Vacation Rentals

[GrandmaBig6]

First time ever posting, but I do read through the site each day and keep the Weirs Channel cam open on the computer all day. Would move to NH in a heartbeat and leave NYC behind in a flash.

My husband and I have been told by the people we rent our vacation house every year that they have sold the house and the new owners are not going to be renting. We have rented this house for 6 years and love it. They didn't charge us an outragious amount of money, they were just glad to have someone use and enjoy it. Anyway, I've looked in the classified ads on this website and also with the sponsors and the money being charged for not only the house but security deposits and cleaning fees are way above the money we budget for vacation each year. I should mention at this point that we have no children but a well-behaved dog, who thinks she is our child - and as you know not many houses will let you have a dog. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help.

[Outlaw]

Originally Posted by GrandmaBig6

First time ever posting, but I do read through the site each day and keep the Weirs Channel cam open on the computer all day. Would move to NH in a heartbeat and leave NYC behind in a flash.

Does anyone know someone who would like to rent their house (around the Meredith, Center Harbor area) for the last two weeks in August to a very nice, quiet couple (w/a dog) next year? Or any other suggestions? Thanks for your help.

One option: Check with Preferred Properties, they have a rental division and their offices are located in Ctr. Harbor.

Preferred Properties Vacation Rentals

[JG1222]

In the past, I've had good luck referring people to Strictly Rentals in Center Harbor.

www.strictlyrentals.biz

[lacey]

Grandma, I know how you're feeling. We rented a house that we loved more than anything and the owner sold it. The new owner tore it down ( built a new house on the property and doesn't rent. We had to search all over again for something and we too ran into the situation you are in right now. We just keep searching the classifieds and putting our names into places. Companies that handle rentals are fine if you don't mind getting into your vacation home late in the afternoon, or spending money on taxes they charge plus security and the hassle of getting the keys from them and then returning them. We found a place to rent by riding around and looking, also word of mouth. We keep our options open because hopefully one day we will find a house that was as great we loved so much. Lots of nice ones out there. Keep looking, good luck!

[GrandmaBig6]

Well it has finally happened.

The people we have rented from for so long informed us last week that they have finally decided to sell the NH house and move to FL. They don't want us to rent it this year in case the sale happens soon and then we are out of luck for our annual vacation to NH in August.

It has been sometime since we've had to look at other possibilities so I ordered and received the list of rentals from Preferred Rentals. Wow we were definitely spoiled. The prices are crazy. I'm looking into Strictly Rentals too.

Does anyone have other ideas? Does anyone know who might be looking to rent their house to two adults and very well-behaved dog. Otherwise, this vacation is going to cost us a small fortune.

Thanks for the help.

[Pepper]

You could look into a cottage rental at either Proctors Lakehouse Cottages, or Channel Inn and Cottages.

Both allow dogs!!!!!!!

Both have links in the "Lake Links" section of this website.

Best of luck!!!!!!!

[T.H.E. Binz]

I have had good luck with Century 21 in Center Harbor. Rental prices do seem much higher - some of this may be accounted for by the dramatic increase in property taxes during the last four years. I estimate that the typical lakefront property owner would have to rent their house for about five weeks just to pay for the property taxes.

[donnamatrix]

I know the owner's of Proctor's Cottages (as I'm sure Pepper does, since Waldo's is practically across the street). They are great people. The entire place is being redone as we speak, they plan to be open for MC Week, they only rent by the week.

Channel Cottages always looks good when we go past it by boat. They keep a lovely property, and they also allow dogs.

You can check with Roche Realth in Laconia, they have rentals at Southdown Shores, which has it's own beach (I live there).

Good luck. We rented for years on Bear Island before we purchased in NH. Amen.

[ApS]

GranmaBig6: Go to "Quick Links" above and check your private messages. You have at least one. (Yes, I'm clairvoyant).

