Rent house business has particular challenges and characteristics in Varadero and in Cuba. The reservation generally takes place on site, by phone or over the internet and in many cases using travel agents like Vararent.com. Payment methods like credit card or online payment are very restricted in Cuba for private use so rent house owners has limited ways to charge the guests the reservation cost at the reservation time. So for many years the reservation is unpaid until the visitor arrives on the date agreed.

This brings then a problem: guests may cancel their reservation at any time without notifying rent house owner who have huge losses for this cause. Every time a visitor which has verbally confirmed a reservation cancels it or simply doesn't come, it affects the rent house owner, and many times owners have rejected other reservations jut to keep and ensure the previous one, and the owner will be more days “empty” while they look for a new visitor.

Sometimes rent house owners gets nervous if a previously confirmed reservation is in doubt due to some action from the visitor, for example: change the arrival date, change the number of rooms or days, and start asking other questions after everything being clarified at the reservation time. And in many cases rent house owners decide to cancel the reservation and take new more-trustful guests to protect their selves. This problem is higher in the peak season where there are a lot more tourists.

A common technique to protect rent house owners and to get a higher commitment from guest has been used for a while by all rent house owners: make the guest to pay the first day only, if guest fails money is not refunded, if rent house owner fails to accept the guests for any reason of his fails, money is refunded to guests. For more information please read the guide: Ensuring your reservation: pay the first day retainer or not? Many of the rent houses we list here accept the first day retainer, and others have it as a mandatory requirement for making the reservation.

Due to the above problems and solutions mentioned, making reservations online through vararent brings the same challenges and in different ways. We have created the following rules and code of conduct for both, rent house owners and guests to provide a trustful and responsible environment for the rent house business.

Rent House Rules & Code of Honor

The following rules must be followed by rent houses and guests. Vararent.com users accept to follow these rules by all means, and to be cooperative and act in good faith all the time to protect both parties including vararent.

Rent House Owners Must:

• Adhere to their word once they confirm a reservation to a guest through vararent or directly to the guest.
• Have the house ready and clean at the agreed time of guest arrival (usually check-in is after 12.00 PM and check-out is before 12.00 PM)
• If the first day retainer is paid, the owner is OBLIGATED to keep the reservation otherwise the retainer most be refunded 100%.
• If the first day retainer should be refunded for any fault from the owner, the owner accepts to return the entire amount to the guest, and to avoid cancelling this kind of reservations by all means.
• Timely notify guests about any change in their reservation status and act accordingly if a retainer should be refunded.
• Failing to adhere to the following rules may result in a permanent banishment from vararent.

Guests staying in Rent Houses Must:

• Adhere to their word once they have confirmed a reservation to a rent house owner through vararent or directly.
• Arrive on time the date agreed (usually check-in is after 12:00 PM and check-out before 12:00 PM)
• Properly notify the rent house owners about any variation in their schedule, and guests understand that doing this makes rent house owners nervous and this may result in their reservation cancellation.
• Pay the first day reservation retainer to ensure their reservation (this will force owners to keep the reservation)
• Understand that if they fail to arrive on the specified date, or change the reservation date, the first day retainer is lost.
• Pay the entire amount of the reservation at their arrival to the rent house owner (except for the first amount if the retainer is already paid).

Failing to adhere to the following rules may result in a permanent banishment from vararent.

Tips for a successful Rent reservation

• Try to make your reservation at least one month before your arrival.
• Pay the first day retainer fee since this creates a commitment from both parties.
• Print the vararent invoice as a proof of payment and the “Welcome to Rent House” letter from vararent.
• Call us by phone (or request a phone call from us) to verbally confirm your reservation and the payment transfer to the rent house owner.
• Arrive on time the agreed date.
• Try to keep your schedule and in case you have to change it, notify the change in a timely manner.