France To You

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Frequently Asked Questions


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BASICS:
I want to rent a property . What do I do next?
Why do I only have 48 hours to get the agreement back to you?
Why do I pay a cleaning fee?
How will I be sure the property is as advertised?
How do we get the keys to the property?
Who do I call if there is a problem?

WHAT'S INCLUDED:
Are linens provided?
What do you stock your properties with?
Do your vacation rentals have air conditioning?
Do your rentals have internet access?
What should I bring?

RENTAL POLICIES
What are your minimum rental requirements?
Do you allow pets?
Do you allow smoking?
Do you allow parties?

PAYMENT
Can I pay by credit card or debit card?
Can I pay by personal check?
Can I get a receipt if this is a business expense?

SECURITY DEPOSIT
Do I have to pay a Security Deposit?
How do I make sure that I'm not charged for something I didn't do?

CANCELLATIONS
What is your cancellation policy?

TRIP INSURANCE
Do you offer trip insurance?

MISC QUESTIONS
How far in advance should I book my reservation?
Would you stay in your vacation rentals yourself?
How do you determine your pricing?

 


 

WHAT'S INCLUDED

I want to rent a property . What do I do next?

We will need your home address/cell phone number/arrival time/direct email address to put you into our database and make you a rental agreement. Once we have the necessary information, we will create a rental agreement & send it to you as an attachment by email. You will have 48 hours to fill it out & fax, or scan & email it back to us. Depending on the property, there will be a deposit that will be due immediately to secure your reservation & the remaining balance is due 30 days prior to your arrival or upon your arrival depending again on the property. Your full balance is due immediately if your arrival date is less than 30 days from whence you sign the rental agreement. If it is a Paris property & your stay is less than 7 nights, we ask for full payment.

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Why do I only have 48 hours to get the agreement back to you?

As soon as we make a rental agreement, that property is taken off our availability calendar so it cannot be booked. We do this as a courtesy to you to allow you time to complete the paperwork. We do not hold properties without payment while you make up your mind or collect money from friends/relatives. At the point when you ask us to make you a rental agreement, you should have made up your mind that this is what you want and you are ready to book and pay the reservation deposit or the full rental fee. If you are making a reservation that is 4 months away, we don't mind giving you a little additional time but if you are booking something for the next week, time is of the essence. Our job is to keep our properties full so the owners can pay their bills & they can continue to be offered as vacation rentals.

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Why do I pay a cleaning fee?

Our housekeepers are a critical component of our quality assurance program & they professionally clean our vacation properties between every rental. They vacuum, dust, scrub, sanitize & do the laundry after each guest's departure to ensure your home away from home is spotless when you arrive. In addition to standard housekeeping duties, our staff checks & stocks our list of basic amenities & required supplies. If you desire daily or occasional housekeeping during your stay, we can arrange that service for an extra fee. They also report to me on anything that is missing, damaged, needs to be replaced or repaired.

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How will I be sure the property is as advertised?

We try our best to keep the photos & amenities updated on our website. If anything has changed, it is usually for the better, like a new flat screen TV or a new bedspread, etc.
We have a dedicated staff that makes sure each of our vacation homes & apartments are ready for your arrival by implementing a quality assurance program that includes cleaning, maintenance, and management. We have developed stringent procedures for every one of our vacation rentals including a detailed check-list for our cleaners so that standard amenities & required supplies are checked before your arrival. We strive for complete satisfaction from each & every guest. The smoke alarm might start beeping or the remote control batteries for the TV could die, we can guarantee that if you call us, we will make it right.

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How do we get the keys to the property?

Someone will always meet you at the home or apartment. If it not me stateside, it will be Fernando in Paris or one of his meet/greeters.

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Who do I call if there is a problem?

Actually there are two of us, my property manager in Paris, Fernando, or stateside, me. One of us is available either by phone/text/email (and usually both of us). In your information packet, you are provided with our phone numbers. If we don't answer, we will call you back right away.

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How do I know that France To You is reliable and trustworthy?

We have been in business since 1994 and have created an extensive array of guest comments that demonstrate our solid record of quality, reliability, and excellent customer service. Please read the comments in our various guestbooks . We can also furnish references if need be.

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WHAT'S INCLUDED

Are linens provided?

Yes, all linens including sheets, kitchen & bath towels, and blankets are provided. We also provide beach towels at all our US properties.

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What do you stock your properties with?

All of our properties are fully furnished for normal housekeeping in "turn-key" condition. Kitchens are equipped with dishes, cookware, flatware, glasses, standard appliances, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, coffee filters & basic spices. We also stock our rentals with paper towels, dish & hand soaps, & toilet paper. You will also find a hair dryer, an iron, ironing board, umbrella, & an alarm clock. At the US properties, we will have coolers & beach chairs available as well.

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Do your vacation rentals have air conditioning?

The US properties do have a/c. We have 2 properties in Paris with a/c. 95% of the apts in Paris do not have a/c. Normally it doesn't get that hot since many of the building are stone and were built in the 17-19th centuries. We do have fans in each.

