Holidaymaker FAQ

Frequently asked questions by holidaymakers
Do you allow owners to use a property management company to manage the property?

Yes. Some owners have their properties a long way from home, by the coast or even overseas. As such it is impossible for them to manage the property themselves so they have to engage the services of a property management company. Every single one of our 8000+ properties are verified as privately owned and their nominated property manager has to be directly responsible to the owner for the property. Also every single customer has to undertake a Know Your Customer ID check with a specialist compliance organisation. This is why we can provide free Payment Protection. We do not allow Channel Managers or third parties that are not directly designated by an owner to advertise on our site. So you will not see agencies or online travel agents (e.g. Sykes, VRBO, Airbnb, Booking.com) advertising on our site. The costs for an owners property management whether this is for cleaning, maintenance, banking/administration etc will be the ‘Owners Costs/Price’, please note Simply Owners do not add a penny to the Owners Price.

Why are your rental prices cheaper for properties compared to other rental sites?

Simply Owners does not add any surcharges or booking fees to property listings. Holidaymakers deal with the holiday homeowner direct and get the best price possible. There are no hidden costs.

How do I know I will be dealing with the owner direct?

Simply Owners allows direct communication between holidaymakers and holiday homeowners before a booking is made. Some properties you may be dealing with a property manager but you are still able to talk to them directly before making any bookings or payments.

How can we be sure that the most suitable properties for our search criteria are at the top of the search results?

There are no premium listings on Simply Owners. Search results are based solely on search criteria.

How can we be sure that the owner receives our payments and that scammers do not intercept our payments?

Simply Owners provides a specific individual phone number to call the owner direct to take payment instructions and make payments. We advise you not to use emails to communicate payment instructions. If you receive payment details via electronic communication, you must confirm the accuracy of these details over the phone with the owner.

What happens if we follow your instructions to the letter and scammers find a way around your system to steal our money?

If you have meticulously followed the specific methodology we detail in our terms and conditions with the holiday homeowners, then you will be protected by our free payment protection. The onus will be on you however to prove that you have followed these instructions to the letter and we will demand hard evidence in support of any claim.

How do I make changes to my booking?

Bookings are made directly with homeowners so you will need to contact the owner directly to make changes to any bookings.

What happens if there are any issues with my booking such as the owner double books the property or they forget we have booked and paid?

Holidaymakers should contact the holiday homeowner directly as the booking contract is between the holidaymaker and homeowner. You should certainly be entitled to claim your money back from a homeowner and make a case for compensation against them, if you can prove that they have been negligent.

Who is my contract with for the holiday booking?

Simply Owners lets holidaymakers contact holiday homeowners directly. You holiday booking contract is with the property owner. Every aspect of your booking should be discussed with the homeowner. You should take care to read and agree the terms and conditions of the booking provided by the homeowner. For the avoidance of doubt, you have no contract whatsoever with Simply Owners Ltd.

What happens if we are not happy with the property in terms of cleanliness, reclaiming my security bond, the local amenities or matching the description in any way etc?

You will need to contact the holiday homeowner. It is critical that you plan and list all the questions you wish to ask the owner in readiness, before you book. You will have an opportunity to inform us of your disappointment with your stay through our comprehensive review and evaluation procedures. We have reserved the right in our terms and conditions with the holiday homeowners to remove any listing from our website that we believe fall short of the service they are promising to holidaymakers.

Do I need to bring my own bed linen and towels, supply my own food, pay for gas and electric or pay local taxes?

You should contact the homeowner directly. Each property and homeowner is different. Simply Owners only provide the advertising space for the property.

When do I have to pay the balance on the booking?

You will need to contact the property owner directly to find your booking terms and conditions. They may have sent you these already when you initially made the booking.

How do I find out more information about the property/my holiday?

If you have any further or specific questions about a property or the details of your holiday you should contact the owner direct on the unique telephone number that we provide for you.

Do I need to check any documentation for the property before I book?

Simply Owners has undertaken rigorous checks to ensure that the property exists and it is the real owners that are advertising it on our site. We also have a free Payment Protection scheme to ensure that you are covered against being scammed in this way. Some countries require owners to buy licences to be able to rent out their properties in an official capacity and Simply Owners do not check the validity of any licences, as we only provide advertising space for the owners and do not act as a renter in any way to the holidaymaker. You make wish to check if the country you are visiting make this imposition on rental owners and that they have the respective licence.

How do I cancel my booking?

You will need to contact the owner directly to discuss details of your booking and any cancellation terms.

What should I do if I can’t contact the owner?

You should try by phone and email in the first instance. After 1 or 2 days of no reply you should contact us and we will try to contact them on your behalf. If you are due to arrive at your destination within 24hours contact us immediately and we will try to get in contact with them for you. We will also keep the situation closely monitored to ensure that you have continuous support for your holiday.

How are prices quoted eg, for the whole property, per person, per night etc?

All prices should be clearly stated on the property details page by the owners. If you are unsure please clarify directly with the owner the price to be paid for your holiday rental.

How do I know information published in an advert is accurate and up to date?

It is each holiday homeowners' responsibility to ensure that the information on their listing is accurate and up to date. We advise holidaymakers to make their own checks by telephoning the owner direct to confirm that a property is as described before booking and paying.

How do I spot any fraudulent behaviour?

Phishing is the most common practice of scammers sending emails that appear to be from a trustworthy source. Treat an email suspicious if the sender tries to get you to use a different email to the one they have registered with us at Simply Owners, or the sender attempts to get sensitive information from you via email, (such as payment details, passwords, logins etc.).

What should I do if I believe I am experiencing fraudulent behaviour?

First of all, check the email address on the enquiry. Simply Owners will only ever contact you from email addresses that end in: @simplyowners.net Secondly, contact the owner direct on the unique telephone number that you were given by us. Discuss the matter with them and if you both believe there to be an issue please contact us immediately and we will refer it to the respective investigative teams and subsequently to the police.

You must discuss any issues such as this and reach a definitive agreement with the holiday homeowner before you complete your booking with them and make any payment.