 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi we have arranged to rent the same appartment as we stayed in last year for our next ski trip. We have done this direct with the owner instead of via Airbnb as save a few ££. He has requested we send him a 500euro cheque a month before as a breakage deposit. Obviously this seems alot of money and a bit iffy. Is this a "normal "thing the be asked for? Is it even possible for a french resident to cash a uk cheque?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jas915, it's pretty normal, we'd always do it with direct books. But I'm not sure a UK cheque is really useful unless they have a uk account?
If the owner's local, we'd often take cash on arrival, if that could work?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I imagine they mean a bank draft rather than a UK cheque? If you send them something they can’t cash then likely they’ll come back to you anyway.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sounds relatively normal but a huge faff is you need to get an international bank draft. Asking UANN are there no payment processing plug ins that allow you to take and refund a deposit along with the payment?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@jas915, pretty normal in any accommodation in France I've rented privately and I charge one for my own apartment. AirBnB offer a deposit scheme so you don't pay this upfront, but if any damage was done, the owner would claim it (and provide details of costs incurred). I take my deposits either in euros cash on arrival (my housekeeper does that for me), or card payment via Stripe, and retain it in the account to refund on departure. Perhaps they would accept a bank transfer and you could do it via Wise or Revolut?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for the replies,sounds like its just normal then.
I will contact the owner and see if we can pay this deposit some other way like bank transfer. I dont think the owner stays local as last year we had to get the keys from a concierge at a building over the road.
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The last couple of times we've gone (renting directly) there's been a mention of a deposit but because the people (French) have known we're English they've not asked for it. It all depends how much contact you will have with them: if you meet them in person then I'd take cash and give it to them then. We rented a place for a few years ages ago and the lady would let us in and we'd give her the cash. She'd then come back at an arranged leaving time (10am) and give us our deposit back.....it would all very honest as she'd just ask if all was OK, glance around to see things were clean/tidy and that was it.
If you're not meeting in person (which seems to be the case when we rent post Covid) it's a bit more difficult. I'm guessing a Euro cheque (a bit annoying) might not be cashed but held onto and ripped up if all well. Not sure if these get banked as it's then hassle for the owner to have to raise a cheque to give back. Would you ask for a UK cheque for example as you have as much right as they do asking for a Euro cheque?
They might see a bank transfer as faff - as they'd then need to do the same in return and you might have to chase for this.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, we've been out of the game for a few years now, so no bright ideas. Revolut or the like would seem a thought. Or Paypal?
But given the proliferation of phone connected card readers I'm a bit surprised they don't take cards? - even if only for deposits? I get the impression that even in France it's no longer as difficult to get yourself set up as it was 20 years ago.
@kettonskimum, assuming it is in France, everyone pretty much still has a cheque book, but returning a French cheque to a uk bank might be equally tricky. Although we do pay US cheques into my Mum's bank account in Scotland ...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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A breakage/damage/security deposit's completely normal and I think a 'feature' of every rental I've ever done. The Euro cheque is also the standard payment method - because 90% of guests in a European property will be from the Euro zone so just write/post a cheque and the property owner can just rip it up if no money needs to be ratained. Nobody needs to physically meet, nobody needs to handle bundles of cash around, and all it costs is the price of a stamp.
The problem comes for the 10% at which point it comes down to the individual property owner. Some will be local and happy to take cash, some will accept a bank transfer, some will just depand a Euro cheque as they don't see it as worth the hastle of doing something different.
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That's quite strange, maybe a recent thing, cos I don't remember ever doing so back in the day when we used to rent apartment in France. probably the bet part of 20 years since, but...
And it's certainly not anything I've ever considered for our own rentals - the level of breakages we have had are only ever in the order of a glass or two, a plate, stuff like that, and I consider that to be normal wear and tear and wouldn't dream of charging the guests for it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We don’t bother as most guests seem to reciprocate goodwill but if we did would use Revolut
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I've found it on UK holiday properties too, though obviously not in Euros.
