Owners’ Community FAQ
current subscription prices
3 month subscription $69.
6 month subscription $89
1 year subscription $130.
16 photos free
All listings come with 16 photo slots and captions free of charge. You have full editorial control over your photo display. No hidden charges.
listing multiple properties
We have several subscription plans for managers and owners of multiple rentals. Please call us at 661-702-1702 to discuss.
our guarantee for owners
When a new member-owner of a vacation rental purchases an annual listing, their initial investment is automatically covered by our Guarantee. If the new member-owner does not make a return of ten times or more than the cost of the listing during the first twelve months of the listing run, we will extend the listing for an additional 12 months free of charge. See Terms of Service for details.
purpose of upgrades
Upgrades heighten the visibility of your listing and get you noticed. They improve the number of views, increase click-thru, and generate more inquiries. Choose and design your own combination based on your needs.
upgrade pricing
Feature Listing ($35) Priority Placement ($25) Attention-Getters ($20) Seasonal Promotions ($20) Mix and match.
feature listing
Featured Listings ($35.) bring the greatest all-around visibility to your listing - circulating on OurTownRentals.com homepage, the state landing page, all town pages in the state, and in 5 feature slots on the top of your town browse pages.
priority placement
Priority Placement ($25) keeps you on or near the top of your town page. Priority listings circulate with each other above regular listings and regularly return to the number one position on page one.
combining feature and priority
This combo gives you double-exposure on your town browse page - rotating across the top in five feature slots and circulating on page one above regular listings in the browse.
attention-getters
Attention Getters ($20) are a colorful word graphic appearing with your listing on any browsing pages. Adds value when combined with a feature.
seasonal promo
Seasonal Promos ($20) such as "Last Minute Specials" give your listing a 4-week rotating exposure on the homepage of OurTownRentals.com under a seasonal theme tab, plus a bright red promo sign and text on the listing itself.
What's the first step to placing a listing?
Become a member. Go to the Login/Register link. Once you register as a member, you will have access to "My Account" with all the listing management tools.
streamlined listing process
For your ease, the listing process does not contain the full suite of listing elements. These are activated after your listing is online, including more text boxes and detailed rates.
customer support for a free listing build
The staff at OurTownRentals.com is here to smooth the way for you. We are more than happy to assist in all aspects of the listing placement and edit, when requested, and at no extra charge. Call and ask about our free listing build.
When does a new listing go live?
New listings are reviewed by the staff and approved within twelve to twenty-four hours of placement, usually much sooner.
If I start to place a listing, can I finish later?
Yes, provided you select "Save and continue" at the bottom of the page. When you log in again, go to the listing cart in the upper-right-hand corner and resume order.
Can I still place a listing if I don't have photos?
Yes. Photos can be uploaded and edited anytime.
Can I advertise more than one unit in my listing?
No. We ask that you advertise no more than one rental unit in a listing. Vacationers sort properties by number of bedrooms, bathrooms, number it sleeps. Plus, travelers rely on the accuracy of the published rates and availability calendars.
forms of payment accepted
credit cards, including American Express and Discover, Pay Pal, and personal check.
mailing address for payment by check
Payment by check should be sent to OurTownRentals at 25379 Wayne Mills Place, Suite 392, Valencia, CA 91355. Payable to: OurTownRentals.com. Please allow 10-14 days for receipt and activation of the listing.
if credit card is being rejected
Check your work and try again. The most common reasons for this is a typo, missing field, or inconsistent information. Make sure that the mailing address is the same as that of the registered card holder.
the cart system
The listing process is part of a cart system. After completing the listing form, you are directed to a secure server where you complete the transaction.
How do I purchase an upgrade for my online listing?
Login to My Account > Work on Live Listings > buy a feature, seasonal promo, upgrades
renewing a listing
If your listing is online go to >work on live listings > renew.
If your listing is expired go to > offline listings > renew.
lost username/password
Go to Login - Lost Username/Password. Fill in your email address and your username with a new password will be auto-emailed to you. They are case sensitive.
not a registered user message
If you have been inactive on the website for over two years, your registration has probably expired. Re-register to use the website.
started a new listing by accident
If you have accidentally begun placing a new listing, go to My Account > Listing Cart (the listing cart is in the upper right hand corner) > cancel order
change my password
Log into My Account>registration info> edit info
free showcase on the homepage
All new and renewed listings get to spend some time on the homepage under New and Renewed!
16 photos
16 photos with titles are laid out in a large photo spread as part of your listing.
primary description
Appears prominently at the top of your listing and under "description" and is used with your listing synopsis on the browse pages.
4 extra text boxes
4 additional titled text boxes for layout and extras, bed arrangements and linens, tourist and neighborhood info with your Google Map.
amenities and more
A checklist of amenities plus a text box for bed arrangements and linens.
availability calendar
Vacationers can see a year calendar with available dates, unavailable dates, pending reservations, and special offer dates
summary rates
A quick way to give your lowest to highest or fixed rate for any period of time - i.e. nightly, weekly, etc.
detailed rate manager
Describe an unlimited number of renting options with start and end dates, the rates, terms, holidays, and notes. Never out-of-date, because entries delete when the date is past.
booking seasons and minimum stay
A unique addition to your rate information.
google map with property locator pin
Your location is marked with a pin on the Google Map. Plus your text for "nearby attractions" and "in the neighborhood" goes with this section.
contact owner form
The Contact Owner Form is part of your listing. Vacationers fill out the form with their own email address. Their email is sent to your personal email account through us. All emails sent through our system are archived for you in My Account.
email archive
All email inquiries through your listing are archived in the My Account.
