Large Groups & Events

4/21/2018

We have found when we have large groups and events there are some special issues that the responsible person should be aware of. As the individual placing the reservation, it is your responsibility to ensure the rules are followed. When booking for a group, many issues can occur and lots of times you will be unaware of some things done by a person in your group

Please be aware:

1) Past experience has indicated there is a direct correlation between the amount of guests and the amount of damages. We understand when there are many people staying at the homes it is impossible for you to watch all your guests all of the time. If any issues occur, we of course, have no idea exactly who in your party might be knowledgeable of the damages. We can only notify the person making the reservation and hold that person responsible, even though many times you personally may not be even aware of any damages or issues. Before and after each guest’s stay with us, we do a thorough inspection of the
property to note any differences between check in and check out.

2) Past experience has clearly indicated that having 1 large group renting multiply units tend to cause a LOT MORE work, not less! We have found that dishes, plates, and glasses, etc all get mixed up and most times end up in the wrong units. At times, chairs and tables end up where they do not belong. Many times there tend to be more “accidental damage” done with large groups vs. if the unit was rented to smaller individual families or groups. Overall, we have found it takes a LOT more effort when there is a large group. It is because of these reasons it is very common to charge an “event fee” to cover the increase in
expenses that large groups tend to cause.

3) We enforce a very strict occupancy limit and are renting the homes to the number of people indicated on the reservation form. No additional guest(s) are allowed on the property without prior approval. If a violation in occupancy occurs, it is considered a Lease Violation and any refundable deposit will not bereturned.

4) AC Charges – We monitor AC settings and temperatures. AC Fees are based off of these settings. Please make sure everyone in the home is aware of the thermostat settings. Electricity is very expensive so to avoid surcharges and to save money, run it ONLY when it is needed and part of your deposit will be charged and not returned. We have multiple A/C units in each home and the charges are based off the lowest settings on any A/C unit. We of course, have no idea exactly who in your party might be changing the temperature settings. We can only hold the person making the reservation responsible, even though many times you personally may not be even aware of someone changing the AC settings.

5) Extra garbage/cleaning charges. Make sure all garbage is 100% cleaned up everywhere! No trash left anywhere and all dishes, plates etc cleaned and returned to the proper home. We even provide rags, a mop and broom in there to assist with the clean-up of the unit. The property must be returned in the same condition or deductions will be made from the deposit.

To protect yourself, we have a couple of suggestions:

1) The best protection for you is to have each home reserved by an individual occupying the home, therefore, this person will be held responsible for any damages incurred, not you.
2) If you are reserving the home, but not staying in it, we suggest you designate someone to be responsible for all charges that may occur due to damage; however, this will be an agreement between the two of you and not with us. Please know whoever is listed as the reservation holder for each home will be held accountable for all damage costs.
3) We highly recommend not to allow any one inside the home that is NOT staying in that home.
4) We also highly recommend Damage Protection Insurance. Damage Protection Insurance allows travelers to protect themselves from additional expenses should damage occur to a rental property during their stay. See one of the FAQ below for more details.
5) Inspection – Upon move in, please do a complete inspection. Let us know before everyone moved in of any issues. Review the kitchen inventory sheets that are provided and immediately let us know of any missing or damaged items.
6) Read – Please read ALL documentation. Know the rules. Ask questions if you are unsure. We are happy
to help

Answers to many FAQ’s

I have a large group renting many villas, why can I not get a large discount?

Past experience has clearly indicated that having 1 large group renting multiply units tend to cause a LOT
MORE work, not less! We have found that dishes, plates, and glasses, etc all get mixed up and most times end
up in the wrong units. At times, chairs and tables end up where they do not belong. Many times there tend to
be more “accidental damage” done with large groups vs. if the unit was rented to smaller individual families or
groups. In addition, we have found there is more garbage and trash left behind that needs to be dealt with. It
is because of these reasons it is very common to charge an “event fee” to cover the increase in expenses that
large groups tend to cause.

Why are you charging a deposit?

Our goal is to keep the properties in top condition to ensure guests get what they expect and deserve. The
deposit is there to ensure everyone follows the terms of the rental agreement, and to cover any costs of any
damages that might occur during your stay, or any excess cleaning required. The property must be returned in
the same condition or deductions will be made from the deposit.

How do I make sure to get my deposit back?

Just make sure everyone staying at the house, follows all the rules, and abides by the terms of the rental
agreement. Shortly after your stay the cleaning people will do a thorough walk through to inspect the
condition. They are looking for any issues, like damages, or extra cleaning that might be required. Damage
might include (but is not limited to) scratches or water spots on furniture, missing or broken kitchen supplies
or home décor, stained towels and bedding, carpet stains or chipped paint. Excessive cleaning includes (but is
not limited) to beer cans/water bottles/cigarettes butts or other debris left all over and not bagged and taken
to trash areas. These costs caused by the guests will be deducted from the deposit. Please refer to your move
out check list for more detail. Please help us maintain a luxury vacation home. We check the property before
you move in and deductions will be made if the property is not in the same condition when you move out. It
does not matter what happened, accident or not.

