Several months ago I booked a ski vacation for March through VRBO. Just received a message that the condo suffered water damage and will no longer be available. The full refund is being processed, but the owner passed along their neighbour's contact details and said they don't normally rent their unit but are willing to rent to us if we're interested. Normally, I'd prefer to go through a rental website for some protection but I'm a little desperate as it's only 4 weeks away and there is otherwise little availability.
What precautions can I take, assuming the owner is not using a property manager or vacation website? Payment by credit card would be best, but how would that work if it's an individual and not a business?
What precautions can I take, assuming the owner is not using a property manager or vacation website? Payment by credit card would be best, but how would that work if it's an individual and not a business?