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FLORIDA HOLIDAY SPECIALISTS
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FLORIDA RENTALS - FAQ'S

What should we take with us that may not be in the property? Answer: The property will have everything you would normally need, linens, bedding, kitchen utilities and cutlery, plates, cups, etc up to the maximum number of persons accepted. It is literally like a home from home. What it will not have is items of a personal nature, beach towels and electrical items that you might normally take for granted. Take hair-dryers, CD players, etc with you and don't forget you need adaptors for them.

Do not expect washing up liquids or cleaning material, these are rarely provided, unless left (and not removed) by the previous guests. You will need to buy washing up liquid, dish-washer liquid (be sure to get - and use! - dishwasher liquid) and washing powder locally, some management companies will provide a cleaning preparation kit if pre-ordered.

Will a security deposit be required when we check-in? Answer: Yes. Usually this requirement will take the form of a credit card imprint in much the same way as if you were staying in a Hotel or renting a car.  Sometimes we will take this from you before you leave to expedite your arrival into the property or you will be required to provide the security to the Property Management Agents.  Either way on all rentals a security deposit/guarantee in some form or other will be required. You will be charged for any extra charges brought about during your stay which could include the cost of rectifying accidental damage or excess cleaning if required after your departure.  In a nutshell the property should be left in the same condition as you found it apart from requiring reasonable cleaning.  Acceptable Credit Cards are normally Mastercard or Visa.  Your contract with regard to any extra charges will be with the property owner or the local management agents. If we hold/collect the security from you we do so on behalf of them.

What happens if we have a problem or don't know how to use something? Answer: All properties are individually owned and both the owner and the property management agent have prepared the property for rental use and therefore everything should be in order and ready for you. There will usually be an introduction book to the property with information about the property itself and local facilities and other such information. If anything is remiss then the property management agents are on hand to help you and we provide you with their contact number with your vouchers and arrival instructions - please do not hesitate to contact them.

Will the property be what we expect and what we booked? Answer: Yes, most definitely.  The vast majority of clients are more than pleased with the properties and in most cases the standard and situation over-exceeds expectations. All the properties are described exactly as they are - obviously the actual furnishings do vary and some of the home features will as well. When you book a named location you will know exactly where you are going to be staying - alternatively in Orlando booking a Disney Area home offers fantastic rental value with the only difference being that the actual location is allocated on arrival.

Can we add optional rental property items to our booking; grocery pack, pool heating, etc later on after booking? Answer: With your booking confirmation we will send you a list of available extras in conjunction with your rental booking - we ask you to return the form completed with any extras you require and we will add them to your booking sending you a confirmation with payment due with the balance. If you ask for any these extras to be added on after your balance payment has been received there will be a late administration fee of £25.

Pool heating should always be reserved at the time of booking - if your booking is allocated on to a property without pool heat, as it likely will be, adding pool heating to your booking may not be possible. Even if booking an A La Carte Property - for administration purposes with the Florida management company - it is much better booked immediately. Adding pool heat locally - waiting to see the water temperature - is not a very practical idea.

For late bookings, within 8 weeks of arrival, requiring full payment, we will deal with everything at the time of booking.

What is the temperature of a private swimming pool likely to be? Answer: In reality, not much different from any other pool in any typical holiday destination in Southern Europe. The day/overnight medium temperatures in the Florida summer months are high enough to make the pool comfortable for most people between April/May and September/October. During this period the pool water temperature should be in the region of 75/80 degrees F. Even though Florida has a sub tropical climate, in the winter months the overnight temperature makes the water much cooler. Solar Heat will extend the spring and autumn seasons by a few weeks and make the pool a little warmer in the summer; in the winter months it will make virtually no difference. Pool heating is therefore recommended between the winter months of November/March and will make the swimming pool more pleasurable. October and April are the in-between months when you may or may not need the heating. Winter pool water temperature with pool heat and overnights of 60 degrees+ F should continue to maintain the pool at comfortable levels, around the 75/80 degrees F mark. However, it must be pointed out that lower overnights will very much effect the heating, very low overnight temperatures, 50 degrees F or less, will probably nullify most of the pool heat pumps efforts.

Florida Pool Home and Apartment Rental Fast Facts:

The homes and apartments are all individually and privately owned so that although essentially they may seem to be very similar, which in many respects they are, each owner will have furnished and equipped the property to their own specification. Below is a guide to the standard facilities that each property will have, together with some helpful information designed to assist you to maximise your enjoyment and stay in the home or apartment.

