Helpful Articles - Vacation Rental Management Resource Center

Handling Local, Long Distance, and Toll Calls to and from Your Vacation Rental

Copyright 2012 VacationRentalDesk.com

Introduction

What are the best ways to handle local, long distance, and other toll calls to and from your vacation home? In this article, we will look at how to protect you as a rental property owner from unexpected and expensive telephone charges made by guests. Of course, you still want to facilitate your guests with the convenience and safety of a telephone, making them happy but not damaging your pocketbook.

Telephone Bill Nightmares

If you've ever been surprised by getting a huge telephone bill on your rental property phone bill, you know you want to curtail any long distance calls from being made. The telephone bill usually arrives long after you have sent back their security deposit and it is almost impossible to get them to pay for calls made while they were staying at your rental property when the bill comes in 28 days later.

What You Can Do

It is a good idea to avail your guests with local dialing and warn them ahead of their stay that the only way to make any toll calls will be by bringing along a prepaid calling card. Contact your local telephone company to determine what options are available in your area and request a plan that will block any toll calls. Sometimes this is called "toll blocking," "toll restriction," or "dial lock." The cost ranges from free to $4.00 per month. Also, make certain that this feature does not block the ability to make any 800 toll free calls, since this would prevent the use of 800 toll-free number calls to be dialed on their prepaid calling cards.

As a cabin owner in the Big Bear, California area, I contacted Verizon who handles the telephone service in that area. The "call restriction" is $2.50 per month. It blocks direct dialing of a long distance number and any incoming collect calls. I also blocked 411 information calls, any operator-assisted calls, all 900 and 976 calls, and any three-way conference calls. All of those additional options were free of charge.

I inquired about the same service with Cox in the Orange County, California area. Their blocking fee is completely free and includes toll call restriction when directly dialed, no incoming collect calls, blocked 3-way calls, no operator assisted calls, no 900 or 976 calls, and all 411 information calls are blocked; however, you can still dial 911.

In some areas, there is a feature that allows the homeowner to disengage the blocking feature while they are staying in their own vacation home and then restore it before they leave. The Verizon telephone service does not have that feature and actually would charge $15 every time the blocking is turned on or off by the phone company. Cox also does not have the option to toggle the toll blocking off and on manually.

So if you have not already, contact your local phone company and see about the following restrictions:

• Direct dialed toll calls
• Incoming collect calls
• 411 information calls
• 3-way conference calls
• Operator assisted toll calls
• 900 and 976 calls

Remember to make sure the blocking service that you choose still allows 800 toll free calls for prepaid calling cards. With these blocking options in place, you can be assured there will be no surprises on your telephone bill.