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As long as the person renting pays by credit card there is always a chance that they will dispute the charges, and a chance they will win the dispute despite the contract. I do a few rentals with HomeAway which has an automatic escrow built in. For a unit that I would list for about $700-800 on a site like Redweek I list for $1100 to $1200 there. They add another fee of about $100 or so that the one renting pays. So the rental party pays $1200-$1300. Home Away keeps $250 from the rental price plus the $100 paid directly from the rental party which covers their commission plus the escrow. I don't get paid until about a week after. Basically I get an extra $150 for my inconvenience. I don;t ask for 100% upfront although many do. I typically want a $50-100 deposit before I put the reservation in the renters name. Once that is verified by the rental party I ask for 50% and then the remaining 50% 6 months prior to fly to locations and 60-90 days prior for drive to seasonal rentals that I know I can re-rent easily if need be. If you want escrow try offering to pay for escrow. If the person says no, try offering another $150-$300 to make up for the inconvenience of waiting.