Chapter 5 of the Ibiza villa rentals guide.
In this chapter you’re going to find out the most common (and expensive) mistakes you can make, before and during your Ibiza villa holiday, and exactly how to avoid them. Just one of these could be a massive holiday wrecker. We’ve seen these seven pitfalls trip visitors up time and again.
1. Not checking the agency or property is legally registered
Possibly the biggest no-no of them all. There are plenty of scam websites out there, just waiting for people who haven’t made the proper checks. Beware of handing over payment to any website offering Ibiza villas for rent until you’ve checked:
- If the company claims to be a registered travel agency in Ibiza, that they have a Comercializador de Estancias Turisticas number and a Central de Reservas number
- That they offer a secure payment system by credit card
- If you’re renting direct from the owner, that the property is a legal tourist rental licensed with the local council. Ask for the property’s licence number
It might take you a few minutes to check an agency or villa’s credentials, but it’s time very well spent. This article has the low-down on villa rental scams and exactly what checks to make.
2. Handing over cash in advance any way other than by credit card
The usual way scammers con you out of cash for a villa you saw on a website is to get you to pay up front via direct bank transfer. They’ll usually want a large percentage, if not all, of the rental fee.
You really want the villa, and it seems like such a great deal, so you cough up. A lot of money. You arrive on the island and what you thought was your holiday home is already rented to another, legitimate holidaymaker. The scammer copied photos from a real website. They never owned the villa, or the licence to rent it.
We’ve seen several such cases in a single year, and come to the rescue of the stranded groups in question.
Be vigilant. If you paid by credit card, at the very least your cash is insured and you’ll get a full refund if the worst happens. This article has detailed information about villa scams and how to avoid them.
3. Paying a huge breakages deposit up front
A few years ago, a large group of friends came on holiday to the island. They loved having their own villa. But one night, during a lively dinner party, a chair was damaged. They felt bad but hey, accidents happen. It was only a red wine stain on a dining room chair.
When the owners came at the end of the stay to check the property, they apologised and showed them the chair. Turns out the chair was part of an antique set, and due to the nature of the damage the entire set would have to be reupholstered. The upholstery had been done 20 years previously in New York, by an expert, with vintage designer fabric. The cost, including shipping, would be close to €2,000. The group lost their deposit. Rubbish end to a holiday.
The moral of the story? Get accidental damage waiver insurance. It costs just a few pounds for a week’s stay and covers all accidental damage to your villa. Sorted.
4. Taking an unlicensed (pirate) taxi home to your villa
Let’s be clear. The Ibiza summer season doesn’t just attract nice folk. There are some wrong ‘uns who come with the sole purpose of stealing. We’re not saying all pirate taxi drivers are thieves, but villa owners have shown us enough CCTV footage of holidaymakers getting dropped off in unmarked cars (all licensed taxis carry a licence plate), and shortly afterwards the villa gets robbed. Passports, money, phones and computers gone. Coincidence? The local police don’t think so.
Beware particularly of friendly, unmarked taxi drivers outside popular clubs, restaurants and bars, offering you a cab home. It’s tempting when the taxi queue is long and you’re dying to get back to the villa. But if you’re unlucky enough to get a wrong ‘un, that’s the perfect opportunity for them to find out where you’re staying, what the security is like, and generally case the joint. They can send a location pin to their friends and get a nice view of the layout on Google Earth.
And do you know how easy it is to get a key cut from just a photo of your key? Watch this. You’ll be shocked.
Take all security precautions at your villa and only ever use licensed taxis.
5. Renting a villa from someone not based on the island
Remember the villa scammers? Operating remotely from fake websites or listings, existing solely to con people into paying in advance for a villa they have no access to. The best and simplest way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to rent from a local, licensed agency. It’s easy to check:
- Look for the agency’s registered address on the website. If it’s not there, beware.
- Put the company name into Google and look for their Google Business listing.
- Check the address is the same. It’s almost impossible to fake an address on a Google Business account.
- Read the reviews. Look for a good number (10 or more) of consistently good reviews with professional management responses. These are very hard to fake.
- Put the address into Google Earth and check their physical shop signage.
Licensed local travel agency
Know the difference between a villa listings site and a licensed travel agency. A licensed local agency will be registered with the Villa Renters Association of Ibiza (AVAT), a government association, and will show their licence number on their website. Find that number, then check it on the official AVAT list. Ibiza Villas 2000, for example, has the AVAT logo and licence numbers in the footer of every page of this website.
The obvious advantage is that you’re not going to get scammed. But that’s not all. All rental villas listed by a licensed agency have been vetted and passed government inspection, so you can be sure you’re getting good quality accommodation. You benefit from local knowledge and expert advice, and staff are on the ground if you need help. And on an ethical note, a local licensed agency provides local employment and pays tax that’s invested back into the island you’re enjoying.
Rental listings sites
Listings sites such as Airbnb and Vrbo are a different beast. They’re rarely based where the properties are. They’re directories, charging a fee to the owner and another to the client. They don’t own any of the properties.
Quite aside from the fact that many listed properties have never had an official inspection, there have been many stories of fake listings. All that’s needed is temporary access to a property to take photos, then an email account, a bank account and a smartphone. Despite the sites’ best efforts, fake listings still happen. The scam is busted, the police are called, the cash has gone and the real culprits are never found.
You’ll get no local knowledge, and there may be no one on the ground if you need help. Unless the property has a licence number, it’s an illegal rental and neither quality nor security is assured. Proceed with caution.
Resource: this Forbes article on how to spot a fake holiday listing.
6. Inviting people back to your villa who you’ve only just met
See pitfall 4. The same goes for people you’ve only just met, especially if you’ve been drinking. There are obvious safety issues, and it’s not just women at risk. There are unsavoury characters who deliberately target drunken tourists out on the town.
If someone you just met comes on heavy and suggests coming back to your place, male or female, they could be a honey trap. Once at your villa, a location pin can be sent and your accommodation details given to anyone. If a photo is also taken of your key, boom. Don’t risk it.
7. Holding unlicensed events in your villa
Fancy taking a huge fine home as a holiday souvenir? Ibiza Club News reported that in one summer, San Antonio alone saw 14 fines worth €84,000 for offences ranging from noise pollution to causing a nuisance to neighbours. Those renting the villas were legally liable for the fines.
Three simple rules:
- The only people in your villa should be the people staying in your villa.
- If you have a special event planned, ask your agent for advice. They know the local laws and whether you’ll need permissions.
- Keep noise levels to what you’d expect if an easily irritated policeman lived next door. If you cause a nuisance (too many cars, too much noise, too many people) the neighbours will be on the phone to the law quicker than you can say fiesta.
To sum up
You’ve now got a good overview of the main potential stumbling blocks to a happy Ibiza villa holiday and exactly how to avoid them. And please don’t be alarmed: most of these pitfalls could apply to any popular holiday destination. Ibiza generally has a very low crime rate and the vast majority of visitors have a brilliant, disaster-free holiday.
The entire objective of this guide is that you have the holiday of your dreams. Now go forth, don’t get ripped off and find your perfect villa.
Back to the Ibiza villa rentals guide
About the author: Jane Charilaou is a many times published writer and long-term resident of Ibiza. Ex-editor of Ibiza Spotlight daytime magazine and editor of several Ibiza-based blogs, she holds an MA in literature from the University of Manchester.
