NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As vacation rentals gain more popularity among travelers, the potential for scam-artists to get involved in the industry grows with it.

Recently there has been an increase in news stories about rental scams. A family responds to an online ad, books the accommodation and pays for it upfront, often via a wire transfer or a personal check. When they arrive at their vacation rental they find out that the dwelling is occupied or simply does not exist. This family from Georgia paid for a beach vacation home in Florida and discovered upon their arrival that they were victims of yet another rental scam. The internet makes it easy for anyone to find photos of a nice looking vacation home and create a bogus listing on Craigslist. Other scammers have taken it a step further and hacked into homeowners' accounts on top vacation rental sites, passing themselves off as the homeowner and arranging for guests to wire them money for a phony reservation.

As vacation rental owners themselves, the people at Rentini have noticed that vacation rental fraud is gaining momentum and vowed to make sure that the users of www.rentini.com do not fall victim to it.

For a traveler, the easiest way to avoid being scammed is not to rely on email, but to call the homeowner to confirm the details of the reservation, then do online searches on the property and owner, look up the address on Google maps, ask for references and check online reviews. Sending funds via instant wire services should be avoided. Credits cards are the best payment method, because the charge can be disputed if the rental turns out to be a scam.   

To further limit the risk of scams, search trusted vacation rental websites like http://rentini.com. Rentini authenticates each property before it appears on the website, so travelers can rest assured that they are dealing with reputable homeowners.

Vadim Oss, CEO at Rentini, explained the company's extensive owner verification process:

"For the majority of homeowners who list their properties on Rentini, managing a vacation rental is not a hobby, but a serious business and we treat them accordingly.  Rentini offers homeowners who list with us an option to set up their own merchant account, which requires a credit check through a US bank. Verified homeowners and property managers with a history of transactions via Rentini or merchant bank accounts are qualified to receive guest funds right away. Otherwise, our standard procedure is to release funds 24 hours after the guests check in, to make sure both parties are satisfied. Essentially it is an additional layer of protection for homeowners and guests."

Below are a few additional security measures Rentini has implemented to protect both sides of vacation rental transactions:

• Every homeowner is invited to register a domain name and use Rentini's website builder to create a great looking vacation rental website in 3 clicks (e.g. http://modernlaketahoe.rentini.com or http://trip2kauai.com). Having a vacation rental website powered by Rentini lends greater credibility to the owner and provides peace of mind to travelers.
• All property addresses are kept private until a guest confirms a reservation with payment. It's recommended that both parties perform due diligence- and Rentini is available to answer any questions about their safeguards.
• The social connect feature personalizes the relationship between homeowner and guest, adding transparency to user transactions that is impossible to achieve via email or by phone. Members of Rentini, unlike random classified ad posters, have profiles and reputations to uphold.
• Rentini accepts only verified reviews from guests who have used their service and actually stayed in the home they are reviewing.

Along with the fact that it takes less than 5 minutes for homeowners to list their vacation home on Rentini, they offer a variety of other added benefits. The site offers perks such as a complimentary website builder, syncing rental calendars with existing listings on other top rental sites, homeowner marketing tips (http://blog.rentini.com ), and even featuring properties at no cost. Rentini is certainly ahead of the game when it comes to creating a worry free environment for renting vacation homes.

About Rentini, LLC.
Rentini (http://www.rentini.com) is a vacation rental website designed for travelers to easily plan their vacation, and for homeowners to seamlessly manage their second home without the stress or hassle. Homeowners are provided with all the necessary tools to manage their rental, while travelers can easily navigate their way through the site to choose the perfect spot for their next holiday and complete the transaction in a matter of minutes.

Press Inquiries:
Eric Brekher, Rentini, LLC., 646.801.5554, eric@rentini.com

SOURCE Rentini

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