Advice on renting a villa directly from an owner

tlap

New Member
Hi.

My wife, myself and a few friends are pulling together our trip to St Barth and want to go the route of staying in a villa. We have been working directly with whom I presume to be the owner of the villa (found Villa Vague Bleue and contacted them via their website) and we are at the contract stage.

Based on the conversation, I have no reason to suspect anything malicious (the contact has been a pleasure to correspond with), but they have asked me to wire the deposit and I have been having a bit of trouble getting them set up as a recipient for wire transfer (Bank of America to BNP - Antilles-Guyane).

Should I be concerned? What is appropriate protocol for me at this point (is it at all okay to offer to pay cash if credit card isn't an option)? Is there a resource for me to ensure that this is all legitimate and I'm not wiring money into the abyss?

Thank you in advance for your advice.
 
I rented from an owner who is a friend and I was requested to wire funds so it’s not unusual.
 
You do have a bit of a conundrum, and you are raising a very valid concern, which is basically "is the person who I am dealing with actually the person who is renting the villa". That is one of the key values of a rental through a recognized agency, which is the resource which you are asking about.

Of course everyone likes to save a buck, on both ends of a rental, but savings = risk, and in this case you own the risk. Multiple agencies rep that villa, but agencies necessarily involve a fee, whether paid by the renter or the owner. Dealing with a reputable agency gives you much more assurance that you have a legit deal.

Where did you find the villa? If not through an agency, was it through Airbnb or VRBO? If so you should go through their online payment process. Yes, it will cost a few extra $/€, but you have assurance that you are engaged in a legitimate transaction.

Lastly, if you're going off of the villa website, then I have a few additional thoughts. Websites can be hacked. The fact that the bank is BNP Antilles is a good start - it's a French Antilles bank, not a bank somewhere else in the world. (Wire transfer hint - I've done several to that bank. The key for Bank of America getting it set up correctly, for me, was using the Country Code of BL.) Another key will be the name which you are doing the transfer to. Are his initials QL? A third key will be the price. Is it in the same general range as an agency rental for the same villa for the same time of year? If so, great. If not, and it is a bargain, then why is it so?

Best of luck with this rental.
 
If you cannot speak directly on the phone with the owner of this villa about any transactions, then I would not rent it.
 
It seems the prices and fees are similar from their website and St. Barth Properties.


https://www.villavaguebleue.com/en/

Screen Shot 2020-12-04 at 11.30.26 AM.jpg

https://www.stbarth.com/villas/detail/vague/vague-bleue


Screen Shot 2020-12-04 at 11.32.36 AM.jpg
 
Kevin, the prices are in line with the market and the initials are not QL. :up:

You nailed it, I am having trouble getting the country set up correctly and will try to find BL. St Barth is not an option with B of A's drop down menu, which is causing issues with the IBAN and SWIFT codes. When I see error messages, I get nervous. :D

I really wasn't concerned until I started having trouble setting everything up, which isn't the fault of the person I'm dealing with. The person I have been corresponding with hasn't given me any reason for pause even as I'd had to ask questions about addresses, account info, etc.

I am just unfamiliar with international wire transfers and the part of not being able to see if the name linked to the account is the person I'm corresponding with is a bit of a gap in this case.

Thank you for advice!
 
Please see my post above, as it appears you would pay the same price + fees using St. Barth Properties and avoid the hassle of the wire. Additionally, you have more recourse if something goes wrong with the villa.
 
I did my wire transfers in person at my local branch, back when doing a wire transfer online or in the Bank of America app was not really an option. Your banker may have a better selection of country codes.

Actually, I should have asked if *her* initials are QL or LQ. There are sometimes gender differences between the same name in French and English. Also, in France, the Family name is often written first, not the first name as we are accustomed to in English.

Wire transfers are common in Europe. I have European friends who think that it is weird that I still write the occasional check (for taxes). In the US, we’re just dipping our toes in.
 
I am having trouble getting the country set up correctly and will try to find BL. St Barth is not an option with B of A's drop down menu, which is causing issues with the IBAN and SWIFT codes. When I see error messages, I get nervous. :D



I am just unfamiliar with international wire transfers and the part of not being able to see if the name linked to the account is the person I'm corresponding with is a bit of a gap in this case.

!
https://bank.codes/iban/structure/saint-barthelemy/
 
All, thank you so much for your help. All is well on the Vague Bleue rental thanks to your advice and a couple of messages from members of this forum who know the owner. Social platforms working for good outcomes... love it!

In the end, as a few of you surmised, the issue is on the Bank of America side in linking country codes (St Barth / BL isn't currently an option through their online / app platforms) and IBANs. I had visions of sending my money into outer space when I couldn't get the info to jive in account setup and panicked.

Hopefully sharing this experience can help other renters / owners with their St Barth rentals.

Thank you!
 
Totally agree with the bank. If the bank account of the owner is on an SBH bank, it is trustful.


You do have a bit of a conundrum, and you are raising a very valid concern, which is basically "is the person who I am dealing with actually the person who is renting the villa". That is one of the key values of a rental through a recognized agency, which is the resource which you are asking about.

Of course everyone likes to save a buck, on both ends of a rental, but savings = risk, and in this case you own the risk. Multiple agencies rep that villa, but agencies necessarily involve a fee, whether paid by the renter or the owner. Dealing with a reputable agency gives you much more assurance that you have a legit deal.

Where did you find the villa? If not through an agency, was it through Airbnb or VRBO? If so you should go through their online payment process. Yes, it will cost a few extra $/€, but you have assurance that you are engaged in a legitimate transaction.

Lastly, if you're going off of the villa website, then I have a few additional thoughts. Websites can be hacked. The fact that the bank is BNP Antilles is a good start - it's a French Antilles bank, not a bank somewhere else in the world. (Wire transfer hint - I've done several to that bank. The key for Bank of America getting it set up correctly, for me, was using the Country Code of BL.) Another key will be the name which you are doing the transfer to. Are his initials QL? A third key will be the price. Is it in the same general range as an agency rental for the same villa for the same time of year? If so, great. If not, and it is a bargain, then why is it so?

Best of luck with this rental.
 
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