About VRAI for Prospective Members
Owning a vacation home is great fun. Renting out is a great deal of work.
And how do you go about doing that safely and successfully? Like most business undertakings managing a vacation rental home is a science with 101 details. Any one of which can contribute to success or just as easily take away from it.
So why go it alone? Why figure it out from scratch or listen to friends on-line or off. Now there is a resource every vacation rental owner needs. VRAI is a Not-for-Profit trade association that was started by others who own and operate vacation rentals. Frustrated by the lack of information and resources for the industry they felt it was time to see if owners and suppliers would join together to foster and grow the industry
It is the Association's mission to provide information, tools and support to the vacation rental industry and to provide a place where owners can help owners. We're a place for people to get together for cooperation and mutual benefit.
Industry associations are nothing new. But until VRAI there wasn't a single place where those in the vacation rental business could meet in a non-competitive arena to talk and share. Surely, if every established industry accepts the necessity to cooperate for mutual gain, then it was high time for vacation rental owners to organize.
Sometimes they are called by different names, but vacation rentals, holiday-lets, cottage rentals or guest houses have been a trusted and preferred part of the lodging market in one form or another for centuries. VRAI programs and policies help Guests know that VRAI members and their properties are the cream of the crop. Here are just a few:
OWNER CODE OF ETHICS: Joining VRAI requires Member approve and agree to our basic code of ethics. How Owners treats guests is as important as how nicely they keep their homes. Guests expect the best from VRAI members.
PROPERTY INSPECTIONS: Our Blue Ribbon Inspection program sends qualified inspectors to each house with a long checklist of requirements. Homes vary, of course, from rustic cabins in the woods to huge villas by the ocean. But they must be clean, well furnished, nicely located and be exactly as portrayed in the advertising and sales materials.
PROPERTY INSURANCE: Prior to VRAI, many home owners utilized standard second home insurance for the home. But lodging properties and guests have unique requirements so we have arranged liability and property insurance services specifically designed for private vacation homes. You'll feel better renting a home with proper coverage.
OWNER CERTIFICATIONS: A good rental experience also requires good customer service. VRAI members can study and be tested to earn our coveted "Certified Vacation Rental Owner" designation. It means they know the ropes about offering a clean, well suited vacation home including outfitting and operating their rental home.
MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE: VRAI sponsored the first MLS for Vacation Rentals. Now you can enter a listing once and display it on hundreds of websites instantly. And the MLS is free for VRAI members. (www.VRMLS.org)PROPERTY LISTINGS: And how do Guests find a VRAI inspected and Owner certified home? Look no further than our website for guests, it is at www.VacationRentalCentral.com. It lists member homes and indicates which awards the home has earned. And there is no cost for guests.
Today, Vacation Rentals are growing fast and with that comes opportunities as well as challenges. The best way, in fact the only way, to insure the industry’s future is to band together. So you are invited to join, participate and enjoy.
Learn How to Join VRAIVRAI is a not-for-profit organization, formed under the laws of the United States of America EIN # 45-5024532; and State of Washington USA, State UBI License # 602-923493.