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Do your rentals have internet access?

Absolutely! We provide high speed internet with wireless access (WiFi) in each. Keep in mind that the rentals do not have printers so print any discount coupons or info before you leave home.

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What should I bring?

Just bring the clothes you'll need for vacation & your personal toiletries. If you have a question, email or call us.

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RENTAL POLICIES

What are your minimum rental requirements?

Please inquire.

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Do you allow pets?

No, we want to keep our properties dander/allergen free. If a pet is found on the property, we will ask you to vacate the property immediately without a refund or put the pet in a nearby kennel.

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Do you allow smoking?

All of our rentals are nonsmoking properties & any form of smoking is prohibited inside. If you must smoke, please go outside. Be sure to pick up after yourself & do not leave butts lying around.

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Do you allow parties?

Absolutely not. We want to make sure that everyone receives the privacy & quiet enjoyment that they deserve. No one wants to be kept up until the wee hours of the morning or have music blaring in the afternoon. Our properties are located in residential neighborhoods & are, in most cases, in close proximity to neighbors so please be aware of your actions & always be considerate of others. We want our neighbors to like the vacation rentals & not start a movement to ban them from the locale.

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PAYMENT

Can I pay by credit card or debit card?

Yes & no, we take Paypal only. But the good news is that you can use your Visa, MasterCard, Discover & American Express to pay thru Paypal. I can invoice your through paypal or you can also go to the secure payment center at www.PayPal.com and click on "Send Money." You would simply use my email address. If you already have a PayPal account, you can also transfer money from your account or bank to our PayPal account.

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Can I pay by personal check?

Yes, if it's in US dollars.

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Can I get a receipt if this is a business expense?

Yes, of course. You can use your rental agreement as a receipt.

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SECURITY DEPOSIT

Do I have to pay a Security Deposit?

Yes, I will hold a separate check or cash depending on location. After the maid cleans, I either ask if you would like your check returned or shredded. We have very few incidents where we have to keep a part of a deposit. All of our guests are very respectful of the properties.

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How do I make sure that I'm not charged for something I didn't do?

We have a thorough inspection policy to ensure our rental properties are in good condition & and that you will not be inadvertently held responsible for missing or broken items. Please assist us by reporting any missing or broken items to us within 24 hours of your arrival.

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CANCELLATIONS

What is your cancellation policy?

Firstly, read your rental agreement. Since we work with a few owners, each property is different. For the most part, you may cancel a reservation at any time by notifying us in writing or via e-mail. If your cancellation notice is received 30 days or more prior to your arrival date, your will receive a full refund, less a $25 administrative fee. If your cancellation notice is received less than 30 days prior to your arrival date & the property is re-rented at the same rate to another party, you will receive a full refund, less the $25 administrative fee. If the property is not re-rented, we will retain all payments. Depending on the time of year, we may allow you to re-book at another time. We look at each case on an individual basis & try our best to accommodate depending on the circumstance.

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TRIP INSURANCE

Do you offer trip insurance?

At the moment, we do not. We suggest you check your homeowner or renter liability insurance to make sure you are covered while staying in one of our Paris rental properties.

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MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS

How far in advance should I book my reservation?

You may book your reservation at the last minute, and we will always do our best to accommodate you. However, to get the best properties in the best locations, we highly recommend you reserve your vacation rental as soon as possible. Many of our guests return year after year, and they often reserve the same property for the following year while they are there.

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Would you stay in your vacation rentals yourself?

Absolutely! We have found that it's the best way to see what needs attention. We do ask each guest for feedback, and we really appreciate it when you take the time to give us a critique of your vacation online.

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How do you determine your pricing?

The fact is that we don't determine our pricing, you do! We wish we could set our rates according to our costs because purchasing real estate in Paris is not cheap! Plus add to that the costs of property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, furniture, gas, electric, water, cable TV, high speed internet, unlimited national calling (in most properties), trash pick-up, gardening service, carpet cleaning, & window washing. And then, include additional supplies such as regular sheet and towel replacement, paper towels, toilet paper, hand soap, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, spices, cleaning supplies. Then there is the cost of renting it out (rental agency fees, photos, advertising...the list continues, but the fact is that YOU set the prices. If our prices are too high, you don't come. If they are deemed in your eyes as a good value, then our properties get booked. We are always monitoring rates & occupancy & try to set our rates so they stay full all year-round. Owners recognize that by opening their home to you rather than leasing it out, they have the option to use it themselves when they want & still get help with their mortgage payments. You receive family-friendly home-like accommodations than just renting a room.

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DISCLAIMER

Our rental properties are privately owned and reflect the taste of each owner. Every effort has been made to ensure accurate and complete information in the rental agreement and on the website. However, we cannot be held responsible for typographical errors, omissions, environmental factors, price changes and changes made by our owners in furnishings, equipment, bed arrangements, etc.