Originally Posted by T.H.E. Binz

I estimate that the typical lakefront property owner would have to rent their house for about five weeks just to pay for the property taxes.

Maybe a McMansion can....

Some of us long-time Winnipesaukeeteers can't pay half of our property taxes with five weeks rent.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Have you been to the Classifieds on this site?
Good luck GrandmaBig6. We're routing for you.

[altonbaypeople]

Hi, as a long time renter who finally made the move up here , I totally sympathize with you. Last year we rented a great place in Moultonborough but after the mandatory fees, taxes etc, it really got expensive. We stayed at Channel Cottages 3 years ago and Jose who runs it is a great guy and the place was really nice. He has this little island that is right by the channel that you can sit and even watch the drive-in movie! You have to keep your dog on a leash and not allowed on his little beach, which disappointed our Golden when we were there (he LOVES the water).

I would post in the classifieds here and check newspapers. I have rented from Strickly Rentals too but I don't think she has a lot of properties that accept dogs from what I remember from looking around last year.

[GrandmaBig6]

Thank you all who have replied. I am looking into Channel and Proctors and some other possibilities that have come up.

I've checked on the classified ads for places, but alot of them say no dogs and she just has to come on vacation with us. She's been to NH every year for 13 years.

You guys are all great and I love this forum. One day we hope to make NH our home, but for now we just enjoy it so much on vacation.

[donnamatrix]

I was wrong about Proctor's Cottages... I spoke with the owner and they do not allow pets. However, Channel does, and there is another place in Center Harbor, I think called Lakeview (although it's not cottages), they also permit pets.

Good luck.

[webmaster]

WeirsOnline has a nice list of pet friendly hotels. Click here: http://www.weirsonline.com/petlodging.htm

Good luck with your search.

[CentreHarborEric]

In case you folks looking for a place have yet to find one:
We have recently purchased a place on Lake Winona, on the New Hampton/Center Harbor line.
Classified ad no. 13013, should be right there under cottage rentals.
We are major dog lovers, so as long as we get a quick personality check and good house manners and maybe a visit with our precious yellow lab, we are good.
Eric
note: my email address in the forum is no longer accurate, so use
ericfoster1@hotmail.com, the address for the classifieds.

[dmjr]

Hello,
I know of a vacation rental that is located on the lake and I think it accepts pets. you can email me at dmjr@prodigy.net to get more information
Thank You

[GrandmaBig6]

Looks like we are in the same boat as we were two years ago.

I have been unable to find a house to rent for the last two weeks of August. We have a dog, not the one mentioned early in my post as she has since pasted away, but we have a new puppy - at this time 5 months.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks for any help. I've looked thru Preferred Rentals and Strictly Rentals.

Mary

[wildwoodfam]

Both companies advertise on this website.

Steve at Curry is good to work with - he has a lot of waterfronts some range form extravagantly priced to very reasonable.

Good luck!

[jogator1]

I have reanted from strictly rentals twice and would not recommend that experience to anyone. I should learned my lesson after the first time.

Last year my family and a friends family rented a cottage on Wentworth Shores and it was infested with ants. We called the lady (I forgot her name) and she said don't worry about the ants, they will go away. She explained that it had rained just before we arrived and as soon as the ground dried they would leave the house. Well the first 2 nights we were there we literally had ants crawling on us all night in bed. Thank god they didn't bite.

I called her again the next day and she said she couldn't do anything about it because she was going to a birthday party and doesn't work on Sunday. She told me she didn't believe the ants were as bad as I described. My wife was extremely upset and collected a cup full of ants. Monday morning we went to her office to complain in person (and show her the ants) and she was very rude. We had to threaten her that if one of the kids were bitten (3 young children) and had an allergic reaction we were going to hold her responsible. She sent out an exterminator 2 days later when we had 2 days left for our vacation.

Since this post is getting so long I'll make the previous years experience short. We went to her office to check in and she told us she ran out of linens. I had to argue with her until she went down her stairs to put together linens for us.