Can I purchase insurance for property damage protection?

Yes, if you are concerned about the costs of damages, we HIGHLY recommend Damage Protection Insurance.
Damage Protection Insurance allows travelers to protect themselves from additional expenses should damage
occur to a rental property during their stay. While no one expects to damage a rental property, accidents do
happen. Damage Protection is recommended if you are traveling with children, pets, or in a group. By paying a
small fee for Damage Protection you can safeguard your security deposit refund. Please visit Vacation Rental
Protection at http://www.vacationprotection.com for more information and to purchase coverage. Please
purchase Damage Protection Insurance if you are concerned about damages or deductions from your deposit
from damages.

Do we still get charged if something got damaged and “it was an accident” or it was “not our fault”?

Yes, that is the reason of the deposit. You are responsible. Also I would hope no one would intentionally do
damage! After your rental, our goal is to quickly get the home in the same condition as when you arrived and
those costs will be deducted from your deposit no matter who’s at fault, if it was accidental or not. Deductions
will be made from the deposit. It is very simple: We check the property before you move in and deductions
will be made if the property is not in the same condition when you move out. It does not matter what
happened.

I am with a group, how do I protect myself from being charged for damage I did not do?

It is up to the group to determine who did what. To protect yourself from being held responsible for damages
in a villa you are not staying in, we have a couple of suggestions: 1. Best protection for you is to purchase
damage insurance. For more information on Vacation Rental Protection, go to www.vacationprotection.com
2. You can have each home reserved by an individual occupying that home, therefore, this person will be held
responsible for any damages incurred in that home. 3. If you are reserving the home, but not staying in it, we
suggest you designate someone to be responsible for all charges that may occur due to damage; however, this
will be an agreement between the two of you and not with us. Please know whoever is listed as the
reservation holder for each home will be held accountable for all damage costs. Also see Occupancy.
Yes, there was some damage, but you charged me more than the price of the item to fix/replace?
If you want to handle all aspects of doing the repair or replacement yourself, I am happy to consider doing a
full refund once the repairs are 100% completed. But if you elect for us to replace or repair any items, the
price of the item itself is just part of our “overall” expense to get the property back into the same condition
before your rental. Our manager has to spend time in inspecting, taking pictures and figuring out what is
exactly needed. Then we need to search out where we can get the replacement item (if it is available at all?).
Then the price normally does not include sales tax, or our costs to find the item. We incur time, and gas money
trying to find it. If it is available in Puerto Rico the price is almost always higher than it can be purchased for in
the states. If we get it from the states we have to pay the US sales tax and then the costs to get it down to
Puerto Rico. Plus, we still need to get it installed. Depending on the item, it can be hard to find a qualified
person that is able to install or replace the item. Yes, many times the price is a LOT HIGHER than just the price
of the item. Again, if you are concerned about costs, we recommend you purchase damage protection
insurance, or doing the repairs yourself.

Can we invite extra people?

We enforce a very strict occupancy limit of 2 per bedroom (without extra fees). We are renting the home to
the number of people you indicated on your reservation form. No additional guest(s) are allowed on the
property without prior approval. At some point during your stay our manger will do a “Meet n Greet” to
answer any questions and to assure you have no issues. He/she will also be checking on the number of guests.
In addition, we have cameras on the premises for your security to assure that there are not any people on the
property that do not belong on the property. We also count the number of beds slept in. If any violation in
occupancy occurs, any refundable deposit will not be returned to help offset additional cleaning, utilities and
wear and tear. Management also reserves the right to terminate this agreement and any money paid will be
forfeited for any breach of this contract. Also see the question and answer about getting a discount for large
groups.

What if someone in our group cannot come, do I get a reduced rate?

No. When you place your reservation, you must tell us details of the event and the maximum number
attending and we calculate a fee based on that info. That fee is for “maximum” number of people allowed. If
there is less people, the fee is the same. FYI – If there any changes in the reservation, we will try to
accommodate, but changes fees will apply.

Why do you have so many rules? Your policies seem very restrictive

We do provide a very nice place and we do want to know what is happening on our properties…. so, Yes, we
are very restrictive to the number of guests in each home and we do not allow extra visitors, parties and
events (without our knowledge or permission). These restrictions help us keep our properties in the condition
our guests have come to expect during their stay. I personally, would NOT want to rent from someone who is
NOT restrictive and has “No Rules” for their property. Having restrictions and rules are an indication of a “well
run” nicer/quieter property.