Information For Vacation Rental Owners

  • Vacation Home Listings
  • General Information
  • FAQ
  • Rental Fraud Information

Costs and Benefits For Vacation Rental Owners

Join now and get ONE FULL YEAR for just $9.99.
As an additional BONUS we'll give you one additional month at no charge.

Annual Listing Cost

  • 1 year listing for $9.99 - PLUS 1 additional BONUS month for FREE

    • Sign Up and List Your Property Now

    Listing Features
    The order in which vacation rentals are listed is changed each time a page is loaded. Those listings that were at the top of the listings move down and those at the bottom move to the top. This gives every listing an equal chance of being seen at the top of the list.

    We never charge extra to have your listing displayed at or near the top of the listings..
    • UNLIMITED PHOTOS to show off your property at no additional cost.
    • A 24 MONTH reservations calendar. Not 12 months like the others.
    • Link to your Renters.org reservations calendar or use ours. Your choice.
    • Fully integrated, interactive map. (Optional and where available)
    • Direct links provided to your listing and your reservations calendar.
    • Renter contacts using the latest technology to eliminate SPAM.
    • Retrieve your renter contacts online. No more lost contacts!
    • Easily create a contact list from all your renter contacts.
    • Tell-A-Friend feature. Renters can send a direct link to your property to others.


    General Information For All Vacation Rental Owners

    Owners should remember that they assume the liability for all transactions between themselves and their renters. Be watchful for things such as overpayment scams. These are scams where people want to pay with checks or money orders that are for more than the deposit and/or rent and they request you send back the difference. This often results in owners sending real money back before they realize that the check or money order were fraudulent and returned. You not only lose the money you sent back, but you've lost a period of rental time when the renters don't show up to stay in the property.

    Have rental/lease agreements that can be filled out quickly and signed by the renters prior to any money being exchanged. This also helps establish you as a legitimate rental owner.

    It's always best to talk with your renters by phone prior to any agreements or payments.

    Be honest in your descriptions. People who get what they expect will return again and recommend your property to their family and friends.

    It's always nice to have "a local" to point you in the right direction for shopping, food and fun. Help your renters have a great vacation by sharing your knowledge of the local area. Point out some of the local "jewels" that are often missed by tourists.





    Frequesntly Asked Question For Vacation Rental Owners


    Have another question? Contact Us. We'll be happy to answer your questions.



    How do I create a listing?
    Can I make changes to my listing?
    What if I need to delete my listing?
    How much does it cost to list my property?
    How do I pay for my listing?
    Can I list more than one property?
    Do I get a discount for listing more than one property?
    How long does it take before my listing is active?
    What if I forget my login or password?
    What if I need technical assistance with my listing?
    How many photos of my property can I show in my listing?
    Can I have my web site in my listing?
    What is your refund policy?

    ANSWERS

    How do I create a listing?
    Creating a property listing is an easy two step process. You must first create an owner's account from Owner's Signup Page. Creating an owner's account requires only that you choose a username and password and enter some basic contact information, in case we should need to contact you.

    No credit card is required to sign up or create a property listing.

    Can I make changes to my listing?
    Yes. You may edit your listing at any time. The changes you make will take effect on your property's detail page immediately after you save the changes.

    What if I need to delete my listing?
    If you need to delete a listing, please contact us and we'll be happy to help.

    How much does it cost to list my property?
    Very little. McMaston.com offers greatly reduced rates to get started and listing periods a little as three months. This gives you a chance to evaluate our service for little cost. Check the "Listing Information" section for currently available specials to get started.

    After the initial trial period, basic rates are $99.00 USD per year or $178.00 USD per two year listing.

    At the time you activate your listing, there is often a reduced rate to extend your listing for an additional one or two year period at reduced rates. These reduced rates can change so read the options carefully at the time you activate your property's listing if you wish to take advantage of these savings.

    How do I pay for my listing?
    You can pay online using any of the Credit Cards or Debit Cards we accept. These are always listed on the checkout page.

    Our web site uses a secure 128 bit encrypted checkout process, so your transaction and information are safe.

    Can I list more than one property?
    Yes. You may list as many properties as you want. We offer reduced renewal rates for multiple listing owners and managers.

    Do I get a discount for listing more than one property?
    No. We do not currently offer discounts for multiple listings. McMaston.com's annual subscription rates are some of the lowest available.

    How long does it take before my listing is active?
    Your listing will become active from the moment you activate it. From your owner's utility screen, just click the "Activate" button. Then select activation options.

    What if I forget my login or password?
    You can recover your password by using the PASSWORD RECOVERY UTILITY located right below the login section.

    What if I need technical assistance with my listing?
    Simply Contact Us and we'll be happy to help you.

    How many photos of my property can I show in my listing?
    You can upload as many as TWENTY photos to show off your property. We'll even allow you to upload photos of activities available to those renting your property. You may want to show a few photos of the beach, golf course, horseback riding, skiing, fishing or many other fun activities located close by.

    Most other sites allow only a few photos and then charge extra for additional photos. McMaston.com's state of the art photo processing system allows us to process, resize and optimize your photos for use on your property's page without loosing details or clarity in your photos. This enables us to allow more photos, without charging extra, to really show off your property.

    Can I have my web site in my listing?
    Yes, however you must only list it in the provided field for your own web site. Prospective renters who click on your web site link will have your site displayed in a new browser window or tab. Web site URL's and EMAIL addresses are not allowed in any other area of the listing.

    What is your refund policy?
    McMaston.com does not offer any refunds. If you aren't sure if this is right for you, please choose one of the shorter term listing options. You can choose to list for as little as three months for very little cost.


