Top 5 goals for my cottage stay 2018!

With the rain we have been having lately, all of our snow has melted and we can see the grass underneath.  I can't help but think of summer during this time.   Even though things are wet and cool outside, with little to no snow, I am thinking about what I would like to do during my cottage stay this summer.

Owning a cottage is great but going away on vacation to your own cottage can become more of a work stay than a relaxation stay.   I have set a few goals for my stay at Mallard Beach this summer hopefully forcing myself to stop work and enjoy some time with my family.

1) Quest for the ultimate Burger!   I know I have mentioned this in a previous entry.  I still feel like there might be a fantastic spot that only the locals know about.   I hope to sample a few different spots to try and find the best burger in the Parry Sound / Muskoka area.   I have a few spots on my radar.   Kate's Kart is known for their burgers.  I feel as though this will be the one to beat.   I am sooo looking forward to this very important research!   :)

If anybody has recommendations - please let me know!   I'm looking anywhere in the Muskoka or Parry Sound area!

2) Another item on my to-do list, is to check out White Squall Paddling Centre   They rent out kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddle boards.   They also offer day trips and tours.    Sounds like it would be a lot of fun!   This would be a great escape for the family out in nature.   Hopefully I can get the whole family on board for this one!

3) I've had a few of our guests recommend the Sawdust City Brewery Tour - The Sawdust Brewery is located in Gravenhurst, Ontario.   I've never been there myself, but I look forward to giving it a try.  They have six core brands of craft beers but they also have seasonal offerings.   I'm not much of a beer drinker but I'm always willing to give new things a try!

4) Killbear Provincial Park I hear it is amazing!   There is a beautiful six kilometre trail for hiking or biking and beautiful sandy beaches.  Again I have never been there - so this will be a fun new experience for the family!

5) Eat at one of the Rocky Crest Golf Resort restaurants.  The "Windows Restaurant" and "On the Bistro" look amazing.  I have heard a lot of good things but again, I haven't had a chance to eat there myself.  I try to make a point to try new restaurants but because these two restaurants are only open during the summer months, I seem to keep missing them.   Again - please leave a comment if you have dined at either restaurant.   I look forward to hearing all about it!

Fingers crossed I get all five of these goals checked off during my 2018 summer cottage stay.   I have our family getaway week booked already for 2019 at Hammond Haven!   A year and a half away and I'm already getting excited!


Dean Curtis
Serenity Vacation Rentals

Charge me a security deposit….PLEASE!!

If you have rented a cottage vacation rental in the past, you have probably been asked to pay a security deposit.   I have seen these deposits range anywhere between $150, to $2,000 depending on the value of the cottage, the length of your stay, the number of people in your group, pets, etc.  This deposit is kept by the owner until the end of your stay, at which time it is returned to you provided there are no damages to the property or contents, outside of normal wear and tear.

There has been a movement lately from the cottage owner community, to forego taking security deposits.   Only 2 percent of the time is there a need for a cottage owner to draw funds from a security deposit anyway.   For cottage owners, there is a lot of work involved in collecting and returning deposits, and there are very few times when a deposit is even used to cover any damages.   Of those few times, the amounts are fairly small and usually are for damages that the guests fully admit to causing and are willing to pay.   For the cottage owner, it is easier for the accounting on their end if they don’t have to worry about collecting and returning the deposit.  It is not that the owners are willing to give up that added protection.  There are two different ways that cottage owners can still ensure the same protection against damage, without having to directly charge the guests a refundable security deposit.

1. Guests are all charged a small additional fee hidden in the rental charge.  Instead of that cottage costing you $1,000 per stay, it is now going to cost you $1,025.   There is no additional security deposit to be paid up front and there is nothing that will be returned after your stay.   You are simply paying $1,025 to rent the cottage with no security deposit.   Nice right?....  The owner then takes these numerous extra $25 payments and funds a private damages fund.   This fund is then used to cover any damages up to a certain amount.   (There would still be wording in the contract that they could seek compensation for larger ticket items), but for smaller damages they would draw from this private fund.
   
   
2. The second model is to force guests to purchase a separate insurance.   This is basically the same as the point above, however it is a more formalized cottage guest insurance, usually managed and run by a third party.   Again, this is an additional cost to you the guest, which would have you paying more to rent the cottage overall.

So what does this mean to you the cottage rental guest?   If you are the type of guest who loves to come to the cottage and plan to take care of the cottage like it was your own, it means you are paying an extra fee for damages that someone else will cause in the future!   Instead of paying $1,000 for a rental charge plus $400 which is returned to you in full after your stay, you are now paying $1,025 or $1,050 for a loss of $50.  

In the first scenario above, let’s consider a cottage that rents 50 times in a year and charges a hidden $50 per rental to cover damages.    The damages fund now has a total of $2,500 for the year.    What happens if the owner doesn’t have that much in damages over the year?  You guessed it – the owner gets to pocket that money

So if I’m a guest for your rental cottage I say charge me the deposit!   I know I will take care of the place and I don’t want to pay more than I need to, paying for someone else’s damages!

What do you think?  Would you rather pay a slightly higher rental charge?   Or less in rental fee but with an additional security deposit which is refunded to you after your stay?   I’d love to hear comments and thoughts from those of you who have rented cottages!

Dean Curtis

Serenity Vacation Rentals