I also don't think I've ever had money retained as most property owners take the odd broken glass as just wear and tear, it's more for the odd group who trash the place and leave it looking like a pig sty. They are very much the exception I know of property owners who's have renters leave the place needing a professional deep clean after just 1 week. €500 might not cover the costs but does at least deter those more feral elements who might trash a place - but aren't willing to pag €500 to do so!
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@Mjit, I've deducted a few times in 18 years. None were huge sums, but enough to make a dent in what was returned.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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You can't write an English cheque for 500 euros. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Origen, I can't write an Austrian cheque for 500 euros. Do they still have cheque books?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@holidayloverxx, cheque books still a fact of French life, although decreasingly so.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thread resurrection. Depends how up-to-date the booking system is. We run holiday let's at our property, people can book on our own website instant booking using a STRIPE integrated booking system.
We state a deposit is deductable if damage but don't take it at point of sale. I can login to our stripe platform and charge the booking card extra money if we do need to claim on the deposit amount. Stripe doesn't give us their card details but we can still charge/ refund to the card they have previously used.
Someone asking me to send a cheque etc would make me cancel my stay and look elsewhere to book.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@noodlehat, It wouldn't make me cancel, just enquire if there was some other way of paying the money.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@noodlehat, So do you have Stripe setup to pre-deduct a certain amount, or is this something you can just add after any transaction. I use Stripe as well but have never been aware of this facility. Only once in all the time we've been doing it would I have wanted to charge someone, but in that instance it was via booing anyway (and they would not cover the damage) so this would be nice to know about.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Chaletbeauroc, you just add it after a transaction I think. I've not used it myself. French guests pay on arrival to my apartment manager, UK ones are invoiced in advance and pay before arrival along with the tourist tax.
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What's FAR more important than the damage deposit - which is absolutely standard in France - is having third party insurance against really serious damage, like burning the place down. All French rental clauses will have the requirement to have this in their small print. Most travel insurance you get in the UK will include insurance of this kind but you really need to check.
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@Origen, Seriously, you requires all your guests to have insurance against damage to your property? Never heard of such a thing. How do you enforce it?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Chaletbeauroc, you get this included with house insurance in France. It covers you for incidents outside of the insured property (ie your main home) If you arrive at your holiday accommodation, leave the chip pan on and burn the house down, the owner will first of all claim on their own insurance who will claim the costs back off your insurance. My insurance for the apartment in France has protection for any damage happening if we cause it while we are there, but not for anyone renting out our apartment. This link explains better than I can https://www.theluberon.com/plan-your-trip/insurance/
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@Hells Bells, yes, that's what i thought, same here in CH, just that @Origen, seems to be suggesting that it's the guest who needs to be insured, with the reference to travel insurance in particular.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes, it is the guest that needs to be insured. We never rented out our apartment but I knew of the requirement (standard in France) after local chat when renters burnt down a rather pretty wooden chalet just down the hill. When I started renting places in France I checked that my travel insurance included cover for damage done to rented accommodation - which it did. And probably most do, but it's something to check. And one of the hazards of deciding against travel insurance (which in many ways is quite rational if you have some resources, a GHIC, etc.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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How do you enforce it?
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That question, @Chaletbeauroc, is like asking how to "enforce" the requirement of other drivers out on the road to have third-party insurance, or the owner of a poorly maintained roof to insure against slates flying off in a gale and decapitating you. You can't.
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@Origen, some accommodation providers ask for proof
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You know it makes sense.
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That doesn't surprise me, @holidayloverxx. I've signed contracts with lots of small print which include that requirement (which I think is a very standard clause) but not had to send copies of my insurance. Logically when it involves an apartment in a building with other apartments you'd need to check that everybody, owners and renters, were insured. But at the end of the day, it can't practicably be enforced.
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FAQ
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