Common questions about renting a vacation home

How do I book a vacation home rental?
You can either make a booking directly on this website by using the "check availability box" to the side. Or you can call us at 011-351-925-547-246 we will be glad to help you.
 
Is booking on line secure?
We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you place an order. We offer the use of a secure server. All supplied sensitive/credit information is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and then encrypted into our payment gateway providers database. It will only be accessible by those authorized with special rights to such systems. They are required to keep the information confidential. After a transaction, your private information (credit cards, social security numbers, financials, etc.) will not be stored on our servers.

What are the benefits of staying in your vacation home rentals?
Our vacation homes are prepared in such a way that you always feel like you are coming "home" to your "vacation home" rather than returning to a small hotel room. Our homes have fully equipped kitchens, BBQ grills for your outside use and parking close to the house. You will be able to enjoy a self service home while you are on vacation.

What is your cancelation policy?
Cancelation Policy:  If Guest wishes to cancel his/her reservation, the deposit will be refunded as follows:
10% is non refundable if canceled more than 30 days prior to the arrival date.
30% is non refundable if canceled less than 30 days prior to the arrival date.
100% is non refundable if there is a no show on the arrival date.


Should we purchase travelers´ insurance?
We encourage all renters to purchase traveler insurance as it can protect them in the event of an unexpected cancelation.

What is the check in and check out times?
Check in time is 16:00 hours and check out is 10:00 hours. All efforts are made to have homes ready by check-in time, but we cannot guarantee the exact time of occupancy due to unforeseen circumstances. Housekeeping and all maintenance personnel must provide services between occupancies for every home. To guarantee early check in (such as early morning), it is recommended to pay for the night before. Requests must be approved and paid for in advance of arrival. The fee applies whether or not you arrive by the designated time.
To check in, we have arranged prior to your arrival when and where we will meet up with you to hand over keys and review information about
the house.

How many cars are we allowed at the property?
If you're traveling with a large party you'll want to know how many cars you can bring. Some of our properties have room for 1 car and some properties have room for 2 cars.  Once we have communicated by email of your needs , we will arrange to make sure this has been discussed for the house you are renting.

How many keys are issued to us?
Again, if you're traveling with a large group who may splinter off to do different activities, one or two keys probably isn't going to cut it. We recommend ensuring you can obtain additional keys, just make sure you understand any associated fees. Please ask about extra keys prior to your arrival.

What happens if something breaks or there is a problem?
If a serious situation arises, please use our mobile to contact us immediately.
Bonita..........011-351-925-547-246
Ed...............011-351-925-547-246


What if you get locked out of the home?
Because the locks are different than many countries, we have instructions about the lock system of each door. You can get to a phone to call us and  we will arrange to unlock the door.  Please be reminded that there will be a fee for this service.

Are linens and towels provided at my vacation home?
All linens, bedding,  bath towels for the house are supplied. Only houses near the beach will have a beach towel for you as well. Best is to ask prior to your arrival.

How does the final cleaning work?
There can be a lot of miscommunication when it comes to the cleaning and cleanliness of a vacation home or villa. For our properties, please remove all trash, recycles and food items prior to you departure. These are your things.  If you have any concerns, please let us know.  Also remember to remove all adaptors and chargers you  may have brought with you. Towels and sheets should be placed in the bathroom.

Will I need to rent a car?
The answer will depend on whether you plan to leave the house much. Many people that have stressful careers prefer to use our vacation rental homes so they can relax at the home as well as take in some island activities at an easy pace. Communicating your plans to the VHMAzores about your plans will help you figure out if you need a car to get to town, to local attractions or anywhere else.

What do we need to bring?
Each self catered house will have a starter pack of supplies for your first day. It will give you time to relax from your flight then you can go shopping for your supplies.

Can you help us to rent a quality rental car during our stay?
We have a major rental company we have worked with for many years on Sao Miguel.  They provide our guests with special rates and provide the best service on the island.

How do we access WIFI service at the vacation home?
If you need Internet access, you do not want to spend the first two hours of your stay trying to hack your way online.  Generally you will open up your computer, etc and go to the WiFi log on.  It will show the name of the house WiFi and you  sign in.  The code will be in the information folder on the table

Do VHMAzores or the owners come to the home during our stay?
The idea of renting a private vacation home is for the privacy and enjoying your vacation.
We only stop in if you need anything and we call in-advance. The owners, in most cases do not live near the vacation home but they understand that your privacy is important to you.

 
How do we check in to the vacation home?

When you arrive, the first thing you'll want to do is walk through the property to see  if anything is broken, and then inform the VHMAzores with in 24 hours of any situation.
         
When do we get our security/damage deposit refunded?

To get your damage deposit back, we will have the final cleaning done then contact you by email within a few days to arrange the refund of the payment.

How do we check out of the property?
The following information will also be included in your check-in packet:
Please remove all food from the refrigerator and leave the temperature setting at #1
Place all trash in recycle bins as labeled at the nearest recycle area to the house.
Leave the house key on the table or the lock box provided outside the house. (NEVER put the key in the door lock on the interior)
Please secure the house by locking windows and close doors.  During high season , there is a chance we may not meet you at checkout  at your time to leave.


What happens if we leave an item at the property after we leave?
VHMAzores is not responsible for any items left in a vacation home. We will attempt to locate items reported as left behind and, if found, can return them.  There will be a shipping fee.

Where is the closest grocery store?
All our houses have a food store as close a 10 minute walk to 15 minutes drive away.
 
Are pets allowed at the home?
 
As owners of cats, we know our pets are our family and we do not like to leave them at home.  However, we respect the wishes of the home owners and incoming guests who may have allergenic reactions to pet hair and dander,  Therefore, pets are not allowed in our rental properties.      
       

What beach safety rules should we know about?
Important Beach Safety Rules to Remember:
During the high season for tourism, life guards are at most beaches.  During low season, the beaches do not have life guards.
During dangerous surf conditions, red
"No Swimming" flags will be erected at beach entrances.
Whenever red flags are flying, swimming is prohibited. At such times, ocean conditions have been determined to be unsafe and swimmers are at serious risk of injury or death if they enter the water. For your safety, please heed all red-flag warnings.
All surfers must be tethered to their boards.
Please help keep our beaches clean and don´t leave your trash on the beach.


What should we do if we are caught in a rip current?
Most importantly, stay calm. Panic is often more dangerous than the rip current itself. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim towards the beach.