Beware of strictly rentals.

[TomC]

Its tough for an agent to responsible for all of the aspects of privately owned houses. The property owner is really the one responsible for keeping the unit vermin free...

[Flylady]

I rent my place when I am not there, and have only the last two weeks of August open. 2 bed 1 bath camp lakefront. Let me know if you are interested.

[tis]

Grandma. Please check your private messages.

[wildwoodfam]

Originally Posted by TomC

Its tough for an agent to responsible for all of the aspects of privately owned houses. The property owner is really the one responsible for keeping the unit vermin free...

The rental agent is responsible for checking the status of all his/her rental properties - thats why there is a HUGE window between checking in and checking out. We used to rent out our place and the rental agent was responsible for any issues with the house for that stretch of weeks she rented.

If their was a leaky sink - SHE called the plumber - if the lights burned out - she was called - THATS WHY THE HOUSE OWNER PAYS THEM A COMMISSION!

Shame on Strictly Rentals - the ants should have been noted during the walk through before the renters even got there and if there was even a couple of ants crawling around something should have been done right away!

[TomC]

Originally Posted by wildwoodfam

The rental agent is responsible for checking the status of all his/her rental properties - thats why there is a HUGE window between checking in and checking out. We used to rent out our place and the rental agent was responsible for any issues with the house for that stretch of weeks she rented.

If their was a leaky sink - SHE called the plumber - if the lights burned out - she was called - THATS WHY THE HOUSE OWNER PAYS THEM A COMMISSION!

Shame on Strictly Rentals - the ants should have been noted during the walk through before the renters even got there and if there was even a couple of ants crawling around something should have been done right away!

...which i do not happen to share..

The property owner is responsible for the condition of their property. The rental agent is not authorized to enter into contracts for services (plumber or exterminator, etc) on behalf of a homeowner. These bills, if unpaid, can result in a mechanics lien on the property. If you rented your property, would you accept a bill for some contractor to perform work on your place that you didn't pre-authorize? A plumber or exterminator bill can be several hundred dollars.

When a tenant has a problem, the agent typically contacts the owner and asks what remedy they would like to pursue. If the owner says "nothing", then the agent and tenant are stuck, unless for the purposes of goodwill the agent elects to try to rectifiy the issue at their own expense.

You can be sure that the agent would drop that property for future rentals, but that doesn't help the situation for the specific renter that had the problem.

My comment was about rental arrangements in general ("Its tough for an agent to responsible for all of the aspects of privately owned houses"), not about what Strictly Rentals did or didn't do. How can a booking agent really be expected to inspect and arrange for rectification for issues in hundreds of properties in 6-8 hours on a Saturday? The agents contractual requirements are to market and represent the property and handle the transaction. For a property owner to hide behind a booking agent to be sure there are no bugs, all the plumbling works, there are no leaks, the lawn is cut, the smoke detectors work, the mattresses are comfy, and so on simply strikes me as unreasonable.

I maintain that the property owner, who is offering the occupancy of the property (and collecting the bulk of the rental remittance), has the responsibility for making it suitable for use. Paying a commission to an agent, to me, does not transfer that responsibility.

I have no skin in this game so it really matters little to me.

[wildwoodfam]

and its a big BUT, the owner may not be anywhere near the rental property - the owner may live in Idaho and would not know that there were ants crawlign about the property. It is up to the rental agent - thats why you hire them!

Tom - c'mon. Have you ever worked with a rental agent or are you speaking on opinion only?

Why pay an agent to broker your property? Why not just drive back and forth and do it yourself?

I'm not saying the agent has to pay - certainly THATS part of the home owners responsibility - but puhlease! If I am at home in Boston, and the renter called me to complain about ANTS - the first phone call I made would be to the agent to say - "Didn't you see the ants when you checked the house?!" I would then have her contact the exterminator and have them take care of the issue.

