We have heard many terrible stories about renters who rent from privately owned apartments which are advertised online. It's important to ask all the questions you may have beforehand and if possible, send a nearby relative or friend to check out the apartment for you.
As a world traveler you should be aware of issues that might arise such as:
- no apartment guarantee upon arrival
- no such address upon arrival to apartment
- owner is not available via telephone or e-mail
- apartment is damaged upon arrival and you are not given a valid compensation
We would love to hear your thoughts on this!
Post your experience/views today!
“We just came back from our vacation in Israel; we live in Tenafly, NJ. We are a family of 5 (myself, my husband and our 3 sweet kids). We go to Israel once or twice annually, to visit friends and relatives, and to participate in family events. We always enjoy the great sun and the beach. This time, we decided to rent an apartment in Tel Aviv. I found an apartment on the internet that looked nice and fitted to my price range, and I emailed the Owner about our expected arrival dates. I was told that the reservation was completed, and I received the full address. I also sent a small deposit. Two days before our arrival to Israel, I called again the number provided on their website, and there was no answer. When we arrived in Tel Aviv, after 11 exhausting hours flight, I finally was able to talk to the Apartment Owner, who was very apologetic and explained to me that his plans have changed, and that the apartments are NO LONGER AVAILABLE. He offered to mail us back our deposit. We were so exhausted, the kids were tired and cranky. We then schlepped ourselves to Ra’anana to stay with my cousin for 2 days, and we then started to look for another place to stay for our next 10 vacation days.
ReplyDeleteIt was very frustrating. The apartment Owner explained to us that the apartment belongs to him and his wife, and that his daughter just surprisingly arrived a few days prior from London and she want to stay in her apartment.
I will never rent from privately owned apartments, only from a formal company!
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