    Rental Fraud Information For Vacation Rental Owners

    Scam artists who pose as potential renters often frequent vacation rental listing web sites. Owners should be aware of these activities. McMaston.com has and will continue to do everything in our power to protect property owners from these scam artists. However awareness and information are your best defense against these scams. If you believe you have been contacted by someone attempting to commit fraud, please forward the email and any other information you have to abuse@mcmaston.com.

    We recommend that property owners request payments be made by credit card. Most fraud is committed using checks and money orders. Personal checks, money orders and even certified checks can be forged. Some of these forgeries are very good and may even fool bank employees if taken to the bank for examination. Owners should never return money or give service until the checks or money orders have had time to clear. Fraudulent checks are often drawn on banks located in third world, developing nations. We HIGHLY recommend that owners check with their banks on their policies and time for checks/money orders to clear. Checks from developing countries can take as much as two months before funds are verified. Owners should make it very clear to renters that funds must be received in time for all funds to clear prior to their rental time.

    If you have received a forged check, in the United States, contact the nearest field office of the U.S. Secret Service. Owners in other countries should check with their local authorities for advice on where to report the forged check.

    Warning Signs
      Initial communications from a scam artist may sound innocent enough, often giving very little information. They may not even include dates that they wish to rent your property. Often their communications are poorly written and contain numerous spelling and grammatical errors. They may try to impress you by claiming to be doctor, other professional or a government employee. They may say they are being sent by their government or boss/company. They may also say they are making arrangements for their boss or friends. Here are a couple of actual examples.

    Examples

    1: Hello, In response to your advert on your apartment for rent. My company is sending me to USA on an official assignment in September 2007 and I am being posted to your area. I will like to rent your apartment for the period of (1 Week ) that I will be staying in USA . Pls do give me the following information. 1. A brief description of the apartment 2. Cost for 1 week rental. 3.The address of the apartment I will be waiting for your response. Hope to hear from you in earnest...... My Regards....

    2: I will like to rent your place for friends who will come there for their honeymoon.I cannot attend their wedding so I will want to give them a gift to remember by paying for their honeymoon.advice on availability from the 2nd June till the 16th Of June.regards

    A Follow up Email
    I will take your place. I want 14 complete days, so please advice.

    when I was returning to active duty I left instructions and a cashiers check which contains a figure for the total of what your bill has come to and more money which I will love you to turn over to a travel agent who will make arrangements for car hire Flight tickets,provide a guide and other services for the couple,The cashiers check was paid for at the bank but I did not put a name on it knowing I will go away soon,it was meant for a short stay at a five star hotel at hawaii but after figuring out they could stay together albeit cheaper because they are self employed I opted for a longer stay in the U.S. So I will like you to furnish me with a complete address,name which I will use and instruct my small cousin who is in position to put a name on the check at the bank like I instructed to send it to you.on receipt you will deduct your fees and send the balance to an agent who will arrange for the other things I desire like tickets and all as I write the agent is supposed to contact me through e-mail to assert his ability to take me up on the offer of logistics for the,couple,The Agent was introduced to me by an officer on this vessel he will surely reply my e-mail for further directives on how we will be able to get all this done without delay.if you will accept the check let me have it sent by overnight mail to you by my small cousin who is in the States there.send the agreement to me online I will sign attach and send back to you.my cousin is a little boy he cant be of any use he is in school but writes me often I will instruct him to send the check to you if that is okay.its a suprise for them, make it possible for me.Its a splendid home I will take it.Send the rental agreement to me online I will print,sign,scan and attach to resend back to you.its a suprise remember? regards there in the U.S. and I cant tell why its so, though no one is home.I was recalled to duty and left in a hurry so I could not finalize their trip arrangements.I think they will meet all your criteria,no pets no smoking and all,if such rules exist.I will pay the total at once.I will take your place.

    regards

    What To Do?

    If you receive a contact from someone you believe to be a scam artist, just ignore them. Do not respond to their emails. They will seldom, if ever follow up with another email if you fail to contact them. If you have already initiated a contact before it is clear they are attempting a scam, just stop communicating with them. Please report fraudulent activity or abusive contacts to: abuse@mcmaston.com.

    Always insist the payment be received in sufficient time for funds to clear prior to their rental period if you are not taking the payment by credit card. NEVER accept checks or money orders for more than the agreed rent with an agreement to return the overpayment.

    Check with your bank on their policies regarding checks and money orders and the time to consider them cleared before providing services. If you do receive a forged check or money order, report it to the proper authorities.

    How We Fight Fraud
      We at McMaston.com do everything we can to fight fraudulent activity. The contact form we use requires the renter to manually input a security code before the form can be submitted. This code is presented graphically and is not machine readable. This means that a real human must read and enter the code. This stops scammers from using computer programs to send hundreds or thousands of contact emails trying to find victims. McMaston.com will report all fraudulent activities to the appropriate authorities, including any contact information and IP addresses used.

    If we believe you have been contacted by a scam artist, we will notify you via email as soon as it is detected. Though we can't promise to spot and stop all contacts that are an attempt at fraud, we do work hard to stop it. Your best defenses are watching for the signs someone may be attempting a scam and good rental policies for the collection of funds.

    We, at McMaston.com, believe our responsibility goes beyond posting a warning about fraud and then leaving our listing owners on their own to spot and defend against scam artists. We work aggressively to find and stop any fraudulent activity, often before it ever reaches your email account.

    If we all work together we can greatly reduce the amount of fraud committed against rental property owners.

    If you have any questions, please use our Contact Form to contact us. We'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

    The McMaston.com Team