[Water Camper]

GrandmaBig6,

You have a private message.

Bill

[mudpuppy]

GrandmaBig6 - I sent you a private message.

Thanks,
Mudpuppy

[Winni P]

Does anyone have any experience with Yankee Pedlar Realtors in Wolfeboro?
Do you think they are reputable?

We are in the process of renting a property from them in Aug and I just got the rental agreement from them and it is $1,000 more than the agent told us it would be. Now I'm getting worried because the rate we thought we had agreed upon was a stretch for us but we were going to do it anyway - now I don't know if we can.

I'm getting a bad vibe from the agent we are using. This seems like a bait and switch to me....

[Resident 2B]

I have not used Yankee Pedlar in the past. However, when I used to rent, I found the realtors very fair, but it was pricy. After a few years of renting, I used Strictly Rentals exclusively. Great selection of places and a good person to do business with based upon our experience.

I have never heard of agreeing on one price and then getting a price $1,000 higher. That is not right and is very unusual for this area.

As far as cost of renting goes, if it is lake front and has a good location with three bedrooms and a dock, it is usually around $3,000 a week, plus taxes. They also get a good deposit. Taxes and deposit can drive the cost up close to $1,000.

The rental web sites do a good job of showing properties and prices. You might want to check them out and see if you have a good deal or not.

Good Luck!

R2B

[Heaven]

Did you request rental info for a certain date, and then end up renting during a different period . . . . that could change the rate dramatically.

[Flylady]

I have no experience with them, but have used Maxfield Real Estate when I used to rent and now use them to manage my place and the rentals when I am not there. They have an office in Wolfboro. Check out their site at Maxfieldrealestate.com. Any reputable agent will disclose all cost up front, including security deposits, taxes and rental fee.
Good Luck.

[Winni P]

Originally Posted by Heaven

Did you request rental info for a certain date, and then end up renting during a different period . . . . that could change the rate dramatically.

No, we are renting for the same period. He originally pointed out this house to us as a rental and we said it was out of our budget. He then told us he could knock the price down $1500 because the owners really want it rented during the week we requested. So we were really psyched because we could work with that figure. Then when I received the rental agreement he had only knocked the price down $500.

The agent is looking into the situation for me, so hopefully it will all work out in the end.

[GrandmaBig6]

After much searching we found a house to rent for the weeks in August we were looking for.

There was photos attached to the advertisement of the outside view of the house and kitchen only. The photo of the house looked like it needed a touchup, but was not falling down; the kitchen picture looked clean. Anyway since we were having such a time getting a house for the two weeks we were looking for we took this house.

Anyway, a family member drove by the residence and they thought the outside of the house was a bit more run down than the photo showed.

Now I'm concerned that the inside may not be greatest either. The rental was not cheap. I already sent the payment, security deposit and signed a contract.

I could ask the owner for pictures of the inside of the house. My question is; If it comes down to it, is there a way to get out of this rental? The contract did not mention anything about cancelling.

Any advice would be helpful.

[AC2717]

I would check to see if there is anything in the contract you signed, it is up to the owner or the rental group, if you used one, to keep the property up and to maintain it so it is suitable -you might have enough here but they could argue that it is up to their standards just not yours, If there is enough time they might be able to find you another place. Also I know from previous experience, although cannot remember what they are, they are supposed to adhere to certain guidelines from the state or city, I am unsure, but I bet someone on here will know.

No mater what I would request the pictures anyways, if they say no they request your money back. You could have someone else call that is interested in the place and ask to have in and out pictures sent to them. then you can look at it that way, kind of sneaky to do this but sometimes might be your only choice

Wish I could give you a definite answer, just my two cents though

Good luck

[pamsy30]

I've always found this site to be helpful for rentals (everywhere), plus there's a pic of a paw print if they allow dogs...hope you're able to get out of your current contract...

http://www.vrbo.com/