How can I put a locator pin on my listing's Google Map?
Go to edit text and fill in the listing street address and city in the Google Map area. The address is hidden from view and privacy protected.
Where is the accessibility icon (man w/cane) for elderly and infirm?
Go to edit text. The accessibility icons are in the drop down menus. If the rental has a bedroom and bathroom on a ground floor or in an elevator building - choose "suitable for the elderly and infirm" and the icon will display on the listing.
I edited my text, but the changes are not showing online. Why?
You must "Approve Edits." The "resume order" will take you back to your last edit. Continue to the next page, where you Approve Edits to make it go live.
Where do I edit my booking seasons, seasonal info with minimum stay?
Go to edit rates. These fields are below the summary rate table as "booking seasons and minimum stay"
Should I show or hide my calendar?
It's up to you. Calendars are marketing tools. You have the option to "show calendar" or "hide calendar."
Where do I edit the rates?
Work on Live Listings > Edit Listing > Edit Rates
Are my edits automatically saved?
Yes. Your edits are saved if you exit the editing process without approving them. When you return to your work, you are given the choice to resume where you left off or to cancel your previous edits.
I don't see my rate changes online. Why?
All edits - whether to your rates or to the text - must be approved by you on the "Approve Edits" page to be activated online.
What is the holiday drop down for?
The holiday drop down allows you to add a keyword for a holiday or some local events to that rate entry. Browse the menu of choices and use one, if relevant.
Can I re-order, add captions, and either delete or replace photos?
Yes, yes, and yes. You have the ability 24/7 to re-order your photos, edit your captions, and delete or replace up to 16 photos with ease.
How easy is it to upload large-size images?
Easy!!! New digital cameras are taking larger photos, and our new state of the art image uploader instantly resizes them during upload to your photo display.
How many photos am I allowed?
Up to 16 photos are included free of charge for all listings.
display or browser problems
Websites display content differently depending on which browser you are using to surf the internet. If you are experiencing problems viewing the website, update your browser. Internet Explorer IE6, for instance, is out-dated and no longer supported by this website or Microsoft, for that matter. It is free for you to download the latest upgrade of IE. Or use another browser, such as Google Chrome or Firefox to access the website.
verified owners policy
OurTownRentals.com has initiated a verification process to ascertain the validity of a listing. All listings on the website are verified. Please contact us for more information.
A vacationer sent me too much money for the rental and wants some sent back. What should I do?
Never send money to a vacationer prior to renting your property to them. One of the most common scams in the vacation rental industry is for a scam artist to send an owner too much money in a money order or cashiers check, and then request a return. Typically, the money order or cashiers check bounces. Two exceptions: it is appropriate to return money if the rental became unavailable and you refunding the deposit or after you have rented, to return the a security deposit.
Vacationers FAQ
finding last minute rentals
Last minute rentals rotate on the homepage under the tab "Last Minute Rentals." They can be searched in each town by using the "sort by.....promo" feature at the top of the page.
quick rental search
Quickly go to a state, a town or a listing. Every page has a Quick Rental Search in the top right-hand corner. Type in the name of the town, state or listing number and hit SEARCH.
sort listings by ...
A "sort by" menu is at the top of every town browse page. Double click a menu item to sort the page results by feature: bedroom | bath | sleeps | pets | smoking | promos | - Sorts smallest to largest and no to yes and vice versa.
listing menu bar
Every listing has its own navigation menu bar with links to the sections of the listing. top | photos | description | amenities | map | rates | availability | contact owner
browse previous and next listings
Each listing menu bar has a "previous" button on far left and a "next" button on far right of the menu. Quickly get from one full listing display to the next in that town. This time-saving browse feature keeps you inside the property listings, browsing full listing to full listing, without having to return to the town pages.
searching pet friendly
Presently, you can see all pet friendly properties on a town by town basis. Use the "sort vacation rentals by" tool at the top of each town browse page. Click on "pets" twice and all pet friendly properties will be brought to the top of the browse section.
How can I quickly find properties by the number of people they sleep?
Use the "sort by" feature on town pages. The "sort vacation rentals by" feature is located under the category tree and just above the first town browse listing. Click once on "sleeps" to browse the lowest number to highest number. Click again on "sleeps" to browse the highest number to lowest number.
How do I know if an owner will rent for less than a week?
Go to the "Rates" section of the listing for minimum stay information. Owners give the minimum stay for any season that they rent. Summer, Winter, Spring, or Fall. You may also find more specific minimum stay info for specific dates, package deals, holidays and rates in this same section under "Rate Details."
What does "verified owner" mean?
OurTownRentals.com verifies the identity of owners and managers before approving their listing to go live on the website. However, we are not involved in transactions between verified owners and vacationers. Our role is the same as a newspaper classified for real estate rentals and we cannot offer guarantees to vacationers. If you have any questions about an owner/manager, please call us.
I am nervous sending money to someone I haven't met. What can I do to confirm they are real?
OurTownRentals invites you to call our offices at 661-702-1702 if you are experiencing any issues or doubts regarding an owner/manager.
