After going through over 25,000 messages, I've come to realize that one of the biggest financial problems faced by guests of vacation rentals happens either upon entrance or exit. Here's how to solve that problem and save tons of money in the process.

If you are brand new to holiday villas or a seasoned traveler, this article will help you understand how to "document" the property in what I call the "Vacation Rental Damage Report" when you arrived and how it was when you left. It's a short procedure, about five minutes on both sides (entrance and exit,) that could save you hundreds and, depending upon your deposit amount, thousands of dollars.

This article is intended for the dual purpose of helping both the renter and the owner. By dealing with legit parties on both sides of the transaction the overall costs are driven only by market factors and not by scammers.

Stuff happens in a rental property, kids get rambunctious and go through a screen door for example or someone pokes a hole in the ceiling with a pool cue. If you are the renter and you break something, just tell let the vacation rental property group know, and pay for it, don't try to slip something by hoping it won't get seen.

We all know that "stuff happens" all of the time. Furthermore most of these things can almost immediately be cleared up through open and honest communication. However, in this case, it's not only communication that will help you, rather, it's communication and a video tape.

Typically, the revelation of the misunderstandings happen after you have checked out of the vacation rental property. What happens is someone from the property group comes in to the property you just vacated and finds something damaged or broken.

Here's what to do to document the property so if and when you get the notification of breakage or damage, and you didn't do it, you've got more than just your "word" to verify.

Before you do these steps please manage your own expectations. Understand reasonable wear and tear on a vacation rental. Don't go overboard but do notate obvious scratches on a wall or floor... "keep it real" and reasonable. Don't be a jerk, but also, don't be a patsy.

Here's your procedure:

Get a video tape that you dedicate to the vacation rental property. Begin video-taping as you hit the driveway. Video the façade and the landscape. Leave your luggage in the vehicle.

As you enter the property begin video-documenting the property. If it's possible, have everyone in your party enter at the same time. Then go, room-by-room, and video-document the property.

Key points: make sure the toilets flush, the water runs hot, the stove, grill, all electrical devices and appliances, and spa all work properly. Make sure the refrigerator is cold. If there is an A/C controller in the house that shows the temperature, video tape it.

A key point is to video-document the ceilings of each room. Why? Leaks!

If the vacation rental is a single family property, walk outside with the camera rolling.

That's it for the entrance procedure. Here is the exit procedure:

Follow the house book or house guide and do what they tell you to do. Then video tape everything exactly like to did upon entrance. Go through the same exact steps, make sure you cover everything.

If you do or do not find something that is damaged or broken upon entry, call the property group representative and let them know either way.