Are damage deposits at parks customary?

[trailernovice]

There's a close-by commercial RV resort we've stopped using because they implemented a damage-deposit policy for people renting RV sites...$500...fully refunded when, after checkout, the rented site is inspected and found to have no damage

About the policy: Apparently a renter backed over a utility pedestal

About the resort: It's an owner-occupied operation...mostly mobile homes, but owners of 'empty' sites can put them into a rental pool administered by the resort management on a standard rental-rate schedule

The question: Is this customary? We mostly state park camp, so not usually an issue...but we'll use local commercial places for 'weekend getaways'...and will use commercial places when most convenient as overnight stops when en route to elsewhere...Don't want to be on the road and get a 'we're going to hold $500 of your money' surprise at checkin

[teejaywhy]

valhalla360 wrote:


I think it was just making a joke about "Google is watching you" ...

Uh... that's no joke!

[Horsedoc]

A couple of things come to mind.

If this is a place where each site has a power meter, then perhaps this is to insure the site user does not leave with a power bill unpaid.

Is this place in trouble financially and is the deposit being used as a 'float' to keep their head above water? Depending on new come guests to cover the float when your refund is made.

[pitch]

That's because it was a mobile home park not an rv park. Are you a long termer? I see no reason for staying at a trailer park on vacation.

[JoeH]

I've never heard of it... but if I wanted to stay there and submit the depoist, a pre-occupancy walk around with management and pictures would come first, then upon vacating the site, another walk around and if all is well, immediate refund of deposit.

[valhalla360]

trailernovice wrote:
Thanks for the input...from what I gather:
As mentioned in the original post, all sites in this one are 'owner-owned'...The management/HOA or whatever it is (they have a check-in office, like at a hotel...guess it also serves the owners...place has a manned security gate--have to establish status as a renter or an owner to get in) gets a cut from every rental of lots owners choose to include in the 'rental pool'...so management is involved...and someone went raising cain to management about 'YOU rented MY site to an idiot who knocked over MY utility pedestal...so now YOU have to pay to repair/replace it'...the 'damage deposit' is to avoid such situations in the future

I mention all this because I'm pretty sure this is an unusual arrangement (renting owner-owned sites to the general public through resort management)

Anyway, we haven't been back since that was put into place

Haven't done it with the RV but on the boat, been to condo marinas many times...never asked for a deposit.

[afidel]

IMHO the correct way to handle this would be for the rental pool to self-insure. Take a small cut off each rental and place or into an account to be used for such damage. It's an RV site, the amount of potential damage is extremely limited. To expect every guest to put up a large deposit is asking for the kinds of reactions seen here, and for good reason since about 50% of landlords use damage deposits as a way to pad their rental rates while advertising a lower rate.

[Dutch_12078]

The only time I've seen anything like a damage deposit was at a very pricey Class A's only "resort" that had a $200 deposit for long term stays over 6 months. The deposit was refundable after a site inspection and clearance on any outstanding utility bills.

[mkc]

Have not run into it at a commercial or public RV park, but an ownership park where the sites are owned and optionally in a rental pool is a very different animal. Since the site owners are responsible for maintenance and repair of their site, I can see where a damage deposit would make sense. Regular RV parks would have insurance policies to cover renter damage, but individually-owned sites would not.

[Diamond_c]

I’ve never heard of this.

[Lwiddis]

No way I would put up a deposit for “possible” damage.

[Finally_Time]

I ran into that at a upscale RV Resort in Palm Springs, CA. (Mainly a snow bird park.) The sites were individually owned and rented by the community sanctioned real estate office. Since I really wanted to stay in the area and this had the only available space, I went ahead and signed a rental agreement and mailed a check for the deposit. I was supposed to get my deposit back within two weeks after departure. It took many phone calls and another two weeks to finally get my money back. I would never do it again.

[Crowe]

Have NEVER seen this. There's no way I'd ever agree to that.

[trailernovice]

Thanks for the input...from what I gather:
As mentioned in the original post, all sites in this one are 'owner-owned'...The management/HOA or whatever it is (they have a check-in office, like at a hotel...guess it also serves the owners...place has a manned security gate--have to establish status as a renter or an owner to get in) gets a cut from every rental of lots owners choose to include in the 'rental pool'...so management is involved...and someone went raising cain to management about 'YOU rented MY site to an idiot who knocked over MY utility pedestal...so now YOU have to pay to repair/replace it'...the 'damage deposit' is to avoid such situations in the future

I mention all this because I'm pretty sure this is an unusual arrangement (renting owner-owned sites to the general public through resort management)

Anyway, we haven't been back since that was put into place

[valhalla360]

trailernovice wrote:
(tried unsuccessfully to send this as pm to IDman...posting public)

Not sure what you mean by 'often post about problems'....and, if I DO tend that way, it's kind of the nature of the beast...people more likely to post about 'the service here was awful--steer clear' than 'the service here was great--i highly recommend it'

We don't know each other, and certainly I'm not owed anything...but we like this place and would consider going back but for this new policy...any chance, if I provided the phone number, you could call and check if it's still in place and across the board?

I think it was just making a joke about "Google is watching you".

Back to the original question: We've been to hundreds of parks, public and private, and have never been asked for a security deposit.

Yes, this would be a big red flag as it's far outside the norm. If a decent alternative was available, we would not use them.