Insurance Glossary

Vacation Rental Insurance policies can contain technical industry terms that make reading a challenge. To avoid confusion, the carrier as created the following list of definitions for a number of industry terms and phrases.

The following definitions are provided for informational purposes only. Please refer to your Vacation Rental Insurance Policy or Certificate of Insurance for definitions and coverages specific to your Policy/Certificate.

Gite

A French holiday home available for rent on a short term basis. Usually self-catering and fully furnished. Technically the owner must live close by to provide help, assistance, and a warm welcome to guests. Often Gites are old cottages or converted outbuildings and barns close to owners' residence.
See also: Vacation Rental, Holiday Villa, Holiday House, Holiday Let, Self-Catering Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Gleaning

In agriculture, farmers allow charity groups to enter fields already picked, to take left over crops. In lodging, charitable groups are allowed to use or sell nights unlikely to sell. This provides benefit to the charities, promotional value to properties and goodwill for all.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Goldener Inns

Company that provides lodging services to the Goldener Network of Inns and Resorts. Those members provide management services to small unique Inns and Resorts Vacation Rentals in various geographic areas. The Goldener Inns name is promoted to consumers to establish a national and international brand name.
Origin: Goldener Link: GoldenerInns.com

Gratuities

The formal term for leaving money for those who serve such as wait staff, housekeepers and others. Not common in all countries or for all jobs. Wait staff are tipped in most places. Gratuities for Housekeepers are less common.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Guaranteed Reservation

An option for guests who wish to have their lodging property held for their use regardless of time of arrival, or failure to arrive. In that case the guest is always charged. After one night of no show, the owner or manager may elect but is not obligated to rent the property to another party.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Guesstimating

Projecting income, events or news with an admission that it is not based on science, or known foundation for the projection.
See also: Guesttimating, projection Origin: Vacation Rental

Guest

A person or persons who rents a real estate property for a short stay. As opposed to a "Tenant" who rents a property for a longer period. The difference between a Guest and a Tenant is usually determined by local governing bodies such as states, counties, cities or home owner associations. Many jurisdictions consider guests as those who stay for 30 days or less. Tenants and Guests have different rights of use for the property.
See also: Tenant Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Guest House

A house, condo or other living unit used for short-term rental, usually in a resort or recreational area and having sleeping quarters, bath and kitchen. Also known as a Vacation Rental, Holiday let., Holiday House, Holiday Cottage, Holiday Villa or (in France) a Gite.
See also: Vacation Rental, Holiday Let, Holiday House, Holiday Cottage, Holiday Village, Gite Origin: Wm. May

Guest Obligations

As common courtesy, guests have an obligation to treat people and property with respect and within normal and usual reason. For vacation rental units those obligation include common sense items, such as turning off lights when not in use, taking care with fireplaces and barbecues, not creating noise or nuisance.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Guest Ranch

Usually working ranches that accept guests for lodging, food service, horse back riding and other ranch and farm activities.
See also: Dude Ranch, Farm Stay Origin: Wm. May Link: GuestRanchers.org

Guest Registration

The process during which a guest checks into a lodging unit and registers as being in occupancy. Also the form used during the registration process.
See also: Simple Registration, Complex Registration Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Guest Review

Manager's online review of the Guest's occupancy. Often posted to channels such as AirBnB, VRBO, Expedia, Booking.com, TripAdvisor. Etc.
See also: Property Review Origin: Wm. May

Guest Survey

A mailed, or in unit, email or online survey inviting guests to rate and comment on the property they have occupied. Questions include guest satisfaction on cleanliness, furnishings, customer service and other factors which reflect on the property.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Guestminder Program (For Complexes)

A co-hosting program for lodging owners offered by members of the Goldener inns & resort Network, such as Inns, Resorts and other multi-unit properties.
See also: Guest minders, guest minder, Origin: GuestMinders Link: GuestMinders.com

Guesttimating

Attempt to project the number of guests, bookings or income that a lodging property will generate in the future.
See also: Guesstimating, projectiong, estimating Origin: Wm. May

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photos

Digital photos taken and processed to produce the most life-like quality and colors possible. Used extensively for quality architectural and lodging photographs. Techniques that allow a greater luminance's between light and dark so they more accurately the wide range of real scenes.
Origin: Wikipedia Link: Wikipedia.com

Hold Over

When a guest stays longer than their pre-arranged booking or reservation period of time. If with approval of the owner or manager there is usually additional rent. If without approval a stay over usually results in penalties as well as rent for inconvenienced charged to other guests and employee. (Also known as a Stay Over)
Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Holiday House

A fully furnished home offered for rent on a nightly, weekly or long basis but essentially for short-term use. The same as a Vacation Rental but used in parts of European, Australia and other parts of the world.
See also: Vacation Rental. Holiday Let Origin: Vacation Rental Association

Holiday Let

Home

A person's primary or secondary residence.
Origin: Vacation Rental Association