For rent: Tuscany villa; passing up hotels when you're on vacation lets you live like the locals

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, March, 1998 by Lynne Woods

NO CREDIT ACCEPTED

After selecting a house, you'll have to put down a deposit--usually 30% to 40% of the rental fee--and pay the balance two months before the rental. Be prepared to write a personal check; many companies will not accept credit cards. And if you cancel, most firms will not refund your money unless they can find another renter.

Once you've booked a house, the company will send you directions, the phone number and location of the local representative, and perhaps information on local restaurants, stores and attractions. Many brokers will also arrange for a rental car. The local agent may meet you at the airport and accompany you to the house, although that isn't common in Europe. Wimco (800-468-3561), which specializes in houses in the Caribbean, has agents stationed at the airport on St. Bart's who accompany clients to their houses, which are prestocked with champagne and food.

TROUBLES IN PARADISE

So now you have your villa in the south of France, with a vineyard in back and a sweeping view of the countryside. Is this heaven or what?

Attractive as they are, house rentals often fall a little shy of that lofty perch. If you want heat, for example, you'll have to pay extra. Air-conditioning and window screens are rare outside the U.S. Each country has its own idiosyncrasies. Central heating and washers and dryers are fairly standard in England, but not in Italy. Don't assume that a house is heated unless the catalog specifically says that it is.

In France, houses typically don't include detergent, soap and toilet paper. Sheets and towels are available, but they may cost extra, says Kaufmann of At Home in France. If you're renting a house in a non-English-speaking country, make sure the local representative speaks English, advises Sally Potter, of Castles, Cottages and Flats (800-742-6030). She also recommends that you arrive with a detailed map of the area.

Not all brokers maintain high standards for the houses they offer. "Some properties are run down, and others are perfect," says Darryl Brittain of Marbletown, N.Y., who has rented houses in England on numerous vacations. Once, he and his family arrived at a rental property only to discover it was full of someone else's belongings and had a stove that didn't work. "We called the agent to clean the stuff out," says Brittain.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, make sure that your travel agent or company representative has visited the house. If he or she hasn't, ask for references. Suzanne Cohen, of; Suzanne B. Cohen & Associates (207-622-0743), which rents houses in Great Britain, Ireland and Italy, says that if a client has misgivings about a house, she'll try to provide three or four references. On occasion she has even provided references to talk a client out of renting a particular house because she didn't think the client would be happy there. If something should go wrong during your stay--for example, the washing machine breaks down--renters should call the local agent immediately to complain rather than put up with the inconvenience, brokers advise.