Glossary of Lodging Rental Terms

To help guests understand more about the rental of rooms and house from inns, resorts and vacation rentals this glossary is provided for your reference. It is not comprehensive but serves as a primary for terms guests may encounter in renting and utilizing lodging.

Low Season

The season when guest occupancy and rates are lowest.
See also: Travel Seasons, Peak Season, Shoulder Season Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Maintenance

The act of maintaining and providing services to a property. Sometimes routine matters such as changing furnace filters, or changing locks. Generally differentiated from work necessary to correct damages.
See also: Repairs Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Make Good Discount

When a guest is invited back to a property, for no cost, to compensate them for inconvenience incurred during the original stay. Usually referred to as just a "Make Good."
See also: Take Back, Charge Back Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Maximum Occupancy

The greatest number of registered occupants allowed to inhabit a property. It may sleep less than this number. Unregistered guests are not allowed. Drop in guests are not allowed.
See also: Normal Occupancy, Sleeps Occupancy, Disclosed Guest, Undisclosed Guests, Drop-In Guests Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Merchant Account

In order to accept credit cards as payment from customers, a merchant must secure a merchant account from a provider, often a bank or financial institution. Merchant accounts can be difficult to obtain, and the merchant is required to pay fees and a percentage of the invoice amount to the provider for every transactions.
See also: Chargeback, Chargeback Reversal Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Mountain View

When guests can see surrounding mountains from some area of the property, not necessarily from all area of the property. May include Full, Partial or Peekaboo Views.
See also: View, Beach View, City View, Resort View, Water View Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Name Your Price

An offer to guests to specify the price they want to pay per night for lodging, and the manager then looks for lodging to meet their criteria
Origin: William May Link: VRIA.org

Night

In most lodging, guests do not rent "Days" but instead bookings are thought of as "Nights". The origin of this terminology comes from the traditional (Hotel, Motel) industry where guests frequently arrive in the afternoon and leave in the morning. Hence it is the night they are renting not the day.
See also: Day Origin: Vacation Rental Association

No Pets

When a lodging facility disallows pets of any kind at the property. If No Pets are specified then pets are not welcome on the grounds, in the vicinity or inside the buildings. [ Service animals are exempt from such limits. ]
See also: Pet Friendly, Service Animal Origin: Vacation Rental Association

No Show

A customer with a reservation at a lodging facility who fails to show up and does not cancel.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

No Smoking

In most jurisdictions, guests are not allowed to smoke in properties or anywhere inside the buildings. Usually there are rules that prohibit smoking within a certain distance of the building or its entrance ways or that prohibit smoking anywhere on the grounds. Most owners of lodging facilities prohibit smoking anywhere on the grounds or in the building
See also: Smoking Penalty Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Non-Cancelable

When a booking for lodging property use is non-cancelable it means the guest must pay for and is not entitled to a refund even if they request a cancellation. This is similar to non-cancelable bookings for airfare and other travel services.
See also: Re-Sellable Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Normal Occupancy

The number of registered occupants for which the normal rental rate applies. There are per-day fees for each disclosed or undisclosed guest over the normal Occupancy.
See also: Sleeps Occupancy, Maximum Occupancy, Disclosed Guest, Undisclosed Guest, Drop-in Guest Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Not Sold

When a destination, location or unit has no available dates left for sale, it is tempting to refer to those as Sold Out. However, it is virtually impossible for us to be sold out. We always have availability somewhere in a different unit, location or destination. So users are forbidden from using the term Sold out. We call that "No So:
See also: Sold out Origin: Istay

Obscured Rent by Owner (RBO)

When a website makes a property owners identify hidden thereby requiring guests to only communicate through their website dashboard, the rental is Obscure.
See also: Rent by Owner, Rbo Origin: May, William Link: VRIA.org

Occupancy

A percentage indicating the number of nights sold (compared to number available) in a hotel, resort, motel, or vacation rental facility or destination.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Occupant

A person of any age who enters a lodging unit at any time; or enters the property or resort on which it sits. Includes overnight guests but also drop-in visitors.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Ocean Front Accommodations

Buildings or rooms and living units in a building which is along side the ocean shore. Can be major oceans or estuaries. Generally means there are no other buildings between the building and the water. Not necessarily Beach Front.
See also: Beach Front Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Order Fulfillment

After a booking has been accepted, it is necessary to produce and ship paperwork for the guest's signature. Then to secure its return and payment on time. After which instructions are sent to the guest. During and after the stay to check for guest satisfaction. This entire process is referred to as Order Fulfillment.
See also: Booking Origin: Vacation Rental Association

OTA - Online Travel Agent

Websites where guests can book lodging, airfare, rental cars and other services online. OTA's utilize Global Distribution Services (GDS) to display services and then to confirm them with the travel provider. Examples of OTA's are Expedia.com, Orbitz.com and Hotels.com but there are many others offering the same services.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

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