Coronavirus and tourism, how to rent a holiday home safely – Il Tempo

2020 will be a different summer for many Italians. After the difficult lockdown period, the desire for a holiday is felt, at the same time there is a strong need to organize a safe summer, also for health. So the holiday home, independent and easily accessible by its own means, becomes a valid alternative for many.

This trend rekindles the attention on the importance of acting safely on the web, from the moment of research and booking, to ensure a peaceful and safe summer from all points of view. From the postal and communications police, the UNC – National Consumer Union – and immediately the vademecum arrives to choose your holiday home safely with a few simple rules to apply when searching for and booking accommodation.

The postal police assist citizens on network security, helping them to identify and limit possible risks. The use of the web to search for one’s holidays is now a consolidated reality and a great opportunity, for this reason the collaboration with those who protect the interests of consumers and with the marketplace leader in Italy is renewed.

And here is the guide of 8 rules to plan and live a holiday in safety created by Postal and Communications Police, National Consumer Union and Immediately:

Realistic, complete and not too glossy images: To check the consistency and truthfulness between images and houses, use a web image search engine to upload the photos in the ad and check that they are not stock photos but shots of a royal house;

Complete and detailed description of the property: To understand if the property and the area (distance from the sea, central position …) correspond to the description made in the ad, look for the road indicated on the maps available on the web and, once you have found the place exactly, view it via satellite;

Contact the advertiser via chat: For further confirmations, contact the advertiser via the platform chat, ask for additional information and photos on the property and learn more with a chat asking for the telephone number, possibly fixed;

Adequate property price: To understand if a price is high, low or adequate it is appropriate to do a search on the area through the platform where the ad is present, also using a search engine and checking if the price is not too low and therefore actually in line with the location and structure of the house;

Meeting with the advertiser: To check that everything is correct, meet the advertiser where possible for a visit to the house and to deliver the amount due in person;

Deposit request and value: The request for a deposit is legitimate, provided it does not exceed 20% of the total;

Identity documents: Do not send personal documents. Identity card, driving license or passport must never be shared as they could be used for unlawful purposes;

Payments: Make payments only on IBAN or via tracked payment methods, the bank IBAN must be traceable to an Italian current account that can be verified using tools such as IBAN calculator.

With the aim of reaching as many users as possible, the 8 golden rules are available on the Subito, Postal and Communications Police and UNC platforms and will also be promoted through social networks with dedicated activities.