Home or Apartment overall: Properties are comfortable and well furnished, generally to a very high standard, all will have a lounge and/or family rooms, dining area/table and breakfast area. All have air-conditioning, telephone and parking. Each property has an information book about the home, the management agents and local tourism information. If anything in the home appears not to work it will nearly always be because it works differently!

Entertainment: At least one television with the USA and Florida standard channels, extra cable channels on most.

The Kitchen: American kitchens are very well equipped and feature as standard: oven, refrigerator, micro-wave, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, iron, ironing board and property cleaning equipment. Most properties also have a separate utility area. Some apartments and condos will have communal facilities for cleaning clothes.

Bed Linen and Towels: Fully equipped with bed linen and towels. Take your own towels for the pool and the beach.

The Swimming Pool: All private home swimming pools in the Orlando area are screened-in, on the Gulf Coast homes have both screened-in and open. Due to the lower humidity, particularly as you travel further south, pools do not need to be screened. The average home pool is 30’ in length and 15’ in width; depth is usually from 3’ to 6’. No diving in private pools. Communal pools are much larger; some are heated in the winter months, and are not screened-in. All swimming is at your own risk and children should be supervised at all times.

Pool Solar Heating: By the suns rays via solar panels on the roof. The water is dependent on the sun shining and the day/overnight air temperatures.

Pool Electric Heating: Heat pump is used to compress air and extract heat & transfer to pool water; temperature is very dependent on overnight air.

Pool Gas Heating: Propane gas is the most effective but most expensive way to heat a pool. Once again it is dependent on overnight air temp.

Finding the Agents or Property: You will have arrival instructions either to the property management agents or to the property itself. We will have enclosed a local map with directions showing one or the other, sometimes both. When you check-in with the agents they will provide you with a map and directions to the rental property.

Arrival: Earliest check in time at the property management agents is usually 4pm, the same time even if you are going directly to a property. The property will then have been thoroughly cleaned and prepared in readiness for you.

Rental Home Security Deposit: Your accommodation is professionally looked after by Florida management agents. They will require a security deposit of around $250 on check-in, if this has not been done through us in advance. Please ensure you have sufficient funds on your credit card or cash/travellers cheques to cover this requirement. Most management agents will not actually charge your card but keep it on file pending any extra charges. If you lodge cash or travellers cheques you will have a wait for the refund and it will probably be by US dollar cheque. 

Check-out: Please observe the check-out time, usually 10 or 11am, the management agents cleaners will probably be ready to start at any time after your check-out time ready for the next arrival, which may be the same day.

Key return: If you have a property key, or keys to return, remember to leave them in the property before leaving, return them to the property agents or take them home with you to return to us, as per your instructions.

Extra Charges: You are liable to be charged extra if any of the following circumstances apply to your stay:
!! If you leave the property in a state where ‘extra’ cleaning is required, other than normal cleaning requirements.
!! If you do not return the property key(s) as per the instructions you were given.
!! If there are any spillages, breakages or damages. If there are it is best to sort it out with the agents on the spot. Normally a simple replacement or quick clean is all that will be needed.
!! Blockages caused to toilets by disposal of anything other than normal waste, Florida pipes are very narrow.
!! Excessive use of the air-conditioning; keep the doors and windows closed when the air conditioning is on.
!! Any long distance telephone calls charged to the property account during your stay.
!! Any miss use of pool or jacuzzi/spa heating facilities that have not been paid for in advance.

We hope the above has proved helpful - if you have any questions which have not be covered here please call one of our agents.

ADDITIONAL RENTAL INFORMATION AND OPTIONAL EXTRAS

If the duration of your stay should be over different rental seasons then total price will invariably be pro-rata, a few properties are based on arrival date but not many - calculate the daily pro-rata rate from each price-band period and x the number of nights in each period to work out the total cost.

The following optional extras can be reserved by us for you ahead of your arrival for most properties that we feature:

Cot or Highchair: £25pw (each) Grocery Pack £25/£35/£45 for up to 4/6/8 Persons - these rates are approximate only and may vary slightly between different property management agents.  The price of Pool Heating depends on type of heating and does somewhat vary between properties, the usual supplement is between £70 and £125 per week.
GO HERE FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION AND MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT RENTING FLORIDA PROPERTIES

Property Information: Please note that property descriptions and information are provided by our suppliers and can be relied upon, however it is subject to change without notice. Please check in advance with regard to any specific information required.

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