a property, it's also good to ask how long it has been since the wholesaler has seen the villa - someone who is on-island (manager or wholesaler) can often give you a better idea of the location, layout, amenities, neighboring villas, any changes since the pictures were taken, etc.
- Margy
I totally agree that relationships are key, especially the ones built over time and excellent service. On STT and STX we go through an on-island management company, on STJ we have used both a management company and an excellent wholesaler who lives on island. Our only bad rental experience has been direct through an owner who did not use a management company and had very weak on-island maintenance and lots of problems at the villa. Never again, but that's just us. Some folks swear by VRBO and HomeAway rentals; some think the properties are priced lower than when a property is handled by a manager. Sometimes a deal is not a deal, though. We learned a painful lesson.
Ask who to call if you have problems and, if it's the wholesaler, that is not necessarily a bad thing as long as they are reachable and can get in touch with the right people to solve your problem quickly. If you have specific questions about a property, it's also good to ask how long it has been since the wholesaler has seen the villa - someone who is on-island (manager or wholesaler) can often give you a better idea of the location, layout, amenities, neighboring villas, any changes since the pictures were taken, etc.
- Margy
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Xislandgirl
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I think that there are many levels of comfort when renting. Some prefer dealing with an owner, others with an on island agency.
I will only rent from an on island company. I prefer knowing that I can make a local call when on island if I have a problem. I also like knowing that they know the house personally. That being said, we have had homes that were managed by the rental agency and homes that had another on island management company.
I also like to spend my money on island. I am sure that there are wonderful companies that are off island, but I rent with my comfort level.
I will only rent from an on island company. I prefer knowing that I can make a local call when on island if I have a problem. I also like knowing that they know the house personally. That being said, we have had homes that were managed by the rental agency and homes that had another on island management company.
I also like to spend my money on island. I am sure that there are wonderful companies that are off island, but I rent with my comfort level.
